Dining Out: Jerry's Family Restaurant (Paris, KY)

A note about the history of this restaurant, direct to you from Wikipedia: 

"Jerry's Restaurants is a single restaurant in Kentucky that is the lone remnant of a large American restaurant chain that was founded by Jerry Lederer, who initially opened the White Tavern restaurant in Kentucky in 1929. Lederer subsequently opened Jerry's in 1946, and franchising began in 1957. Very similar to Big Boy restaurants, Jerry's was located in the Midwest and South. Following a sale of the company in 1990, some Jerry's restaurants were converted to Denny's by the new owners. By 2012, about a dozen locations had remained in Kentucky and southern Indiana, some of which were called Jerry's J-Boy Restaurants. By 2021, only one location remained open, in Paris, Kentucky."

We went to Jerry's because I saw a Facebook post lamenting that it was the only one of its kind left in the country, and while I was reading the history my 5YO saw a picture of the hot fudge cake and said he wanted some. Since it just so happened we were going to visit Kentucky soon, I decided to make it happen.

 Exterior: 3/5

I'm guessing this used to be an iconic sign.

It's an unassuming storefront. You probably wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for it.

We visited just after Christmas, so we loved the holly bush in the front.

Honestly I was a little worried when we pulled up to Jerry's. Had the Facebook post misled us into thinking that a grubby little hole-in-the-wall was some rarified piece of Americana? How were our stomachs going to feel afterward? Spoiler: The exterior does not accurately reflect the experience within. 

Ambience: 4/5

We love YOU special, Jerry's.

Lots of natural light, lots of UK baseball caps.

This is what you want it to be. It still has the mid-century roadside restaurant layout, but the colors are updated to create a calm atmosphere that makes the space feel open and welcoming. It was packed when we arrived, and since we were there well after the usual lunch crowd would have arrived I'm guessing it's packed all day. They were waiting to seat people when we left in the mid-afternoon, and there were multiple large parties seated (including my family and our Kentuckian friends). 

Variety: 4/5

Check out that gooey-good Hot Brown!

Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich

I got a little overstimulated trying to pick a side dish.

I settled on Broccoli Casserole and Corn Pudding. 

This is all standard American fare, but they work a lot of different dishes under that moniker. I appreciated the local touches, like the smothered hot brown. (God I love a good hot brown.) There's lots of different sandwiches here, fried seafood and chicken, and fun home-style specials. We had a lot of different palates in our party and we all walked away quite happy.

Quality: 5/5

Now THAT is a CHEESEBURGER.

It's not much to look at, but that's a tasty Buffalo Chicken Wrap.

Potato Skins and Fried Banana Peppers

Hot. Fudge. Cake.

None of us had anything we didn't like, and several of us had things that we ADORED. The Hot Fudge Cake (the dish that drew us there in the first place) will have a special place in my sweet tooth dreams for a long time. My friend raved about what a good quality cheeseburger she was eating. And the best touch, in my opinion, was the fried banana peppers. I almost swooned at the first bite. And when I dipped them in ranch? Even better. Please do yourself a favor and enjoy these treats.

Kid-Friendly: 5/5

So many things and they're all fussy-friendly.

Cheese pizza all around, and everyone seemed happy with it!

The kids in our group gravitated toward cheese pizza. I didn't think it was much to look at, honestly, but they all seemed to chow down on it so what do I know. The kids' menu was accessible to your standard American-brat-child-fussy-eater, and since I have one of those that made me happy. And at the risk of beating a delicious cake, they went all-in for the hot fudge cake for dessert, too.

Would Eat Again?: Green Light

I don't know what the reputation of these restaurants was in the heyday of the chain, but I know that I'd eat at this one again in a heartbeat. Those peppers and that cake may have become a need in my life, which will unfortunately be a need I can only satisfy by driving four hours. But I might do it if the opportunity arises, and my friends in Lexington might have to deal with me passing over the upper-crust restaurants in the city to go to Jerry's instead. (I mean, why not both, I guess. But hooray for Jerry's!)