Everyone in the community has that one drive-in they lean on for burgers, ice cream, and more. For some, it’s Mil’s Dairy Drive-In on KY 54 in Whitesville.
Mildred and Ira Crowe launched the restaurant in the early 1980s, quickly becoming an east-county staple. Kelly Ward now owns the restaurant after purchasing it from her mother and 2 aunts in 2017.
“Mildred and Ira built it, and my mom and her 2 sisters worked for them,” Ward said. “Since I bought it, we began taking cards in 2018, and we’ve grown our menu to include wings and pizza specials.”
Ward said the Whitesville community continuously supports the establishment, but it’s not uncommon for folks to travel from Owensboro or other nearby counties like Ohio and Hancock. She added that the restaurant has become a traditional stop for people traveling to and from Rough River.
“The Whitesville community has been very good to us, and we always want to give back,” she said. “For local events, we always donate chicken strips, funnel cakes, and other food to sell to benefit our local Catholic and public schools.”
Cheeseburgers, spicy fries, and milkshakes have been staples on the menu for decades, but Ward said adding wings to their repertoire has been a game changer.
“We have people coming from Owensboro and all over to order our wings,” she said. “We have the small wings and several sauces to choose from. One guy came and ordered some and had to return before going home because he was supposed to take his wife some, and he had already eaten them all.”
She said he’s become quite the regular.
Because of the wings’ growing popularity, Ward said Super Bowl Sunday is the only Sunday she opens the restaurant all year, offering multiple wing and pizza specials for the big game.
The milkshakes have earned best in the tri-state status from WBKR for 2 consecutive years.
Click here to view Mil’s menu on Facebook and keep up with daily specials.
