This original version of this story first appeared in Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Owensboro Times quarterly newspaper.
My mom didn’t cook much. I’m sorry to call you out, Camilla, we can’t all be Cordon Bleu-trained like Chef Will (who, despite his culinary talent, admits he uses too much hot sauce).
My mom could scramble the heck out of some eggs, though. Two eggs, scrambled hard, bounce them, no shine. That’s her very specific order. And for years, I thought that was the height of egg cuisine. Then I discovered the world of fried, sunny side up, over easy, medium, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled soft, and more.
But here’s the truth: moms make eggs. And at Owensboro’s diners, breakfast is ruled by queens. Whether it’s Lizzie, Kim, Deloris, or Dee, their names are literally on the building. You don’t get to hide when your name is the brand. It’s their way of telling the world, “If you can’t get breakfast from your mom, aunt, or grandma, come get it from me.”
So, Chef Will and I made the rounds to see what these Queens of Breakfast were dishing out, and they didn’t disappoint.
Now, before anyone grabs a pitchfork because we didn’t hit your favorite spot, relax. We’re just getting started. Today’s spotlight will focus on these four legends who put their money where their mouth is and slapped their name and reputations on the front door.
Dee’s Diner
Chef Will and I went separately but came to the same conclusion: don’t go IHOPping this place up. Stick with the basics. Dee’s serves a no-frills, classic breakfast that can’t be beat.
Dee is not Owensboro-born, but she married into it and never looked back. She’s been cooking in this town for years, and about 15 years ago, she took a wild leap of faith. The location for the diner became available, and she needed $13,000 to make it happen. She won $12,000 in the lottery. Is that divine egg intervention?
With mouths to feed at home, Dee did what she knew best: she fed everybody else, too. Today, when you walk into the diner, you’ll meet a whole crew of characters, maybe even Dee herself, flipping pancakes on the line. But whether you’re greeted by Christy, Lil Bit, or one of her kids, you’re still talking to Dee. Her spirit runs the place as much as her spatula does. Quietly, consistently, she’s been serving the community one plate at a time.
Now me? I’m a drive-thru regular. I call in, chat with Lil Bit, roll through in my Sunday morning jammies, and head home with the goods. My order: two eggs over medium, crisp bacon, hashbrowns with a proper ketchup smothering, pre-buttered toast, and a pancake the size of my steering wheel, served in a pizza box. Dee doesn’t play.
Chef Will went the dine-in route, swinging in after church with the whole crew. Feeling bold, he tried to go fancy with the stuffed French toast. Now listen, we said it once, and we’ll say it again: Dee’s is a classic joint. You don’t need bells and whistles when the basics are this good. The French toast was fine, but it’s not where Dee shines. Everything else on his table? Nailed it. This team knows exactly what to do with an egg and understands that “crisp” isn’t a suggestion when it comes to potatoes. And those pancakes? Still undefeated.
Lizzie’s Diner
Elizabeth Thomas was only “Lizzie” to one person, her mom, until she opened her diner on Triplett Street. Now, she’s Lizzie to a whole cast of regulars who clearly feel like family. I watched her ask customers about their kids, remember their favorite tables, and bring her grandbaby out from behind the counter like it was just part of the morning routine. It’s always been a family affair at Lizzie’s, starting day one. Her mom helped her launch the place, and even though she’s no longer here, her spirit and that sweet nickname live on in every plate that leaves the kitchen.
Now let’s talk breakfast. I went with the 1-1-1: one egg, one piece of sausage, one piece of toast, and a side of home fries. Except calling them “home fries” feels misleading because they’re more like thick, golden potato chips. Pro tip: ask for them to be extra crispy. They’re using real eggs here, which is always a green flag in dinerland, and my egg, ordered over medium, was exactly right. Of course, I added a pancake because that’s just how I judge a diner, with a complete pancake index I made in my head.
The servers were kind, the coffee stayed full, and, sure, the food took a little longer, but that just gave me more time to chat with the kid I brought along. I even grabbed a to-go order of the Sunrise Special for Chef Will: an open-faced situation with two biscuits, sausage, scrambled eggs, American cheese, hashbrowns, and a ladle of peppered gravy on top. But the man had strep throat and couldn’t eat it, and I hate gravy, so there’s no firsthand review. That said, for eight bucks, it was a mountain of food that looked like a solid win. We’ll call that one unfinished business.
Deloris’ Cafe
We stepped into a little slice of Americana on the corner of Triplett and New Hartford Road, a humble spot called Deloris’ Cafe. Deloris Jean Schultz was already a fixture on the griddle scene, working the 8 Ball, the Days Inn, and the End Zone, before she opened her place on 18th Street in 1999. That original building now houses Kim’s Diner, but Deloris’ moved to its current location in 2000.
Her son Joe and daughter-in-law Susan bought the business in 2005, and though Deloris passed away in 2014, her legacy lives on. It’s a corner diner that still does things the way she always did: with heart, hospitality, and a lot of bacon grease.
Based on the décor alone, we had no choice but to start with the All-American Plate. Two large eggs, your pick of hashbrowns or American fries, toast or biscuits and gravy, plus a protein lineup of bacon, ham, sausage patties, or bologna. It comes with coffee, and don’t even think about subbing anything.
There’s a small surcharge on eggs these days, so $7.95 became $8.45, but honestly, that’s still a bargain. I skipped the gravy (as always), went with toast, and grabbed a biscuit on the side. It was fluffy and buttery, and yes, those sad little packets of grape jelly remained untouched.
Let’s talk bacon. There is none of that pre-cooked gelatinous nonsense here. This bacon was the real deal, crisp, griddle-cooked pork that shattered on impact. The French toast was a little overdone, but the custard batter had a solid flavor that made up for the char. The coffee? It was served in a mug advertising everything from HVAC to home insurance. If we needed to get our air ducts cleaned or refinance a mortgage, we could’ve handled it before the second cup.
But the real standout? The prices. They were accessible and honest, and that was a big reason this place was hopping even on a Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. It was packed, it was loud, and it was exactly what a neighborhood diner is supposed to be.
Kim’s Diner
The last stop on the breakfast parade, but absolutely not least, Kim’s Diner. Housed in the original Deloris’s location on 18th Street, Kim Roberson took over the griddle and made it her own, with a spatula in one hand and the community’s vote of confidence in the other. That’s right, Kim’s was crowned Best Dine-In Restaurant by the people of Owensboro, and frankly, we get it.
She dreamed of opening a diner and naming it after her dad, but he insisted it should carry her name instead. It was her vision, her sweat, and her kitchen, so Kim’s Diner it became. And judging by the packed booths and community love, it was exactly the right call.
We headed into Kim’s on a Thursday morning, and from the parking lot it smelled like your grandmother’s kitchen. The atmosphere was buzzing with life, families, couples, city workers, and even a table of rowdy kids. It ran the gamut. The “sweeties,” the “darlin’s,” and the “have a seat” hit us the second we walked in, which can only mean one thing: we were in a diner in the South, and hospitality was on the menu.
Sticking with tradition, we ordered The Big Breakfast: three eggs over medium, bacon, home fries, biscuits and gravy, and a pancake to seal the deal. The server offered to butter the pancake for us, and if that’s not a pro move, we don’t know what is.
To keep things interesting, we added the Chicken and Waffles and Kim’s Special Breakfast, which is basically The Big’s little sister. The eggs arrived as requested, not a hint of brown on the edges, the bacon was crisp, and the potatoes had that golden, griddled edge that tells you they’ve been sitting on that griddle for the appropriate amount of time. The waffle was dense but still tender, topped with four full chicken tenders, yes, four. It was enormous.
As always, I skipped the gravy, but Chef Will gave it his seal of approval. According to him, this gravy was it. And honestly, if Will’s vouching for it, we believe.
Final thoughts
So here’s the deal: check your pulse if your mouth isn’t watering and your heart isn’t a little warm by now. If we were putting together the perfect breakfast, Chef Will and I would suggest you go to Dee’s for pancakes, Lizzie’s for those crispy chip-style potatoes, Deloris’ for bacon, and Kim’s for eggs and their side of gravy (okay, and their pancake, too).
Could we double-dash it all and have breakfast delivered from all four? Sure. But then we’d miss the best part, watching these queens behind the counter, feeding the community the same way they’ve fed their own families for years. Trust us: it’s worth getting out of your jammies for. Forks Up!
