Rick’s White Light Diner

Love the crawfish pie and Rick is just the cherry on top! Awesome place!

I enjoyed paying the $ 5.00 sharing fee (no joke) to share my small $ 20.00 meal with the 7 gnats that were nibbling on me and my breakfast.

After a little bourbon tasting we were in need of some grub.
They had me at crawdad.
I had the crawdad po’boy with their chipotle sauce. My pops was happy they had a scallop po’boy on special.
Super good lunch!

Great experience at Rick today. I tried the crawfish shrimp and grits. The grits were awesome! It’s rarity to find them cooked this well, especially with cheese added. Typically when cheese is added the texture is either compromised or so much cheese is added that it masks the flavor of the grits. The crawfish etoufee ladles over the top was ok, but the fried shrimp on top were out of this world.
Overall, l really enjoyed my experience. The two young ladies working were great as well. Both were very friendly and attentive. I will definitely recommend Rocks to anyone driving thu Frankfort.

The food is good, not exactly what I would call Cajun though. It does have a Cajun-​esque taste to it. If you’ve never been to New Orleans it might even fool you. In addition the place has a charm all its own. The crusty owner/​chef is more or less worth the trip all by himself. He serves a good breakfast/​brunch/​lunch. His craw dad pie is very good. Worth stopping in

First let me say that if you do not have time to wait, this might not be a great lunch choice. But if you do have time away from whatever business brings you to Frankfort, as I did, this little diner is worth the trip. There are only ~4 tables and ½ dozen seats at the counter. It is a tight space indeed. My visit was less a lunch with my partner than an intimate meal with a dozen former strangers, but the food was great and this put everyone in a great mood. The servers were busy but fun. I enjoyed the atmosphere and meeting folks. The chef was just the sort of character you love to see making your meal. He was truly passionate about his food and was happy to chat with the customers as he worked (the tiny kitchen is right there). The catfish sandwich was stellar, as was my partner’s entrée and the pies (I tried 2) were amazing. I will sooooo be back. Soon. Maybe tomorrow.

We sort of just discovered this place. Saw it was on D, D &D. It is VERY small. It was a gorgeous day so we sat outside. The food was very good but it is also very expensive for what you get. $ 15.95 for a burger and side is a bit much. But the staff is very friendly and the food is good.

It had been 3 years since we went to Rick’s so we decided to try it again when we were visiting Frankfort. It was most disappointing. The place hasn’t changed much except it is much more cluttered with junk. We were shocked when we got the menu as the prices had increased greatly since our last visit. My wife ordered the Catfish platter, 3 very small pieces of breaded fish with hushpuppies and 2 of the pieces were undercooked and not done. More like a kids portion and it was $ 16.75. I ordered the Sampler Platter, 2 small overly breaded oysters, a very small sliver of Crayfish Pie, a small lump of stringy BBQ pork, a small piece of flat buttered bread and a side of Mashed Sweet Potato. Mine also looked like a kids serving for $ 16.50. The pie was tasty, the sweet potato was good however, the oysters were tiny and lost in the breading and the BBQ was cold, tough and not very flavorful. Even a glass of water served in a bottle cost us $ 1.00. I can’t remember when I’ve been more disappointed in a restaurant. I guess Rick thinks most people will overlook the small portions and high prices because 5 years ago he was featured on a TV show. I know I certainly will not and unless things change for the better, I will not go back.

We went to Rick’s based on the favorable Unilocal review. The character of the little diner is fantastic, SMALL, REALLY SMALL. Luckily we can in at an off time. it was only after we got there that we realized it had been on D, D&D. The food was really great, my only real concern was it was a little overpriced, and i wonder if it was due to the show. We actually got to meet Rick, and man was he something else. Nice getting to talk to him, and great experience!

Great little spot that plays a little bit too much on its feature in D, D,&D but the location, ambience and food are authentic. I went for the signature crawfish pie and chedder grits which did not disappoint.

We went to Ricks because it was on TV. The space was very small but with big personality. We had a oyster po boy, sausage po boy and a BBQ pork sandwich. I felt that the Oysters were just OK (15 dollars that seemed a bit high for a sandwich.) Water comes by bottle only and the homemade BBQ sauces are just OK. Off brand mustard and ketchup sit at your table. We paid 50 dollars not including tip. All three of us felt like the bill was on the high side for the portions and type of food we got.

I’ve worked in the F&B industry for more decades than I chose to mention and places like Ricks White Light remind me of the reason why. Outrageously good food including the best Crawfish pie ever (I lived in LA for a few years), an eclectic décor and then theirs Rick! I see why he one KY’s Most Colorful Character! Great to see an owner/​chef working the grill and interacting w/​customers, the fame hasn’t gone to his head! I will never forget this place, the food and Rick and hope to be back soon

This was my first time coming in, I was greeted with friendly folks. I sat inside so I could observe the décor.
I opted to have the Alligator Po’ Boy with a side of garlic cheddar grits. WOW!!!
It was cooked perfectly and was not greasy. Just great flavor.
I then had to try the Keylime pie. Oh, boy.
In short, I am going again tomorrow and bringing my wife.

I love this place. If it’s lunch I grab the burger with a side of banana peppers or for breakfast you can never go wrong with the Eggs Benedict. This truly is a great stop. If your just driving thru make it a must stop. As. A local I can tell you I eat here regularly and it’s never a let down!

We stopped here for lunch during our journey down the bourbon trail. It was lunchtime and rather packed, but two lovely gentleman let us take the empty two seats next to them at their table.
The waitress was quick and to the point, but very polite and friendly. Boyfriend ordered the Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives special, and I got an alligator po’boy.
I have to say, these guys are definitely proud of their DDD status, which is fine. It’s a small hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant in a small town. Why not be proud?
The boyfriend’s platter of crawfish pie, fried oysters, pork BBQ, bread and a side (he got grits) was… ok. The crawfish pie was decent, but the pork BBQ was dry. The homemade bread was the star.
My alligator po’boy, however, was unbelievable. One of the best sandwiches I’ve had in ages. That and the friendly waitress are the reasons for the four star rating. If you come here, order a po’boy. I’m sure the others are delicious too.
As for Rick himself, he definitely had some back talk going with the other patrons, but we actually didn’t speak to him. It seems like this place has a lot of visitors, but I’m not sure how many regulars.

The first time I went I had the crawfish pie as seen on Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives. Rich is an understatement. As I was having the pie, I noticed everyone around me ordering the Muffuletta like they knew something I didn’t. They did. On my second visit (today), I tried the Muffuletta. I’m not exaggerating when I say it may be the best sandwich I’ve ever tasted. The french bread alone Rick could sell and make a fortune. It was remarkable.
On a side note, I noticed a customer ordered a dish of ice cream for desert and was concerned about the use of eggs in the making of the ice cream. Rick didn’t hesitate to call the maker that he buys from and demand an ingredient list, then promptly took the ice cream off the tab just to be safe. He then ate the ice cream, which I thought was hilarious.
The only drawback I find is the price. The excuse for the high prices is the use of local and fresh ingredients. That argument doesn’t hold as many diners use fresh local ingredients at half the price.
All in all, it’s an enjoyable experience. I would recommend eating here at least once. Twice if you can afford it.

Several weeks ago, we went here for the first time and had lunch. Unfortunately, we returned for breakfast this time, and we probably will not go back to this restaurant. While Rick’s had the same unique environment and friendly waitress that helped us last time, the menu, the food, the bill, and the quality of service this time was pretty bad.
First, the breakfast menu is much smaller than what they offer for lunch. Second, the prices here are comparable to Winchell’s, Ramsey’s, and Wild Eggs in Lexington, but the amount of food they give you at Rick’s is about half of what you would get at those three great establishments. So, it cost my family of three close to $ 40 to eat breakfast here, and I was still hungry when we finished. I have no problem spending money, but I expect to be get decent portions for the prices Rick charges.
Next, a friendly wait staff is always a positive thing for a restaurant, but the quality of service still needs to be good. I had to ask for a «glass of water» three times, and when the waitress finally brought me water, she brought a bottled water. I then asked if they had tap water, and she replaced the bottle with what I had ordered originally. In terms of what we ordered, I always thought eggs were fairly easy to prepare based on my own culinary experiences. However, Rick declared for everyone to hear that the way I ordered my eggs took «forever» to do.
As a side note, be careful if you decide to use the restroom. While I didn’t need to on our first visit, I did need to during this second one. It’s as if one is walking down into a dungeon because the one toilet in the building is located in the dark basement. As the waitress warned us, the steps start the moment you open the door to head downstairs to the bathroom. Watch out! That first step can be a doozy!

This place is awesome! Rick is hilarious and the food is slamming… Soft shell crab po boy with hush puppies and collared greens.
Friends had scallop po boy with FG Tomatoes, catfish po boys and the diners drive ins sampler.
An oasis of Cajun in Kentucky!

We came here because of food network. When we went, this place was so dead I thought we went to the wrong place.
The food was good but I wasn’t mind blown and in my opinion it felt a little pricey.

I confess, I’m reaching back a few months for this review (still working on the 100), as this visit occurred this past spring on an infrequent trip to Frankfort with my eldest son. He had a test to take at Kentucky State University and I had a couple hours to kill before I had to pick him back up so I had a chance to wander about our state’s capitol.
With Rick’s White Light Diner as an eventual destination to this day’s meandering, thanks to Guy Fieri, I winded my way in and around Frankfort until I located the aforementioned famed, small, white-​tiled diner. I then went to pick up my son and made my way back via a more direct route.
We chose to eat indoors, although the diner seats only a small few, with bar stools and just a few tables. A couple tables are outdoors to accommodate a few more but, trust me, the show’s indoors. The service was super-​friendly, Rick making a point to talk up my son, who tends to play shy, and the waitress giving my son that little extra attention that makes him blush just a bit.
My son had a bacon cheeseburger and I, a stuffed cabbage roll. However, I appreciated the back-​and-​forth between Rick, the regulars and the work staff as much or even more than I did the excellent food during its short existence. So, five stars, go for the food, stay for the show.