Soupy's, You've Got to Go

2 outside dining tables

cup of chicken and dumplings

I haven't eaten at fast food chains in years, so when I travel to Louisville, KY, Soupy's is my lunch stop just about every time. Danny, the owner, knows it's me when I place my order because I don't think I've changed it much in the 5 years I've been stopping by.

I drive into McMahan Plaza, take a right in front of Soupy's, turn left to go behind the building to the drive-through menu board. Either Danny or the other nice lady greets me and asks for my order which goes something like this, "I'll take a GardenBurger veggie burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mayonnaise. Annnndddd, I'll take a cup of chicken and dumplings. I only pause to consider the veggie vegetable, but then I end up ordering the best chicken and dumplings in the city.

No joke, Danny makes the soups there on-site. For a few years, he contracted with a big commercial operation to prepare the soups for him, but whent he quality slipped, he went back to making them himself. We complained a few times a while back about crunchy potatoes in the veggie vegetable (hubbies fav.), and thin broth in the c&d. But, they are back to soupy perfection. The dumplings are little pillows of goodness in a chickeny, slightly-thickened broth with large shreds of white meat chicken. It is all I can do not to order a bowl of soup along with my burger. Oh, and you can also order large quantities (quarts) of soup to take home.

The veggie burger is prepared at the time of ordering, no lanquishing under a heat lamp. The bun is soft, wheaty, and fresh tasting. The burger is perfectly cooked. If you eat veggie patties, you know that the edges can become chewy when over-cooked. The entire burger is a fresh tasting delight.

The next time you are looking for lunch in Louisville, KY, consider Soupy's. If you are driving to the mall on the Watterson Expressway, take Breckinridge Lane, South. At the light at Taylorsville Road, go through it, and the next intersection. By this time, you can see the marquee for McMahan Plaza. Turn left at the light into the main plaza entrance. You can't miss Soupy's. It is a flesh-colored box building with a huge green awning and a large yellow patterned sign with Soupy's in big red letters.

David always teases Danny, "when are you going to open a Soupy's in E'town"? I'm glad he hasn't because this gives me an excuse not only to go to Soupy's, but to go shopping in Louisville. Might as well since I'm up here, right?