When considering going out to eat in Wilmore, Kentucky it’s only natural to go through a phase of skepticism during contemplation, especially anything beyond the trinity of Subway, Great Wall and Solomon’s Porch. Despite my doubts of eating at the new Dean’s Diner over the hill on Main Street, I had to pay a visit. After all, not only does Dean’s have a nearly identical menu as the old Sim’s Pizzeria, but it resides in the exact same location. The name is the singular difference between what once was and what now is. Or so I thought.
Upon entering, an underwhelming welcome was compensated for with the overwhelming fragrance of fish. With this first whiff of seafood, I instantly regretted my poor decision to spend my Friday evening dining experience here. Regardless, my group and I took our seats in a booth made up of fold-down-like theatre seats.
The menu was unimpressive and questionable. There were appetizers, the classic cheese pizza (toppings available for an extra cost) and a miscellaneous mixture of sandwiches, fish, chicken, burgers, hot dogs and quesadillas. After flipping the menu over numerous times in hopes for more options, the table ordered the recommended mozzarella sticks, cheese pizza, chicken fingers and a fish sandwich. Why the fish sandwich? I think I just wanted to know what $4.50 could get me.
As the three staff members ran around bussing tables and throwing frozen food into the fryers, we observed our surroundings and gnawed on our mozzarella sticks. Because the diner shares its space with a pharmacy, there is a soda fountain on one side, a convenience store on the other and a shoe display in the back corner. The atmosphere: bleak and missing the kind of organized mood that only music can bring to a hodge podge eatery. After a prolonged thirty minutes, our food came.
The waitress set the food down, and a look of disappointment came across each of our faces. The pizza, though a generous portion, was nothing that might suggest delicious. It was layered on top of a thick crust resembling the frozen variety with what tasted like Great Value tomato sauce straight from the can and shredded mozzarella on top. The chicken strips — the ones I saw come out of a bulk bag and pop into the fryer — were as you might expect your pre-packaged chicken fingers to taste. Lastly, the fish sandwich lasted me two bites. I would have preferred the battered fish from the cafeteria as it tasted like a fish stick sandwich you might have eaten out of a Kid Cuisine Frozen Dinner as a child. To rinse it all down, we all shared a chocolate malt. Unfortunately, this was a letdown as well. The milkshake was filled with clumps of chalky malt powder and ruined the potential that this indulgent dessert might have had.
Although Dean’s rings in similar cadence with the old Sim’s Diner with enthusiastic, hospitable staff and affordable prices (items range from $4-$11), it just isn’t the place I would recommend putting on your list. I would suggest saving your money and opting for the cafeteria.
