Kentucky Artisan Center Cafe

This has to be one of the best kept secretes. The traditional lunch that they offer dictates what time I leave my house on long road trips. Always worth it.

Tired of driving, saw the sign and pulled over. What a unexpected experience. It was a little education about the history of the area and a nice variety of work from local Artisians. Peaked my interest so much I took the short drive to the city of Berea. Beautiful town! The Boone Tavern and Inn is a must see. The town is so quaint ins lovely.

This review is only about the food at the café. The arts & crafts section of the Artisan Center would earn a 5-​star review from me; it is excellent. That being said…
The café opens for lunch at 11 am, I arrived at 12:30 on a Tuesday & decided to spring for a «traditional plate» from the hot lunch line. I selected roast chicken as my meat. The breast I selected was extraordinarily bland. Nursing-​home level bland. I had to salt it heavily to give it any sort of flavor. The green beans were from a can, despite the fact that Berea is full of local farmers. Whoever sets the menus needs to make a connection with them. Mashed potatoes taste like real potatoes but bland struck again. Other vegetable offerings were corn pudding (dried out, bottom-​of-​the-​pan, brown around the edges), carrots (also appeared dried out), sauerkraut, & a salad bar, which cost $ 3 more.
I’ve had the fried chicken here also. I don’t remember a thing about it. That’ll tell food lovers everything they need to know. So, come for the crafts but drive one mile into town for lunch & have a great eating experience at the Boone Tavern or Papa Leno’s, both located on the College Square.

Great place for some unique art and delicious meals!

This is a great addition to Berea. You can stop from the I-​75 or walk/​run to it from town. So, this means that on a hot summer day, you can get your steps in and then a cool drink or lunch at a great place. (You can even look at the cool local art in your running shorts… how fun is that?)

Best hwy stop in the country. Clean rest room, arts And crafts, local ice cream and hot food.

Nice cafeteria-​style café located inside the Artisan Center. You can order burgers, sandwiches, hot entrees such as chicken & dumplings and soup. Very reasonable prices. Plenty of seating.
I tried a roasted turkey sandwich with a cup of vegetable soup — perfect for a cold (very cold) lunch while on the road.
Afterwards you can browse the Center (separate Unilocal listing) for gifts and such.

Come for the clean restrooms and café, stay to browse the local art!
My dad and I came across this place totally by accident while driving home to Illinois from Florida up I-​75. Ostensibly a travel center, it is so much more.
For one thing, it is a huge, amazing building. It looks almost like a monastery or something from the outside.
Inside it boasts commendable restrooms and a nice grill for lunch. I had chicken fingers with steak fries — better than you’d get at your average fast food place — and my dad got a ham sandwich and some thin but flavorful white bean soup.
We didn’t want to slow down our road progress too much but we couldn’t help browsing all the beautiful, and stunninngly affordable, art by KY artisans. You’ll also find books and food items such as local soda (Ale81), condiments (Makers Mark BBQ sauce) and more.
Definitely a place to remember and return to on a future road trip!

Great place to grab lunch with a friend. They have really great soups and once you’re finished you can browse the shop. The service is great and it is a great place to get a nice meal. I would highly recommend it!

The café is located in a visitor center/​gift shop. It’s a good place for travelers to stop and take a rest, satisfy their hunger, and inquire information about the Berea area. I decided to get a hot entrée with two sides and bread. It’s your traditional southern food. Meat, green beans, etc. I’d say the gift shop is what makes the show. It’s a fairly large gift shop with lots of locally made knick knacks. There are books, home décor pieces, jewelry, toys, and posters. I bought a few postcards myself to send to some out-​of-​state friends!

Nice clean place to eat right off of I-​75. There are many different sandwich options as well as soups. The café has different lines to suits different food wants similar to a cafeteria style setting. This is a great place to having lunch and grab your food relatively quick in a modern style atmosphere. If you are visiting the Berea Artisan Center, this could not be a more convenient place for you to get lunch as it is located in the actual Artisan Center. There is also good outside seating if you want to enjoy your meal and a nice day. This location is a good place to combine two in one. You can get a nice meal while also viewing the remarkable art and crafts at the artisan center.

Great place for a quick lunch.