Burgers, nostalgia and pie: Landmark Eastern Kentucky diner still hoppin’ at 65
An Estill County restaurant long revered by its customers recently reopened for indoor dining after serving curbside only since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The Wigwam Drive-In Restaurant in Ravenna welcomed patrons back to its dining room on Dec. 30, 2021. However, the restaurant founded by Earl and Mabel Floyd in June 1957 wasn’t exactly struggling to get by.
“We were extremely busy,” said Tonya Floyd, who has owned the Wigwam with her husband Gayle, the grandson of Earl and Mabel, since 2012. “In addition to our regulars we had lots of people ordering curbside that found us just from driving around in search of local mom-and-pop restaurants to patronize.”
Even before the pandemic, the Wigwam was known as a place where diners could cruise up and have food brought to the car. So the switch to offering curbside-only service was simple. After all, fans couldn’t go for long without the restaurant’s iconic Country Boy, a burger topped with house-made coleslaw, tomato, pickles and cheese.
The Wigwam menu has breakfast (including one of the best bacon and cheese omelets I’ve ever had), bison burgers, stromboli sandwiches and chicken planks. Rotating daily specials include sauerkraut with chopped hot dogs, catfish, country ham sandwiches, hamburger steak and more.
Wigwam Drive-In Restaurant offers nostalgic feel
Although it’s food is worth writing home about, it’s not all the Wigwam is known for. Once Ravenna’s hippest hangout spot, the restaurant was the place to cruise to when you needed something to do or wanted to see who else was out on the town.
As a result the older clientele who recall the restaurant in its hey-day adore the nostalgic feel inside its walls. To them everything from the worn down floors to the retro bar stools and family pictures and newspaper clippings lining the walls all tell a story and remind them of their own cherished moments inside the building, according to Tonya Floyd.
The diner, named for the Native American home, will celebrate 65 years in business this summer.
“Customers don’t mind me updating our equipment as long as I keep the look and feel of the place the same,” said Floyd. “Most have been coming here for years and have countless memories made at the Wigwam, including several people who first met their husband or wife here.”
While it isn’t the popular hang out spot for cruising that it once was, the Wigwam continues to thrive with its home-cooked meals, hospitality and homage to the classic American diner. Despite the changing times, Floyd feels blessed to be a small part of the restaurant and family’s legacy.
“The most rewarding thing to me about being a part of the Wigwam is hearing everyone’s stories about the place,” said Floyd. “I think all of us want to leave behind a positive legacy, so to hear how much this place means to so many people for almost 65 years is not only an honor for me, but for Earl, Mabel and everyone else who built it into what it is today.”
Wigwam Drive-In Restaurant
Where: 419 3rd St, Ravenna
Hours: Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Online: Facebook.com/Wigwam-Drive-In-Restaurant-368284683250355