L&R SODA FOUNTAIN
Backwoods Blog;
in the woods and on the road…
Another one of the little “out of the way places” we discovered on our vacation that tourists often miss is the L&R Soda Fountain in Elkton, Kentucky. (You may notice a theme developing, this being the second old-style soda fountain place in a row.) Most of our trip consisted of looking for and hanging out in barbecue joints, coffee roasteries and ice cream shoppes. The L&R Soda Fountain was one of our favorites along the way. When we arrived it was still pretty early, but then again, it’s never too early for ice cream so we indulged. L&R features a full menu from the grill but it was the lineup of ice cream, soda fountain delights and desserts that nabbed us. The decor is classic 1950s with various memorabilia on the walls, Coca-Cola items, dark wood cabinetry from the old Drug Store next door, plenty of mirrors and shiny surfaces and even an old Rock-Ola jukebox to top it all off. Although the jukebox is a modern reproduction (CDs instead of 45s) it still has a lot of the ambiance of the original juke; colored plastic and bubble lights running up the side, classic design, fabric covered speakers, and best of all, the coin box has been disabled so patrons can select as many hits as they like from the fifties and early sixties as they enjoy their eats.
After I finished my double-scoop espresso hot fudge sundae I walked around and took a few pictures of the place. I also chatted with Judy who was working behind the counter and to my delight she agreed to pose for a picture. Judy has been a soda jerk at L&R for over twenty years, and as you can probably tell, she loves her job! She happened to be cutting a coconut cream pie with meringue. I asked her if she had made the pie to which she replied, “Oh no…I only cut the pies, I don’t make them. I never could quite master the meringue!” (You will see a photo of a slice of the pie listed below.) Unfortunately, I was too full to try a piece of Judy’s pie but maybe next time. Our travels continue…
On the road,
Dave
June 28, 2022
