Milky Way Restaurant

The Milky Way is what you expect a small-town restaurant to be. No more no aless. That said, it is a great place to eat and to people watch. Most of the folks at the Milky Way are from the area, but when I say the area, I mean 20-30-mile radius of Fort Loudoun. The food here is above average. Most people coming to the restaurant order more than the food (e.g. ice cream, shakes, etc.). The prices are reasonable albeit a little higher than last year but that is to be expected with inflation and all. When you go to the counter, your server (mostly young girls) will take your order and deliver it to your table personally. That is a nice touch. It is a place we go out of our way to go to because it is a throw-back place. It has been the same since it opened (the 70's?). I hope that it continues to stay open for many years.

The four-star review is for their ice cream; their ice cream is the best I've ever had. I don't know if they add some kind of special ingredient or cream, but it's magnificent. The food and ambiance is fine. Nothing fantastic, but nothing bad. The Milky Way is about the only restaurant available in the immediate area. It's an old, established diner, giving chicken tenders, fries (or "chips," which are fried cross-sections of potatoes), hoagies, burgers, and the like. It's got a brown-panel interior with paintings of wild turkeys. It's got local flavor, but it's not something I'd suggest you travel far for... except for the ice cream. Their ice cream is fresh made each day. It's soft-serve, but it's even better than custard. So good. Lots of ways to enjoy it: floats, shakes, malts, banana splits, sundaes, cones, you name it. They have a drive-through and even walk-up windows in additional to their interior. It gets busy at peak times; when we were there at 5 PM on a Thursday, almost every booth was filled. The food and service are fine. We got our food maybe fifteen or twenty minutes after we ordered it. So it's not fast food. The server brings you your food, but then you're on your own after that; if you want a refill or more ketchup or anything, you get back in line at the counter, and sometimes that line is so long it's not worth it. I wouldn't turn anybody away from it, but I wouldn't suggest it for the food or anything. The ice cream is great, but I'd use the walk-up window or the drive-through. I didn't see any outdoor seating. The Facebook page is quite active and seems friendly enough. Note: the place just recently re-opened in June 2023 after closing for a hiatus. The new management seems driven to create a good experience and continue the Milky Way's time-tested reputation for an enjoyable time. Again, get the ice cream. That is, after all, why it's called the "Milky Way."

Good food and wonderful people serving!! Wife and I had my dads favorite breakfast, creamed beef on toast.. loved it!!!

The Milky Way has been here a long time and a place I have visited many times over the years. I was in the area around lunch time so decided I would stop in for "old times sake". I ordered the cheeseburger basket with fries. The gal taking my order was friendly and showed no attitude- refreshing compared to a lot of other places I've eaten at lately. However, I was a bit confused by the amount I was being charged at first but after looking at my receipt I discovered they charge $0.40 to add tomato to your burger. Not a big deal but just something that I would recommend they make clear when someone is ordering. It took about 5 minutes for the food to come out but it was packed in a nice "to go" box for me. The gal who took my order made sure to include napkins and ketchup packets - even without me asking! Fries were hot and crispy. They use a shoestring fry here and fry each order fresh. They could have used a bit more salt but were still good and the serving was large. The burgers (yes - plural. Baskets come with two burgers) were ok. They are a larger patty than at a fast food place but they lacked seasoning. Salt, pepper, and a toasted bun would take these to the next level. They use white American cheese which I always thought had a smoother richer taste than the yellow. I didn't get a shake this trip but from past experience know they are delicious and are worth the money. I can say after eating at the Milky Way you don't feel disgusting or ashamed like many of the chain fast food places. Overall the Milky Way still holds up after all these years. The service is helpful and friendly, prices are reasonable, and the food is good.

Pulled up for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The parking lot was full so we were not sure of the wait time since we have never been here before. Walked in, got our order and in 10-15 minutes, we had our app American food. We tried the finger chicken and burger basket with fries. The chicken was nice and moist with the perfect amount of breading. The burger basket came with two burgers!!!!! We left full and happy. The staff are very nice and attentive. We will be back.