TV Restaurants

What Happened to Rick's White Light Diner? (Frankfort, KY)

Closed verified

As of September 2026, Rick's White Light Diner has closed — confirmed via state-journal.com, July 26, 2024.

Primary source
state-journal.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: A State Journal article dated 2024-07-26 reports that Big Daddy's Fried Chicken opened in the former Rick's White Light Diner space at 114 Bridge Street.

  • Season / episode Season 21, Episode 14
  • Original air date
  • Address 114 Bridge St, Frankfort, KY 40601

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

On the 'Southern Spectacular' episode (aired 2014-12-22), Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives revisited Rick's White Light Diner in Frankfort, spotlighting the diner's Cajun-Southern menu of oyster po-boys, crawfish pie, and Muffaletta alongside its Memphis-style pulled pork barbecue. The show's original visit, which aired in March 2010, featured what became known as the 'Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Sampler,' a plate of two oysters and a half slice of crawfish pie, according to Visit Frankfort.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Rick's White Light Diner in the 2010-07-26 episode "You Called It" (S9E12), highlighting the restaurant's Cajun-influenced diner cooking. Rick's White Light Diner was a breakfast-and-lunch counter at 114 Bridge Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. According to the State Journal, Big Daddy's Fried Chicken opened in the former Rick's White Light Diner space on 2024-07-26, replacing the diner at that address. The State Journal article did not give an exact date for Rick's own closure, only that Big Daddy's had taken over the location by that date. No 2026-dated listing, review, or working website was found showing Rick's White Light Diner still operating at 114 Bridge Street.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 21, Episode 14
Original air date
Episode title
Southern Spectacular
What was featured
Crawfish pie and oyster po-boy sampler
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Rick's White Light Diner
Season / episode
Season 9, Episode 12
Original air date
Episode title
You Called It
What was featured
Cajun-influenced diner breakfast and lunch plates
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Rick's White Light Diner

Frequently asked questions

Is Rick's White Light Diner still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Rick's White Light Diner has closed — confirmed via state-journal.com, July 26, 2024.

What happened to Rick's White Light Diner after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

On the 'Southern Spectacular' episode (aired 2014-12-22), Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives revisited Rick's White Light Diner in Frankfort, spotlighting the diner's Cajun-Southern menu of oyster po-boys, crawfish pie, and Muffaletta alongside its Memphis-style pulled pork barbecue. As of September 2026, Rick's White Light Diner has closed — confirmed via state-journal.com, July 26, 2024.

Is Rick's White Light Diner permanently closed?

As of September 2026, Rick's White Light Diner has closed — confirmed via state-journal.com, July 26, 2024. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is Rick's White Light Diner located?

114 Bridge St, Frankfort, KY 40601. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Rick's White Light Diner?

Season 21, Episode 14 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired December 22, 2014. The episode is titled “Southern Spectacular”.

Is Rick's White Light Diner still using the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives menu or branding?

On the 'Southern Spectacular' episode (aired 2014-12-22), Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives revisited Rick's White Light Diner in Frankfort, spotlighting the diner's Cajun-Southern menu of oyster po-boys, crawfish pie, and Muffaletta alongside its Memphis-style pulled pork barbecue. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
114 Bridge St, Frankfort, KY 40601
Venue type
diner
Official website
None found

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Record ddd-0350 · last verified .