Boyce General Store in Alvaton, Kentucky

I love Brie and Brad Golliher, who own Boyce General Store (10551 Woodburn Allen Springs Road). We met a few years back when I stopped to grab burgers and pies, along with some Southern hospitality.

The restaurant is in a sleepy community with lots of local love near Bowling Green, Kentucky. We became fast friends, and the following year they made the 15-hour drive to Miami to compete at my Hamburger House Party in 2018.

The ball was now in my court.

When writing the chapter on Burger Regional Specialties for my book All About The Burger, I mentioned my love for Boyce General Store’s Pimento Cheeseburger, which they affectionately call the Pig-Mento.

We (my wife Marcela and I) needed to see them again, and I needed to get my hands on that Pig-Mento, so Boyce General Store became the first stop on my book signing road trip.

As luck would have it, the Friday of our book signing was the same night they hosted their weekly fish fry.

I’m not a big seafood guy, but damn, was it good.

It was a perfect event where I was reunited with the Pig-Mento, got to hang with Brie & Brad, met some folks, made some new friends, signed some books, and then I was able to enjoy the incredible Chess Pie that Brie, aka the Pie Queen of Bowling Green made.

Also, thank you to Charlie Durham for donating a box of the late 1970s and early 1980s McDonaldland toys to my Burger Museum collection.

The Boyce General Store closed so that Brie could continue to focus on the Pie Queen brand.

Boyce General Store Menu

Burgers and pies are Boyce General Store's specialty but as an added bonus it's also the headquarters for...
Menu Board

Boyce General Store Food Pictures

Boyce General Store Pimento Burger
Boyce General Store Pig-Mento Burger
Grilled 3 Cheese Sandwich
The most profound Honey Mustard container I’ve ever seen
Southern-style Chicken Tenders
Boyce General Store’s Fish Fry on Fridays
Mini Apple Pie
Mini Chess Pie
A variety of Pie Queen of Bowling Green’s Mini Pies
Pie Queen of Bowling Green’s Shipped Pies
Kentucky Pie (Chocolate Chip Pecan)
Poptarts in the oven

Boyce General Store Book Signing

Book Signing Poster
Before opening up
My view from my book signing table before the event started
Nathan got his book signed
The Pie Queen of Bowling Green and Burger Beast
After the event (l-r): Brad Golliher, Brie Golliher, Burger Beast, and Marcela Beast

Original Boyce General Store Post on Burger Beast

Our most recent road trip, where we drove from South Florida through Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, and then Tennessee & Georgia, lasted 12 days.

When trying to pick out a favorite moment from our trip, I’d be hard-pressed to say that my visit to Boyce General Store was my favorite stop, but it was.

I had been in contact with them through Instagram, and they seemed pleasant, but I was wrong; they were way beyond that.

Time Was Running Out

My wife Marcela, my bud John, and I arrived starved at Boyce General Store 30 minutes before closing time. Our car was running on fumes, but it was more important that we make it here. We could worry about that gas situation later.

Boyce General Store opened in 1869, but it wasn’t until Brad and Brie Golliher purchased it in 2012 that it became a full-fledged restaurant. It also allowed Brie to show off her killer baking skills as The Pie Queen.

There’s one person in front of us while we wait to order, which is always a good thing when you’re a first-timer.

The Burger is Special

John spots the specials board and smiles over at me. There’s a pimento bacon cheeseburger on there; done deal. The burger is one-third of a pound, hand-painted, and made from locally sourced beef.

We’re off to what sounds like a fantastic start in a burger fairy tale book. Properly cooked bacon and a slab of their housemade pimento cheese (one of the loves in my life) round out this beauty.

I was in heaven.

After eating, we got into a conversation with Brad and Brie. They talked me into, well, maybe more like they sold me on why I needed to try the BBQ ham cold-cut sandwich.

I was full at this point, but this excellent dude made a great travel companion on our way to Lexington. Unfortunately never made it to the destination. Afterward, we had a fantastic conversation about Boyce, its history, her baking, and my Burger Museum.

They then donated a couple of old cola bottles from a local bottling plant that is unfortunately no longer around, and a book about Kentucky Eats in which they were mentioned.

I wasn’t expecting that they also wanted to add a 40-year-old Coca-Cola sign (that hung outside Boyce General Store once upon a time) to my collection.

I’m still blown away by the kindness and generosity when I think about it now. I can’t wait to revisit Boyce General Store for some authentic Southern Hospitality and excellent food cooked with love.

See you soon, my friends. I promise.

Burgers and Pies in Action

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