Firefighters from Clark and Madison counties fought to save Allman’s Restaurant on Athens-Boonesboro Road on May 15, 1976. The popular restaurant overlooking the Kentucky River had previously burned in 1974. It burned again in 1978 and did not reopen. No one was hurt in the 1976 fire, which was caused by a water boiler. The restaurant is known as the home of the original beer cheese, which can be traced back to the 1940s and the restaurant known as Johnny Allman’s. Owner, John Allman had a cousin named Joe Allman, a chef living in Phoenix, who is said to have created the original beer recipe. Herald-Leader Archive Photo