The Thanksgiving rush has arrived, and it’s time to settle on a menu and shop for groceries. But if you’re looking for ways to lighten the workload in the kitchen, here are several options from restaurants in and near Hopkinsville.
Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park
My first suggestion is perhaps the most scenic option. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park serves a Thanksgiving buffet in the lodge restaurant. Pennyrile is a beautiful state park about a 30-minute drive from downtown Hopkinsville, and the small lodge is incomparable among Kentucky’s resorts. The price for the Thanksgiving buffet is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for children ages 6 to 12. Reservations are required, and when I called Saturday afternoon to check on availability, they still had some openings for the 5 p.m. seating. They won’t last long — so if you’re interested, call the lodge at 270-797-3421 to make a reservation right away. (Barkley Lodge was already fully booked a week ago for its Thanksgiving meal.)
The Mixer
The Mixer, on Sixth Street in downtown Hopkinsville, is taking orders until Nov. 20 for a complete Thanksgiving meal that can be picked up the day before Thanksgiving. Dinner for four is $100, and dinner for eight is $185. Reheating instructions are included. Call 270-874-2416 to place an order.
Bar-B-Q Shack
If the bird is the only part of the meal you dread preparing, the Bar-B-Q Shack on Pembroke Road will smoke your turkey for you. Take a fully thawed turkey to the restaurant between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 22, and return on Wednesday, Nov. 24, to collect your smoked turkey. The cost $25. If you need more information, call the restaurant at 270-475-4844.
The Wood Shed
The Wood Shed on Seventh Street is taking orders for smoked turkeys, dressing, sides and desserts. Call them soon, at 270-885-8144, to place an order.
Lu Lu’s Place
Lu Lu’s Place in the old Clayton’s Building on East Ninth Street is taking orders until Nov. 22 on for pies, fudge, brownies and banana pudding. The phone number is Phone: 270-839-8232.
Holiday Burgers
Holiday Burgers on LaFayette Road has a Thanksgiving carry-out menu that includes options for turkey, ham, dressing, gravy and several sides. Orders need to be placed by Wednesday, Nov. 17, and can be picked up the day before Thanksgiving. The restaurant also has a large menu for desserts, including cakes, cupcakes and pies that you can order and pick up the day before Thanksgiving. Call them at 270-886-7495.
Chain restaurants and non-traditional options
Some chain restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving Day, including Cracker Barrel off Interstate 24 in Cadiz. It’s a quick drive from Hopkinsville. The restaurant’s regular menu has many choices that are part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Hopkinsville’s Shoney’s restaurant is usually a popular spot for Thanksgiving, but an employee told me on Saturday that customers should call a few days before the holiday to confirm if they will be open. The number is 270-885-4150.
And here are a couple of non-traditional options: You could get a steak dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse or eggs and hash browns at Waffle House. Both are on the Boulevard.
Happy feasting, everyone.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
