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A savory Southern specialty for breakfast, lunch or dinner, country ham is one of Kentucky’s favorite foods.
A culinary tradition dating back to Kentucky’s pioneer days, country ham has been elevated to a fine art in the Bluegrass State. Salt-cured for several months and then aged for up to two years, this Kentucky specialty takes a lot of patience before it can hit your plate.
On the Country Ham Trail, you’ll find tried-and-true producers who have been in the ham business for more than 100 years. There’s fine-dine country ham, hole-in-the-wall ham joints, and in true Kentucky fashion, ham that’s cured inside bourbon rickhouses. There are even entire festivals dedicated to it, including Ham Days in Lebanon and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair, which is known as the most prestigious ham show in the nation (yes, ham shows are a thing). Whether you like it sliced, shaved or piled on a biscuit, put on your stretchy pants and come ham it up!
Explore the Country Ham Trail
Newsom's Old Country Store
208 E. Main St.
Princeton, KY 42445
Father's Country Hams
6313 Ky 81
Sacramento, KY 42372
Broadbent's B and B Foods
257 Mary Blue Road
Kuttawa, KY 42055
Country Ham Restaurant
5421 US Highway 60 W
Owensboro, KY 42303
Beaumont Inn
638 Beaumont Inn Dr.
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
Wallace Station Deli
3854 Old Frankfort Pike
Versailles, KY 40347
Olde Delaney's Country Ham Store
1467 N. Third St.
Bardstown, KY 40004
Newsom's Old Country Store, Princeton
A few things have changed since this Western Kentucky country store opened its doors in 1917, but the Newsom family’s knack for curing hams hasn’t wavered. Their country hams are so beloved, they have been praised by everyone from James Beard to the New York Times; one of their hams is even on permanent display at the Jamon Museum in Aracena, Spain. In addition to country ham, Newsom’s sells prosciutto, country bacon and sausage, both in-store and online.
Father's Country Hams, Sacramento
Father’s Country Hams has earned a rightful place in Kentucky’s culinary hall of fame, alongside famous names like Colonel Sanders and Jim Beam. Cured using methods and recipes passed down through the Gatton family since 1840, the hams are hickory-smoked on the original family farm in Sacramento, Kentucky. Choose between hams, bacons, sausages and sampler platters, available for online order only.
Broadbent's B And B Foods, Kuttawa
A country ham so good it’s worth $2.8 million? That’s what Broadbent’s Grand Champion Ham went for at auction at the Kentucky State Fair in 2018. Thankfully, you can buy one of their famous hams for a whole lot less at their store in Kuttawa. While you’re browsing, order up a ham sandwich or BLT (featuring Broadbent’s pepper bacon) at the deli and market – a perfect stop for those passing through Kentucky on I-24 or visiting the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
Country Ham Restaurant, Owensboro
Owensboro may be known as the “BBQ Capital of the World,” but locals will always save room for some country ham. One tried-and-true spot is the appropriately named Country Ham Restaurant. For years, this no-frills joint has served all-you-can-eat fried fish, ice-cold beer and what many locals say is the best country ham in Kentucky.
Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg
Located in the heart of Horse Country, the Beaumont Inn is one of Kentucky’s most elegant, iconic and historic restaurants (it first opened its doors in 1919). Those hungry for a quintessentially Kentucky meal won’t go wrong with the Classic Beaumont Dinner – a heaping plate of Famous “Yellow-Legged” Fried Chicken and Two-Year-Old Kentucky-Cured Country Ham, with corn pudding and house-seasoned green beans; good thing there are comfy beds just upstairs.
Wallace Station Deli, Versailles
Chef Ouita Michel has created a new Kentucky classic in the Wallace Station Deli, which dishes up casual Southern staples with an elegant touch. Try the house-cured ham on a hot sandwich with pimento cheese, or go for the Famous Big Brown Burger, which features country ham on a burger patty, topped with cheddar Mornay sauce – a burger so legendary, it’s on Guy Fieri’s all-time top five list.
Olde Delaney's Country Ham Store, Bardstown
Visit this old-school spot in Bardstown and you just might think you’ve gone to hog heaven. Whole and sliced country hams, pepper bacon, breakfast sausage and pork jowl bacon are some of the offerings at Olde Delaney’s Country Ham Store. While you’re there, pick up some of their house-made jams and syrups to slather on a ham biscuit or drizzle over your country breakfast.
