TrueSouth episode 7 review: Hodgenville, KY
The birthplace of Honest Abe and the current home of farmland, greasy burgers, country breakfast biscuits, and bourbon.
By: Bossman Slim
You can’t say Hodgenville, Kentucky without saying Abraham Lincoln. The 16th president, arguably the most famous president in American history aside from George Washington, was born just a few miles south of Hodgenville. He was born in a one-room cabin at Sinking Spring Farm and lived there during his early childhood.
Today, the town is still known for Lincoln. As John T. Edge shows us, many of the names of buildings and restaurants reflect a connection to The Great Emancipator. But it is not the only thing it is known for. It’s also known for farming and the family values that come with it. It’s known for keeping your land in the family, no matter the cost.
And it’s known for Laha’s Red Castle Hamburgers.
The Great Emancipator enjoys Laha’s. (via @Bluefoot_tv)
Laha’s has been around since 1934, serving burger after onion-topped burger to the people of Hodgenville. Just off the town square (can you guess the name? That’s right, Lincoln Square), Laha’s has a great location for townspeople to meet and share a meal. And a CHEAP meal at that. A double cheeseburger will only set you back $2.55 before tax. Is there anywhere else you can find that in America these days? And if you’re smart, you’ll get a side of fries and “stack” your burger like John T.’s friend and Maker’s Mark employee Newman Miller (now that’s a good friend to have) showed him how to do.
While Laha’s burgers are a destination and a known “must stop” if you’re in the area, it isn’t all about the burgers. The people who work there have been serving love and care into meals for decades. Anita Laha is the family line and has kept the place going, and gives off the warm, inviting spirit that many in the South know well. May Owens is in her 90s, and she’s been manning the griddle for 30 years, whispering her secrets to it and knowing all its faults, traps, grease and triumphs. She’s an institution in Hodgenville, even after her retirement.
Yes. (via: Burger Beast)
After burgers, it was time for another greasy stop up the road in Bardstown before talking to the son of the “Godfather of Grass.” We see the sunrise over 150 Quick Stop, home of Jake’s Fresh Country Sausage and the best sausage breakfast biscuit you’ll find around. The gas station looks modern, but on the inside, it’s just like every country store you’ve ever known. In Virginia where I spent most of my formative years, there were country stores all throughout the winding backroads. Stores like Wyant’s Store in White Hall, VA that would make a breakfast biscuit that was to die for. Not to mention some of the best sandwiches you’ll find anywhere.
After a pit stop to fuel up, John T. introduces us to Joe Keith Beckett, who was a member of the fabled “Cornbread Mafia.” This merry band of grass growers was once responsible for the largest marijuana bust in U.S. history, and the tales of their heyday from Bickett are worth the price of admission. But no spoilers here, you gotta watch the episode to get the best of the best.
This episode is also a history lesson of the place, as TrueSouth always is. About the conflicting nature of how Kentucky views itself. The state stayed in the Union during the Civil War, but many today believe it more a southern state with a rebellious spirit. The origins of which originate after the war. The modern history of Kentucky is being rewritten, and quickly, much like America at large. Bourbon isn’t just making hard brown liquid flow, it’s also making green flood the hollers. Now, a state that used to have large stretches of dry counties, is flipping to wet. Sometimes, the economic benefits outweigh deep tradition and religion.
Another great episode, I can’t wait to get to Hodgenville and make a full day of it. A breakfast biscuit from 150, a burger at Laha’s, and a visit to Lincoln’s birthplace before a nightcap at Maker’s Mark. Who knew there was so much packed in Kentucky outside of Churchill Downs?
You can watch the episode now on ESPN+ or set your DVR for the next airing on SEC Network. No announcement on a new episode for next week, so we’ll keep going in rewind. Next Monday we’ll review season two episode 6, heading to the Lonestar State and Beaumont, TX.