You’re out in the county now! For our Henderson County Country Stores series, we’re highlighting these special destinations that are staples in the communities which they serve. Family-owned and locally run, we love the history, charm and small town feel from walking through the door of an old country store. Enjoy!
Bryant’s Grocery, located at 16716 KY-416, is Hebbardsville’s favorite store. It was established in 1930, and Jerry and Bonnie Knott have owned it for five and a half years. The name “Bryant’s Grocery” was grandfathered in when they became the owners. Jerry and Bonnie already lived in Hebbardsville and saw an opportunity when the store came up for sale. “We joked that we would give up the factory to flip burgers and ended up buying it,”says Bonnie. They previously worked at Gibbs Die Casting for almost twenty years for Bonnie and eleven and a half years for Jerry.
Their favorite part about the store is the community and their customers. “The people are very nice, and they are just like family. We have our loyal customers that come in everyday and people who drive all the way from town just to come here.” They enjoy meeting all of the people who stop in, whether they are out-of-towners or just people driving by. They also enjoy talking to travellers who have never seen a country store that take pictures and enjoy the atmosphere. One of their customers said, “I guess there are better people that run stores, but I can’t think of any two better than these two. I couldn’t do without this store.”
Bonnie and Jerry’s favorite story piece in the store is a picture behind the counter of a castle. It was given to them by a customer who claimed to be a descendant of Dracula, told them it was Dracula’s original castle, and asked them to hang it up. “We always have customers ask about it when they are waiting on their food, and we love to tell them the story.”
Bryant’s offers a large menu from breakfast to lunch. A favorite breakfast item is the Breakfast Special, which consists of biscuits, gravy, sausage, and egg all mixed together. “The Downtown Diner started serving it and called it ‘The Hebbardsville Special’ after they tried it here.” A favorite lunch item is their double cheeseburger. Other sandwiches include club sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, fish, chicken salad, pimento cheese, barbecue, and B.L.T. Did you know you could also get a breakfast bologna sandwich here too? Their basket meals include hot wings, barbecue, fish, chicken, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers. For breakfast, you can try biscuits and gravy, sausage, ham, eggs, toast, and bacon.
“If it wasn’t for our community and our people, we wouldn’t have a country store. We are thankful for our customers and our neighbors who watch over us and take care of us.” To visit Bryant’s Grocery, you can stop by between 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The grill shuts down at 5:25 p.m.on weekdays and 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
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