The Lighthouse Restaurant in Edmonton, Kentucky, shines as a true celebration of Southern comfort, and nowhere is that more evident than in its unforgettable county ham and eggs. We stopped in here by chance, we had seen reviews in Kentucky Living and thought we would give it a try. From the moment the plate arrives, it's clear this is not just breakfast--it's heritage served hot. The county ham is the undeniable star: salt-cured, deeply flavorful, and expertly cooked so that each bite balances its robust savoriness with just enough tenderness. This is authentic Kentucky country ham--bold, unapologetic, and rich with tradition--prepared the way it should be, not watered down for convenience but honored for its character. Paired alongside are perfectly cooked eggs, done to order with a care that speaks volumes. Whether you prefer them fried with golden, lacy edges or softly scrambled, they provide the ideal counterpoint to the ham's intensity--creamy, fresh, and comforting. Together, the combination is simple, honest, and profoundly satisfying, the kind of meal that reminds you why classic breakfasts endure. What elevates The Lighthouse beyond just good food is the sense of place it delivers. This is a restaurant that understands its roots and proudly serves the flavors of the region without pretense. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the kind where locals linger over coffee and visitors immediately feel at home. Every bite of that county ham feels like a quiet nod to generations of Kentucky kitchens that perfected it long before it became a menu item. In a world of overcomplicated brunches, The Lighthouse stands tall by doing one thing exceptionally well: serving real food, made right. If you're in Edmonton, missing the county ham and eggs here would be nothing short of a culinary oversight. you are looking for comfort food this is the place to eat. Meals feels as though your home with your family. The place offers large portions, family style dinning and a welcoming environment. Don't forget the pie at the end. The pie is the cherry on top! read more

See all

Went today, fried chicken was overcooked and dry, biscuits were dry that the butter and jelly couldn't fix. On a positive note the butter beans, pinto beans, and slaw are wonderful Service was good and attentive. Don't think we will be back, disappointed read more

We ate lunch there today. One word, FANTASTIC!!!!! The catfish was the best! The sides, outstanding! Don't over look this fantastic eating experience! read more

Wonderful food. Beautiful scenery across the street. They accommodated our large family. Best red eye gravy I've ever had. Worth the drive!

There is never a time where I'm in the area that I don't stop by this place. It's been a favorite spot for many years. Not one thing to complain about other than I don't get to the area as often as I would like. Beautiful spot in the country and the park across the street was restful after eating. read more

If you like a country style setting and food you will enjoy this place. The atmosphere is great and the food is fabulous. Afterwards you can walk across the road and check out the sulfur Spring. read more

Lighthouse Restaurant - cars parked in front of the building - American Near Me - Edmonton, Kentucky

The food is good and the service is friendly. You can order or order family style. I think that is good due to some people don't eat that much, but family style good for people that like to eat a lot. read more

Really good southern comfort food. Busy so be sure to make reservations. Friendly service.

The best food in the state of KY . Hot fresh food. Had the fried chicken mac and cheese home made and onions rings. Not a single one was cold very happy. Will be back very soon read more

BEST HOME COOKED FOOD EVER (Just like Grandma made it!). Everything is homemade and cooked to order. Every single staff member treats you like family, whether it's your first time or thousandth time there. See pics for our lunch choice today. Started with crackers, butter and preserves (like Cracker Barrel). I DO MISS THE HOMEMADE PRESERVES THO!! read more

See all

Truly the best southern home cooking AYCE family style restaurant still in existence. It's literally way out in the country here in Kentucky, but it is a dining destination that draws folks in from all over. It has to as there isn't enough local population to even well staff the restaurant. They are only open 3 days a week Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. They have a menu, but it simply doesn't make sense to have anything but the AYCE family meal. It starts with sliced tomatoes and cole slaw, both are delicious. One obviously home grown and the other home made. Then the main meal arrives with Country Ham, Fried Chicken, & Fried Fish as the meats. Red eye gravy comes along as an accompaniment for the country ham. Boiled potatoes, green beans, lima beans, and fried apples are the sides along with a bread that seems to me to be a hybrid of a biscuit and a roll. Normally if you eat right you won't have any room left for their legendary home made pies but do take one to go for later. read more

Lighthouse Restaurant - This is how the AYCE family meal arrives! - American Near Me - Edmonton, Kentucky

Lighthouse will always be my favorite restaurant. From the coleslaw and tomatoes, to the catfish and green beans! You must not leave before having a piece of pie. This place is amazing and I wish they would open one in Florida! I would travel miles for lighthouse!! Lol read more

Too notch restaurant!!! Great place to eat and a nice senic drive to get there! The pies are amazing too!

Delicious home style country cooking.....ham, chicken & fish cooked to perfection. All the veggie sides are so good. Looking forward to going back and trying to save room for dessert! A real treat! read more

Mike F. described the food and eating experience perfectly. The Lighthouse Restaurant in Sulphur Well, Ky is not only a local legend but their fame is truly national. I traveled a circuit of the United States for many years and as Sulphur Well is my home address I was constantly shocked by the number of people I met who knew just where it was. The most common response to where I was from was "that restaurant"! Well, that restaurant and the old country store are all that is left now of a long and unique history. As for The Lighthouse Restaurant, formerly Porters Restaurant, they have made their place in history. That Restaurant is the place to be for the best home style cooking you'll ever enjoy. Authentic log cabins are available for rent there now at Cabin Creek along with the wonderful shopping experience of unique antiques at the Piddlin' Barn. Just in case you're wondering, I am not involved in any way with any businesses here. read more

Probably the best restaurant I have ever been too. Family style service where the plates and bowls are never ending. I love country ham and red eye gravy with homemade biscuits and they were the best. The fried catfish and chicken and all the vegetables were superb. Great service but a little hard to get too, but well worth the drive. read more

~~ All You Can Eat ~~ Country Ham ~ Catfish ~ Fried Chicken Served "Family Style" Cole Slaw, Tomatoes, Stewed Potatos, Green Beans, Lima Beans, Fried Apples, Red-eye Gravy, Biscuits. Strawberry preserves and Honey. (no doggie bags) Adults - $13.99 6-11 yr - $5.99 Children 5 yr & under free/adult This snippet from their menu really says it all. I was traveling with my ladyfriend and her parents brought us to this little shack off a highway in the middle of nowhere. We got the usual Southern hospitality and we were seated promptly. I glanced around the room and notice a large family at a table with a lazy susan which was COVERED in dishes of fantastic smelling food. I knew I was getting into something good here. Our waitress came over and assumed correctly we were there on business; we wanted the all-you-can-eat dinner. (FYI: Lunch in KY is called Dinner) After she moseyed on back to the kitchen, we only had a few minutes to get ready mentally before the dishes started pouring out. 2 people came out to deliver all the dishes listed above. There's not much to say except this place has the best country ham I've ever had. Yeah yeah, the catfish was nice and lightly fried, not greasy and the fried chicken was juicy and crunchy, but the star was, no-hold barred, the country ham. It was salty and succulent and juicy and every other vulgar sounding word used to describe food! As for the sides, everything was pretty good. The only issues I had were the mushiness of the fried apples which I am not used to, and the red-eye gravy. I don't know where it came from but meat drippings and coffee do not a good gravy make. I guess it's an acquired taste. We stuffed ourselves silly (especially with the ham! Really, we had like 4 plates full) and rolled out of the dining room. I have to say, the location could have been thought through a little bit better. It's right across from "Sulphur Well" and let me tell you, that's not the best smell on a hot summer afternoon after you've eaten enough to pop..... The Wrap-up: Totally worth the trip. Get the all-you-can-eat for the best value. read more

Great home cookiin' type of food! Catfish is excellent! Chicken was a little over cooked but still tasty. Even the green beans and Lima beans were great! It's in the middle of nowhere, but worth the drive. read more

This little country place is the ABSOLUTE BEST!!! They aim to get your tummy full at the best price. You will not walk away unhappy. In fact I usually have to roll out...HAHA! But seriously the food is amazing and the staff are all clean, kind, and always ready to make your time there valuable. read more

Amazing little gem in Kentucky! Weather was terrible but we still drove 45min to get to the restaurant and experience "real KY food". Delicious fried chicken/fish/smoked ham. Service was great; Lighthouse restaurant will remain a highlight of our KY roadtrip! read more

One of my favorite places to go! The food is excellent if you love good old fashioned down home cooking. They are known for their country ham, but the catfish is equally as good. Home style cooking and a warm atmosphere - a winning combination!! read more

Lived two minutes away from this local favorite and widely praised home-cooking restaurant for all of my life. Run by a sweet family and genuine locals. I'll never get tired of their famous country-ham, with red eye gravy, stewed potatoes, and a side of their amazing fried apples. The Lighthouse has a wonderful selection of southern dinner plates, with everything from catfish to sliders, everyone always goes home happy, full as physically possible, and ready for a nap (like all good southern food does to you). Any time you're in the area, make the extra few miles out to this lovely little spot. The Sulphur Well Historical Park across the road sets the scene for a lovely evening. read more

Everytime I'm even near this area of KY I have to plan a dinner at The Lighthouse. The family style dinner is incredibly authentic to the region. Just not enough places that serve perfectly cooked country ham with red eye gravy. Every dish is done so well and I swear they must have a contract with the greatest tomato farmer in the county. Amazing! read more

The other review covers it pretty well - we had a big group at the round lazy susan table and did the all-you-can eat dinner (at lunch). I know everyone raves about the ham, but ours was tough, cut thinly and not very good. Chalk it up to bad timing? Everything else was good, and the fish was outstanding; lightly fried. All in all a fun experience, and apparently this place is a local legend! read more

This restaurant was recommended very highly and almost lived up to its billing. We couldn't have done the "all you can eat"....just too much food, but what we had was very good. My wife's steak was well done, but the brought her another one immediately, at their insistence. The fried chicken, coke slaw and green beans were truly home cooked. The subtraction of a star was the butterscotch pie....make another choice. read more

In the middle of no where. REALLY good food. Reminds you of grandmas cooking. All you can eat is family style so they bring everything in bowls and plates. Country ham is great. Worth the drive. Will be going back. read more

Came here a lot as a kid growing up, haven't been back in about 6-7 years and was shocked to see how downhill this place has gone.. Food was plentiful but the whole place seemed to be very dirty and the unsanitary. We found chucks of half eaten biscuits in our green beans. We won't be back, you can get as good of food at a cracket barrell anymore, definitely not what I remember as a kid. read more

Non-smoking restaurant! Yayyy!!! (So I'll give them a 4th star for that, instead of the three I was going to give them) Yes, this place is quaint and rural, but I have to admit I don't understand what all the fuss is about. I saw the rave reviews about the cat fish which is what I decided to order, and I wasn't that impressed by it. The fish, typical of all food served in secluded rule restaurants, was deep-fried. There were no healthy options at this restaurant from what I saw. The fish seemed undercooked to me as it was still pink and mushy. I ordered the mushrooms as an appetizer or which, of course, we're also deep-fried. One of the sides that I selected was the green beans and they were either from a can or completely overcooked. The only thing this restaurant really has going for it is that it is secluded, it has a cute Little lighthouse on top of the building, the bathrooms were clean, and a few of the tables in the restaurant had large, interesting, and unique lazy susan's on them. I will say, however, that considering the location of this restaurant, this is about as good as it gets. Certainly better than The Deli in Edmonton which is nothing more than a smoky dive read more

Lighthouse Restaurant - Front cover of their menu - American Near Me - Edmonton, Kentucky

Great place plan to bring whole family and be hungry! The food is southern style homemade yummy to the tummy stuff!

First visit 1/18/13, and it will be the first of many! The food is everything that I had read about, and more. But few have mentioned the great service by the friendliest staff on the mid-south. Well worth the drive to 'the middle of nowhere'! read more

Very unclean place, food was just cooked in lard to give it flavor. Ham was great but it's the sam Penn's Country Hams you get in any restarant in campbellsville. Bathrooms were very nasty, I have seen better sanitation in a port-a-potty.. Very highly reccomend you avoid, you can tell the place use to be nice but is just not kept up. read more

I have to say this is the best food ever! The only downfall of this restaurant is that we have to drive so far to actually get their food. They have the best All you can eat Meals! I love the Country Ham and the Chicken. My husband loves the Catfish and always has to have the whole plate next to him. Such a horder of their Fish. I have heard they have the best desserts also, but by the time we eat all the food we just have no room for the sweets. It is well worth the price and the long drive :-) read more

This place is well worth the wait. And believe me, you'll probably wait for a little while, as when I went, we waited for a better part of two hours, but this isn't terrible, as there is a fairly nice park not for away that most people wait at. When we finally got in, three of us ordered the family special that everyone raves about and just about everything I ate was very well cooked and delicious. So basically for $15 a person, you can get a HUGE meal and plenty to take home with you. To some, the location might be a bit difficult to find, but don't be discouraged by this, because you'll be very pleased if you stop in here. read more

This place is in the middle of no where but it is worth the drive. The catfish and country ham are great.

Every visit to my hometown I'm hoping I have time to go to The Lighthouse. It's in the boonies, but is it ever worth the drive! We drive from our place in Kettle Ky. Sometimes after a 45 minute drive, we have to wait up to an hour on weekends, but don't let that scare you off. I've waited longer for a chain restaurant. This is much better. It's all you can eat for one price or order from the menu. The food is the best of country cooking, made fresh and served country style. The building is pure rustic Kentucky. The staff and the customers are genuine and friendly, like everybody from around there. Like I said, I try not to miss it. It's the best food for miles. In case you're wondering, I'm not from the area of the restaurant. I'm not connected in any way to anyone at The Lighthouse. It was recommended to me by a friend from Indianapolis. The Lighthouse has a great reputation for good food that far exceeds their humble location. If you like catfish, fried chicken, and/or country ham, it's more than worth the drive. read more

Very much "home cooked" and fresh food with that "down home" country touch! Could not find anything wrong with the food (other than me getting there late and digging in after 70+ others had already started eating) that was put out "Buffet Style" for a Company Christmas Dinner a customer had invited me to! Fried Chicken (very tasty coating with no sign of soggy, greasiness), Country Ham, Fried Catfish (tasty and not typical catfishy), Buttery Boiled potatoes, Lima Beans, Green Beans (very fresh and just enough ham and seasoning), Cole Slaw (best slaw I have had at a restaurant), Corn Bread, Biscuits (sorghum on the side) and a variety of home made desserts (Cherry Pie with best crust ever), Chocolate Pie, Apple Pie, Chocolate Cake! I am thankful to have been invited to this dinner, enjoyed it thoroughly. I expect to tell more people about this gem and will gladly make the 90+ minute drive again very soon!!! read more

We celebrated the 88th birthday of a sweet grandmother and had almost a dozen who chose to eat at the Lighthouse-Sat 06.25.16. Unfortunately, the catfish was tepid, the onion rings were hard & cold, the coleslaw was warm & the bread did not arrive until we had finished our meal. We spent almost $300 for a meal in a back room where the fans were so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. We had always loved eating here, but unfortunately, this will probably be our last meal there. read more