I stepped into Calvin and Rowena’s Porky Pig Diner in the rural community of Pig near Mammoth Cave. There was one table of talkative men on their lunch hour, but by the time I left, there were a variety of locals, enjoying the same country lunch menu my dining companion and I had.

Now you may be wondering how I can review a country diner the same way I review a gourmet restaurant – well it’s easy. I review how well the restaurant does what they say they do. In this case, Porky Pig Diner delivered some of the best country cooking I’ve had.

The chicken was all white meat, tender and fresh; the french fries were unique, crispy and tasty and I even had the opportunity to order something I’ve never had before. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Porky Pig Diner may seem out of the way, but if you take a trip to Mammoth Cave this summer with visitors, friends or family, this would be a great place to stop on the way.

Porky Pig Diner is your typical diner. Mammoth Cave facts and photos donned the wall near our table and we learned a few facts about ships that used to travel up and down the Green River to take visitors to the park – facts my dining companion, who has lived in the area most of his life, didn’t know. I will let you know its relaxed rural flair included a section of the restaurant blocked off with rope and stored with propane tanks and other items, I’m not sure for what reason.

The tables and chairs are typical diner style. Chrome with vinyl padded seats – a few rips and tears add flavor.

But it’s the flavor in the food that makes this diner special. We ordered three plates of food (because the prices were so good we just had to try a variety) and am I glad we did.

The chicken strip plate was not too thin, not too thick, all white chicken breasts with strips more than 3 inches wide! They were lightly breaded, not greasy at all (I don’t know how they did this), yet the inside was flaky and tender. We were served three types of dipping sauces, but didn’t need them.

Sticking with country tradition, we ordered fries and coleslaw. The fries were incredible. I think it may have been the type of potato they used and the puff of seasoning of flour (I’m guessing). The skins were still on, and they had the lightest crispiness on the outside, and were hot and moist on the inside. The coleslaw, however, could not hold its own on the plate with the fries or the chicken. It had little flavor, too much mayo and wasn’t eaten.

We blindly ordered the roast beef Manhattan and were pleasantly surprised. It was like an opened faced roast beef sandwich on white bread with mashed potatoes and gravy poured generously over the top – except it had pieces of white bread both under and on top of the roast beef. The roast beef was tender and flavorful. The mashed potatoes were whipped to perfection. Even though the gravy seemed run of the mill and out of place, I kept going back to the flavorful beef.

Finally, we had to order the barbecue. It was unique, on the sweet side, but a little dry that day. We ordered it with white beans and mashed potatoes (not knowing we were getting potatoes with the roast beef). All were delectable in this relaxed atmosphere.

So I would recommend a trip out to the country someday. You might have to call for directions but it will be worth the trip.

Porky Pig Diner

125 Park Road

Smiths Grove, KY

(270) 597-2422

Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Cuisine: American

Specialty: Country

Price Range: $4.99-$6.99

Libation Situation: None

Smoking: Yes