This week marks the 75th annual Hopkinsville Rotary Club auction. Throughout the week, the Rotary Club will make grants to local organizations and raise funds for loans and scholarships for local students.
Since its inception in 1951, Hopkinsville’s Rotary auction has raised more than $11 million to help Christian County students continue their education after high school.
Hopkinsville Rotary takes pride in its philanthropic efforts. It also takes pride in providing Hopkinsville with delicious food during auction week, which is served at the Rotary Diner.
The Rotary Diner is located in the Memorial Building on South Virginia Street and is open for lunch (11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tuesday through Friday) and dinner (5 p.m. – 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday).
Brendan and I went to the Rotary Diner for lunch and dinner on Tuesday and sampled a lot from the menu. Here are our top choices:
Sandwiches
Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich: My favorite sandwich. The BBQ is smoked out back, so it’s very fresh, moist, and has a strong hickory flavor.
Fried Bologna Sandwich: This comforting meal is made with a generous wedge of chunk bologna, sliced four ways to soak up more flavor from the grill.
Cheeseburger: A good, standard cheeseburger. It has a great smoky flavor, as do all of the meats on the Rotary grill, and you can tell it was cooked on a real grill. They keep it simple with a slice of American cheese (which I believe is the best burger cheese).
Other options include a pork chop sandwich, hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken strips. The Diner has a toppings and condiments table where customers can customize their sandwiches. Sandwiches cost $6.50 and can be made into a plate (with two sides and a bun or slice of bread) for an additional $3.50.
I should also mention that, despite our unusually large order at lunchtime, our food arrived quickly. So, if you work downtown and need a quick bite to eat for lunch, the Rotary Diner is your spot!
Sides
The Rotary Diner’s sides, in my opinion, are its best feature. We tested almost all of them. The hot slaw was the clear winner. This was both my and Brendan’s favorite menu item. This spicy, crunchy coleslaw has a kick to it. The mayonnaise base adds tang while also keeping the slaw from being too spicy.
Green beans and potato salad came in a close second. These green beans are just like my North Carolina grandmother used to make—salty, soft, and not overly vegetably! Potato salad is also a good option.
It has good body and strikes the perfect balance between creamy and tangy. Note to vegetarians: both of these sides appear to have contained meat. The baked apples were also delicious.
The Diner sells a vegetable plate with three sides for $6. On Friday nights only, they serve white beans as a side dish.
Dinner specials
The Rotary Diner offers four dinner specials throughout the week, including jambalaya on Tuesday ($5 per bowl), smoked pit chicken on Thursday ($9.50 ¼ plate, $12 ½ plate), catfish fillet on Friday ($11.50), and a 6 oz. ribeye sandwich on Saturday ($10.50 for the sandwich, $13 for the plate).
Jambalaya is a new addition to the Rotary Diner menu this year, and there’s been a lot of talk about it, so I knew I had to try it. When I left the Memorial Building after lunch, the cooks had already begun preparing the jambalaya. They had sold out when I returned at 6:30, so it must have been a big hit!
Dinner also includes pizza by the slice.
Desserts
The Rotary Diner also has a dessert counter with a wide selection of baked goods for $3. From strawberry crinkle cookies to carrot cake, they have pretty much everything your sweet tooth desires.
I tried a variety of baked goods, and the no-bake cookies were my favorite. They melt in your mouth thanks to the combination of chocolate, oatmeal, and magic.
Boston Butts
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Boston Butts. If you live or work downtown, you’re probably already aware of these—you can smell them smoking blocks away! The grill crew has 300 pork butts smoking in a massive smoker outside the Memorial Building, which is fueled by hickory and oak logs.
Each butt is normally $50, but the Rotary announced on Wednesday night that they will be discounted to $40 for the rest of the week. They’re available until they’re gone, and the grill crew assured me they’d all sell. So, if you want one, you better get it quickly!
So, this week, if you’re wondering what’s for lunch, dinner, or both, head down to the Rotary Diner. Have a meal, foster community, and help fund Hopkinsville’s future.
