Story and Photos By Jennifer Kornegay
For decades, Kenny Stearns lived and worked in Tampa, Fla., mining peat moss and running a zoo. As he neared retirement in 2020, he began searching for a slower pace. He found it in a century-old country store for sale in a small rural town. He bought it, and moved with his wife, Kathy, and his son, Ray, to Clayton, Ala.
“I felt like running the store and being in that community would give us the quality of life I was after,” he says. “It’s never been about making a bunch of money; it’s just about good living.”
But Kenny hadn’t been in town long before he noticed a need. “There is really nothing for a 20 to 30-mile radius in terms of places to eat,” he says. So in 2021, he opened Kenny’s Hwy. 198 Diner.
Kenny’s might be one of the few restaurants in the area, but even if there were 100 other dining options, it would still stand out. “There’s nothing else like it,” Kenny says. Out front, the corn-cob-pipe-smoking, hat-clad alligator, winking Mr. Peanut and giant giraffe head — a piece of his zoo’s sign — ensure that drivers motoring down Highway 198 will take a good long look even if they’re not hungry.
The quirky and eclectic mix of decor continues inside. The diner is housed in an old corn silo Kenny found and placed to the left of the cabin containing the store.
Under a domed ceiling, autographed Bellamy Brothers records, Hank Williams memorabilia and old newspaper articles adorn its curved walls. Photos of lions and various birds look on as guests study the large menu, mostly the work of his wife.
“Where we were in Central Florida, you can basically get any food you want, so she wanted to bring that variety to the area,” he says.
Omelets, pancakes and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls are available in the mornings, but biscuits smothered in gravy and deep-fried French toast are breakfast best-sellers. For lunch, popular selections include wings, pizzas and sandwiches, like the Kenny’s Big Texas (crispy fried chicken with bacon and cheddar on Texas toast with a choice of honey mustard, ranch or barbecue sauce), but Kenny touts the steak sandwich, steak salad, half-pound hand-pattied burgers and the fried green tomato BLT. On the sides list, the giant tater tots stuffed with cheese, bacon and chives are a hit, too. On Friday nights, and all day on Saturday, coconut shrimp, fried oysters and other seafood delights dominate.
Kenny and Ray do all the cooking, using skills gained at the zoo’s small eatery while also learning on the job. “We knew how to cook, but with this big menu, we had to learn some things along the way,” Kenny says.
One lesson learned early remains true. “Everything is fresh, never frozen, and made to order,” he says. “Serving quality food at a good price with friendly service works anywhere.”
Proof lies in the far-flung locations Kenny’s diners hail from. “A lady from Australia profiled us on TikTok, and it got 700,000 views,” he says. “That has brought us a lot of traffic from all over.” While locals fill the silo at lunchtime on weekdays, when the weekend rolls around, folks journey from Montgomery, Pensacola, other parts of Florida and Georgia. “They come here just to eat; that humbles me but fills me with pride, too,” Kenny says.
Next, A Steakhouse and Then, An Oyster Bar
Last fall, Kenny built on the success and opened his steakhouse next door. It’s only open on Friday and Saturday nights, but premium beef, flame-grilled on the searing 1,200-degree char broiler, and sometimes, live music, usually keep the spot full both nights.
And this autumn, Kenny hopes his next expansion will be ready. “I’m building an oyster bar with a bandstand and think we’ll have it open by football season,” he says. “I think people will love being outside; it’s so nice in the fall here.”
Providing a place for people to gather and eat drives Kenny, but so does the opportunity to serve his neighbors through the country store, which in addition to local honey, plus jams, jellies and relishes made inhouse, stocks basic supplies. “I love being able to help people by maybe saving them a trip when we can,” he says. “And, we’re real mechanically inclined, and people here know we can help fix things, and I like doing that.”
Those who’ve already made the trek to Kenny’s have likely met him. He makes a point to get out of the kitchen when he can, making the rounds to the tables to chat with his guests and check on their meals. “Getting to meet all the different people who come through here and feeding them well, that brings me joy,” he says.
Do you have a favorite restaurant we need to visit for a future Worth the Drive? Let us know at contact@alabamaliving.coop!
Kenny’s Hwy. 198 Diner
334 Eufaula Avenue, Clayton, AL
334-332-6993
Hours: 7 a.m – 7 p.m. Monday – Thursday
7 a.m – 9 p.m. Friday & Saturday
