If you’ve been in business since 1951, you must be doing something right.  In the case of Belew’s Dairy Bar in Aurora, Kentucky, they’re doing at least one thing deliciously right – burgers!  My husband, Michael, and I stopped at Belews for lunch on a recent trip to Kentucky Lake.  We had hamburgers and onion rings, but the burgers were so outstanding that we nearly forgot about the onion rings.

There are few things quite as impressive as a remarkable hamburger.  If you echo this mouth-watering sentiment, you MUST stop by Belew’s Dairy Bar on your next trip to Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake, or anywhere in the Land Between the Lakes area.  It’s located on US Highway 62 East, just a little past Aurora BBQ – Home of the Winking Pig (Outstanding BBQ!).

I truthfully loved everything about Belew’s Dairy Bar and can’t wait to visit again and try their other sandwiches, sides, and dairy treats.  It will be, however, hard not to order their hamburger though – sheer perfection.  I also loved the “feel” of Belew’s – it’s a throwback to a simpler time: Carhops, milkshakes, Coke with crushed ice, and hamburgers so big and delicious you’re certain you’re in Burger Heaven.

I’ll see you there – I’ll be the smiling brunette with a melting ice cream cone in one hand and a half-eaten burger in the other.

The Hitching Post in Aurora Kentucky

We were in Aurora, Kentucky recently – visiting the wonderful Hitching Post and it’s remarkably friendly people and grabbing hot dogs so sensational you have to see them to believe them and taste them to truly experience a hot dog.  They’re called Dixie Dogs and you only think you’ve had a true hot dog before.

Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora Kentucky

While we were in town, I wish we had eaten at Aurora Bar-B-Q (delicious!), but we were anxious to try another barbecue restaurant in the Land Between the Lakes region.

Big mistake.  The service was decidedly unfriendly (as cold as ice cream) and the food wasn’t fit to write about.  Literally – since I don’t do negative food reviews on Genuine Kentucky.  If we have outstanding food and service, I write about it on Genuine Kentucky – if it’s the pits…. I pretend it never happened.  A throwback to, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”

See, mom, I was paying attention.

Honestly, if you want the best bar-b-que in and around the Land Between the Lakes region, you simply have to make your way to Aurora and the home of the winking pig.  Trust me.  We’ve had bar-b-que from just about everywhere in the Lake’s region and Aurora’s home to the absolute best.  The workers are friendly, the service is wonderful, and the food is outstanding.

I’ve said it in other posts on this site before, but I’ll say it again (after all, when I’m truly impressed with people and/or food, I’ll sing their praises for the rest of my life – I’m nothing if not loyal):  You have to spend some time in Aurora, Kentucky. It’s one of my favorite places on earth.  The town is very small, quiet, and unassuming.  It’s also extremely charming, friendly, warm, and fun.

Dixie Dogs in front of the Hitching Post in Aurora, Kentucky

What makes Aurora Kentucky so special?

• The people couldn’t be nicer if you paid them to be.  Not once have I come across an unfriendly person Aurora.
• In my personal opinion, the Willow Pond Catfish restaurant in Aurora is the best of all the Willow Pond restaurants. They’re all outstanding, mind you, but the one in Aurora Kentucky is just a little better.  The servers are a little friendlier and the hushpuppies are a little better.  Maybe more than a little.
• The Hitching Post is one of the most outrageously cool and fun places you could hope to spend an afternoon in. The new owners have made the Hitching Post such a wonderful place to visit that it’s a wonder they don’t charge admission.  They obviously have a great passion for what they do and a great love for their guests.  The Hitching Post is, at once, the funnest and coolest gift shop you could ever conceive AND a remarkable little “Step Back in Time” museum.  They have put a great deal of time, money, and work into renovating a little country store beside the Hitching Post’s main shop.  They proudly display some truly remarkable things from the distant past – it’s simply outstanding.  I’ve seen (and paid) admission required for far less fascinating exhibits.
• Right out front of the Hitching Post is Dixie Dogs (click the link for my other review of this deliciousness)! After browsing around the Country Store and gift shop (be sure to grab a bottle of pop), you’ll want to walk out to the Dixie Dogs stand and introduce your taste buds to the most remarkable hot dog they’ve ever met.
• Another of my favorite places on earth to visit is the gorgeous nearby Elk and Bison Prairie. I’m the biggest animal lover in the world and these majestic animals just take my breath away every single time. We once had the pleasure of having our vehicle completely surrounded by peaceful bison. They’re a favorite animal of mine, so I literally had tears in my eyes.  It’s moving to be so close to such amazing animals as elk and bison.
• The nearby Nature Station and the Bison Range are also great experiences and provide wonderful photo ops along with memories for a lifetime.
• Kentucky Lake! Kentucky Lake is one of the largest man-made lakes and is a beautifully relaxing way to spend a family vacation. Over 160,000 acres of water and 2,064 miles of shoreline are populated with over 100 species of fish, including catfish, crappie, bluegill, stripes any more. Talk about an outstanding fishing vacation.
• Kenlake Lodge is a quiet, charming, understated, and wonderful place to stay and/or eat.  I often call it the best kept secret in the Land Between the Lakes.  Click the link to see what makes Kenlake State Resort Park so special.

Kenlake State Resort Park

Do yourself and your family (of all ages!) a huge favor and spend a weekend or a week in Aurora Kentucky on your next vacation. While there’s something to be said for keeping our dollars in Kentucky, it wouldn’t be worth it if there weren’t extraordinary places to see, visit, and stay.  Fortunately, Kentucky is full of remarkable places and Aurora, Kentucky is one of them.

The Land Between the Lakes is an outstanding place for people of all ages and will provide fun memories that’ll last forever.  When the vacation comes to an end, your only question will be, “How soon can we come back?!?!”

This, I promise.

My husband and I have been making the rounds, visiting different Kentucky State Parks and their restaurants.  The ones we’ve been to have featured basically the same menu – but our experiences have been greatly varied.

Last night, we ate at the Aurora Landing Restaurant in Kenlake Lodge. It was our first time eating at Kenlake Lodge, but it certainly won’t be our last. Our excellent server (Renai) and extremely warm hostess (Kathy) were, by far, the friendliest we’ve encountered at any state park.  Ever.  Each lady seemed to genuinely love her job and the resort she worked for.  Furthermore, they treated us the way I would treat company that visited my home.   Renai (beautiful name, right?) never allowed our tea to anywhere near half empty and even offered to give us more ice.   This tea, by the way, was amongst the best I’ve ever gotten out.  When we left, she asked if we wanted some tea for the road, in a “to go” cup.  I’ve never experienced that  outside of an Applebee’s.  How’s that for service?!

My husband and I never tell a hostess, server, or any worker that we publish a website or that I write reviews.  I want to see how workers generally are – for better or worse…. when they don’t know anyone’s planning to write about them!  Like I said, for better or worse, you see how people generally are and you get an idea for the way a restaurant is managed.

Words just can’t express how amazing and friendly these ladies were.  I will say this, as a proud Kentuckian, I wish each of our state parks were filled with workers JUST like these two ladies.  Can you imagine the wonderful impression the rest of the world would get of Kentuckian hospitality and warmth?

Given the lovely dispositions of the workers, I was SO hoping that the food would measure up and be deserving of their presence.   In another first from any of the State Park restaurants we’ve visited, Renai brought delicious rolls and butter to our table to enjoy while we waited for our meals.  These rolls were beyond spectacular – they had a light sprinkling of herbs on top and, frankly, tasted unlike any bread I’ve ever had.   I could have eaten 100.

I ordered chicken breast with onions and mushrooms, a baked potato, and pinto beans.  I’d never tried the chicken before, because I’m such a catfish addict that I usually go that fishy route.  I certainly picked the right time to venture out!

The chicken, mushrooms, and onions were so amazing that my mouth is watering from the memories.  The chicken had a delicious grilled, mesquite flavor and was cooked perfectly.  It honestly couldn’t have been any better and the mushrooms and onions were just as perfect – not overdone, not underdone.  Perfectly perfect and delicious beyond belief.

For dessert, we got the Kenlake Brownie  with Ice Cream, cherries, and whipped topping. Oh, sweet goodness, it was amazing!  I’m a total chocohaulic, so I know my chocolate stuff – this dessert was spectacular.

We were delighted to discover that the people in the kitchen were as wonderfully skilled as those in the dining room.  The Kentucky State Park system can certainly be proud of beautiful Kenlake State Park and, even more so, of the workers in its restaurant.

The next time you visit Land Between the Lakes, I promise you that you won’t find a better place to eat than the lovely restaurant at Kenlake Lodge.  With the delicious food, friendly workers, and gorgeous view of the flower gardens and lake – you might not want to leave.

When I think of Aurora, Kentucky I think of The Hitching Post and great food: Hot Dogs (only the best in the world, guys), Catfish, hush puppies, BBQ from the Winking Pig (also known as Aurora BBQ!), and fudge that is now being sold in The Hitching Post.

I also think of the Elk and Bison Prairie and the 1850′s Homeplace, which are just minutes away.

If you haven’t visited Aurora, Kentucky lately – take your camera, your family, and an empty stomach.

You already know that I LOVE the Hitching Post Old Country Store in Aurora, Kentucky.  The owner and workers couldn’t be any friendlier, the store’s a complete delight to look around, I always return home with great finds – such as jewelry, candles (there’s a Hershey’s chocolate candle that’ll drop you to your knees), t-shirts, hats, toys, cookbooks, figurines, and so on and on.

I’ve also told you how much I love the jams, jellies, and sauces they sell in their store.  Deliciousness just looking for a mouth to happen in.  Now, get this:  They’ve stepped up their already yummy game and they’re nothing short of irresistible now.

My husband, our youngest daughter, and her boyfriend spent Saturday in the Land Between the Lakes region and…. OF COURSE… paid a visit to the Hitching Post Old Country Store.  The kids had even more fun looking around that we did. Okay, well almost.  Things looked better than ever.  The porch is so pretty and decorated so charmingly that you almost hate to leave it.  However, you know full well that spectacular shopping awaits you inside, so through the doors you go!

They’ve added quite a bit to the store, so the whole experience was even sweeter than before.  Speaking of sweet – they now have homemade fudge available (pictured below).  That fact, alone, had me smiling ear to ear all day – with a mouthful of happy sweet teeth.  The fudge is remarkable, and I consider myself something of an expert.

We had the Tiger Butter Fudge this particular trip, but I have a date with the Peanut Butter fudge on my next trip.  Peanut Butter Fudge has always been my favorite, but the Tiger Butter fudge is putting up an admirable battle for that top spot.

I’m thrilled that we can now enjoy homemade fudge in Aurora.  Both ends of the Land Between the Lakes are now deliciously covered with fudge (The Fudge Factory in Grand Rivers is the other, of course.).

As you can see from the picture above, as well as the ones below, there are countless goodies for kids of all ages.  Every single member of your family will have a ball and a half and the ridiculously warm and friendly owner and workers will treat you like a member of the family.  Kentucky style.

I  fell head over head in love with some Red Pepper Jelly they gave out as samples.  Loved it so much, I bought a jar to bring home with us.   It’s from Spring Valley Farms in Holland, Kentucky – and they know their stuff.  Their sample had the Red Pepper Jelly mixed in with cream cheese.  Oh. My. Gentle. God.  Delicious!  We promptly bought a jar of the Red Pepper Jelly and stopped by Kroger on the way home for some Cream Cheese and crackers.

It was so delicious I don’t even want to talk about it.

There are plans for the historically delightful general store next to The Hitching Post’s Country Store.  Apparently they’ll soon feature work from local artists.  I can’t wait to see the art and crafts that’ll be included.  Can you even imagine how fantastic it’ll all be?!

On a recent trip to Land Between the Lakes, we ate at Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora, Kentucky – Home of the Winking Pig!  Sure enough, the pig on the sign? He’s a total flirt.

Three members of our family (my husband, myself, and our youngest daughter – Stephany) are all about Barbecue.  Whatever town we find ourselves in, we love to check out their barbecue.  That, and Onion Rings.  Aurora offered both, so we anxiously waited to dive in.  I say “waited,” but actually there wasn’t any wait at all.  We got our drinks, sat down…admired the comfortable, overall feel of the restaurant, then here they came with our food.

I’ll get the tiny little “Not so perfect” out of the way first.  The drinks from the fountain were watery – downright tasteless.  Next time, I’ll take advantage of the cold bottled sodas they sell. (Should have been a sign, right?!)  Actually, the last 3 restaurants I’ve eaten at have had bad drinks from the soda fountain, and the tea wasn’t much better.  I’m sure it’s something that’s easy to overlook in a restaurant, but from the customer’s standpoint, it’s very, very important.

Now, onto the perfects, a.k.a. everything else!

My daughter Stephany could have eaten all of the fried mushrooms all by herself and then asked for more.  They were smaller in size than most fried mushrooms and less game-y tasting than others, if you know what I mean.  They’re really unique and very good.

The star of the show, the Bar-B-Q, was amazing!  (I wish I had some more right now – I’d actually make a round trip venture just for their BBQ alone.)  It had a smoke-y flavor that’s worth driving 5,000 miles for…at least.  You can order it on buns (like I did) or on Texas Toast (like my husband and daughter did).  The sauce comes hot or mild – and is absolutely perfect…sweet enough without being too sweet.

Like I said before, we always check out a restaurant’s onion rings – again, Aurora Bar-B-Que didn’t let us down. Sometimes I’ve been known to put an onion ring, if it’s really good on the sandwich I’m having, but in this case I wasn’t about to intrude upon the greatness the BBQ had going on.  Plus, it left more onion rings for ketchup to mouth trip I love so much!  If you’re brave, you could dip one in the hot sauce, but my rings prefer ketchup – they’re pretty picky…delicious, but picky.

Speaking of hot, the hot wings are just that – hot!  Michael’s as big a fan of hot wings as he is Bar-B-Que, and he gave them a big thumbs up….a big hot-wing-covered thumbs up.

The onion rings were really good, but the Baked Beans were really, really, really, really good.  A lot of people only care about the meat in a meal – what they consider the Main Event.  I’m very much into the sides….just as much as the “Main Event.”  Too many restaurants neglect the sides – sometimes you get the impression they’ll serve absolutely anything along with the meat, thinking “No one’s going to really care, anyway…”  These beans didn’t have that attitude at all.

Sides are just as important as the main attraction (One of the reasons I love Applebee’s – they totally get that) – and I can’t wait to try Aurora’s other sides to see if they live up to the standard set by the baked beans.

If you find yourself anywhere within striking distance of Aurora, Kentucky, look for the winking pig – you won’t be sorry.  Just remember to grab a bottle for your drink…and if you have the hot wings, you might want two bottles!

***How cool is this? – They’ve taken care of the drink’s dilemma and now even serve AMAZING iced tea.  So now their drinks are nearly as good as the food.  I say nearly because no drink can keep up with this barbecue.  As I’m typing this, I’m miles away from the winking pig, snow is on the ground with more coming down…and I’m positively dying for some of their barbecue, hot wings, and onion rings.