Docker’s Bayside Grill May Have the Mac Daddy of all Onion Rings

First of all, allow me to say this:  If you haven’t gotten off of the beaten path in Grand Rivers, Kentucky – you haven’t seen Grand Rivers, Kentucky at all.  You haven’t even scratched the surface!

The beautiful thing about Kentucky towns, such as Grand Rivers, is that very often, the business owners just aren’t into clicks and whistles.  However, their humble, laid-back mindset can sometimes present a different problem all together… Sometimes people don’t know they’re there!  Sure the locals know, as do frequent visitors.  But I’d love to see people further out discover these hidden little golden jewels because,  truth be told, Kentucky is full of them.

In a nutshell, that’s what this website is all about.  It’s to let you know about events and places like Moonlight BBQ in Owensboro, The Variety shows in Grand Rivers, Aurora BBQ, Willow Pond Catfish, The Elk and Bison Prairie, The Fudge Factory (it’s an obsession, I admit it), The Farmer’s Feed Mill Restaurant in Leitchfield, Hartford’s sense of humor, Owensboro’s Golden Partners, and so on.

I’ve fallen in love with another little gem!  The Docker’s Bayside Grill in Grand Rivers overlooks the beautiful bay.  I loved the atmosphere immediately.  The decor set the tone beautifully and the workers were very friendly.  I loved the fact that many of the diners came in fresh from being out on the water – all red-faced and looking for a tall glass of sweet tea, which was amazing, by the way.

As I’ve said before, when I go to a new restaurant – no matter where it is, how big it is, or what I’m eating – I order their onion rings.  I am obsessed with onion rings (this food obsession curls up cozily beside my coffee, chocolate, Fudge Factory Peanut Butter Fudge, and fried catfish obsessions).  I am, by now, the onion ring queen.  I know my rings!

When we saw the menu, I clicked my heels when I saw Onion Rings on the menu.  Naturally, I ordered a Catfish Sandwich and Onion Rings.  My husband got the grilled salmon sandwich and fries.  He had seen a picture of and read about their famous sink your boat omelet, so that’s what he wanted to order.  However, our server said they stopped serving breakfast at 11:30.  Given the fact that – counting my husband – during the 45 minutes we were there, six people tried to order the omelet, they should consider pulling a Cracker Barrel and serve breakfast all day.  Personally, I wouldn’t eat breakfast past 10:00, but apparently lots of people would more than love to.

I’m always completely honest with my reviews and I don’t shy away from giving the lows as well as the highs.  It’s the only fair thing to do.  It’s just HARD to give tiny little negatives when everything, overall was a big fat positive.  So, I’ll just throw the negatives out there before moving on to the rest.

1. The tartar sauce was too pickle-y for my own personal taste.  I believe it’s homemade, so this could be something that changes from day to day.  The Catfish Kitchen and Willow Pond have nearly perfect Tartar Sauce, and the funny thing is – this sauce was very close to theirs.  Just a little too many pickles in the mix.  Again, it’s a personal thing.  Others may LOVE it with lots of pickles.
2. The Grilled Salmon sandwich my husband ordered wasn’t the tastiest thing either one of us have ever had.   It just, I don’t know, didn’t leave a good impression.  He was actually very thankful for the pickle-licious tartar sauce!  In my opinoin, it’s just possible that salmon doesn’t have enough personality to star in a sandwich role.  It wasn’t anything the cook(s) did wrong.  Salmon just isn’t the best tasting fish to begin with, so putting it on a sandwich just isn’t going to lead to smiles around the table.

Okay, that’s it – the only negatives. And they can be taken care of by NOT ORDERING THE SALMON and going gently with the tartar sauce.

Now, onto the amazing positives!

1. Okay, I’ve already established myself as the Onion Ring Queen, right?  I’ve had my favorite side dish in countless places – all over the south of the United States, as far west as Kansas and Iowa and as far north as Minnesota and Northern Indiana.  I can honestly say that I’ve never had better onion rings than the ones I ate at Docker’s Bayside Grill.  They were phenomenal.  Fat, flavorful, and even beautiful to behold.  What I wouldn’t give for an order right now! The onion rings at Docker’s Bayside Grill in Grand Rivers, Kentucky are perfection.  You can go ahead and write that down.
2. My husband ordered fries with his ________ Sandwich (We aren’t going to talk about that anymore).  The fries were delicious.  GIven my Onion Ring fetish, I don’t eat a lot of fries, but if they all tasted like these, I’d probably order them more often.  These were amazing.
3. My catfish was as delicious as the Onion Rings – and that’s saying something.  I normally don’t order Catfish sandwiches because I don’t like for the bread to get in between me and my catfish.  However, Docker’s Bayside Grill Catfish Sandwich is more of an “open sandwich” which, in my opinion, is the way a Catfish sandwich should be.  It doesn’t allow the bread steal the show from the star.  I can’t say enough good things about the catfish, it was just remarkable and I wouldn’t change anything about it.
4. The sweet tea was really, really, really good.  I guess it’s a southern thing, but I LOVE sweet tea - and bad tea makes me wish I’d stayed in bed.
5. Although we didn’t order them (this time), the turtle burger, Mushroom & Swiss burger, and grilled chicken salad looked heavenly.  So did the desserts – which I WILL try next time.  The only reason we didn’t then was we knew full well our next stop was the nearby little Fudge Factory.
6. The view of the bay is breathtaking.  It’s a beautiful location and you can eat inside or on the screened porch as you enjoy the view.
7. The prices are extremely reasonable.  I was shocked at just how reasonable they were.
8. (270) 362-5377

Click HERE to learn more about the gorgeous Green Turtle Bay Resort and HERE for more information on the Docker’s Bayside Grill.  (Feast your eyes on that omelet!  Then set your alarm.)

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