Willow Pond Southern Catfish, As Good as It Gets

I had the sublime pleasure of eating at Willow Pond in Aurora, Kentucky last night. It was the first time for me, but you can be certain that it won’t be my last. When we were leaving, our very friendly waitress told us to “Come back soon,” I nearly fell over myself assuring her that we would do just that.

Before moving on to the food, I want to give a little more credit to the waitress.  Although she was very young, she was actually one of the best servers I’ve had in a while.  She couldn’t have been older than 18 but she did her profession proud.  She was personable, sweet, checked on us often, and had an amazing knowledge of the menu and food.  A great restaurant wants their staff to represent them well.  After all, the service is as associated with a restaurant nearly as much as the food is.

If this young lady was an indication of the other servers, the owners of Willow Pond “get” that.
Like I said, I’d never eaten at Willow Pond before, even though I’m a frequent visitor to Land Between the Lakes.  You hear so much about some of the other restaurants in the area - some of them are as famous as the lakes, themselves.  Willow Pond may not have the publicity (apparently they don’t even have a website), but what they do have is…well, everything else.

This is the sort of restaurant that makes you want to try everything on the menu.  Everything.  Was.  Amazing. We started off with Green Tomatoes as an appetizer.  They were deliciously battered and deep fried.  So southern!  They were piping hot, firm, thickly cut and served with an also delicious Ranch Dressing.  We knew, instantly, that we were in for a memorable meal!

I ordered the Catfish meal which came with a choice of baked potato, fries, or wedges.  I chose the baked potato, which I was very happy with.  Unlike a lot of restaurants, Willow Pond served a baked potato that was large – just like you’d want it to be!

You also get perfectly seasoned and wonderful white beans, the best hush puppies you’ll ever eat.  The menu boasted of the hush puppies, “The best hush puppies you ever put in your mouth!”  They weren’t lying!  Hush puppies are one of those things that I always sample first.  A lot of restaurants treat hush puppies as an after thought, something they hope people won’t pay too much attention to.

Willow Pond treats them like the stars they are!

As a matter of fact, I think that’s what separates Willow Pond from others.  They don’t just focus on their catfish or other meats (they also serve chicken, steak, and shrimp) – they, obviously, treat each and every menu item as though it were the cornerstone of the restaurant.  Even the coleslaw was the best I’ve ever gotten at a restaurant!  You’re given a choice between vinegar or mayonnaise coleslaw, and I guarantee you that you’ll love the vinegar one.  I’ll probably try the mayonnaise coleslaw on my next visit.

The catfish was beyond amazing.  It was seasoned perfectly and had a traditional Southern style breading made from cornmeal.  The breading was just right – enough to add to the flavor but not so much that the catfish flavor was lost in the mix.   It passed the “no need for tartar sauce” test I always give fish.  For the sake of this review, however, I did sample the tartar sauce – perfect, of course.  It had a dill flavor that made me almost wish the fish needed it.  But, alas, it would have been a crime to have covered up the flavors going on with this catfish.

You’re served all the beans and hush puppies (did I mention how freaking amazing these hush puppies are?!?!) you can eat with your meal.  Again, our lovely young waitress didn’t allow us to run low on anything.

Some of the other menu items are below:

SPECIALTIES:

• Blackened Fish
• Frog Legs
• Country Fried Shrimp
• Rib-eye
• Sirloin Tips
• New York Strip
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Chicken Tenders
• And a lot more!

APPETIZERS:

• Cheese Sticks
• Onion Rings
• Green Tomatoes (!!!)
• Jalapeno Poppers (our waitress said she loved these)
• Fried Dill Pickles
• Breaded Mushrooms
• Sampler Platter

DESSERTS:

• Fruit Cobblers (We had the Blackberry cobbler and it was amazing – even the ice cream was something to write home about.)
• Pecan Pie
• Brownie
• Cherry Cheesecake
• Turtle Cheesecake (Next time, my friend!)

Willow Pond also features some beautiful salads, burgers, sandwiches, and a children’s menu (“For the Lil’ Tadpole”) which includes Pizza Sticks, Fish Strips, Grilled Cheese, Shrimp, and Chicken Tenders.  Each is served with fries and hush puppies.

But don’t get me started on those hush puppies again.  I’m actually dying for one now.

I’ve saved something deliciously unique for the closing.  Each table has, of course, the standard Salt, Pepper, and tartar sauce.  Willow Pond, however, has something else that we flipped for.  It’s a sweet pepper relish to put on the beans.  You will not believe just how delicious it is.  Fortunately, the gift shop in the front of the restaurant carried this relish, so a jar came home with us!  It is delicious, of course, on beans, but it’d also be pretty amazing on cornbread, or on a hamburger or hot dog.

Willow Pond is a restaurant that you MUST visit. It’s located on Highway 68 East near LBL and Kenlake State Park.  Parking is available for buses, vans, and motor homes.  Call for questions, comments, or reservations – (270)474-2202

Hours: (Mid-March to October.  Winter Hours Vary.)

Monday – Saturday Open 4 pm.

Sunday – Open 12 Noon

Tell them the Catfish Addicts at Genuine Kentucky.com sent you, then enjoy a meal you won’t soon forget!

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