best fried catfish in Kentucky

The Pond (Formerly Willow Pond) in Aurora: What Makes This Kentucky Lake Restaurant So Special?

August 23, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Blackened Catfish at Willow Pond, Aurora

It’s been a while since I wrote my first Willow Pond in Aurora review (8 years to be exact!) but the review still gets visitors. In fact if you click the link, you can read the raving comments of others who’ve visited and loved this wonderful Kentucky Lake restaurant.

Special note before I continue with this review… I often refer to this particular Willow Pond as the Willow Pond in Aurora – I’m not trying to be wordy (I don’t have to try to be wordy, just ask my husband). There is a Willow Pond in Eddyville and it is nowhere near as good as the one in Aurora. Different people run the place, different people work the place, and different people cook in the place. I want to clearly distinguish between the two because the Willow Pond in Aurora is excellent and the one in Eddyville? Well, you’d be better off at Wendy’s.

Back to Aurora and back to the “right” Willow Pond.

{Review Continued Below….}

Recently, I found myself (yet again) recommending Aurora’s Willow Pond to someone. A woman contacted me, through e-mail, asking for suggestions – she and her family planned to be in the Kentucky Lake area, for the first time no less, and wanted to know where I recommended lodging, eating, and shopping. As I sat typing out a nice long e-mail to her, I found myself raving about the Willow Pond restaurant in Aurora.

After sending the e-mail, I started thinking, What is it about Aurora’s Willow Pond Restaurant that makes it so special? Why do I always feel 110% comfortable and confident sending people their way? What separates them from a lot of other restaurants? Why is it the perfect place to eat if you’re visiting Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, or the Land Between the Lakes?

Fortunately, I never task myself questions I can’t handle, so I came up with the answers.

The FOOD Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

A lot of catfish restaurants (all that I’ve been to anyway) offer deals where you get your choice of meat, white beans, hush puppies, coleslaw, and your choice of fries or a baked potato. Each of the sides at Willow Pond (in Aurora) are superior to other restaurant’s sides. Period. I’m a nice Southern gal, but there’s no way to sugar coat this. Their beans? Better than other restaurants. Their coleslaw? Better than other restaurants. Their hush puppies? Okay, this is where I get sad.. I was always addicted to their wonderful hush puppies until I had to start eating gluten free. But, memory serves me well and their hush puppies are much better than other restaurants. Their baked potatoes are always perfection, as well. They have something else that sets them apart, too – red pepper relish! A bottle sits on each table (and is even available to purchase) and it is Heaven on their white beans. HEAVEN. Mind you, the beans are delicious without the relish, too.

The coleslaw is available two ways – made with vinegar or made with mayonnaise. To be honest, I’ve never had the mayo one in all the countless times I’ve been there. I don’t have anything against mayo coleslaw – but the vinegar coleslaw is so crazy delicious I just can’t wander away from it.

{Review Continued Below….}

Willow Pond (Aurora) White Beans and Red Pepper Relish

Willow Pond’s fried catfish is (again, going by memory) also better than you’ll find anywhere. Fortunately, since I have to eat blackened and grilled these days, their non-fried catfish is also great. Because their fried catfish is the stuff legends are made of, I was honestly broken-hearted about having to give it up. However, one bite of their grilled catfish and my poor catfish-loving heart mended right up. The grilled and blackedned are as delicious as the fried, and that’s really saying something huge.

Something else on the menu that’s out of this world is their grilled shrimp. Delicious! It doesn’t need any cocktail sauce – that’s how flavorful it is.

Even the iced tea is consistently great at Aurora’s Willow Pond!

CONSISTENCY Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

Pet peeve – when you never know what to expect from a restaurant one visit to the next. One week the food’s a 10, the next it’s a 3. This week the people are friendly, the next they’re all but rude. What once was on the menu is now nowhere to be found. (Seriously, though, how is barbecue chicken “seasonal?”)

Aurora’s Willow Pond is as consistent as the word, itself. Consistent is always spelled the same – it never changes. You know what to expect, c-o-n-s-i-s-t-e-n-t. This Willow Pond is delicious each and every single time. As consistent as c-o-n-s-i-s-t-e-n-t. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, it doesn’t matter what month of the year it is. The food refuses to be anything but delicious. The prices refuse to be anything but reasonable. The restaurant, itself, refuses to be anything but the very definition of comfort.

{Review Continued Below….}

Willow Pond Grilled Catfish and Baked Potato

The PEOPLE Set Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

The hostesses and servers are just as consistent as the food. Some of the faces may change from time to time but the “heart” of the restaurant never changes. There is an unmistakable atmosphere of happiness and southern hospitality flows through the air. We’ve eaten at this Willow Pond far too many times to even begin to count and we have never (not once, mind you) encountered a single worker who was rude or seemed in any way less than happy to be right where they were, doing right what they were doing.

They make you feel welcome and the smiles on their faces when guests walk through the door are not fake. They are genuine. About a month ago, we were enjoying a wonderful meal as the restaurant began to fill up. There was an event at nearby Kenlake and apparently there was a great turnout.

The servers and hostesses were incredibly busy but it never registered on their faces. It was as though their smiles and hearts didn’t realize how busy their hands and feet were! A very large group came in (ten people, in all) and the servers worked, happily, pulling tables together and talking to everyone about their visit to Kentucky Lake.

Not one single face “registered” the crazy pace of the evening and not one responded with anything but a smile and kindness to each and every guest. They almost reminded me of how I am when all of my family gets together on holidays.

Mind you, I’ve never been in the restaurant business (even though my kitchen often feels like one!) – but I can’t help but think that the staff often takes on the character, mindset, and possibly even “heart” of the owner. In this case, it would make perfect sense, because the owner is what we call “good people” here in Kentucky. Very, very good people.

It appears to me that the heart of the owner resonates with each member of his staff.

People like that? You bet they set a restaurant apart from the rest.

{Review Continued Below…}

Willow Pond Grilled Shrimp and Baked Potato

The CHARM Sets Willow Pond in Aurora Apart.

We’d been going to this Willow Pond for months before I put my finger on what I loved so much about the restaurant, itself. There are other restaurants in the area that also serve great food. There are even a few that also have ridiculously friendly “good people.” And yet…. Whenever my husband and I would discuss where we were going to eat supper while in the area, we almost always came back to Willow Pond in Aurora.

It feels good to be there.

The restaurant, itself, is spacious, cozy, very comfortable, colorful and… well… charming. Very, very charming. I love the checkered tablecloths, I love the floral tablecloths, I love the fruity tablecloths, I love the country decor, I love the front porch, I love Ole Sam the Resident Buzzard (pictured below) a lot , and I love the I love the down home vibe of the entire restaurant.

I enjoy being there. Period.

{Concluded below Ole Sam…}

Ole Sam, the Resident Buzzard at Willow Pond Aurora

Next time you’re in the Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, or Land Between the Lakes area – you know where to go for supper. When you go, say “Hi!” to Sam for me.

Heck… I might even be there, myself.

Check out Aurora’s Willow Pond on Facebook to stay on top of their hours. Like all businesses around tourist areas, the days and hours change throughout the year.

Willow Pond Restaurant in Aurora. Kentucky

Willow Pond Blackened Catfish and Baked Potato

Willow Pond (Calvert City) Coleslaw, Beans and Relish

White Beans and Hushpuppies - Calvert City's Willow Pond Restaurant

Blackened Catfish at Willow Pond in Calvert City

Eddyville Willow Pond Catfish and Baked Potato

Catfish Kitchen at Kentucky Lake: One of a Kind Restaurant

May 3, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Green Tomatoes and Beans at Catfish Kitchen

Green Tomatoes and Delicious Beans

How amazing do the green tomatoes and beans in the picture above look??? What’s really special is that they taste even better than they look. Next time you’re at Kentucky Lake, you HAVE to eat at Catfish Kitchen. Seriously. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It’s a legendary Kentucky Lake restaurant and they do all things deliciously.

Fried Catfish and a Baked Potato

I’ve certainly written about Catfish Kitchen plenty of times on Genuine Kentucky. If you haven’t guessed by now, it’s not just a favorite Kentucky Lake restaurant or Kentucky restaurant – it’s one of my favorite all time restaurants – as in anywhere, anytime.

I love the ambiance, the window views, the decor, the friendly servers, the fact that they have gluten free fried catfish, their big baked potatoes, their green tomatoes, the fact they have Heinz Ketchup instead of a vile “off brand,” their sweet tea, and… well… everything.

Heinz on the Table? The Restaurant Knows What’s Up!

If you know anything about me, you know that I am to catfish what Cookie Monster is to cookies and what Popeye is to spinach. Like chocolate and sweet tea, if catfish is mentioned, you have my undivided attention.

A few years ago, when I had to stop eating wheat and gluten, for health reasons, having to give up fried catfish (one of my obsessions) hurt more than anything else. More than doughnuts, more than pizza, more than just about anything else I had to say “so long” to. I even told one of my daughters once that (when it comes to dining out) fried catfish and onion rings were the toughest things to lose.

Then along comes Catfish Kitchen with gluten free fried catfish! Words can’t tell you what it means to me to still be able to go to Kentucky Lake and know I can have my beloved fried catfish. What’s more, it is excellent – EVEN better than I remember their normal fried catfish being, and that’s really saying something.

A Side of Green Tomatoes is a MUST

Catfish Kitchen also has wonderful beans, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, green tomatoes, and (as memory serves) hush puppies. Their “regular” fried catfish is also excellent, of course.

Gluten Free Fried Catfish at Catfish Kitchen

Something pretty cool occurred to me last time my husband, Michael, and I went to Catfish Kitchen – my trust level with them, when it comes to dining out gluten free, is uncommonly high. Here’s the situation… when I eat anything with gluten or wheat in it (even a crumb, mind you), I get uncommonly sick – with severe stomach pain – and the misery lasts for up to two weeks. Headaches, body aches, uncommon tiredness, and often a mouth ulcer or two also come into play. To keep things interesting, I even gain about 5 pounds each time.

For anywhere between 7-14 days, I am as miserable as it gets… like having the flu from Hell with a few other nightmares thrown in.

Understandably, I am overly cautious when I eat out. There are certain locally-owned restaurants and chain restaurants that I trust and only a handful that I’ve never had a single problem at. Since I am HIGHLY sensitive, I am usually a very good gauge for how “on the ball” a restaurant is because, as I said, even a crumb sends me into Hell Weeks.

This is why, not only are we cautious about where we eat, we have a few “precautionary steps” we take when we dine out. I make certain I mention “gluten free” and/or “wheat free” to the server a couple of times and, if it’s one I’m totally unfamiliar with, I’ll even say something along the lines of, “I can’t have anything with wheat or gluten or my body thinks it’s been poisoned!” – you know, something to make it a personal thing they can relate to and to help make their job easier.

We also almost ALWAYS order different sides if our food could possibly be mixed up. When I first started having to order gluten free fried catfish and he ordered his regularly fried catfish – he would always order fried potatoes. This extra little trick gave us more confidence when the food came out because, frankly, it’s tough to tell by just looking at the fried catfish. They look the same!

View from our TableThe view, above, is from the table we sat at on our last visit. The pond often has a working fountain in the middle that adds to the relaxing setting.

Delicious Coleslaw

The sides at Catfish Kitchen are outstanding, too, even though their catfish is the biggest draw. The coleslaw (on our last trip) was even better than usual. It was fresh and fantastic.

Familar Face at Catfish KitchenThe guy pictured above is as much a regular at Catfish Kitchen as we are. We see him there all the time.

What more can I say? Catfish Kitchen is simply the perfect little Kentucky restaurant. It’s a very relaxing and beautiful setting and animal lovers like me will never tire of watching the Canadian Geese and ducks that are as drawn to the property as we are.

The goose pictured below had adorable goslings with her. Naturally, I didn’t want to get too close, because it’s her home and I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable – but you can see the adorable babies if you look closely.

Next time you’re at Kentucky Lake or the Land Between the Lakes, head for Catfish Kitchen…. and don’t forget to order a side of green tomatoes!

Before You Go:
Always check Catfish Kitchen’s Facebook Page before planning your trip. This is advice I pretty much give to people before they go anywhere, but when it’s Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley restaurants, it’s absolutely essential. You never know when a restaurant’s “off season” hours will change or what days of the week they aren’t open unless you check first.

Also, if you want grilled catfish, you need to call ahead first.

How to Get There:
The official address for Catfish Kitchen is 136 Teal Run, Benton, KY. Laymen’s terms? It’s on U.S. 641 – between Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Benton. It’s 5 miles south of Kentucky Dam, to be exact.

I’d know.

Also See:

Catfish Kitchen: A Legendary Kentucky Lake Restaurant

Picture of the Day from The Feed Mill in Morganfield, Kentucky

November 22, 2013 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

I was recently recovering from a nasty cold, and my wonderful husband Michael offered to take me out to eat. When he asked where I’d like to go, the answer was out of my mouth before the question was out of his. I am obsessed… obsessed, mind you… with the Feed Mill in Morganfield, Ky.

Below are the top 10 + 1 reasons why I can’t get enough of the Feed Mill:

Catfish makes my culinary world go round and the Feed Mill has arguably the best fried catfish in the state of Kentucky. It’s consistently big, beautiful, juicy, and delicious. I’m telling you, this catfish sets the bar for others. Out. Of. This. World.
I’m as wild about good onion rings as I am catfish and the Feed Mill has great onion rings. We get an order to share as an appetizer each time we go. As I’ve said in previous reviews of the Feed Mill, their ketchup is a brand that’s not particularly good, so I smuggle in packets of Heinz or Hunt’s. On our recent trip, our VERY friendly server asked if we’d like to try their “In House Made” Honey Mustard Sauce with the onion rings. Ridiculously delicious! Michael saved some for his fried chicken.
The Feed Mill’s ambiance is unlike any other. The last time I was there, I looked around for a picture that’d capture the unique spirit of the place. I wanted to convey the Feed Mill’s charisma, charm, and eccentricity to people who’d never been there. When I saw the “Bayou Band” members on the wall (above), I knew I’d found my picture. Yep, I’d say they prove my point.
The baked beans are some of the best baked beans I’ve ever had.
The green beans are some of the best green beans I’ve ever had.
The fried chicken is some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had…. make that THE best.
The mashed potatoes taste homemade – creamy, smooth, and delicious. The Loaded Mashed Potatoes are so good you’ll fall out of your seat.
The yeast rolls taste EVEN better than they smell.
The menu is one of the most diverse menus you’ll ever find. They have a little bit of everything. And it’s all Heavenly.
The best restaurant dessert in the state is at the Feed Mill. The Bread Pudding is something you have to try to believe. The Sauce on this amazing dessert is one in a gazillion and you’ll never forget it.
In a word: Consistency. If you eat out regularly, you know what an issue consistency can be. Restaurants have off nights – that’s to be expected. Sometimes a hash brown casserole may be over-done, while on the next trip, it’s fantastic. That’s normal – after all humans are involved in the kitchens and we humans aren’t perfect. Somehow… and I can’t explain how… the food at the Feed Mill is always exceptional. Always a perfect 10. The servings are always the same – they never scrimp. Consistent. Consistent. Consistent. Maybe they don’t have humans in the kitchen. Maybe they’re highly proficient aliens. I’m okay with that.