Loaded Baked Potato, Blackened Catfish, and Vinegar Coleslaw
As you can tell from the multiple Willow Pond (in Aurora) reviews on Genuine Kentucky, this is one of our favorite Kentucky Lake Restaurants. The food is consistently delicious and the people couldn’t be any friendlier if they were your own family. None of that has changed (or is it ever apt to), but the name HAS changed. This legendary Kentucky Lake restaurant is no longer Willow Pond…. it is now The Pond.
Some people get kind of confused when it comes to the Willow Pond restaurants near Kentucky Lake – so I’ll just give a brief recap:
- There was a Willow Pond in Calvert City that was pretty darn good. While the Willow Pond in Aurora has always been my favorite, this restaurant wasn’t at all bad. Unfortunately, the Calvert City Willow Pond is closed now – for good, apparently, because there now a new business in their old location. This Willow Pond had different owners than the Willow Pond in Aurora.
- The Willow Pond in Aurora (my favorite since Day 1) is still standing strong and delicious. It is simply now going by the name The Pond. The signs out front have not changed yet, but trust me… it’s not The Pond. We ate there a few days ago and the overall-wearing frog (pictured below) assured me, the change is a done deal.
- There is a Willow Pond in Eddyville that is… for lack of a better word… horrible. The last time we ate there (out of severe hunger and desperation), we actually sat in a shocked kind of silence trying to tally up all the things they did wrong. Everything was cold, everything was bad, and the servers were aloof and acted kind of detached. Not that I wouldn’t try to detach myself from the food served, too, but still. The Eddyville Willow Pond owners are NOT the ones who own the Aurora restaurant. They aren’t even the ones who owned the one in Calvert City (though I wish they were in case we were ever hungry and desperate in that area again).
{Review Continued Beneath My Buddy the Frog….}
While The Pond (this is going to take some getting used to after years of typing Willow Pond in Aurora!) has a little bit of everything on their menu, they are famous for…
- Fried Catfish
- White Beans
- Red Pepper Relish (for the beans)
- Grilled Catfish
- Grilled Shrimp
- Fried Green Tomatoes (appetizer)
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Their Hush Puppies
After our recent visit, I’m going to do my part to make sure they become equally famous for their blackened catfish and loaded baked potato, but before I get to that, a few words about the above legends. The red pepper relish and vinegar coleslaw have, literally, ruined a lot of other restaurants for me. I find myself in other restaurants, eating their beans and thinking, “Beans are better with The Pond’s red pepper relish…” Or I’ll take a bite of coleslaw and think, “Not as good as The Pond’s…”
A few years ago, I had to completely stop eating wheat and gluten (health reasons – my body made the decision, not my brain). Before that fateful moment, The Pond’s hush puppies and fried catfish had ALSO ruined other restaurant’s attempts as well.
When I had to give up wheat, I had to give up fried catfish and hush puppies at The Pond. I was quickly and greatly relieved to discover that their grilled shrimp, blackened catfish, and grilled catfish are phenomenal.
In fact, when we were there this past Saturday, the blacked catfish was better than ever. It was simply too good to be true and I told it so.
Yes, of course I talk to my food. Try not to judge me – all I can do is ask you to try.
I also branched out this time and ordered the Baked Potato “loaded,” which proved to be one of my smarter moves of the year. It was extra, extra delicous – the entire meal was, to be honest.
But the thing is… with The Pond… I would expect no less.
William Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Joi (that’d be me) says, “A Restaurant this good… by any name it chooses… will knock your knickers off.”
I never claimed to be as eloquent as Mr. Shakespeare.
The Pond is located in Aurora, Kentucky – perfectly situated between Kenlake State Resort Park/Kentucky Lake and The Hitching Post and Old Country Store. I hope you’ll make The Pond your dining choice when in the Land Between the Lakes region or anywhere near Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley.
~ Joi (“Joy”)
P.S. One more example of how good The Pond is and how much we love it: We live in Owensboro, Kentucky and have actually made the trip to Aurora JUST to have dinner at The Pond. What’s more, we’ve done it more than once.
What’s MORE… we’ll do it again!
