Kentucky Lake restaurants | Genuine Kentucky

Catfish Kitchen: A Legendary Kentucky Lake Restaurant

September 22, 2014 by Joi Sigers 7 Comments

Beautiful Catfish Kitchen at Kentucky Lake

When it comes to Restaurants near Kentucky Lake, the choices aren’t just pretty good, they’re DANG GOOD. One of the restaurants that give it such a distinction is a legend Kentucky legend: Catfish Kitchen.

Like most legends, Catfish Kitchen’s legendary status has been earned from years of excellence. As you can see from the pictures in this review, Catfish Kitchen is a beautiful, cozy, restaurant with endless charm. Speaking of pictures, this article will be filled with them, so be sure to continue reading beneath each picture.

Catfish Kitchen: One of the Best Kentucky Lake Restaurants

We recently visited the beautiful Land Between the Lakes region and decided to eat supper at Catfish Kitchen. It was one of the best decisions we’ve made in a while. There was absolutely no wait whatsoever – we were seated immediately by a very friendly hostess, who was quickly followed by an equally friendly server.

We got our drinks (one tea and one sweet tea) immediately and they were never allowed to get less than half full. Our server was on her game!

Catfish Kitchen Menu

When it came time to order, my husband asked if they had any sort of grilled or blackened catfish and our server said that they did, but that you needed to call ahead first. I’ve actually never heard of that in a restaurant, but after what I soon learned, I didn’t worry about it. Never gave it a second thought, in fact. You see, when my husband told her he was asking because I had to eat “gluten free,” she told us that they actually have gluten free fried catfish!

My jaw nearly hit the floor and happy tears nearly came to my eyes. Fried catfish (one of my absolute favorite things in the world) is one of the things I’ve missed most after I had to start eating gluten free. To hear that a restaurant actually had gluten free fried catfish (fried with rice flour) made my day. Heck, it made my summer!

While trying to remain (or at least appear to remain) calm, I told her that I’d like the GF Fried Catfish, coleslaw, a baked potato, and beans. My husband had regular fried catfish and fried potatoes with his beans and coleslaw. He (lucky son-of-a-gun) also enjoyed their hush puppies.

I remember them being delicious.

Catfish Kitchen's Gluten Free Fried Catfish and Baked Potato

Catfish Kitchen Gluten Free Fried Catfish and Baked Potato

The fried catfish was utterly delicious. So flaky and juicy! The servings were generous, too. I’ve noticed that a lot of restaurants, when serving what’s billed as a “2 piece” or “3 piece,” actually serve you HALF of a serving. This lies somewhere between dirty pool and completely not cool. Either way, I was thrilled to see that Catfish Kitchen gives generous servings.

Speaking of generous, the baked potato was huge! It was also perfectly delicious as well. The beans were fantastic and the coleslaw was amazing.

Every single bite made me thrilled with our decision to eat at Catfish Kitchen!

Catfish Kitchen: A Wonderful Kentucky Lake Restaurant

Catfish Kitchen Beans… Delicious!

They make a fantastic “in house” relish that’s AMAZING on the beans. There are bottles on each table and you can even buy some to take home with you. It’s pretty spicy, so go easy at first – unless spicy doesn’t scare you… in which case, go for it! It’s fantastic – but the beans are deliciously seasoned and wonderful without the relish.

Catfish Kitchen Hush Puppies, Coleslaw, and Beans

From the wonderful tea to the scrumptious fried catfish (regular OR gluten free!), every single thing at Catfish Kitchen is perfect in every way. The fact that they go out of their way to offer gluten free fried catfish just makes me love them even more. I appreciate this more than words could express. I guess it’d take someone in my shoes to truly understand the special feeling I got when I was able to order and ENJOY fried catfish once again.

I also appreciate the other extra touches like big juicy onion slices and green onions served with your meal.

Catfish Kitchen Fried Catfish and Fried Potatoes

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!

Also See:

Blackened and Grilled Catfish at Willow Pond in Aurora

May 25, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Imagine Cookie Monster finding out he could no longer eat cookies, or Popeye being told, “Buddy, spinach is making you sick. If you want to feel better, you can’t ever eat spinach again. Ever. Sorry, bro.”

That’s pretty much the way it was for me when I had to give up fried catfish. Fried catfish had become a great chunk of my culinary identity. Put another way, it was a glorious addiction.

Was.

When I first realized I could no longer eat fried catfish (because of an unkind thing called gluten intolerance), I honestly felt a loss. Think about your own favorite food for a minute – now imagine you couldn’t eat it anymore.

Sucks, right?

The thought of giving up bread, on a scale of 1-10, hurt around a 2. Pizza measured around a 5 and doughnuts were an oh so painful 8. Cookies would have been a 10 but there are tons of gluten free cookie recipes that are just as good, so I’m okay there.

Then there’s fried catfish… the pain threshold exceeded 10. Blew right past it and hit upwards of 100.

I even wondered if I’d ever go to my favorite restaurants in Kentucky for catfish anymore. I figured, why bother?! However, we happened to be around Kentucky Lake a short while back and, for us, that means Willow Pond. My husband and one of our closest friends have always ordered the blackened and grilled catfish and have never (once) left a single bite behind on their plates, so I figured it’d be worth trying. So we decided to go to our beloved Aurora Willow Pond.

As luck would have it, plate after plate of fried catfish passed by my table on their way to other diners. “Lucky dogs!”, I kept muttering under my breath.

However, as soon as my blackened catfish came and I took a bite, I realized that I was as lucky as anyone in the restaurant. The blackened seasoning is out of this world and each bite was a whole new experience with catfish. I also tried my husband’s grilled catfish and it was equally delicious.

Ge this: I think I actually prefer catfish grilled and blackened – and I would have NEVER thought that was possible. While fried catfish is still one of the most delicious things in this world, when it’s blackened or grilled, you can actually taste the juicy and tender catfish better. There’s no breading to get in the way – just the best fish in the world and you.

Just how it should be.

Blackened Catfish at Willow Pond (Aurora, Ky )

As always the white beans (with their amazing red pepper relish that’s always available on each table), baked potatoes, and coleslaw were extra delicious. Naturally the hush puppies (some of the best in the world) were as off limits to me as the fried catfish (how can gluten intolerance be so hateful?!?!) but my husband assured me they were as delicious as always.

Let me say this in my husband’s defense – if I’d wanted him to, he’d have asked the server not to bring ANY hush puppies to the table. Fortunately for him, I’m nowhere nearly as mean as gluten intolerance is – well… maybe right after a UK Basketball loss… but only then.

Everything about the Willow Pond Restaurant in Aurora is perfect. Everyone is warm, friendly, and genuinely glad to see your hungry face walk through the door. The food is absolutely delicious and you can’t beat the prices – no way, no how. I love the quirky, down-home country charm of the decor almost as much as I do the food.

Almost.

As we were enjoying our meal on this most recent visit, I realized something else I love about Aurora’s Willow Pond:

It’s quiet.
It’s peaceful.
It’s relaxing.
It’s the ideal setting for enjoying a meal.

A lot of restaurants play so-called background music so loud you find yourself chewing to the beat – not exactly relaxing. Some are also just, somehow, incredibly loud. You know the restaurants, right? Where it seems you can hear everything going on in the kitchen and everything the people at the next table are talking about. If you add the “background” music on top of that and the clamoring of the servers buzzing around, it isn’t any wonder that we all tend to quicken the pace of our eating to keep time with our busy surroundings.

I’ve even gotten to my car after a particularly loud meal and just wallowed in the quietness and stillness of my vehicle!

Willow Pond (Aurora, Ky) is the complete opposite of the typical busy bee restaurant. It’s a lovely step back in time to when the meal and the conversation over the meal were the main event.

Again, just as it should be.

No matter where you live, a trip to Aurora is always a beautiful idea. Not only does Aurora have the famous Hitching Post Country Store and Kenlake State Resort Park, it’s also mere minutes from Land Between the Lakes and Kentucky Lake.

After a day enjoying all the area has to offer, just look at what you have to look forward to! The best catfish you ever ate and…..

Willow Pond’s ridiculously delicious hush puppies, vinegar coleslaw, and white beans (with red pepper relish available).

Read more about the best catfish restaurants in Kentucky.
Find more restaurant options for Eating Gluten Free in Kentucky.

Dockers Bayside Grille: How We’ve Missed You

February 25, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Dockers Bayside Grille’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Chips

Some restaurants are just funner to visit, aren’t they? Something about the experience (whether or not you can actually put your finger on the reason) just feels right. Dockers Bayside Grille (at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky) is exactly this sort of place for us. It’s fun, it’s friendly, and it’s always ridiculously delicious.

I’ve written quite a few reviews of Dockers on Genuine Kentucky – always a good sign that it’s a personal favorite.

A Few of these reviews:

Dockers Bayside Grille: Best Breakfast and Best Lunch? What’s Fair About That?!

Dockers Bayside Grille – Mac Daddy of All Onion Rings (the onion rings have changed since this review was written, but they’re still pretty darn good)

When we found out that Dockers had reopened for the season, we went as soon as we possibly could – as in right away. I was set to order one of their delicious wraps with onion rings (something of an obsession of mine) when I saw the three magic letters: BLT. At that moment in time, nothing but nothing in this world sounded better than a BLT, so I went that route. When the server (extra friendly like all Dockers servers) asked if I’d like “chips” with that, for some reason that sounded ideal too.

Besides, I can always hook up with the onion rings on the next trip. And the next.. and the next.. and the next..

You have to understand, “chips” at Dockers doesn’t mean the kind that come in bags – they’re not the kind of chips that leave your fingers greasy and salty. Dockers chips are made in house and are crunchy and out of this world. No grease. No saltiness. No bag.

I knew the BLT would be great, because everything at Dockers is great, but I didn’t know it’d be BLT perfection.

Holy cats, that was a great BLT!

Honestly, if I were to dream up the ideal BLT, it would be just like this one was: The fresh, perfectly toasted bread was buttery and the bacon was cooked just the way I like it – not overly done, but not “fatty” either. Even the lettuce and tomato were on point. That’s a culinary miracle for this time of year.

The chips were excellent as well – crisp and yummy, a great sidekick for the star of the show, the awesome BLT.

Michael ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and chips. The grilled chicken was amazing – so much flavor! It was topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed onion and green pepper, and (again) lettuce and tomato that thought it was July instead of February. He said it was the best sandwich he’s ever had at Dockers – which is really saying something since the boy has had every one on the menu. I took a bite and have to agree that it was phenomenal.

Each of our sandwiches and chips came with yummy pickles too – a touch I always love.

In hindsight, I wish I’d “opened” one of my BLT’s halves before taking it’s picture. You can’t even see how juicy and delicious the bacon was! In my defense, I was just in a big hurry to dive into the sandwich.

Oh, shucks. I guess we’ll have to go back soon so I can take another picture. Hmmm, I need a recent picture of onion rings too…

Dockers Bayside Grille is located at Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina in beautiful Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Green Turtle Bay has GORGEOUS condos, boat rentals, and a Commonwealth Yacht Club (for dinners). Dockers is THE place to eat breakfast or lunch in the area (or, better yet, breakfast AND lunch!). You don’t have to be a guest at Green Turtle Bay to dine at Docker’s – you just have to enjoy delicious food and friendly people.

I hope you’ll go as soon as possible. Odds are we’ll see you there.

Also See: Green Turtle Bay Condos Review

The Majestic Pizza & Steak House in Benton, Kentucky in a Word: Perfection

February 18, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

There are certain Kentucky Restaurants that I could eat at several times a week – restaurants that are extra fun to review because the positive juices can just flow like a river. The Majestic Pizza & Steak House in Benton, Ky is definitely one of these restaurants. In fact, when we’re visiting Kentucky Lake (something we do OFTEN), The Majestic is one of our favorite places to eat.

The only complaint I have about The Majestic is this: It’s difficult to decide between all of the delicious options:

Their buffets are excellent. Their beautiful… make that gorgeous… salad bar is second to none. Tossed salad, pasta salad, homemade slaw, beets, bean salad, fruit, jell-o, etc. The hot food buffet never disappoints, either. Case in point, we went last night (which was a Monday). Let’s be honest, a lot of restaurants save their A game for weekends, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We still chose buffet – because of unfailing trust in The Majestic – and our faith was richly rewarded. They didn’t just have their A game, they had the A+ game. I’m normally not that big a fan of buffets, but they are the exception. Last night’s buffet had fried chicken (excellent!), wonderful mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffed cabbage rolls in a wonderful tomato based sauce that I could have eaten like soup, cheese pizza, pasta, greens, corn, and more. Yes, more!
Their pizzas are perfection. When our girls were younger, we’d never venture far from pizza – which was fine because The Majestic has mind-boggling delicious pizza. When they were kids, the decision-making aspect was taken care of… of course we were getting pizza! The thing is, their pizza is so fantastic, I can’t get enough of it either.
The Majestic has GREAT steaks. Ordering off the menu is just as delicious as choosing the buffet. Their steaks and baked potatoes are freaking fantastic. And when ordering an appetizer, you’ll definitely want to try the Greek Fries – they’re unlike anything you’ve ever had.

So, you see, the decision making process is a tough-y. Basically, you cannot go wrong. Fortunately, we go pretty often, so we just mix it up. In fact, the last three times we’ve gone, we’ve done something different each time.

The buffet last night was one of the best buffets I’ve ever had. The Majestic easily has one of the best (if not THE best) buffets around. And for less than $10 – most buffets I’ve seen are several dollars MORE than The Majestic’s and no where near as good.

Not only did the buffet have buffet-staples like mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn (which were all outstanding, by the way) – it also had excellent and juicy fried chicken. The Majestic has some of the best fried chicken in the state of Kentucky. They also had delicious cabbage rolls that I fell in love with. The filling was like a meatloaf (with rice), wrapped in a beautiful cabbage leaf, and covered with a fantastic tomato-based sauce. I actually put some of the beautiful sauce on my mashed potatoes…. something that proved to be a delicious idea.

The next time you’re anywhere near Kentucky Lake, Benton, Draffenville, Aurora, or Land Between the Lakes, you just have to stop in to The Majestic and see for yourself why I rave and rave and rave in these reviews. Gorgeous restaurant, uncommonly friendly people, outstanding food, and reasonable prices. There is nothing I don’t love about The Majestic.

The Majestic Pizza & Steak House (Benton, Ky) Buffet and Iced Tea

Majestic Pizza and Steak House in Benton, Ky

Read one of my other Majestic Pizza and Steak House ReviewsÃ?Â to see the Greek Fries, steak, and baked potato in action.

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Where Can You Find the Best Pizza When You’re at Kentucky Lake?

January 17, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

One of our favorite places to eat when we’re at Kentucky Lake is Mama D’s Italian Restaurant in Calvert City

A while back I raved and raved in a Mama D’s Italian Restaurant (Calvert City) Review. I threw adjectives around like they were baseballs in a Spring Training camp. I can’t help myself, really. Food is a great passion of mine, whether I’m cooking or eating, and when I find people excelling in the sport, I get uncommonly excited. I want to tell everyone about it and….. well.. that’s when the adjectives take flight.

Watch your head the adjectives are about to fly again.

I had Mama D’s Italian Restaurant on my mind since our first visit. I kept thinking, “If they made SUCH incredible bread and lasagna, what must their pizza taste like?!”

The mystery was almost more than this pizza fanatic could stand, so when we went back for our second visit, I told my husband (Michael) that, under no conditions, was I leaving that restaurant without trying one of their pizzas.

I kept my word.

Michael ordered a beautiful and tasty chicken and pasta dish – which came with bread and a salad. A very sound, economical decision. I ordered a large pizza.

That’s how I roll.

I knew there’d be no way I could eat the whole thing, but I was up for the challenge. Besides I just knew it’d be so incredible that Michael would jump in to help me out. Plus, taking leftover pizza home always makes us heroes with the kids.

Oh, boy, was I ever right about Mama D’s Pizza. In fact, I honestly don’t recall when I’ve ever been SO right about anything. Every single bite was an experience in and of itself. Heck, just the sight of it, alone, was a culinary adventure. The toppings were incredibly fresh, there was just the right amount of delicious sauce and cheese, and the crust? Wow. I could have eaten the crust all by itself and still been grinning ear to ear.

When our VERY sweet server came by to check on us after we’d been eating for a few minutes, I told her, “This pizza is so fantastic I never want to eat pizza again, just so this can be the last pizza I ever ate.” She laughed and said I’d just have to keep coming back there for my pizza.

Not a problem.

Every single thing they do at Mama D’s Italian Restaurant is first class. THIS is how Italian food is supposed to taste. The herbs and flavors are quite unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else and, trust me, once you go, you’ll return again and again. As soon as you step in the door, the aroma lets you know that you’re in for something extra, extra, extra special.

I’m also in love with the cleanliness of the restaurant and the happy, upbeat, and very friendly servers. Everyone seems genuinely thrilled to see you walk through the door and goes out of their way to make sure you’re well-fed and smiling when you leave.

Mama D’s in Calvert City is one of my favorite Kentucky restaurants – and if you read my restaurant reviews very often, you know that’s saying something. This gal has seen A LOT of restaurants!

I don’t care where you live, you just have to promise me that you’ll visit Mama D’s as soon as possible. Whether you have the lasagna or pizza (the best pizza you’ve probably ever had), you’ll be blown away. Then YOU’LL be spewing adjectives all over the place.

Trust me.