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LongHorn Steakhouse: One of Bowling Green’s Best Restaurants

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LongHorn Steakhouse Bowling Green, Ky
Bowling Green, Ky has so many wonderful restaurants, it’s tough to say which one is actually “best.”  As someone who has to eat gluten free, it’s always a relief to find that dining gluten free in Bowling Green is both easy and delicious.

While choosing just one restaurant would be impossible, I do have to say that Bowling Green’s LongHorn Steakhouse is definitely in the top 3.

The service is always excellent and I’m in love with the decor and overall ambiance of the restaurant.

Longhorn Steakhouse Salad with French Dressing No Croutons

Naturally, neither of these statements would mean jack if the food wasn’t delicious. Thankfully, the food is even better than the service or ambiance – and that’s saying A LOT.

I love that they have a special “gluten free” menu. My only disappointment is that, like a lot of restaurants, not every meat that’s on the main menu can be found on the gluten free menu. For example, chicken wasn’t on the menu – meaning that chicken is prepared with ingredients containing gluten. I’d love to see restaurants have gluten free options for all meats, including chicken.

Fortunately there were plenty of steak options, so I went with one of those. LongHorn knows their steaks, so I knew I was in good hands.

LongHorn Steakhouse Steak and Baked Sweet Potato

As a sweet potato fan (oh, let’s just call it what it is, I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes), I have to say that this was one of the biggest and best sweet potatoes I’ve ever gotten at a restaurant. The butter and brown sugar were just right and I could taste the delicious cinnamon in every single bite… even the last one.

Just look at the size of the sweet potato in the picture above. Now, that’s a sweet potato!

The steak was fantastic, the salad perfect, and the sweet tea was delicious. If you have to eat gluten free (or simply choose to), be sure to order your salad without croutons.

LongHorn Steakhouse has tons of options on their main menu, of course. Basically, whether you’re a steak lover or not, you’ll find something delicious to eat.

The beautiful LongHorn Steakhouse in Bowling Green is at 2635 Scottsville Road. You can check out their menu online – just be prepared for the pictures to make you swoon.

Click the thumbnails below to see these pictures larger. So much deliciousness!

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Picture of the Day: Coconut Cream Pie from Shady Cliff Resort’s Restaurant

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Coconut Cream Pie: Shady Cliff Resort Restaurant Ky
Everything about Shady Cliff Resort’s restaurant is extraordinary  – from the friendly staff to the beautiful view of Lake Malone. Naturally, the most important thing is the food and I’m thrilled to say that it’s the most extraordinary thing about Shady Cliff.

Every single thing I’ve EVER had at Shady Cliff has blown my mind.  Even their French Dressing (made in house) is exceptional.

Whatever you do, make your way to Shady Cliff on Lake Malone in Lewisburg, Kentucky as soon as possible.  With each bite you’ll fall a little further in love with this genuinely Kentucky restaurant.

More About Shady Cliff Restaurant on Genuine Kentucky:

Shady Cliff Resort
530 Lake Malone
Lewisburg KY 42256
Phone: (270) 657-9580

Catfish Kitchen: A Legendary Kentucky Lake Restaurant

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Catfish Kitchen Review Collage

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

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

 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

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

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!

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Owensboro Restaurants: Mi Ranchito is Delicious for Lunch or Dinner

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Mi Ranchito Salsa and Chips
I was enjoying lunch in a new favorite Owensboro restaurant, Mi Ranchito, a few days ago when it hit me… I haven’t written about this delicious Authentic Mexican Restaurant on Genuine Kentucky yet!

Where has my brain been?!?! Never mind. I know the answer. Baseball.  To be more precise – St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Yes, I’m obsessed and No, I’ll never change.

Something else I’m obsessed with is good, consistent, affordable restaurants. I love a restaurant that I pretty much know will be great each and every time I visit. If I order a favorite menu item for lunch, I want it to be just as delicious as it was the last time I ordered it.

With Mi Ranchito, you get the consistency, the delicious food, and (as a bonus) the prices are incredibly reasonable.  What’s more, their sweet tea is out of this world.

Mi Ranchito Owensboro Grilled Chicken Taco and Rice
Mi Ranchito has become one of our absolute favorite restaurants to eat lunch in Owensboro. I always get the Hard Shell Grilled Chicken Taco with Lettuce and Cheese and a side of rice.  I say it so often, it’s a wonder I don’t say the words in my sleep. In addition to having possibly the best salsa I’ve ever gotten at  an authentic Mexican restaurant, their tacos are fantastic and the rice is… again.. maybe the best you’ll ever eat.

I also order grilled chicken when I eat at Mi Ranchito for lunch.  What can I say, their grilled chicken is delicious. Plus, when you have to eat gluten free (for health reasons), you find the foods that don’t cause you any pain or other ugly side effects and you stick to them like your very life depends on it.

Mi Ranchito is located at 2425 W Parrish Ave. – in an old Subway location.  Whether you want lunch, dinner, dine-in, or carry-out… I know you’ll love this food as much as I do.

Phone: (270) 240-4306

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Blackened and Grilled Catfish at Willow Pond in Aurora

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Willow Pond Restaurant in Aurora, Kentucky

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.

Willow Pond (Aurora) Grilled Catfish
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 Restaurant in Aurora, Kentucky

 

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

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

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