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The Miller House Restaurant in Owensboro: More Than Just A Pretty Face

October 28, 2012 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

The Miller House in Owensboro, Ky

 The Miller House in Owensboro, Kentucky

If you ask me about my favorite Kentucky Restaurants, be prepared for an impressive run-down. We have a lot of wonderful restaurants in Kentucky and I’m always proud and anxious to tell people about the best of the best.  Since I call Owensboro Home, Sweet Home, I’m even more proud when the restaurant is right here in the River City.

The gorgeous restaurant you see pictured above is one of Owensboro Kentucky’s finest restaurants.  This is The Miller House and I can’t wait to give you a virtual introduction.

The Miller House, as you can see, looks like a beautiful old house.  There’s a great reason for this – it IS a beautiful old house!

From The Miller House.com:

“It will be a Model of Beauty, Elegance and Convenience Throughout”

This quote, as written in the Messenger Inquirer in the summer of 1905, described the plans for the elaborate home of Elmer and Lizzy Miller located at Fifth and Lewis (now JR Miller BLVD). In 1905, Elmer Miller obtained a mold by Sears, Roebuck, and Company to make 1,800 artificial stone blocks for his home. He hauled sand for the blocks up the Ohio River during construction. Referred to as the prettiest and most conveniently arranged in the city, this $8,000 home displayed beveled glass windows, magnificent woods, mantels with tile hearths, and combination of electric and gas light fixtures….

Several changes have taken place over the years.  Renovations have been made, ownership has changed hands a few times, and (most dramatically) the beautiful home was hit hard from the tornado of 2007 that tore through our beautiful downtown.  Windows blew out and a tree was uprooted – landing on the roof!

A lot of love and a lot of pride restored this beautiful, historic home and it shows. Today, the Miller’s House is The Miller House and it is still a model of beauty and elegance throughout.

The Miller House, Owensboro

 

On a recent trip to The Miller House, Michael and I were reminded of just how special this restaurant is.  The trip also reminded me of something else: The tone a restaurant sets with its appearance and host/hostess.  The Miller House’s tone is set the minute you walk up the sidewalk. The sight of the stately house and meticulously manicured lawn set the stage for what’s inside.

As soon as you walk through the doors, you realize that the tone set on the lawn was just the opening act. The interior is so beautiful it stops you in your tracks.  Different rooms of the house are dining rooms. The one we ate in happened to be the original house’s parlor.  Because of the layout, diners are able to eat in peace and privacy. The only sound(s) we heard were wonderful songs from the 40’s as they played quietly in the background.  I’m over the moon wild about old music, so I was in perfect Heaven.

The hostess and server were perfect for the restaurant. The hostess was very warm with a southern charm that fit The Miller House to perfection.  Our server, Bryan, was equally wonderful. Incredibly warm, friendly, and – truth be told – one of the best servers we’ve had anywhere. Any time. Friendly, warm, knowledgeable, and an attribute to the entire experience. Many restaurant managers underestimate the importance of their staff.  They’ll give their complete attention to decor, menu, Facebook, and promotions and fail to realize their most valuable assets are right there in front of them.

Hosts and servers can make or break a restaurant. They should be chosen carefully and great ones should be treated like gold.  If they aren’t great, look for ones who are.… then treat them so well you never lose them!

The Miller House Restaurant The Miller House Restaurant

We ordered iced tea (which was amazing, by the way) and were served a plate of Sweet Potato Biscuits and real butter (pictured below). They were ideal for the season (Autumn), very southern, and outstandingly delicious. I love restaurants that serve bread, compliments of the house. When a restaurant does that, I don’t mind the cost of tea so much.  Giving your guests Sweet Potato Biscuits and butter simply for visiting you isn’t just beautifully southern, it’s good business.  Everyone wants to feel welcome after all.

Sweet Potato Biscuits at The Miller House

My husband ordered us the Southern Sampler Platter (pictured below) as an appetizer. When I’m going to be writing a review for a restaurant, the more we’re able to sample, the better. And, let me tell you, it doesn’t get any better than the appetizers at The Miller House!

The Southern Sampler Consists Of:

  • Southern Cheese Torte with Crackers
  • Fried Grit Sticks
  • Sweet Potato Chips
  • Zesty Cheese Straws
  • Fried Green Tomatoes

Michael’s favorite part of the sampler was the Southern Cheese Torte. I’ll never forget the look on his face after one bite.  Or should I say, after each bite.  As all cheese lovers know, there’s a huge difference between good cheese and great cheese and you can taste it. Literally.

My favorites were the fried grit sticks, sweet potato chips, and fried green tomatoes. A lot of restaurants (with chefs unfamiliar with Kentucky food, I suppose) totally blow fried green tomatoes. I’ve run into a few experiences when I felt like leaving a message, along with the tip: “Please take the fried green tomatoes off of the menu, you’re giving them a bad name.”  I haven’t done it yet, but I’ve come thisclose.

The fried green tomatoes at The Miller House were perfection. They were coated and fried just right. Not close to right…. not almost there… they were just right. Absolute delicious. I’ve never had fried grits before, but after having The Miller House’s Fried Grit Sticks, I can’t wait to have them again!  They were so ridiculously wonderful. They make a fun… and, again… deliciously southern menu item.

The Sweet potato chips were also out of this world.  I’d say about 4 out of 5 restaurants overcook their house chips. I always wonder how they can’t know that you take them out before they’re brown, not after.  Anyway, you don’t have to worry about the people in The Miller House’s restaurant missing a beat. Like everything else, the sweet potato chips were amazing.

Other Appetizers on The Miller House’s Menu:

  • Fried Green Tomatoes with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis
  • Shrimp Scampi Skewer
  • Soup Du Jour
  • Warm Spinach and Parmesan Dip
  • Fried Mushrooms
  • Blue Cheese And Brie Wedges With Pear, Apple And Brown Sugar Compote (Warm blue cheese and brie wedges topped with a pear, apple and brown sugar compote.)
  • Mussels In Fennel And White Wine Cream Sauce

Personally, I can’ t wait to try their Fried Green Tomatoes with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and I’m dying to see what they do with Spinach and Parmesan Dip.  I haven’t included the prices with the menu items because, over the years, the prices may change. However, click the following link for the prices of the appetizers – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The prices at The Miller House aren’t just fair, they’re shockingly fair.

 

The Miller House's Southern Sampler, Off the Appetizer Menu

The Main Event: The Meal!

I am, as you may know, the biggest catfish fanatic in the world. I danced in my seat when I saw fried catfish fillets on the menu.  These outstandingly delicious fried catfish fillets (pictured below) were served with a spicy remoulade that blew my mind.  Completely.  Just as I was coming to terms with the deliciousness of the catfish and the remoulade, I took a bite of what is (unquestionably) the best coleslaw in the world.  It’s more delicious than coleslaw has a right to be and I told it so. My picture is positioned in a way that kind of hides the coleslaw. There’s more of it than appears in the picture and words fail me when it comes to telling you how amazing it is.

The catfish was juicy, deliciously breaded, and perfectly fried.  It was excellent and even more delicious than it looks in the picture.

Even the  fresh cut fries (also included in the catfish meal) were fantastic! In fact, they might be the best fries in Owensboro…. or Kentucky.

The Miller House Fried Catfish, Colelaw and Fries

Michael ordered the House-made meatloaf with demi-glaze, Yukon gold mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans (pictured below). Each were also amazing.  I could have eaten a bucket of the mashed potatoes and could have coated my arm in the demi-glaze and licked it off.I’m certain you couldn’t order anything that didn’t make your jaw drop in The Miller House.

You can order a house or Caesar Salad to your meal for just a few dollars more.

Other foods on the menu are listed in great detail (including the shockingly fair prices) here:  The Miller House Menu. Be sure to click on each of the items – the catfish is found under “For the Lighter Appetite.”

You MUST check out the  Sunday Brunch menu as well.  Here, allow me to whet your appetite:  Chicken and Waffles, Stuffed French Toast, Fried Catfish Fillets, Breakfast Hash, The Miller House Breakfast (Two eggs cooked your style and served with bacon or sausage, cheddar grits or hashbrown casserole and biscuit or toast), biscuits and gravy, Steak and Eggs, Southern Eggs Benedict, Southern Fried Chicken Salad, and a lot more!

Now they’re just showing off.

If you’re looking for one of the best restaurants in Kentucky, you now know its name.

The Miller House Hours and Reservations

Monday
Closed

Tuesday-Friday
Lunch 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Dinner 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Bar 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Saturday
Dinner 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Bar 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Sunday Brunch
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

To make a reservation, give us a call at 270-685-5878!

The Miller House is located at 301 East 5th Street in Downtown Owensboro, Kentucky.  [See Map]

“It will be a Model of Beauty, Elegance and Convenience Throughout”

The Miller’s would be so incredibly proud.

Filed Under: Owensboro, Owensboro Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Kentucky Restaurant, Miller House, Miller House Restaurant, Restaurants in Kentucky

Dockers Bayside Grille May Have the Mac Daddy of all Onion Rings

August 6, 2008 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

Dockers Bayside Grill Turtle Burger

I’ve fallen in love with Docker’s Bayside Grill in Grand Rivers. It was love at first sight, actually, because  I loved the atmosphere immediately.  The decor set the tone beautifully and the workers were very, very friendly.  I loved the fact that many of the diners came in fresh from being out on the water – all red-faced and looking for a tall glass of sweet tea, which was amazing, by the way.

As I’ve said before, when I go to a new restaurant – no matter where it is, how big it is, or what I’m eating – I order their onion rings.  I am obsessed with onion rings (this food obsession curls up cozily beside my coffee, chocolate, Fudge Factory Peanut Butter Fudge, and fried catfish obsessions).  I am, by now, the onion ring queen.  I know my rings!

When we saw the menu, I clicked my heels when I saw Onion Rings on the menu.  Naturally, I ordered a Catfish Sandwich and Onion Rings.  My husband got the grilled salmon sandwich and fries.  He had seen a picture of and read about their famous sink your boat omelet, so that’s what he wanted to order.However, our server said they stopped serving breakfast at 11:30.  Given the fact that – counting my husband – during the 45 minutes we were there, six people tried to order the omelet, they should consider pulling a Cracker Barrel and serve breakfast all day.  Personally, I wouldn’t eat breakfast past 10:00, but apparently lots of people would more than love to.

How many ways do I love Dockers? Let me count them…

  1. Okay, I’ve already established myself as the Onion Ring Queen, right?  I’ve had my favorite side dish in countless places – all over the south of the United States, as far west as Kansas and Iowa and as far north as Minnesota and Northern Indiana.  I can honestly say that I’ve never had better onion rings than the ones I ate at Docker’s Bayside Grill.  They were phenomenal. Fat, flavorful, and even beautiful to behold.  What I wouldn’t give for an order right now! The onion rings at Docker’s Bayside Grill in Grand Rivers, Kentucky are perfection.  You can go ahead and write that down.
  2. My husband ordered fries with his Salmon Sandwich (We aren’t going to talk about the sandwich – it wasn’t anywhere near as good as my sandwich.).  The fries were delicious.  Given my Onion Ring fetish, I don’t eat a lot of fries, but if they all tasted like these, I’d probably order them more often.  These were amazing.
  3. My catfish was as delicious as the Onion Rings – and that’s saying something.  I normally don’t order Catfish sandwiches because I don’t like for the bread to get in between me and my catfish.  However, Docker’s Bayside Grill Catfish Sandwich is more of an “open sandwich” which, in my opinion, is the way a Catfish sandwich should be.  It doesn’t allow the bread steal the show from the star.  I can’t say enough good things about the catfish, it was just remarkable and I wouldn’t change anything about it.
  4. The sweet tea was really, really, really good.  I guess it’s a southern thing, but I LOVE sweet tea – and bad tea makes me wish I’d stayed in bed.
  5. Although we didn’t order them (this time), the turtle burger, Mushroom & Swiss burger, and grilled chicken salad looked heavenly.  So did the desserts – which I WILL try next time. The only reason we didn’t this time was we knew full well our next stop was the nearby Fudge Factory.
  6. The view of the bay is breathtaking.  It’s a beautiful location and you can eat inside or on the screened porch as you enjoy the view.

Click HERE to learn more about the gorgeous Green Turtle Bay Resort and HERE for more information on the Docker’s Bayside Grill.

EDIT (3/30/2015): Ironically, the onion rings now served at Docker’s are different from the ones I talked about in the review above. It isn’t anything the restaurant is doing differently – it’s a “supplier” decision.  They’re still good, mind you, but the fries (in my opinion) are now even better than the onion rings.

Dockers Bayside Restaurant at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers Kentucky

Filed Under: Grand Rivers, Green Turtle Bay Resort & Marina, Kentucky Lake Restaurants, Off the Beaten Path, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Dockers Bayside Grill, Grand Rivers Kentucky, Green Turtle Bay Resort, Kentucky Dining, Kentucky Restaurant reviews, Restaurants in Kentucky

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