While visiting some family at Kentucky Lake we went to The Pond for dinner. It is such a wonderful little restaurant. As someone who grew up in a rural community outside a small town, I have a deep love and appreciation for restaurants like The Pond! The staff was amazing and friendly! We had 7 of us in our party. We were seated very quickly. We were tended to with care. When looking at the menu, I was surprised (in a very good way) at the prices. The amount of food you get for the price beats any place I've eaten in the city, for sure! I ordered the fried shrimp dinner which comes with the fried shrimp, a choice of a baked potato, fries? Or potato wedges. It also comes with slaw, white beans, and hush puppies. I chose to go with a loaded baked potato. The shrimp I got was AMAZING! It wasn't the dinky little shrimps you get at big chain restaurants. These were big plump shrimps. That loaded baked potato was also delicious! I'm pretty sure I inhaled it. I'm a sucker for a good slaw and I could have eaten a large bowl of it. I'm not one who particularly likes white beans or hush puppies, so I didn't try those. I got flu after the slaw, potato, and just half of my shrimp. I was a bit disappointed because I didn't get to try their desserts. I am looking forward to visiting The Pond again on my next visit! read more

The Pond - Fried shrimp dinner with loaded baked potato - Seafood Near Me - Hardin, Kentucky

Can you say Catfish? We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon with a small party of 30. We had called ahead and they had a seating area all prepared for us. Our server was a Super Server drinks were out quickly and all Of our orders were taken, it wasn't 5 minutes before we had hush puppies, beans and coleslaw. Our meals followed shortly after that. I had the all you can eat catfish dinner and my daughter had the clam strip dinner. All if the food was well seasoned and was served piping hot and crispy. It was amazing that our group of 30 was served and finished within 45 minutes. Great service, great food, would highly recommend. read more

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The Pond is another one of those restaurants in the KyLake/Barkley area that has stood the test of time. That in itself should tell you a lot about the food and prices. They are well known for their catfish (my favorite) but their fried chicken is seasoned great and delicious. The family style bottomless white beans and hushpuppies is a special treat. The Cole slaw was very good too. The restaurant is well decorated, old -timey type place that welcomes you back time and again. Our waitress could not have been better! She was on point with refills and checked on us frequently even though they were fairly busy for a weekday. Their desserts are large and at a great price if you are looking to treat your sweet tooth. I recommend the blackberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! read more

Arrived about 7 on a Wednesday. Moderately busy and we were seated immediately. Service was outstanding! Catfish plates were great. Nice catfish fillets with light batter and cooked perfectly. Both Cole slaws were very good. White beans were great and hush puppies very good. My only complaint was the fish sandwich was very uninspired. Nice fillet served on a cold hamburger bun. Come on, grill it, toast it, heck - nuke it but not cold. Great homey place and we will be back this weekend. read more

Kobie was our Waiter and he was phenomenal!! My "son-in-law" hasn't been able to eat anything but chicken for the past almost 4 years due to that alpha illness. And he ate a steak and devoured it. Kobie made sure our drinks were always full, made sure we didn't need anything at any given time, was very polite! My grandbaby loved the hushpuppies and the ice cream! read more

Phenomenal food and service. Small and cozy local joint, always forget this place is so close or else I'd come here more often. I had the fish sandwich with French Fries, came with unlimited beans and hushpuppies, which were both great. Kobe was our waiter and was great. Ask for the sweet pepper relish. read more

Great food, love their white beans and hushpuppies!!!! Good service most of the time.

The food was amazing country cooking just like grandma used to make! The fried catfish was hot and fresh and light and flaky! Paired with unlimited supply of hush puppies and the best white beans (just like my mom used to make!!)! Plus you choose two sides! The vegetable medley was a healthy choice and the fresh coleslaw was a hit! The other folks in our family birthday party had the fried cod fillets and fried shrimp and they loved their meals. The waitress was so kind and the service was quick! Our food was hot and fresh! I recommend you save room for dessert or get one to go as they are fabulous especially the chocolate meringue pie! Great experience and near Kenlake state park resort and LBL read more

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This is legitimately one of my favorite restaurants in the world. I love the all you can eat hush puppies and white beans (with red relish). It's so good. I get those alongside the delicious fried catfish. I've been coming here my whole life and the food has always been top notch. I hope they never change. read more

White Beans- Delicious Hush Puppies- Delicious The service is great and all the servers are very nice. Very cool decor and t-shirts. read more

Excellent place to eat catfish and frog legs! Hard to find frog legs in a lot of places but they are top notch here!!

Good service and nice restaurant. The hush puppies were good, but not outstanding. The beans were good, but missing something to make them pop. Tangy slaw was good, but you shouldn't charge 1.99 to subs a salad - just serve a very small salad. Fish was fresh and tasty. Overall, good but a bit pricey. More so considering a 3.75% surcharge for credit cards. read more

We still talk about how bad this restaurant was. The beans were so bland and the water tasted like sewage. Bring your own water...trust me. The salmon was so tough. The place could afford a good cleaning and a nudge into the 21st century. read more

Very, very good. I would say maybe a little pricey for a 3-piece dinner that we shared. I did get some extra hush puppies and a small order of beans, but it still was under $20. You have to try the relish! It's absolutely delicious!!!! We are going back tomorrow to buy a jar or two to take home. The catfish was flaky and cooked very well. The fries are good. The mayonnaise slaw hit the spot. (They also have vinegar based & you can choose). We loved the hush puppies, too. The wait for carryout was about 35 minutes. I was a little concerned that it may be cold since we waited so long and brought it back to our cabin. It was perfect. read more

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I live nearby this restaurant, and would love to keep giving them my business. I have gave them numerous opportunities and they still can't get it right. They have the most inconsistent service and shotty at best food quality. I wish I had something good to say about him, but since the previous owner left there, it is done nothing but go downhill. If you have other options in the area, I would recommend going there first. read more

This is southern cooking at its best when it comes to "out of the pond food." We had shrimp, catfish and frog legs. All were the best we've had in a long long while. But the real surprise treat was the regular side fixins! The hush puppies and white beans they bring out were soooooo good. Can't wait to come back. read more

4.5 Stars: A friend kept talking about this place on the way to the marina so we had to give it a try. The Pond is a local country diner type of feel, nothing fancy, just what needs to be. There is a ton of seating so we walked in and got seated right away. Both the boss and I had the catfish dinner, which was excellent! I had the vinegar based slaw and the boss had the mayonnaise based slaw. The vinegar slaw had a sweet taste and didn't last long - highly recommend! The white bean soup was really bland and needed something else. I tried with hot sauce and their relish, the relish helped some, but still not on my favorite list of food. Shame though, I love a good white bean soup. French fries were hot and the catfish was hot when brought to the table - did I mention the short table time. The fish was lightly breaded, not too much, not too little. The boss said she hasn't had fish this good in recent memory and even compared to her mom's - not a small compliment. The endless hushpuppies was an excellent touch, love the flavor and texture. The boss ordered dessert and said it tasted good. The restaurant was clean and I noticed the servers cleaning all the table condiments. The bathroom, which is located in the entry way, was clean. The service was okay, not good, but okay. I did notice some of the other servers really doing an excellent job so maybe ours just had a bad day. We are already thinking of all the friends we are going to invite out for dinner and take to The Pond. This place should definitely be in the rotation. read more

We visited on a holiday weekend (Sunday) most restaurants were closed so we decided to try here. Our dinner started off good, beans & hush puppies. Our server forgot our drinks. Had to finally ask for them. Most of our food was cold. Had to ask about our salads & coleslaw since she never brought them to us. We had to send our desserts back, pie & cobbler. Yuck read more

The food here is delicious every time we eat here. Always great service with a very friendly staff. I love the hush puppies and pepper relish for the white beans!! Gosh is great of course, but the steak and chicken tenders are great as well. read more

We stopped into this spot while staying on Lake Barkley. It's a pretty large place, but wasn't busy due to the time of year we visited. We loved the friendly staff and the food was great! The white beans are a definite must-try! We look forward to stopping in again our next trip for another pleasant and delicious meal. read more

Southern home cooking tastes the same everywhere down here so it's no better than anywhere else, canned geriatric's food.

Servers do a great job. Food is served promptly. They do a really good job with blackened fish also.

So glad we we stopped on the way to a campground-there weren't many restaurants around. They feature catfish and they were great- thin light coating. My cheeseburger was good with a nice char. Service was great and the sweet tea hit the spot! read more

The Pond - The Pond Sign - Seafood Near Me - Hardin, Kentucky

We came here on a Sunday night with a party of 15 and were very impressed with the service, quality of food, and unique setting for this restaurant. The appetizers were excellent- fried pickles, jalapeño poppers, onion rings, and unlimited hush puppies- wow! I told my kids not to fill up on that because the food was still coming. I had the frog legs and catfish- very good breading and flavor. Everyone else at my table seemed to be very satisfied with their order as well, and if anyone left hungry it would have been their fault! Excellent experience! read more

The Pond - a plate of fried food on a table - Seafood Near Me - Hardin, Kentucky

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Ordered 2 fillets of catfish, slaw, navy beans, baked potato, hush puppies. All came out hot. Waitress was great! Gave good tip!!

Very good white beans, catfish, and shrimp but my wife's salmon was over cooked was very dry. Service was good and our server was as very friendly. Overall I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Fun, fried heaven. Carpet on the floors - old school style! Fried pickles - yes! Terrific (all-u-can-eat) white beans & hush puppies - come on, yes! Cole slaw on point. Catfish, uh, little small. Glad I filled up on so much other yummy other stuff. Friend ordered grilled chick & on point (in case you want something other than fried). read more

In area visiting family and camping at Kenlake state park campground. Went for supper great very friendly and attentive staff. Had the the pork chops more food then I could eat very reasonably priced. read more

We met friends here from out of town. They are the only place in the area that stays open past 8:00. The food was great and the wait staff was prompt and friendly. I recommend the Frog Legs. read more

Service was great, appetizers can out super fast. Staff was attentive, helpful and friendly. Fish was hot and crispy. They have a tasty relish to put on beans. Didn't get onion tho and forgot to ask. Desserts are worth the trip. He shared a key lime pie and even the crust tasted homemade, We will be going again. read more

This is a nice "Mom and Pop" type of restaurant. You get a bowl of white beans with every mean and they are all you can eat. I had their fried shrimp with fries and it was great. It seems like most of the customers know each other. Nothing fancy, just good food and great service. What more do you need? read more

There are not many places to eat in Aurora, but the Willow Pond is a great place if you love fish. The blackened catfish is cooked to perfection and it's not overly seasoned. With the meal you get a selection of cole slaw (vinegar or mayo based), hush puppies, beans, and your choice of potato (baked, fries, or wedges). You never go hungry here and the service is excellent. Oh, and they have a wide selection of other dinners to choose from if you're not into fish. read more

The service was so good, our waitress was so friendly. You get soup beans, Cole slaw, and hush puppies unlimited at your table. Catfish was great! We will definitely be back! read more

Nasty,fish arrived in a pool of grease that soaked up two napkins! My wife ordered clam strips that were over cooked.The slaw (both kinds) were mixed with old slaw and tasted bad.the waitress never came back to our table to check on our food and did not refill our hush puppies or white beans at all(they were the best part of the meal).She finally showed up with the bill and asked how was everything and when I told her the above she asked what she could do to make it right I said nothing,I am local and will not be back....she huffed and dumped the bill on the table and left....when I paid the bill the lady did not ask "how was everything/0 think the waitress told her we were not happy.I supported them during COVID and have since been disappointed three times eating there,anyone can have a bad night I assume so I am posting this on yelp to let tourists that might want to eat there to go to murray to spend their money....the price of cod has not gone up at kroger in the last year but they raised their prices,16.99 for a two piece fish dinner of cod that contains two 3-4 ounces fillets,when cod is 5.99 a pound at Kroger in murrray....it is your money-spend it where you want-this place is not what it used to be and I have been eating there for nearly 50 years....it has gone downhill in the last three years and it has gone downhill....I live only a few miles from there and will gladly drive past it to spend my money elsewhere!!!! read more

Another return visit to what I now call the Mecca of restaurants in the area. Hush puppies, slaw , grilled catfish, beans with relish, My oh my. Loved it again and can't wait till my journey leads me here again, oh and the staff is great, friendly , efficient, and makes you feel welcomed! read more

I decided not to get fish when I saw how good the fried shrimp looked (it was as good as it looked). Very rarely do I ever not finish all the food on my plate but since I had so much beans and hush puppies I was full. The beans are great and the hush puppies were even better, just make sure to leave room for your actual meal! Service was good and fast. We got there before it got super busy with people coming in off the lake. Looking forward to going back for sure. read more

A year later and I find myself with my brother & father back in BFKy...and back at The Willow Pond. Twice. The frog legs are still pretty spectacular. But even more so was the fact that our waitress remembered us from the one visit we had a year ago. She thinks I'm Howard Stern.... read more

This is one of our "go to" places when we have friends visiting. They have such a variety on their menu, and I love that there are so many fish choices. Most meals also include white beans, cole slaw & hush puppies. Their relish is delicious & you can buy a bottle to go. Lots of seating & great service so don't let a full parking lot discourage you. read more

This was quite possibly the worst food I've had in a while. I ordered the Country Fried Shrimp and my girlfriend had the Cod with Steak Fries. My shrimp were overcooked and as result, the breading had the consistency of gravel. The baked potato had spent a little too much time in boiling water and was completely mushy. The cod was bland, but improved with the tartar sauce. The steak fries were completely inedible. They were dried out and hard. Looked like they had been sitting out and were dumped back in some oil to be reheated for service. The lack of care in the food was quite remarkable. So much so, that there was no point in sending it back for fear of what would return in its place. On a positive note, the coleslaw was very good. We ate that along with the beans and what we could stomach from the entrees and left. We will never be back. read more

This was an excellent experience!! Friendly fast service and the food...i have eaten a lot of catfish but this was heaven on a plate! hush puppies are the bomb! Man, I could live here it's so good!!! read more