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E-Town River Restaurant reopens its doors after fire

BY BECKY MALKOVICH, THE SOUTHERN

Sunday, July 13, 2008 5:30 PM CDT

With more than 2,500 pounds of catfish served at the E-Town River Restaurant in less than two weeks time, clearly the people have spoken: They want, no, they demand their whiskered delights filleted, battered, fried and served up in inimitable E-Town style.

The popular Elizabethtown restaurant reopened for business near the end of June after a fire last fall and a rising river in the spring.

The restaurant was virtually gutted by an electrical fire in early November, owner Patrick Joyner said.

"It was pretty devastating, but we knew we would rebuild. Then the high water in the spring affected the construction, but we finally got it done and reopened June 25," he said. "It has been absolutely insane since. We've gone through 1,500 pounds of river fish and probably more than a thousand pounds of pond fish in 12 days. That's a lot of fish. And we've sold a ton of burgers, too."

Joyner purchased the unique floating barge/restaurant in January 2007 and was surprised at the lengths people will go to for an E-Town catfish dinner.

"We get all kinds of people: Boaters, bikers, motorcyclists and travelers from afar - Effingham, Marion, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri. It's crazy how far some people will drive for a good catfish dinner," he said with a laugh. "We get a lot of local people, too, some who come every day. I recognize a lot of faces, but I see lots of new faces, too."

Manager Peggy Flatt said the secret to the restaurant's success lies, well, in where it lies.

"It sits on the river, not near it or by it, but in it. We're not even that far out, but just enough," Flatt said. "And also, it's the way we fillet it and bread it here. I don't want to brag, but we've got the best catfish I've had anywhere. I was a customer before I started working here and I still eat the fish, if that tells you anything."

The all-you-can-eat river catfish special is the most popular choice for diners and comes with baked beans, coleslaw, hush puppies and potato for $9.50.

The dinner is a favorite for regulars Gladys Spivey and Juanita Cook, both of Hardin County.

"Anything you get here is good, and if you try the fish, you're going to like it. You can tell that by the crowd," Cook said as she surveyed the crowded restaurant.

Spivey said the restaurant is a huge draw for the town.

"Sometimes I come in and I don't recognize a single person," she said.

"People come to Elizabethtown from all over just to eat here and that's awfully good for our county," Spivey said.

Joyner, who plans to expand the restaurant with a floating patio dining area, said he enjoys doing business in the rural county.

"It's the people here. They are very easy to deal with and friendly," he said. "Everybody here has a story and they want to know your story, too."

beckymalk@gmail.com

927-5633

E-Town River Restaurant

What: A full menu, including river and pond catfish dinners

When: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: 100 Front St. on the Ohio River in Elizabethtown

Info: Call 287-2333