Fried chicken, shrimp, and fish... oh, my!

Bluff Lake Catfish Farm, Facebook
Bluff Lake Catfish Farm, Facebook
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After nearly two months of being closed, Bluff Lake Catfish Farm in Maquoketa has announced that they will officially open for the 2025 season this weekend! They shut their doors just before Thanksgiving back in November, and were initially supposed to reopen on January 11th, but ended up postponing an extra week. The Facebook post from the restaurant reads:

"We are officially open for the season FINALLY! We freshened up our kitchen over the break and ran into a few unexpected problems. So that had caused us a week setback."

Bluff Lake's first day in business in 2025 is Saturday, January 18th. They will continue to be open Saturdays for all-you-can-eat haddock from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant is also open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for all-you-can-eat shrimp and chicken. Bluff Lake is known for their family-style all-you-can-eat specials, which include coleslaw and fries, but there is also a regular menu that you can order from.

The Friday all-you-can-eat special at Bluff Lake is whole and fillet catfish, but the restaurant won't reopen for Friday dinner until March 7th of 2025.

Courtlin
Courtlin
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Located at 9301 95th Avenue near the famous Maquoketa Caves State Park, Bluff Lake Catfish Farm offers delicious food and beautiful views, including a waterfall! I took my mom there this summer after a hike at the Caves, and she absolutely loved it. It really is one of Iowa's best hidden gems! We went on a Sunday for the fried shrimp and chicken. YUM.

Courtlin
Courtlin
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Courtlin
Courtlin
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If you're looking for more awesome, small town restaurants, check out the list below!

Iowans Name Their Favorite Small Town Restaurants

I asked Iowans on Facebook what their favorite small town Eastern Iowa restaurant is, and there were some great suggestions! According to Google, a town is considered "small" when it has 5,000 people or less. Our list includes restaurants in towns that have a population of 7,000 or less, and some of them have MUCH less! Here are 20 recommendations from folks in Eastern Iowa:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

My Visit to Eastern Iowa's Stunning Maquoketa Caves

There's no better way to spend the first day of fall than at one of Iowa's most gorgeous state parks! Here are some photos from my visit to Maquoketa Caves and Bluff Lake Catfish Farm on Sunday, September 22nd:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

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