MYSTERY DINER: Pokanoka's Cafe sure knows how to fry fish

Nothing goes with Friday nights like fried fish. Throw in a burger and fries and I’m in Friday-night heaven.

I must disclose that I am not the pickiest critic when it comes to fish fry and burgers, but Pokanoka’s Cafe at Shabbona Lake State Park exceeded just about every standard. Sitting just a hundred yards or so from Shabbona Lake, Pokanoka’s offers a uniquely laid-back dining experience.

At first glance inside the dining room, the cafe does resemble a sort of concession stand, with seats for about 60 people. My dining partner and I were less than enthralled by the atmosphere inside the cafe, which came across as a bit hokey and awkward. But we came prepared, having heard that outdoor seating was also available for up to 40 additional diners.

For everything we didn’t like about the indoor dining arrangements, we absolutely loved what we found outdoors: quiet lakeside dining, to the soothing backdrop of Shabbona Lake.

Within minutes of sitting, our server stopped by to introduce herself and take our drink orders. She was extremely polite and we could immediately tell that service would not be an issue at Pokanoka’s.

Complying with state park regulations, Pokanoka’s does not serve alcoholic drinks, which actually worked out for the better as the menu highlighted a couple items on which my money was much better spent anyway. One of these items, an appetizer, is one that I have ordered at every single restaurant that’s offered it since I first tried it. That’s right, Pokanoka’s has fried pickles. They do theirs in spears as opposed to slices, and they have a very good tempura-like breading to them. Upon asking, our server happily brought out ranch to accompany our fried pickles – a mandatory accessory in my book.

For our meals, we shared one fish fry dinner and the cafe’s special Pokanoka Burger. The fish fry is available with walleye, cod, bluegill, perch and catfish. We went with the standard cod, but I’m still wondering about the other types of fish and will definitely be doing some more research in the near future.

The fish itself was great; the breading was subtly spiced and had more flavor than any fish fry I can remember in recent years. It was perfectly crunchy and the cod inside very well cooked. As for the burger, my first thoughts were something along the line of “Oh man, this is the best burger I’ve ever had!” While I must admit I have had this feeling with many burgers past, Pokanoka’s version really was great in its own right.

Two roughly quarter-pound patties comprised the meat of the burger, with cheese, spiced grilled onions and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce perfecting this work of what I must consider food art. Furthermore, unlike burgers I’ve had from other restaurants, the beef was very fresh and tasted a lot like the burgers my dad’s made on the grill since I can remember eating food with my own two hands.

After finishing the main part of our meal, my dining companion and I were thrilled to learn that the fish fry dinner actually came with a dessert. Though it was supposed to be baked apples with ice cream, we heard diners at another table talking about another dessert that caught our notice, a pastry filled with apples, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. This also came with an option for ice cream, which we obviously had to have. The dessert was as good as the rest of the meal, and we were a couple of very satisfied diners.

Pokanoka’s Cafe is unique and excellent. Blending the relaxed, outdoors atmosphere of the state park in which it sits with the culinary expertise of the best pub food around, Pokanoka’s Cafe can count on seeing me again many times in the future.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee in the newsroom at the Daily Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant before or during the meal. The diner visits a different restaurant in DeKalb County each week.

Pokanoka’s Cafe

What: Pub-style food with indoor and outdoor seating

Where: Shabbona Lake State Park

Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (Memorial Day-Labor Day); call for seasonal hours outside of summer months

Kids OK? Yes

Phone: 815-824-2481

Web: www.shabbona-lake.com/page/pokanokas-cafe