I took a little drive, well a long drive today. Destination: Boathouse Kitchen and Swan Dive. It’s located in a small town called Cicero, Indiana. It’s on a lake and has tons of outdoor dining, docks to park your boats, and a to go pick up window.
I had a couple of special guests join me so I was able to try a little bit more food than just ordering for myself. As we walked into the restaurant it was a total vibe. I felt like I was in a Florida location. Everything was nautical and fun. Check out the all the pictures of the space.
I was excited that they offered a pick two as a lunch option. I had a hard time making a decision on my meal. I did start with a Bloody Mary. I was asked if I wanted the skewer. Of course I’ll always take the skewer. It came out with grilled steak, mushrooms, onions, and red peppers. The vodka was Tito’s and I have to say it was a tasty Bloody Mary.
I asked the server about the tenderloin. I love a good tenderloin, especially an Indiana tenderloin. If you don’t know what that is I’m sorry. A Hoosier tenderloin is a pounded out piece of pork that is then breaded and deep fried. They are usually very large and often you need two buns. He told me that it was a good tenderloin so I went for it. Added the Brussels sprouts as the side. My guests decided on the loaded nachos and the fried shrimp.
Our meals showed up and the tenderloin definitely wasn’t homemade. It was a pork fritter. No problem I asked to order something else. Ended up with a beefsteak sandwich(Philly cheesesteak). With my first meal I ate the sprouts which had quite a nice flavor. I did not enjoy however that the stalks weren’t cleaned off. This seems to be a thing lately and it’s very confusing. Just not a fan. When the cheesesteak came out I was very pleased. It had great texture, just enough toppings for the ratio of the delicious sub roll it was on. I choose asparagus as the side this time. Nicely cooked and well seasoned.
I tried the fried shrimp and fries. Shrimp were fairly large and butterflied. Pretty standard fries but still good. The nachos were huge and had a scoop of guacamole the size of an ice cream scoop. My guest loved them. Too much for one personal. You could share them for an appetizer for sure. I also ate the coleslaw from the shrimp meal. Coleslaw is a hard one but it was nicely balanced. Not too much dressing and crispy cabbage.
Dessert was on the table because they had carrot cake which happens to be one of my favorites. When it came it was a decent sized piece and the cake to icing ratio was perfect. Cake was not too sweet and I was able to eat the whole piece by myself. Perfect ending to a good meal.
Before we left I took a few more pictures. There is a bar outside on the deck and seating as well. Great views to the water and docks for boats. I’d love to eat outside in the fall.
So wrapping up, food was good. Service was on point. The atmosphere is top notch. I’d think they probably have live music and that’s a great spot for it. Bloody Mary is best I’ve tasted in a while and carrot cake is a must. Views are spectacular. Take the not so short drive to visit.
409 W Jackson St, Cicero, IN 46034
220259