There's a number of little towns up and down the Mississippi River that always seem to have one or two places that have good views of the river along with a serviceable food menu along with cold adult beverages. My wife and I went out to Buffalo, west of Davenport, last summer to go have lunch at Judy's Barge Inn. A buddy of mine lives out near Buffalo and he mentioned that we should meet out at Judy's for lunch sometime. We finally got around to doing that during the holiday season late last year.
Judy Van Blaracom and her husband, J.D., characterize themselves as "river people". For years, the couple has lived on Enchanted Island, a small housing development that is right next to - and sometimes in - the Mississippi River on the southwest side of Davenport. When a longtime restaurant in Buffalo became available a little over three years ago, Judy decided to jump in with both feet and buy the place. She convinced her sister Terry Ruth to join her in the venture, and Judy's daughter Michelle soon joined up with her mom and aunt. J.D. Van Blaracom is also involved in the business as sort of a "jack-of-all-trades". Judy and her sister came up with the food menu with the same philosophy they had while growing up - make food that is good because they like to eat.
I met my buddy at the bar around 1 p.m. on a weekday. (Judy's is closed on Monday's.) Judy's is housed in an old river house along Iowa Highway 22 that was originally built back in 1856. (see map) There were a handful of locals milling about the bar area and into the attached dining area off to the side. There's a back patio area that's open in the warmer months that also has a small stage for live music in the summer months. There's also a smoker in the back patio area for barbecue specials Judy's runs from time to time. During the summer months, Judy has a small produce garden in the back that she tends to for fresh vegetables and herbs, but also relies upon local growers to supply her with fresh produce year round.
Judy's daughter Michelle was tending bar that day and recognized my buddy who is a semi-regular in the place. She gave us a couple menus to look over and we both ordered a couple beers. Judy's has mostly domestics, but they did have a few of the local Quad City-area craft beers to choose from, as well.
It's not an extensive menu at Judy's - they feature a couple of burgers, a grilled chicken sandwich, a pork tenderloin sandwich and a sliced turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Appetizers are your usual fare - chicken wings and tenders, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, pulled pork nachos, and house-made pretzel sticks. Soups and salads are also available daily.
When my wife and I first made the pilgrimage to Judy's last summer, I had the Judy's Barge Burger - a 1/2 pound Wagyu beef patty topped with onion straws, a fried egg, bacon, and American cheese served on a butter brioche bun. Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles and a slice of red onion also came on the burger. When it was brought out to me, I was blown away by the size. But the one thing that I remember was that the onion straws were outstanding. I prefer onion straws over regular onion rings more times than not and Judy's are very good.
Except this time, I asked Michelle if I could also get a side of the onion straws. Well, that was a mistake. Not because they weren't very good - there was just a ton of them! And there was no way that I could have eaten both the huge burger and the onion straws. I got a side of Judy's house-made barbecue sauce on the side.
The burger was just as good as I remember it was when I first went to Judy's. I took a lot of the onion straws off the burger and asked that the fried egg be made hard as I don't like a messy burger with a soft egg on it. There was a hint of pink inside the burger patty and it was juicy with a great beef flavor. Judy sources her Wagyu beef from nearby Geest Farms in Blue Grass, IA. Geest Farms raise their beef naturally without inducing hormones or antibiotics into their cattle. (My wife and I will get some of their frozen beef from time to time at the Freight House Farmers Market in downtown Davenport during the spring and summer months.)
My buddy ended up getting the chicken quesadilla that was part of the appetizer menu. A side salsa and guacamole came with the quesadilla. It was stuffed with goat cheese and chunks of chicken, then pan-fried to melt everything together. His eyes got huge when Michelle set it down in front of him. "Damn," he exclaimed. "This is going to be two meals for me." He ate about half of what he was served and had Michelle box up the rest for him to take home.
While we were eating, Judy Van Blaracom came into the restaurant. She came over to my buddy and gave him a big hug. He introduced me to Judy, who I had seen before not only in her place, but at events around the Quad Cities. Judy's blonde hair is hard to miss and she has a bright smile with eyes that seem to dance when she talks to people. She seems like a person who would be hard not to like.
Judy's Barge Inn doesn't have an extensive menu, but what they have seems to be very good, very fresh, and served in large portions. Their motto - "Come in Empty, Leave Full" - is certainly an apt phrase for Judy's. Both times I've gotten the Barge Burger from Judy's Barge Inn I've been more than happy with the quality and taste, as well as the size of the thing. I've never been able to fully finish one in a single sitting. Judy's Barge Inn is a friendly place where people can be comfortable just whiling away their time either in the bar area or out in back patio area in the warmer months. One thing that I want to go back to Judy's and try is their bloody mary which is over the top like many of the food portion sizes they serve.
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