Beloved floating river restaurant begins new chapter: The FISH DOCK RIVER RESTAURANT now open under new management

April 2026 – Russell and Keri Foster, new owners of the newly named THE FISH DOCK RIVER RESTAURANT.

 

By Jennifer Lane, Editor

Hardin County Independent

 Docked on the Illinois side of the Ohio River and cherished by generations of locals and visitors, Elizabethtown’s floating river restaurant is beginning a new chapter. Now reopened as The Fish Dock River Restaurant under the ownership of Keri and Russell Foster, the longtime local landmark blends rich history, hometown pride, and a fresh vision for the future. From its beginnings in 1988 to its latest revival in 2026, the restaurant continues to be more than just a place to eat—it is a gathering spot, a symbol of resilience, and a renewed source of excitement along the riverfront. There are decades of memories tied to its deck and the Fosters hope locals, travelers, and families will stop in to make more.

Currently the restaurant is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. As they hire more waitresses and cooks, they plan to open at least 6 days a week and hope to expand their hours to serve breakfast!

Did I mention they are hiring? Go apply!

 About the owners –  

 Russ grew up in Hardin County, the son of the late Mary Ann McGhee and the late Lafawn Foster. He is a sibling to David, Chrissie, Regina, Bobby, and Anna. He graduated from Hardin County High School, Class of 1988. Before leaving Hardin County, he worked for Sullivan’s Excavating, Fricker’s Machine Shop & Salvage, and Tom Leonberger doing masonry and construction.  He moved to Nokomis, Illinois to work for Firestone, but it closed soon after he got the job. Having experience in construction he was hired at ADM Construction. He worked there for a while, but decided to start his own business, 4-J Concrete, that he has owned and operated for almost 30 years! 

  Russ met Keri in Taylorville in 2010, when they were set up on a blind date after both going through divorce. It must have been love because they were married a year later! They lived in Nokomis until 2022. In 2023 they moved to Taylorville, IL where Russ built their dream home … and Keri’s dream kitchen by her design.

 Speaking of Keri (Taylorville native), she loves to cook and bake. As she grew up with her grandma and her mom canning, it’s in her blood. As a young girl she helped cook the meals at home and as she grew up Keri was put in charge of cooking the family meals. She carried that love into her adult life and today shares her talent with others. In Keri’s dream kitchen in her hometown of Taylorville, she has a stove and three ovens. On top of that, Russ built her a special room adjacent to the kitchen with its own stove specifically for canning. The canning room has a door that leads straight out to their garden. Keri is serious about canning and cooking! At the restaurant, Keri will be working to make much of the food from scratch rather than out of a can.

 Together, the Fosters have six combined kids from their previous marriages, and one they took in under their wing after they were married. Five of the seven siblings have significant others.  Keri and Russ are called Mamaw and Papaw to three boys and three girls, with another girl due in June. It’s safe to say that they have a big family and a whole bunch of love surrounding them. 

 So why in the world would they want to leave their huge family and move out of their newly built dream home?

 Keri answered without hesitation, they are going where God is leading them. They have both grown in their faith in the last year and a half, and a message has resonated with them from their church: Go where God leads you. With further thought, they asked themselves, “Can we give up the comforts of our life to go where we are led?” They both felt drawn to Hardin County.

 It has always been Russ’ dream to own The Fish Dock and it just so happens it has always been Keri’s dream to own a restaurant. Keri admits that since Russ’ mom’s passing in November, he has been homesick and needed to be back home. They talked about it and prayed about it, and when the opportunity arose to purchase the restaurant, they jumped on it!  

 “Every time we would come for a visit, we ate as much fish as one possibly could in a weekend,” said Keri. “We both love this community. It’s such a cute little town and we just felt like we could serve it better by bringing the fish dock back to life. We want to work together and help other businesses succeed too.”

 Russ will continue his concrete business in Hardin County and help out at the restaurant when needed.

“My family, our kids, our grandkids, our whole life is 3 1/2 hours north,” said Keri. “Everybody has been so welcoming with open arms, and that has made this transition so much easier.”

 While serving the community and serving God, the Fosters have thought about working to build food pantries and offer a gathering place for women themed and men themed bible study groups.

 Things are falling into place, and fast! Within a little over two weeks, The Fish Dock River Restaurant Facebook page received over 5,000 likes. That sounds like a record! People are so ready for the floating river restaurant experience and that mouthwatering fish. 

 

Frog Leg Special Fish Dinner served Friday nights

The delicious food – 

 They are purchasing Ohio River fish from four commercial fishermen and will likely work with another fish market soon. They use peanut oil for frying and have a separate fryer with vegetable oil for those who have a peanut allergy. They are using Patrick Joyner’s delicious fish breading recipe. 

 Keri said their $16.50 Fish Dinner includes a choice of Ohio River catfish, pond fillet, catfish nuggets, or shrimp, with three hushpuppies, homemade coleslaw, homemade baked beans, and choice of potato (potato salad, French fries, tater tots, or seasoned potato wedges). She added that the potato salad is not homemade, but people really like the brand they are using. Are you hungry yet?

 They have been blessed with a great response just two weeks in. Keri said they sold 80 pounds of homemade coleslaw and ran out of pond fillets on Mother’s Day weekend! 

 Keri plans to prepare weekly homemade specials like meatloaf, chili, chicken and noodles. 

 Friday night is now Frog Leg Special night. Frog legs are incorporated as a part of the Fish Dinner. Keri plans to do other specials nights, one where she will offer ribeye steaks!

 She recently added a central Illinois-style dish from home, Horse Shoes and Pony Shoes. Keri said the customer chooses the meat of their choice (hamburger, tenderloin, or chicken strips) which is placed on a piece of toast. The meat is covered by crinkle cut French fries and then topped with cheese sauce. Horse Shoes is double meat, while Pony Shoes is single meat.

 “It’s a pile of heaven,” said Keri. 

  Keri makes all the desserts from scratch …. adding that her chocolate pie is not instant pudding but actual ingredients (milk, cornstarch, chocolate, etc.) to make a glorious tasting dessert. 

 “I just want to offer a place where people feel better than being at home, and a place where you don’t have to drive far to get a fine dining experience,” said Keri. “I take pride in bringing a good recipe to life.  Doesn’t every woman love to get a compliment on her home cooking?”

 The experience – 

 The Fosters have so many ideas to make their customer’s visit more than just food, but a fun experience on the riverfront. 

 Currently, customers can dine inside, dine outside on the two-tier deck, call for carry out, or eat at one of the picnic tables in the scenic riverfront yard.

 They are planning on beautifying the scenic riverfront by adding rip rap and outdoor tables and chairs. Soon, Russ will pour a concrete pad to make the walkway to the ramp more stable and accessible. 

 Keri said that if customers feel they can’t navigate the ramp or are prone to experience motion sickness, she would be happy to bring food out to their car.

 They are working to have their own food tent or food truck set up on the landing at the top with seating, so people can enjoy the same menu without getting on the boat. They might even be able to take the food truck to other festivals or local events!

 They plan to have a merchandise tent and invite local vendors to set up to sell their wares (at no vendor cost).

 Since the fish is made to order, and the restaurant gets crowded as a popular attraction, there are times where there will be a wait. Keri added there is not always a wait, but some days are busier than others. The Fosters are working with the Riverside Mercantile to possibly purchase golf carts and offer a shuttle for people to shop up in town while they wait for their food to be ready.

 Keri said she is looking forward to working with other local businesses, and she wants to bring the community together. They plan to book music, bands, hire DJs, or have karaoke for nights of family-friendly entertainment. 

 Illinois law says that if a business owner allows it, a people may bring their own alcoholic beverages to a restaurant establishment. The Fosters really aren’t wanting to get a liquor license to sell it. They are hoping they can work out details where people can purchase it from other businesses in town and enjoy it on the riverfront with their fish dinner.

 Once the days and hours are expanded, Keri plans to offer food delivery to the bar on Tuesday night Bingo.

Appreciation and perks for special customers – 

 For customers 57+ years old, military, or veteran, 10% will be taken off the price of their meal. (Bring an I.D. to receive the discount.)

 On the first weekend of their soft opening, customers could enter a drawing to win a prize package worth $70: gift card, tumbler, and hat. Those randomly chosen winners were: Judith Edwards, Kim Valentine, and Mane Camargo.

 On Mother’s Day, 72 gift bags were given out containing lotion, Lifesavers candy, chocolates, note pads/pens, and a coupon for a free ice cream at the Riverside Mercantile.

 Wanting a souvenir from the experience? Fish Dock River Restaurant souvenirs are available for purchase: hats, t-shirts, tumblers, magnets, key chains, gift cards and more!

Customers can eat inside, on the double deck, or in the yard.

Next steps –  

 Keri said they are hoping to have their Grand Opening event soon, but they are still working out the kinks of their soft opening: establishing staff, getting a routine, and expanding hours. At the event they plan to have music, vendors, and maybe more. Keri said there will be no charge for vendors. Keri asked that people reach out to her if they want to be a part of their big day. The restaurant phone number is (618) 287-2333. The physical address is 100 Front Street, Elizabethtown, IL 62931.

 At the riverfront, Elizabethtown will be having fireworks on the 4th of July (which is Keri’s birthday and America’s 250th birthday), so they might be planning special things for that evening too. They are helping the Village and Elizabethtown Fire Department collect donations for the fireworks. 

 Watch the Independent for updates!

For those looking for great food and a special view, be sure and stop in at The Fish Dock River Restaurant for a memorable experience.

Update since the article ran: They plan to be open on Memorial Day! They also plan to have their Grand Opening on 4th of July weekend (2026).

Keri and Russ Foster, owners as of April 2026.

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See history below, along with picture progression of its initial build in 1988

History of the floating restaurant – 38 years

Built by local contractors on the Ohio River at the Elizabethtown riverfront, the E’town Fish & Marine, Inc. was opened mid-June 1988 by brothers Dale and Jerry Haney. The floating building was built 1,000 square feet under the roof, with 500 square feet of deck space. The barge was dry docked in a Kentucky field near the river while Jerry completed weld repairs to get it water ready. It was moved into the river and docked at the Illinois side where local contractors, Donald Lane and sons, and Randy Carter began the build on May 16, 1988. The building structure was completed within one week. Interior work began and was completed a few weeks before opening in mid-June. Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the Haneys offered retail and wholesale fish sales, fishing equipment, bait, concessions, snack bar, pontoon boat rentals, river cruises, and had docks and fuel service for pleasure crafts. They had planned to develop a wholesale market to serve restaurants and retail outlets located in the southern third of Illinois. Eventually the location served as a deer check station and sold hunting and fishing licenses. The Haney brothers sold their establishment to Charles and Shirley Kanady in 1994. Beginning May 6 at their grand opening, the Kanadys ran the restaurant under a new name: E’Town River Restaurant.

After 13 years of service, on January 2, 2007, the Kanadys sold their business to Patrick Joyner. On November 27, 2007, six days before closing for the season, the restaurant caught on fire. Gas from a faulty furnace had built up and caught fire when the furnace ignited. Customers were present but no injuries were reported. It was thought to be a total loss. Fortunately, Joyner was able to repair the inside of restaurant and reopen the next season.

After 14 years of service, Joyner sold the restaurant in January 2021 to Joe and Staci Lowry. The Lowrys ran the business for 5 years, recently selling to Keri and Russell Foster in April, with a new name: The Fish Dock River Restaurant.  With no previous experience of running a restaurant, the Fosters bravely opened a few weeks ago on May 1, 2026. As with any new business they hit a few snags but forged on to have three successful first weekends.

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Published in the May 21, 2026 Hardin County Independent.

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