The South’s Best Catfish Joints 2020

Marine-turned-executive chef Phil Creasor is happy to serve you a classic catfish platter with hush puppies, but he’s also down to change things up. Adventurous eaters can go for the catfish & waffles or his award-winning catfish street tacos with chipotle lime aioli.

catfishhox.com, 770-726-9925, 2595 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 101, Marietta, GA 30066

Sure, you can order the pork chops or the chili dog, but when the sign in the window declares, “Fish so good it will smack you,” you’d be remiss to go with anything but. And don’t skip Uncle Larry’s “smackem” sauce, his fired-up take on tartar sauce.

unclelarrysrestaurant.com, 423-757-5894, 736 East M. L. King Boulevard, Chattanooga, TN 37403

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more down-home dive experience than this one, where the cabin walls are peppered with memorabilia and you can feed the turtles in the pond out back. The catfish comes fried, unless you call ahead to ask for it baked instead.

facebook.com/CatfishKitchen, 270-362-7306, 136 Teal Run, Benton, KY 42025

“When life hands you lemons, squeeze them on a piece of fried fish.” That’s the guiding ethos of this family-owned seafood spot, where the menu has you covered on the fried fish front, from mullet to rainbow trout. We’ll take Elwanda Murphy’s Facebook review as advice and stick to the catfish: “Best catfish I’ve ever eaten and at 76 years old, I have eaten a lot of fish!”

rosehillseafood.com, 706-322-4410, 2621 Hamilton Road, Columbus, GA 31904

Leave it to a Louisiana eatery to have a menu that offers 17 different kinds of po boys, including the humblest (and least expensive!) of them all—the French fry po boy, which is exactly what it sounds like. But if po boys aren’t your thing, buy the fried catfish by the pound.

mandevilleseafoodmarket.com, 985-624-8552, 2020 HWY 59, Mandeville, LA 70448

Don’t let the nondescript exterior fool you, say patrons. The catfish fingers (and enormous portions that guarantee leftovers) more than make up for it. Lunch specials change daily and are posted on their Facebook page. Be sure to bring cash—they don’t take cards.

facebook.com/parramore-too-restaurant, 850-674-3400, 16438 SW Chipola Road, Blountstown, FL 32424

The market’s Biloxi, Mississippi-born founder, Phoung Le, brings in fresh Gulf seafood at least four times per week, then serves it on a Cajun-Creole-forward menu that includes red beans and rice, po boys, and etouffee.

atlantahighwayseafood.com, 770-287-8277, 227 Atlanta Hwy #900, Gainesville, GA 30501

Fans of this Shreveport staple give it high marks for the food and the service. The owners aren’t stingy with the secret to their success, either: You can buy four-pound bags of their corn flour-based breading and recreate the crispy catfish at home.

johnnyscatfish.com, 318-686-3695, 5130 West Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport, LA 71129

The mother-daughter operation chooses a local charity to support each month, through sales of a selected appetizer, entrée, and drink. Try the North Carolina catfish cooked to order—blackened, broiled, grilled, or fried. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, they also serve Okefenokee gator.

maggiesgalley.com, 828-456-8945, 1374 Sulphur Springs Road, Waynesville, NC 28786

The popular grocery store-turned-restaurant 10 miles outside of Oxford is open only for dinner and only on Thursday through Sunday nights, so prepare to wait on the wide wooden porch. Order the whole fried catfish, which comes with hushpuppies and two sides (the fried okra is a good choice). If you don’t know your way around a whole fish, ask the friendly wait staff; they’ll show you how it’s done. Oh, and it’s BYOB.

taylorgrocery.com, 662-236-1716, 4 County Road 338, #A, Taylor, MS 38673