12 Chain Restaurants That Have Catfish On The Menu

Catfish has long been a culinary staple of the South, where golden-fried, cornmeal-battered fillets land on countless plates, day in and day out. Hush puppies, coleslaw, biscuits, and other homestyle sides join the sizzling party, whether for catfish dinners at home, family gatherings, or backyard fish fries. There's also no shortage of restaurants ready and willing to do the deep frying or blackened sizzling for countless eager patrons.   

Neighborhood seafood shacks or locally owned country diners evoke a certain nostalgia for yesteryear catfish cafes, but the truth is that many chain restaurants dish it out just as well. Some chains serving catfish specialize in a wide range of seafood, while others offer it alongside common restaurant fare such as steaks, burgers, barbecue, or classic comfort foods. You could find it tucked into a po'boy sandwich, served with grits, blackened Cajun-style, or paired with fried shrimp, almost always with some classic hush-puppy sidekicks. 

Whichever version of the whiskered wonder you're craving, the following restaurant chains offer plenty of ways to get your catfish mojo on. Just keep in mind that selections can vary by location; then head on over for a piled-high plate.

Texas Roadhouse is best known for signature steaks and ribs, but its seafood-loving patrons are not forgotten. Among the chain's Dockside Favorites is a fried catfish dinner featuring U.S. farm-raised fish coated in Southern-style cornmeal breading and fried to a crispy golden brown. Diners choose two sides from the likes of steak fries, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, seasoned rice, Texas red chili, and more. 

Catfish feels right at home among Cracker Barrel's selection of Southern comfort foods, and the chain serves it as part of both fried and grilled platters. On both the lunch and dinner menus, the fried version comes with two cornmeal-coated U.S.-farm-raised catfish fillets plus tartar sauce, hush puppies, buttermilk biscuits or corn muffins, and your choice of classic sides. If you want something lighter, opt for two spicy grilled catfish fillets.

The seafood-focused Captain D's chain offers several ways to order Southern-style fried catfish. The chain features two-, three-, and four-piece catfish meals, each cooked with its signature Southern-style breading. The golden-fried fillets come with the chain's well-loved hush puppies plus a choice of two sides, including coleslaw, green beans, or, for an extra charge, fried okra, corn on the cob, a loaded baked potato, and several others. 

With a name like Eat My Catfish, it's no surprise this Arkansas-based chain has plenty of options for catfish devotees. Its menu includes fried catfish dinners, blackened catfish, and combinations pairing it with shrimp or chicken tenders. You can also order a fried or blackened catfish po'boy on toasted French bread, with coleslaw and tartar. Many platters come with two sides and hush puppies, a recurring deal at Southern fish-centric restaurants.

Flying Fish offers fast-casual seafood dining, with catfish populating the menu in more ways than one. The regional chain cooks up the goodness in Texas and Arkansas, offering traditional fried catfish meals, but also catfish tacos, catfish "poor boy loafs," a Nashville hot catfish sandwich, and a kid's catfish boat. It also offers grilled catfish with veggies, beans, and rice. Some locations even host all-you-can-eat catfish specials on Wednesdays.

Crustaceans get namesake status at The Boiling Crab, but the chain also gives a solid menu nod to catfish. A catfish basket appears in the "I Like it Fried" collection, alongside fried shrimp, oysters, calamari, Shabang Bang shrimp, and more. The "extras" menu offers accompaniments such as gumbo, sausage, and Cajun or sweet potato fries. You'll find them in 25-plus U.S. locations, plus a few international spots.

At Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar, catfish comes in three Southern-inspired formats: a traditional fried catfish basket, catfish sliders in some locations, plus a catfish po'boy sandwich — which is unsurprising since po'boys come from Louisiana, home to Cajun culture. The po'boy is served on a crusty French-style roll with side options of standard or sweet-potato fries, clam chowder, and even lobster bisque for a small upcharge.  

For another "ragin' Cajun" spin on catfish, Razzoo's Cajun Cafe features a punchy "Fried Mr. Catfish" po'boy served on New Orleans' own Leidenheimer bread, with spicy fries and fried jalapeño hush puppies. You can also order Jalapeño Catfish, a traditional fried catfish platter, or one with fried catfish, red beans n' rice, and an andouille sausage link. Go all-out with extras such as Southern fried okra, "Luziana" bread pudding, or fried gator tail. 

Copeland's of New Orleans fries up crispy catfish fillets for po'boys and traditional catfish platters with corn fritters, or serves them as part of a seafood trio with the blackened catfish served over angel hair pasta with lemon Bordelaise sauce. A Copeland's Catch section offers blackened catfish with Creole shrimp rice, or Bistro Catfish with Crawfish Etouffée featuring lightly fried catfish served over red hot potatoes and topped with the etouffée. 

JJ Fish & Chicken gives catfish considerable menu space, with dishes ranging from traditional fried catfish to boneless fillets, bite-sized nuggets, bone-in catfish, and larger family-sized orders of 12 or 21 pieces. You can also build customized seafood combinations by pairing catfish with shrimp or other fish such as red snapper, ocean perch, whiting, sole, tilapia, or buffalo fish. Sides include Southern collard greens, okra, hush puppies, and red beans and rice.   

Catfish gets a lot of love at Sharks Fish & Chicken, a smaller chain with restaurants in Illinois. Amongst a parade of chicken wings, fried catfish sits comfortably in renditions such as catfish fillets, catfish steaks, or bite-sized catfish nuggets. Traditional catfish dinners come in several portion sizes, typically joined by sidekicks like coleslaw, fries, and bread. Catfish-only, family-sized portions are available for takeout. They're also known for fruity, infused lemonade concoctions. 

Georgia's Restaurant may be California-based, but it celebrates Southern comfort food in a big way. Catfish preparations feature U.S.-farm-raised catfish that's either blackened and pan-fried or coated in Creole-seasoned cornmeal and deep-fried. Both include two Southern-style sides, with choices of collard greens, black-eyed peas, bacon gravy, cornbread, red beans and rice, and more. A special treat is fried catfish with homemade grits, or alongside orders of fried pickles and fried green tomatoes.