Came here back in the summer last year (2019) while visiting some friends of the family. We used the boat to drive across the lake from their house to get to Catfish Johnny's and it was a nice experience. They have pretty good prices and platters even for kids - they weren't skimp on the food for them. Its definitely a nice relaxing environment for the warmer months. Just kick back grab a drink and relax to the live music playing or just watching all the different types of boats coming to dock and eat. I hope to come back once this pandemic dies down. read more

Catfish Johnnys no longer exists, the restaurant that took its place took Nachos OFF the menu as a step towards removing the 'trashy' crowd that previously supported this cool little Lake Dive. Everyone love CAtfish Johnnys. The staff seemed afraid to be too nice and the manager literally told someone near me he cancelled all bands or did not book any rock bands or have any bands on Fridays because it brought in 'that crowd'. He wants to focus on Families and cut down on alcohol and certain appetizers that attract them. . There is that. Sooooo... Oh service was slow, we ordered three or 4 of the same exact item and all three came completely different. Shrimp was fried on one, Shrimp was cooked another way on the 2nd and Anyway the plates looked like completely different orders. The drinks were made the same- all different even when ordering the same drink. We did not complain as it clearly was not the servers fault. We will remember the manager pretty much insulted all previous patrons which includes a lot of people with boats and money and laughs. Although he wanted to focus on Families, I saw no more or any security or extra security around the water so do not expect extra safety for your children and there may have been but I didn't notice an expanded children's menu. I think the prices may have been higher too. Enjoy the new Knotted Marina and bring your own music you may not see any of your favorite oldskool bands. I normally get a Togo meal to bring home. I did not this trip. The manager may not have known he was talking to one of the bands that previously played there. I really used to love this place. We shall see read more

The service is much to be desired. There was a sign at the door, "Please wait be seated". Waited, no acknowledgement; however, other patrons were greeted at the door. Decided not to let this discourage me. Ordered food. Guess how many times I was asked, how the food was or would you like another drink refill. ZERO. read more

Finally open for "boat/lake" season!!! Expect to sit at Your table for a bit before being greeted or even "I'll be right with you." We just wanted a beer and app after docking. But we sat and sat as THREE servers walked by. Nothing said, not a peep. Pretty disappointing. Wish we had just gone to bar then sat at a table. Will we return? Probably because our boat is there. Will we make it a point to return? Probably not. It's loud, but it's outdoors, there's music etc. nothing unexpected. Can't comment on food because we waited forever for a beer we decided to pay as soon as we finally got a drink. Hopefully as the weather continues to warm up and more people come they will get in a better rhythm. read more

Great spot on the West Side of Columbia on Lake Murray - Chapin, SC. 2 outdoor covered bars with views of the marina. Food is classic bar and grill --- fried! There are salads and other offerings. Love music and docks for drive up boat access. Chill ass spot!! read more

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No need for us to return. Menu is pretty limited, food is average/decent, but prices for food and drinks is inflated. The 4 of us had a total of 6 drinks, 1 appetizer, 3 plates, and with tip, our bill was around $185 (and the drinks, btw, were not strong). If it was reasonably priced, I'd reconsider but with $9 for a basket of fries and most sandwiches around $17, we won't return. There are better options on the lake with larger menus that are less expensive, and have better service. read more

Great food & great atmosphere‼ food is fabulous‼ location is amazing‼ service is always great & speedy ‼

Awesome lakeside boating stop! Good food, clean bathrooms, pleasant quick service. Catfish Plate read more

Catfish johnny's - a smoothie in a plastic cup - Seafood Near Me - Chapin, South Carolina

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Awesome late Sunday Lunch with friends. Catfish Johnny's is JPeters, they just haven't completed the name change yet. The best JPETERS we have eaten at. Great food, view and service. Will be back!!! read more

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Came for a pre-dinner drink by the water and was not disappointed! Bar staff was friendly and the on-site band provided the perfect ambience to bring the day to a close. Try the frozen mudslide! Thanks! read more

Catfish johnny's - Mudslide and pina colada - Seafood Near Me - Chapin, South Carolina

Our favorite place on Lake Murray! 10oz burgers, great portions and kids meals. Live bands on the weekend is a plus. Great friendly staff, fair prices, accessible by land or water. Lake Murray NEEDS more fabulous establishments like this place! Great business models can be found in Missouri on Lake Of The Ozarks, aka: LOTO read more

Catfish johnny's - Pet friendly - Seafood Near Me - Chapin, South Carolina

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We only had drinks. Great and attentive servers at the bar. The location is great right on the water. Lots of boat traffic coming and going. Loud music was playing but the band was enjoyable. read more

1-star for location on the water 1-star for live music 0-stars for food. Soooo if you want good food go next door to the Rusty Anchor as Catfish Johnny's has a very limited menu which consists of 99% fried foods. AND Stay away from the Chicken Nachos (microwaved chix, stale chips, BBQ sauce, and liquid cheese for $13 wow). My wife got the fried catfish and the fries were best part of her dish. Table next to us ordered a burger that had to be re-cooked. read more

Lot of fun. My wife had the boom boom shrimp wrap, which she found delicious, and my chicken fingers were very good. Very limited menu, but the location and atmosphere are great. Service was very good, even though it was packed. Has become our go-to place on the lake. read more

Love this place! The food is decent but the music and atmosphere is nice. Will go again.

Arrived at 7pm, it was crowded but managed to get a table around 7:15. Got a drink order in and they arrived in a decent amount of time. Ordered food and 2 more virgin drinks. These drinks took over 30 minutes to arrive. Other people arrived, were seated and their food came out before ours ever did. Had to speak to a manager that gave the typical BS that they were under staffed, blah blah. Yeah I get it, but that doesn't explain why other tables arrived way after we did and got their food before us. Manager was extremely rude only saying that she didn't know why it was taking so long,, no help at all and just walked away. Overall it took them over an hour and a half for us to get our food, with no apology. Nothing complicated, just fried shrimp and flounder. Food was decent but service was horrible read more

I'll never come here again. As a former bartender, I realize how hard the bar staff works. I placed my order, gave a very generous tip, and bought the two bartenders shots for the effort. Aaron charged me for the drinks, accepted the tip, and told me that he wouldn't take the offering. I understand some places won't let you accept on the clock (bs) but when I was about to leave, it would have been courteous to at least been offered a drink since it was cheaper than the two shots that I bought. Food is great, mixed drinks are alright, but the bar culture is trash. Don't go here, Liberty at least appreciates a buyback. read more

We have been here twice in the last two months. Only downside is the hours. They are not open every day of the week. First time we drove there and ate under the pavilion. The second time we drove the pontoon over and ate down on the patio in the shade with our dog. They were very nice to the pet...even though we brought our own water and food. They did bring down a water bucket. The seafood quesadilla are pretty good. The catfish plate is very good with a choice of sides. Service was okay. Never were asked for refills. They have a slate of entertainers throughout the season. Can be a bit loud on the ground level and patio. Don't expect to hear a conversation. read more

Catfish johnny's - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Chapin, South Carolina

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We were visiting friends who wanted to show us the fun atmosphere on Lake Murray. We were especially excited about the live music. When we arrived, the place was hopping and everyone was having a good time. It was a mix of people coming in off their boats and people who drove to the location by car. Tables can be hard to come by but we lucked up and someone who was about to leave caught our eye and gave us their table as they were leaving. It was about 7:45 and our server told us we needed to quickly make our decisions on food because the kitchen was closing at 8. I'm assuming these are altered hours due to COVID19? We ordered a few drinks, the kids ordered soft drinks, and we placed our food order. We waited for about 10 minutes on drinks. The frozen cocktails were fabulous, so yummy and very generous portions. We were enjoying the live music and didn't really notice what time had passed until our kids started complaining about being hungry. An hour and a half later, we finally received a few of our meals. Two people in our party had completely finished their food, while the rest waited. We finally approached the bar and asked where a food was. A young guy sternly told us the kitchen was closed. We assured him, we knew that but had placed our order prior to it closing. He said he would check on it. A few minutes later, our server came back and told us she was trying to get our food. An hour and a half for things like corn dogs and wings, that fry in under ten minutes is absolutely ridiculous! When the food did arrive, it was hot and delicious but I would never come here for dinner again. Drinks and atmosphere, definitely! Our server was very friendly and helpful but clearly overwhelmed and embarrassed by the slow kitchen. The location was easy to find, there was plenty of parking, it is a working marina so be aware of that. The parking lot is gravel and dining is outside so dress accordingly. read more

Today, it was just okay food. If the bread is old, butter and grill it. The fried flounder was cooked correctly and the fries were great. We'll go back and try it again in a few weeks. We've had too many good meals there to give up. The band was great and the Margaritas were great. read more

Come for the frozen drinks, catfish and live music. We went during the pandemic and felt comfortable because it's all outdoors.

Love this lakefront joint. Perfect place for a beer, appetizer, live music or just watching the boats. Crab wonton nachos were surprisingly great as well! read more

So so so so so so sad!!!!!!! We waited 1 hour to order and then over another hour for the food. It is June 2nd, a Tuesday, not even summer season! What are they going to do???? read more

Experience was a 10 Food was a 7 Service was a 10 I enjoyed my time more than the food. Little heavy on the fried side for me personally. But taste was great. I enjoyed the ambiance, there was a band who wasn't half bad!!! They played great songs, the vibes with the other customers were great and people were talking and hanging out! I'll for sure go back just to have fun and appetizers read more

Well any restaurant on Lake Murray gets at least three stars because of the view. The wait staff was super nice, the food we had tasted good. BUT...the menu is very limited. No real entrees. Just fried bar food and sandwiches. If you are looking for drinks and bar food, check it out. If you want to go out to dinner, skip it. read more

Great place, food, decor, and drinks. They also have live music. And 2 bars (upper and lower). And an upper and lower deck seating as well. read more