We stopped for lunch on a road trip. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious. Our server, Emma, was delightful. She put up with us being a bit over the top! Wish I could get catfish like that back home! read more

The service was top notch. Everyone was extremely nice and polite. Catfish was amazing, loved the fried greebeans, most of the sides were virtually tateless. Fried okra was fair but tasted frozen read more

This very hidden establishment brings great service and taste and a welcoming environment. The place has fun decor and fantastic catfish. Bathrooms were clean and stocked and our waitress, Paige, was very attentive and knowledgeable of the area. Food was hot and tasty and portions great size. Definitely a stop in Lebanon. read more

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It has been a bit since I have visited this establishment. So, I went back and I believe that they have new owners and a new menu. Everything was good but I do have a few observations. The sweet tea was very watered down, I could see right through it. Very little taste. The Brisket sandwich was very good. A little on the cold side. The loaded backed potato was good but, also on the room temperature side, the glob of butter wasn't even trying to melt at the temperature. The bacon bit was very few as well. For the price that I was charged I would expect better quality and prepared food. The service was really good. read more

Went to Dowds for the first time in a while. Fish was still good. Pinto beans were killer. Okra was frozen Okra -no surprise. (Try the fried pickles.) The place was ICE cold. Everyone in the place was cold -including the server -who was not super friendly. (We all have tough days!) I will go back. read more

It's not always easy to find a place with great food and easy to take kids. Our 1.5 year old loved our waitress and our waitress was so sweet with her! Warm environment. Amazing service and delicious catfish. Really loved the cornbread and pinto beans too. We will definitely be coming back. read more

I'm a little torn on how to proceed with this review. On one hand Dowds is exactly the type of place I like visiting, Rustic, old farm / cabin type decor, wood everywhere, cool decorations, fishing gear, etc. The waitress was also great but that is unfortunately the majority of the highlights. Food: I ordered the 6 pc catfish (half spicy) with fries, onion rings, and cheesy corn. The spicy pieces were fried fresh, super hot (temp) but the standard pieces were barely warm. This was at 5:00 pm on a Thursday btw. Not quite prime time, but also not really in the low between lunch and dinner. Speaking of which, the place was empty. Literally there was only one other couple there when we arrived, and it stayed that way until we were about to leave when a few more people arrived. I would have thought an award winning catfish place would be busier than this... Anyway, the fish was good. Actually it was the only thing that i would rate as "good." The cheesy corn was completely flavorless. I mean ZERO flavor. The Hushpuppies that came with the fish were cold inside and had the jalapeno taste without any jalapeno pieces present. The fries were okay, but the portion size was miniscule, and the onion rings were decent. Overall the meal was just disappointing. My guest had a similar negative experience with his. Three measly slices of smoked turkey, a terrible tasting sour coleslaw, and pinto beans that looked pretty rough but he said were decent. Also the garnish on his plate was huge chunks of raw onion. What? Bottom line... Dowds seems to have a decent handle on catfish as it was pretty good, especially the freshly fried spicy pieces I received. Unfortunately that may be the only food they excel at. The decor is great if you like the country / rustic vibe and the server was very friendly and attentive. Truthfully, however, I do not think I will be back. read more

Food was great...all of it! My husband and I killed the whole plate Very steakhouse-y feel...old school music was playing and the tables have ads on them lol Our server, Sierra, was efficient and sweet. We were just passing through but wanted to bookmark it since we make this trip quite a bit. We will be back read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Papa combo - pulled pork, turkey and catfish with fried okra, green beans and cheesy corn - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

Very nice staff! Left my phone and at table and staff member came out to me in the parking lot to give me my phone back! Great food too!

Amazing catfish dinner. Great customer service. Been going here for years and love it.

UPDATE YOUR ONLINE HOURS, PLEASE! Closed Monday and Tuesday I planned my stay in Lebanon to have dinner here. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Online Lies - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

What a fun restaurant discovery on our way home. Fun decor, reasonably priced, nice size portions and great menu selection. Our party of four, all enjoyed something different and we were all happy with our choices. Our waitress Delaney was very attentive! Would definitely visit again! read more

Found out about this place from my nephew, so had to visit and give the place a try. I pulled up right after they opened and I was the first person that walked in lol.... got seated in one of the party rooms in the back. I had reviewed the menu few times before coming here and I went with the following: - tried to get the fried pickle, but they were out, got the fried mushroom - 4 pcs catfish lunch combo that comes with 3 sides - by default, it comes with pinto beans, slaw and one additional side of your choice - I went with green beans - Papa combo - which is 3 meats and 3 sides, went with ribs, sausage, turkey and rice and beans, green beans and bbq beans Fried Mushroom - skip it, just a filler. They were hot on the outside, but few of them were still cold after you bit into it. Catfish - I would recommend you stick to the catfish as this place is known of it. It was perfectly fried, the fish was moist, seasoned perfectly and very good by itself. Ribs - the ribs were good, perfectly flavored and the meat fell off the bones. Would recommend the ribs. Turkey Breast - it was decent, but it dried out quickly unfortunately. Sausage - was too salty. Had few slices and that was it. BBQ Beans - if you like them sweet, then this is for you. Pinto beans - had a bit of sour taste, maybe its from vinegar, but couldn't really tell. Greenbeans were decent, the slaw was good and was surprised by the rice and beans, it was actually good. They only had two types of bbq sauce - mild and hot, I got the mild and I was not a fan. Overall, come here for the catfish for sure!! read more

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This is really good food! I did not try the barbecue but I've had the catfish a few times and it's fabulous. It comes with lots of attractive side dishes, too (Green beans, pinto beans, slaw). The ambience is very simple-kind of like a farmhouse with wooden tables. Lots of families come here and that seems to work out well for them. The service was super fast and efficient. I couldn't believe how quickly I got my food so that makes me think it's waiting in the kitchen to be served. I wonder how long ago it was cooked? It still tasted fine The only part of the meal that I did not care for where the hush puppies. To me these are tasteless lumps of dough and not worth eating. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Catfish dinner from the senior menu. It was delicious! - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

I ordered the senior catfish dinner with green beans, fries, and coleslaw. It was excellent. The catfish is pounded very thin so don't expect a real meaty piece of catfish. The four pieces was more than enough to fill me up. I really appreciate it that it was not greasy. The service was very fast, and the food was hot. The servers were personable. I will definitely eat in this restaurant again when I pass through Lebanon. read more

Ok, I have now eaten here several times. I decided to wait on the review to see if they had any variation in the service and food. Yes, I'm an engineer! This gem has hit home runs every visit and I have switched up my dinners as they have so many option. Catfish is some of the best I have had anywhere. Excellent steaks cooked they way I ordered it. Juicy and thick. Hush puppy's, cold slaw, Texas toast. I could go on and on. When I am in this town for a week I hit this one two or three times and never disappointed. The girls serving here also do a great job. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Outside, at night - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

The best Catfish and BBQ in the area! The location is welcoming and comfortable and the service was great! We love this place, definitely a 5 star rating!!!!! read more

If you don't mind fly's in your food ! Can't imagine what the kitchen looks like? Could not wait to get out without paying!!!

This was recommended by Route 66 publications and blogs as the "must go-to" when in Lebanon. So I fell for the hype...and that was fine! Whenever I go to BBQ-type places I usually get the combo, like with two meats. Here I got the catfish and pulled pork with two sides. Came with buttered toast. I should have gotten a baked potato, but instead I got the baked potato salad (which is an upcharge, but hey I was on vacation, had to splurge, blah blah...). The baked potato salad was okay, as was the fries. But the meats were good. Wish there would have been a better selection of sauces, but I understand most places don't have them out because of the pandemic. Speaking of which, I was the ONLY person wearing a mask in there. Not even the workers were wearing one. But oh well. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Pulled pork and catfish plate - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

I ordered a Brisket Sandwich. It was dry and cold on my first bite. I asked for the spicy bbq sauce that they offer. There really wasn't any spice and it was super sweet. Overall a cold and flavorless meal. I had 1 bite of my father's fried shrimp and it was better than my entire meal. Thats the reason it gets 3 stars and not 2. Staff was kind. Maybe i just ordered the wrong thing. BBQ is in the name and i thought i couldn't go wrong. Good luck if you give it a try! read more

Th catfish was okay, but nothing else impressed, and certainly not the service. Our waitress was quick to seat us, ignore us and then just disappear until we had to find another waitress to ask for our check. At the front counter when we went to pay three young ladies were sitting around shooting the breeze while dutifully ignoring us with all their might while I cleared my throat until I finally had to straight up interrupt them and ask to pay so we could split. You'll get better service from your kids make believe restaurant as they play with their easy bake oven, so maybe try that for lunch instead. read more

ICE COLD Beer I ordered the 4 piece Spicy Catfish with Green Beens, BBQ beans and coleslaw. Catfish was FRESH and tasted good. BBQ Beans and Coleslaw tasted homemade. Green Beans were good. Tarter sauce was ok. I am a OVER THE ROAD TRUCK DRIVER and walked to here from 1/2 mile away. Definitely worth the walk. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

Very good Catfish! Doesn't have a ton of breading on it like some restaurants make it. The same for the huge pieces of fried shrimp. The grilled shrimp and sauce were excellent. read more

I've eaten at Dowd's several times in the last few years with my husband's family. Dowd's speciality is catfish (obviously) and I've had my fair share! The catfish is pretty good, very consistent. My husband gets the spicy but it's not really too spicy. I have gotten burgers, catfish and chicken tenders and all have been good. The best thing about this place is the amount of food you get with each meal. I recently got the chicken tenders and it came with 2 sides and Texas toast. Many of the catfish meals come with 3 sides. Some of the sides are a little bland (Cole slaw and beans) but their other sides like fried okra and hush puppies are delicious. We have also done the family packs which are a really great deal with tons of food. I recommend everyone try this place at least once. It's not going to change your life but it is going to be a good plate of food! Friendly service and good food! read more

Oooooooooooh man. This place was the bomb! My husband and I were driving through towards northwest Arkansas. On our trip up we had a terrible food experience (clearly not at Dowd's!) so we decided to find something ahead of time on our route. We decided that Dowd's looked good and decided to stop in. I got a side salad and picked off my husbands plate. Both our salads were incredibly fresh, crisp and delicious! My husband got catfish with chicken and fried shrimp, cheese corn, and a side salad. He LOVED the shrimp most of all, but he said everything was amazing. We weren't a fan of the corn, but it was exactly what it said it was, we just weren't fans. We did end up ordering a hush puppy basket. I was a bit disappointed at the regular hush puppies. They weren't crispy and they were kind of chewy. I loved the jalapeño hush puppies, they were fried to perfection. Everything I love in a hushpuppy, just wish the regulars had been made the same way! We will 110% be back, we come through every few months and this is a great 1/2 way spot. So glad we found Dowd's!! read more

I stopped here while out riding my motorcycle with some friends. They atmosphere is great and service was attentive and fast. I ordered the lunch combo with catfish and shrimp. It came with two types of hush puppies (both great) a chicken strip and a choice of side. I got the fries. It also came with pinto beans and Coleslaw. I loved the pinto beans. The coleslaw was good. The catfish, shrimp, and chicken were cooked to perfection. Great lunch deal at $10.99. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Lunch combo. - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

I'm not a fried catfish expert but I found the tender, moist, and lightly breaded catfish filets to be fried to perfection. If you are on I-44 or paralleling it on the historic 66 then I recommend you stopping here to try the catfish. The kitschy decor adds to the ambiance / experience. read more

I'm done and it's sad this is the 10th and last time. This review is over a year's worth of going and it being the same each month! We always buy meals to bring home we both get the same catfish dinner 12 pc fried okra, fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. The catfish use to just melt in your mouth now the ends are so hard sometimes you get pcs that almost more than half the pc is hard. The fish is tough and rubbery. If you're lucky you get a thick meaty pc. Most are thin. Forget most sides we try different sides fries are super salty but have taste. Beans you have to favor, fried okra is hit or miss, coleslaw lately is horrible. Corn and green beans hit and miss. I've had frozen in the middle cottage cheese. Let's just say forget about the sides,they were put on the map over the catfish. It became really sad the day my daughter took me for Chinese food and I had the best catfish I'd had in years reminded me how Dowd's use to be! I stopped eating in because last time I did the table was sticky and the poor girl couldn't keep up with everyone. So it's nicer at home anyway. The place looks good how they decorate but that doesn't make the food taste any better. I think ppl forgive a lot or just keep coming back hoping it'll go back to the way it was that's what we did. But we're done. read more

I called in order for pick up and they said the green beans didn't have meat in it so I ordered it and cheesy corn and potato salad. Turned out all the sides had meat in it. Even the potato salad had bacon in it. Everyone doesn't like meat or bacon, they should let people know Whats in the food by writing it on the menu read more

Fabulous service, fabulous food and a fun atmosphere. They are known for their fried catfish and smoked meats. They have a huge menu. Husband got 3 meats - he chose Catfish fillets, a large sausage link and 2 ribs. It came with 3 sides of his choice from a huge list - he got fried okra, slaw and a cheesy corn casserole. I had coconut shrimp with in-house made Peña colada sauce, baked potato with in-house ranch dressing, the cheesy corn too and it came with hush puppies. The food was amazing. So good we are going back next week - it's an hour away and worth the trip. I think the meal cost us about $40. There are all kinds of options to pick from. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Coconut Shrimp Dinner - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

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I wouldn't go there if you are hungry. Ordered the Turkey dinner and it was about 2 ounces. Flavor wasn't bad but a little dry. The bbq beans were not good, it tasted more like a poor attempt at making chili. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Turkey "platter". - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

Service was great, parking was flat and plenty of it, and the food was delicious. We got the lunch combo platter and the green beans are amazing! Catfish and shrimp were both delicious but the chicken was over cooked. We will definitely eat here again next time we are in Lebanon. I would say it is kid and family friendly and they have a cute little t-shirt collection by the registers for vacationers. read more

Amazing Catfish and the steak was cooked better, Med rare, then I have seen in a long time, even better then a steakhouse, it just melted in your mouth. The waitress was very attentive and checked on us periodically to make sure we were not in need of anything. The decor had my husband looking all over the place just to make sure he didn't miss anything. Worth the stop on our way back to Indy from Texas. read more

First time going, prob the last. Was not impressed with the food at all. Best thing about the meal was the fried pickles (appetizer).

Twenty years ago, the STANDARD of the region (not quite as good as old Plumbers in Booger County......but nothing was. Then......management changed to folks that did NOT care about quality or service. THIN, undercooked fillets became the standard, catering to truckers and other tourists who would never come back. Now the locals have reasons not to bother. read more

Timed our trip to Table Rock Lake perfectly to take advantage of a catfish lunch at Dowd's. It was busier than I expected, with somewhat of a wait. Not much to say except, fried catfish, fritters, slaw and pinto beans were perfect. Fried catfish at Dowd's is way more reliable than the 33% dirty catfish at Cracker Barrell. Service was a little slow. Kind of a drag that the men's urinal was out of service, and I nearly wet my pants while some little leaguer was playing video games in the stall. read more

Order was stuck to my cheese on my loaded baked potato. Insude tge container.very bad. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

Delicious food and great service in a fun atmosphere. Portions were just right as was the price. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Chicken tenders, pinto beans, hush puppies, slaw and cheesy corn - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

Wife ordered the catfish I ordered the 12oz ribeye the catfish was just ok, but the steak was one of the worst ribeyes I have ever had it was overcooked and it was a very thin cut (didn't even look like a ribeye) the sides were on the salty side and the tarter sauce was bland I definitely don't recommend this place and will not be going back! read more

This is a good place to stop off the highway if you're craving some fried catfish or shrimp. read more

Dowd's Catfish and BBQ - Catfish Fillets, Fried Okra, cheesy corn, Cole Slaw - American Near Me - Lebanon, Missouri

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