Tried them while traveling. I have them saved so i can see them again on my next trip.

Catfish was hot, fresh and very well seasoned!!! We definitely will stop here again!!!!

Food was not cooked right and they blamed me and told me next time ask for it fried hard... fried soft or not this is not cooked. Attitudes are out of this world here I get it's work and nobody likes work but if I'm being polite and you return it with attitude it's just not a place I would want to come to anymore. read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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The customer service here is horrendous. I was served cold, hard, overcooked chicken that refused to accept. The cashier was rudely yelled at by the manager as she tried to explain the issue. I told them I would sit and wait for fresh food with no issue. The manager the touched the chicken and proceeded to tell me nothing is wrong with it and I should accept it. Why would I accept an awful batch of food plus being touched by unwashed hands?! This place has went downhill. I haven't even tasted the new batch but I will 100% never be back. Horrible! read more

Always hot, fresh food. Great service! I stop here whenever I'm in the area. Always better than whatever's across the street at Loves. read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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perfect fried chicken with the right amount of zesty flavor perfect fried chicken with the right amount of zesty flavor read more

Delicious! The best catfish I've ever had! Great service and nice environment! I highly recommend it!

We stopped at Mel's on the way home to Florida, so we are not regular customers. (So definitely consider this a point in time review and may not be the experience every day.) We enjoyed the fried chicken on the bone and fried catfish a great deal and the fried okra was yummy. We tried the fried corn on the cob, but it was not good. The dirty rice was bland but my husband enjoyed his red beans and rice. The bigger issue was that the dining room was in need of cleaning, which is always concerning. Would consider coming back, but would definitely stick to the chicken and fish. read more

Y'all this food is bomb! 10/10 would recommend. The service is great, the people around are friendly, and man oh man fresh food. The place is fresh and spacious! The seating chairs and tables are for all group sizes Grab your friends or family and grab a bite. We had the Catfish, the chicken, the tenders, the slaw, red beans and rice, fried Okra. All very delicious read more

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We were on the road traveling east. We stop for fuel. The place absolutely smelled wonderful so we went in to who eat- whoa! This was excellent food Coming back west - we made it a point to stop here and eat lunch again. Lord this is good. I'm originally from Los Angeles- I don't usually eat catfish; but this fish was beyond excellent! It's some of the best fish I've EVER had. This is now on our regular stops to eat when we travel east or west on I20. As retired Los Angeles police, when cops eat here - you know the place is good. Two state troopers came in and sat down for lunch. That's a big seal of approval We got food to go to eat later as we traveled! We had catfish, shrimp and fries. Wonderful. The red beans and rice are to die for. read more

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Get the 5 Piece Dark, dirty rice and an Arnold Palmer. Chicken was lightly breaded, crisp, chicken was cooked when ordered. About as good as you can get. Rice had a light kick. $8.99. You will tell your Grandkids about this one. read more

It was ok, rolls were definitely store bought we tried it bc we were hungry and I wanted fried catfish and I couldn't decide so I had to try both. The dirty rice had a nice kick of heat but really not much flavor. I'm not from Louisiana but Popeyes is way better lol. So I'm sorry I had to give them a 3 star rating. They were quick though so it worked bc we just wanted to get back on the Highway. read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - a bag of chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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Very disappointed with food today. Chicken was salty (bone in). Fries and okra were both only warm and tasted as though they had been under warmer for a while. Prices on Yelp need to be updated drastically. read more

The chicken has a great taste but the fries or any sides you lack seasoning and flavor, the customer service isn't anything to write home about, not awful but not really good either read more

Located at a truck stop off the interstate, Mel's serves up some of the best, piping hot, Cajun fried, farm raised catfish around. It was a perfect lunch to keep me fueled for a trip across the South. I had the fried catfish dinner which came with two sides. Order at the counter and they call you when yours is ready. The place was busy; clearly a favorite lunch spot for the locals who know a good deal when they taste it. Spacious room to dine in or feel free to carry out. I liked the never ending sweetened (or not) Iced Tea. Plenty of parking. Worth a stop when you have that craving for good Cajun fried catfish (or chicken). read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - Catfish Dinner - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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The food is good, but when your posted time to close is 6, that's what time you should close. Many days I've come by at 5 (4:45 today) and the doors were locked and they were cleaning up. I watched 3 other people try to go in today, but had to leave. That's missed revenue and false advertisement. I'm not wasting my gas or time after work anymore. On to the next restaurant. read more

Just passing through. Glad we stopped. We got the fried catfish and shrimp. Mashed potatoes and red beans and rice. AMAZING!! Staff was friendly and food was soooo good. Restaurant was very clean. Wished i lived closer. But will definitely stop next time i come through this area. read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - Restaurant sign. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

These people that run this place are so very kind and appreciative of your business. Locally owned. Free ice cream if you dine in. My chicken thighs were crispy and juice on the inside. Great flavor. read more

Sweet little joint that you can pop into when filling up your gas tank. The employees were so friendly and lovely and had such great customer service. I was on the road so I didn't want any chicken or fish or fries----I just wanted what has become synonymous with Louisiana, for me---boudin balls. Ya betta pronounce that correctly, ya hear? (Google it). I thought these were alright. They hit the spot. But I would have LOVED to see a bit more flavor and a bit more of a kick to it, that I've become accustom to when partaking if Cajun food. Oh well. It will definitely hit the spot if you choose to partake. :) read more

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Tried the catfish, shrimp and chicken all very good and they drop it in the fryer right when you order. Sides we tried were fries- really good. Mashed potatoes and gravy- really good and the dirty rice-really good. Sweet tea was also good. Just passing through Louisiana and wanted exactly what they served while we were there. Got it. Also staff very nice read more

Nice little "hole in the wall" . Small mom and pop place , but good fast fried food and friendly service. Lots of regulars getting the fried chicken , but hubby and I both got the seafood basket with different sides. We'd go back if in the area. read more

Hands down one of the bust fried chicken spots I've tried. I had the fried catfish and 2 chicken piece dinner it was awesome , they have something called dirty rice that was good. They have some boudin ball appetizers that are really good as well in general everything was good. read more

Chicken is good. The sides are nasty. No flavor; taste like hot watered nothing...lol.. If they do better with the sides they would be awesome. Choose fries as your or you'll be disappointed. read more

I'll give 3 stars because the customer service is very good and the manager herself who calls herself "grandma" is cool!! Only turn off from this place is the portion size...I was born in the country so I know my catfish; particularly 2 pieces of their catfish is equivalent to 1 piece of fish cut in half to form 2 pieces...kinda disappointing due to the fact I've been to many Louisiana spots where 1 piece is a whole fish...for $11 I'd actually like 5 pieces instead of 2 1/2....but other than that food is seasoned well and pretty good. read more

OMG Louisiana farm raised catfish. The best EVER! Mel's is just off of the I-20 with plenty of ample parking even for trucks. Don't miss this gem. Everything on the menu will knock your socks off. Spacious clean atmosphere and a very friendly staff and they are fast service with reasonable prices. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. read more

Mel's Cajun Fried Chicken & Catfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

Choose another stop. This place needs to drop the "Cajun" in their name. Nothing about this place is Cajun. Used to live in South Louisiana and I truly understand the joke of not eating Cajun north of I-10. The dirty rice was bland, frozen boudin balls that were mushy, and the portions of catfish and chicken strips are very small for the price. The only thing they have going for them is the fried chicken. Recommend they just serve fried chicken so that the "Cajun" experience isn't misrepresented. read more

This place is really good! I highly recommend it. Everything I have tasted so far has been ridiculously good (fried chicken, fries, dirty rice, and red beans and rice). read more

This place is great, friendly service, great tasting food and a terrific value. Mel's beats ANY fast food place around. Stop in and order the special, you will be glad you did. Home cooking that is great! read more

Everything they make is delicious! My favorite is the chicken strips with gravy...they are lip smacking good! Their fried apple pies are also great! read more

Mel's is the real deal. We tried catfish po boys, fried catfish, apple pies, and fried chicken. Everything was great. They provided excellent service with a smile and brought us complimentary ice cream. The place was clean and the food was good. Also, we're not sure what was in the fountain drinks, but they were magically delicious! read more

Haven't had food yet BUT the restrooms were surprisingly disgusting. 2 of 3 urinals were broken and it was stained with urine. One of the toilets was randomly flushing ever 10secs or so. A sink was doing the same thing. Plus the sink's were so dirty it almost seemed better to not wash my hands. It's all automatic, so no one touches them... hard to understand how they got so dirty. Floors were gross too. It was honestly kinda scary in there. Made walking out into the relatively clean store seem like escaping the grip of death. read more

Great food and great prices. Very convenient located right off the highway. Very friendly staff! Highly recommended!

Love this place. First time it was hard to find because the address is wrong. It's actually off of exit 49 in with the gas station. The fried chicken here is soooooo good. I love the hint of hot sauce hidden under the fried part. The fries are great and so are the mashed potatoes with gravy of course. I haven't had their fish but I bet it is as tasty as the chicken. The place is clean and so are the restrooms. Oh, and don't let me forget to tell you how good their sweet tea tastes. This place is legit! If you are just driving by you should make a pit stop. That's how I found this place and I just came back on my way across the state. Do yourself a favor and give this place a try. You won't be disappointed! read more

Chicken was fantastic. Chicken strips were fantastic. Red beans and rice single serving was not enough. The gravy tasted like chicken soup and was eaten like soup. Thank you Mel !! read more

I got the chicken strips , should be six.They were six bites ,look like crumbs . I was very upset at the size of strip,it was not even enough for a small child. I come from chatham and will not go that far for the small amount ,The bite size chicken was a disapointment. very unhappy person here. I think it had to be a mistake .? read more

This place is the absolute best!!! My husband always orders the chicken strips and gravy. I'm a fan of everything on the menu, but I always go back to the Cajun fried chicken. The food it outstanding and the service is even better! You are welcomed with a friendly smile with a staff that makes you feel like they appreciate your business.... not at all what you would expect in a fast food restaurant. This is a family own restaurant that makes you feel like part of their family. Love it!!!! read more

Best little chicken joint around, owner is very outgoing and friendly. Great bunch of people, they prefer u dine in that way u get dinner and a show(lol). I'll be back. read more

Can't say enough good things about Mel's! Friendly employees, quick service, and delicious food. The gravy was out of this world. Perfect stop to fill up on gas and get great Cajun style chicken. Can't wait to come back to Mel's! read more