A little drive for us but well worth the time. The Louisiana feel of the restaurant is great with Lake Maurepas out the windows, friendly staff, usually easy parking. Best thin fried catfish in the world. Typically quick to the table hot and delicious, also love their slaw. If you only go down once in a lifetime it will be worth it ! Give them a try ! You won't regret it ! read more

The food was great as always. We visited by boat just for a different experience. The docks had many tied up but we found room. Staff was pleasant as always. We mostly had the thin fried catfish, a favorite, but got some extra hush puppies and onion rings to start. Add some cold beer and iced tea and it made for a great Sunday afternoon experience. read more

As good today as the first time we stopped 20 years ago. We know that there are restaurants struggling from COVID but not Middendorf's! The staff is excellent and the food delicious. We stopped for dinner on a Saturday, the restaurant was busy but we were seated right away. The portions are huge and so much more than we could eat so we took it home - thin fried catfish is really good on Day 2! The catfish is fried to perfection as is the flounder and the sides are wonderful as well. The staff is just so attentive and friendly - we love patronizing a restaurant that is so well run and we'll be back soon. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Fried Whole Flounder - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

I used to like Middendorf's a lot when I was younger, but I recently went back after a long time and just wasn't very impressed. First, I wish they had more seafood options that aren't fried and second, I think they're menu is a little overpriced. I ordered a fried shrimp and oyster platter, which was okay, but didn't have much shrimp or oysters for the close to $20 I paid for it. Other than that, the service is great and I also had a tasty cup of gumbo that was reasonably priced. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Crab & Shrimp Gumbo! - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

See all

The food is always good at Middenorf's. Great service and a very nice atmosphere. In good weather they even have outdoor seating over the water. I had the oyster Po'boy! Great tasting, smaller oysters which I prefer when they are fried. I also had the crab gumbo, which was a disappointment. The only crab in the gumbo was a crab claw and half body. They gave me a claw breaker but I wasn't prepared to have to get down and dirty with a crab. The rest of the tomato based gumbo had soft seasonings but no crab meat to be found. All in all it's a great place to eat and if your looking for a great road trip then this is the place. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Crab gumbo - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

I think that Middendorf's has a lot of nostalgia for the people that have been going here for years, especially with it getting flooded (more than once) and having to relocate. Overhearing the conversations around me, it was clear that many people had driven quite a ways to get here, and for many, it was their favorite restaurant. I like places with a story and a history, so that made Middendorf's immediately interesting to me. Being a first timer, I didn't quite have the enthusiasm of those around me, including those in my party. For them, it was a planned stop on the drive from Natchez to New Orleans that they make every year. I went with the fried catfish since I was told that they do it the best, and that this is the only place that you can get catfish fried as thinly as they do it here. The large, which I split, was a LOT of catfish and didn't leave room for much else in my stomach. The gumbo and turtle soup looked good, so if I had room I might have tried to squeeze some in. The catfish was good - not the best thing that I've ever had in my life, but I also have nothing to compare it to. It just may be the best thin fried catfish in the world and I wouldn't know it. I'm definitely glad that I tried it and I would get it again, though I'm not sure that I'd drive an hour out of my way to do it. Lots of people would, and do, though. read more

See all

Food was great. Service was fabulous. The wife and I have watched the movie The Secret: Dare To Dream a couple of times. We often travel within 30 or so miles of Middendorf's as we drive through Louisiana. Glad we stopped. Although ownership has changed hands since the movie, the atmosphere, service and food was great. read more

Fried catfish! That's it. Want something else? Go somewhere else. They may have other stuff, but not as far as I'm concerned. Best fried catfish you're gonna get. Thin cut and deep fried deliciousness. read more

Food was alright. Nothing too special about it. Got the catfish, shrimp & oyster platter. Not bad but again, nothing stood out. What did stand out was not being greeted at the door- no hello or how are you doing? 3 ladies stood at the front talking with 2 of their backs toward us for about a minute. Then when we were getting sat she just pointed and said meet another girl to get seated... it was very uncomfortable. Our server was nice and attentive. When leaving there was no goodbye or anything. No southern hospitality. Probably won't return. Sad bc we just bought a boat and we're hoping to make it a weekly visit. read more

The service was good! Catfish.. meh. Go frog legs or go home!! Fun, very relaxed atmosphere at the outside area read more

Delicious & consistent food. Favorite thin fried catfish! Prompt friendly service. Ambiance nice & very "Louisiana" décor throughout. Lots of photo ops inside & out. Highly recommend to others!! read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Thin Fried Catfish! - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

Menu options were ordinary. Place had feel of tourist trap. Restaurant was only about 1/3 to 1/2 full on a Friday night. Not a good sign and was an accurate foreshadowing Order was incorrect. Server referred back to notes when pointed out and exclaimed out-loud "Shit !!". Classy ... Food was undercooked and over-priced. Salads were straight out of grocery store. House salad was Lettuce, tomato and cucumber. No other options for toppings. Golden Corral has better atmosphere ... read more

Thank you so much for the fantastic food and accommodations for the Ponchatoula High School Class of 1978 45th Class Reunion last night. We were over 100 people and never lacked for anything. The service and attention that we received was superior and well appreciated. Thank you again!! From Susan L. Johnson and Billy Wright organizers and from the entire class of PHS 1978 read more

The thin cut catfish is like crack!!!! A must-stop for us anytime we go to New Orleans!!

Disappointing. Unexciting presentation by waitperson who could not even answer questions about the seafood. Food seemed ok, decent portion. We paid for it the next 24 hours. Bad oysters. Nice setting and relaxed atmosphere. read more

Thin fish has been good but they did something to the coleslaw. It's chopped different and has a different flavor, Don't like it. It used to be the perfect compliment to the fish. I wish restaurants wouldn't change time tested items. read more

A great restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Two visits weee both excellent. Food was only outdone by the true southern hospitality. First visit was fried shrimp cooked to perfection. Second visit were stuffed shrimp! Just wow. 15 minutes south of Hammond on I55. Don't blink or you might miss it! read more

Love this place ! Had the turtle soup and it was amazing ! Also tried the thin catfish! It was amazing !

We sat on covered deck and the breeze coming off the lake made for a perfect outdoor meal. Apps we ordered were the shrimp and crab gumbo,shrimp remoulade(shrimp were tiny but the remoulade was delicious) stuffed mushrooms(came 4 to an order, pretty good) and turtle soup Entrees were stuffed crab, fried frog legs, thin/thick catfish, fried shrimp. I personally liked the sweet cole slaw but no one else seemed to like it. The hush puppies were yummy. the stuffed crab was filled with crab meat but a little on the dry side. The batter they use on the fried food is light and fresh but no seasoning. You order your food at the counter and they call out your name when its ready. You get your own iced tea/water refills and a busser takes your dirty dishes. The atmosphere is laid back and casual. It may not be 5 star food but still worth the drive read more

See all

We live about 30 minutes away, so we had to make a special trip to dine at Middendorf's. We ordered the Crawfish Poppers, Shrimp Platter, and Broiled Stuffed Shrimp. We were very satisfied with our meal. Everything was delicious. The service was really awesome as well. The whole staff was very friendly and welcoming. I work in the food service industry, and it's no secret that right now is a really crazy time to be serving tables. With that said, I really appreciated their hospitality. Our server Stephanie took great care of us, and kept us laughing through our whole meal! We'll be asking for her the next time we stop by. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Broiled Stuffed Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

I've been coming here since childhood trips to NOLA from Missouri to see my family, it's mandatory! Today we had the seafood platter (large). Split it and still had leftovers! All of it was DELICIOUS!THANK YOU! read more

We tried this restaurant based on a recommendation. The seafood was fresh and tasted so good. I had the fried catfish and oysters and my husband had the fried shrimp. The wait staff was fantastic. It was a bit of a drive from New Orleans, but we will definitely go back. read more

WOW! Came here today for the first time with a friend who is local. I decided I had to go with their famous catfish plate. I'm glad I did! I got the small and it was plenty and I even took half home! I cannot imagine what the large is like! The staff were super friendly too! And the views! I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Not a fan at all. Service was lacking, the food is very bland, and it's way over priced. The interior is decorated well, and is very clean keeping the rating at 2 stars. While the waitress was very friendly, she couldn't handle 2 tables at once. The fish quality seemed to be lacking as well as the batter seasoning. The hushpuppies were decent sized, crispy, but again, lacking flavor. Especially for the price, Middendorf's is not worth the stop. read more

See all

Wasn't greeted upon entering, no one welcomed us or said hello, first interaction was hostess who looked up and said "how many?" Ordered fried seafood - shrimp was mostly undercooked and peeling were left on many. Waitress was nice but very slow for the underwhelming crows. Didn't refill drinks or return to ask if we needed anything. Had to ask to speak to manager regarding food quality- said thank you but no discount applied or offered. The food was mostly unedible. read more

Don't get me wrong, I like the place -- I like the atmosphere, the thin-cut fish, and especially the softshell crabs and the bbq oysters. BUT -- I was very disappointed on my recent visit when I ordered the "White Chocolate Pecan Pie" for dessert and was instead given a slice of pecan pie with COCONUT CREAM on the top. It was obviously not white chocolate and it was very upsetting that they'd try to "put one over" on a customer like that. read more

I got the seafood platter and wasn't impressed on anything but the quantity and the fried oysters. I didnt enjoy the stuffed crab and while the catfish had a good texture since it was thin fried as advertised there wasn't a whole lot of flavor. My mother said she enjoyed the boiled shrimp though and the one i had was pretty good with some cocktail sauce that brought a tear to my eye from all the horseradish (not sure if that was good or bad) I liked the decor, waitstaff, and the truck selling produce out front. I just wish my food came out a little hotter and some more seasoning except the oyster don't change those fried oysters. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Seafood platter. - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

See all

A true Louisiana souvenir! This place has the three C's. Charm, character & cool, depending on your age is which C you will use to describe it. If you are anywhere near I-55 or I-12 Hammond or New Orleans, this is a must stop! Casual & kid friendly. Busy times, expect a wait. They are famous for a unique, very thin cut, almost non-existent, fried catfish that everyone loves, but if you want to really taste the catfish, order the regular catfish, too. The milky, well chopped coleslaw that comes with your catfish order is amazing as well. If it the temperature is just right, be sure to sit on the covered deck outside and enjoy the view of where Lake Maurepas meets Lake Ponchatrain. Available by boat as well. If it's Spring time, you may catch the Strawberry lady selling her delicious berries out front. read more

See all

I would give this place zero stars if I could, the seafood platter was not even fried all the way and the batter was still wet when separated with your fingers. The "thin catfish" is basically the thickness of a sheet of paper which is more like 5 percent fish and 95 percent batter. The service was quite slow even though it was not busy and right before closing time, waitress was polite but just seemed to disappear at times. When told about the poorly under fried food, the shrimp were replaced with better quality although another fried shrimp meal consisted of about 25 percent of the shrimp with the shell still on them. I asked for the manager and all he had to say was "sorry, our kitchen is usually not like this", not an offer for a reduced bill or a replacement. Food is very poor and below mediocre for taste and quality. Restaurant appeared clean although it definitely caters to tourists that don't know any better. Take your money elsewhere, I've been coming here for over 40 years and it has gone down to fast food quality at tourist prices. This will be my last time, I'd rather starve or drive an hour than eat this garbage. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Their food is always hot and fresh. All of their food is great, but I prefer the thin fried catfish. This restaurant has been in business for over 70 years. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Thin fried catfish, ,fries, hush puppies. Coleslaw is included, but my wife stole mine. - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

Who knew 'Thin Catfish' was a thing? It is, and very good! We had Thin Catfish, Gumbo, shrimp, and Apps. The Barbecued Oysters were favorites of a few, but my favorite was the Italian Oysters. They were all perfectly cooked and tasty! The Alligator bites were as expected, some tender and some chewy. Just what I expected. I doubt humans are supposed to eat reptiles, I think they enjoy the other way around better. Service was excellent, quick and reasonably priced. We are going to have to figure out how to filet catfish at home like they do, for our fish fry parties! Our friends will enjoy the treat! read more

My Dad brought us all to Middendorf's for dinner while visiting New Orleans, and after picking up my brother from the airport. It's a little bit of a drive and off the beaten path but my Dad swore by their fried catfish. When we arrived, I was surprised to see how crowded the place was but we were seated within a few minutes. To start, we ordered some gator bites and crawfish poppers. The gator bites were tasty and something I always try to eat when I visit New Orleans. The crawfish poppers, which were kind of like hushpuppies, were really tasty as well. For my meal, I ordered the infamous fried catfish. It was breaded and sliced paper-thin. The catfish was tasty and a small order is HUGE. The breading they use gives the catfish an interesting taste and texture. All in all, the food at Middendorf's is the sort of comfort cajun food you'd expect to find when you come to New Orleans. read more

my husband brought me there for my Birthday lunch. The food was so delicious. The waitress was awesome! We had the small cat fish plate. at first we were debating between the small and the large, thank goodness we decided on the small ... we brought half of it home. I had the shrimp salad as an appetizer... it was so good and filling it prob was enough already. huge! Banana bread pudding for desert... the very best. You can rest assured we will be back BEFORE the NEXT birthday ! read more

If a place says "World famous thin catfish" Order what a place known for! My fellow yelpers are looking for a great experience and saying, oh if I had gotten the fish it would have been worth it doesn't help. I've been coming here for 50 years and can tell you that you'll never top it. Just tell your waitress, Thin fried" and she will set your tastebuds on course for a treat. Try it without any ketchup or cocktail sauce, just a little extra salt and pepper to really appreciate it. Their turtle soup is very good and authentic as well. Coke served in a 6 oz bottle with ice on the side. French bread oh so fresh with butter while you wait. I always stop on the way from the airport and there is my taste if home waiting to greet me. And memories of running around a table piled with boiled crab, trying to hide the Miller ponies. Laissez bon temps rouler read more

The service was excellent 5 stars,,The stuffed crabs 1 Star,,,90% bread and onions,,,They used to have crab meat now you have to dig to find any..Wish I had ordered the one crab instead of 2,,My husband had the fidh plate,,It was razor thin and 80 % batter,,,We wont return,,, read more

I travel from TX to eat here Thin fried catfish is the best in the country! Yummy coleslaw and the gumbo is the best i've ever had!!!

I made the trek from Baton Rouge to Middendorfs Manchec location to check out their September "Fettuccine Frenzy" special. I decided ahead of time I would make it an early 11ish to go lunch, and would get the handmade Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled shrimp added. The Fettuccine was fresh and cooked to perfection. The grilled shrimp was a good size and also properly cooked. Unfortunately, this is where my compliments end. The Alfredo sauce was thin as water and about as tasteless. What little Alfredo that could be found was at the bottom of the serving and wasn't enough to cover the minuscule portion of Fettuccine. Did I mention the serving of handmade pasta was very small and certainly not worth the twenty three dollar price tag? Whatever seasoning they added to the grilled shrimp was way too salty. Salt was the only real flavor I could taste. Also, there was supposed to be Parmesan Reggiano sprinkled on top, but like the Alfredo sauce, the Parmesan was minuscule. This was my third time giving Middendorf's a chance. The first two times were mediocre. The third time definitely wasn't a charm. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Fettuccine Frenzy add shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

Surprising busy even the day after Thanksgiving. We were seated pretty quickly even though the line was out the door. Our server was pleasant and checked on us frequently. Get the thin fried catfish. Light and crispy. I've tried other restaurants but no other compares. Not sure if it's the fish or the batter. I bought a bag of their flour from the gift shop so we'll see how it goes at home. Also had the soft shell crab but the batter was a little too thick. It was huge though. Can't find great seafood like this in the Bay area. read more

See all

My party came here to get food after a funeral. A FUNERAL. My friend's mom died. Every. Single. Person. Got sick. And a very rude female manager REFUSED to give me a refund. Never in my life had I experienced such horrible food poisoning. I was sick for 3 days straight, crying out in agony, almost living on the toilet, as it came out both ends. I'd rather see the next hurricane turn this hellhole into a piece of Lake Maurepas than see another review of someone being treated like the kitchen's middle school science experiment. read more

A friend recommended the razor thin catfish from Middendorfs. I live in Seattle and wanted some real Cajun style catfish while visiting New Orleans. It was delicious! Well worth the drive out. The service was excellent as well. I'm passing along the recommendation! read more