I don't get why people love this place. The fish is terrible. It has absolutely no flavor. You could eat slivers of deep fried cardboard and it would be less bland than this fish. During crawfish season they advertised a deal of 3 lbs for $20, that is not a good deal!!! That's over $6/lb!!! That's ridiculous for south Louisiana!!! The only thing we had that was good was the hamburger steak my daughter ordered, but that's not what this place is known for. Supposedly the best fish around, it's not. Not even close. read more

Delicious food, excellent service and fun history... but the stomach ache after wasn't fun. Figured I was just being sensitive but I had the same issue when I ate my irresistible leftovers. read more

It's just a gem of old time delicious fried, baked and broiled seafood. We had BBQ shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp gumbo, baked Italian oysters, stuffed mushrooms, hush puppies, alligator bites, French fries....a feast! Easy place to stop when headed north leaving New Orleans at Manchac exit 15 on I55. It feels like the last place to get really good, deep-south, Louisiana seafood so save room on your way back North. I really wanted to get a couple quarts of gumbo to take with me but had no way to transport it. read more

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Thin catfish was delicious and the hush puppies are the best I've ever had. But what I really like is the lay out of the place with bars inside and out right on the water. Really nice spot definitely plan to check out the rest of the menu while I'm taking classes at Southeastern U read more

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

We absolutely love Middendorf's! The thin catfish is my favorite, but it's all great! We can't go to NOLA without stopping here for at least one meal! read more

One of my favorite places to drink, eat, listen to good music. If you love Catfish, the Middendorf's Catfish Dinner is worth getting. Also, try the Italian Oysters with an Ice Cold Beer. Tiffany is the best, she did everything right and made my day. Thank You! read more

The two stars are literally just because the food was good. We stopped in here around 5pm to eat after coming back from New Orleans. We were seated in the back near a party of 12 with only one waitress between us. This is where the next 2 hours of torture began. We (a party of 2) were ignored for the first 7 minutes as our waitress ran to grab every single thing the larger party asked for. Once she took our drink orders she ran off for another 10 minutes and finally returned with the wrong drinks took another 5 to correct them and ignored our attempts to just get our order over with before she disappeared again. Came back to the table multiple times to check that she had our order written down correctly then proceeded to solely cater to the party of 12 again. We didn't exist. It was around 7 before we got our food which was completely wrong with several sides that she attempted to charge us for missing. We were ignored in attempts to flag her down and correct it. She finally came by with the check with all the missing items included and *surprise, surprise* was all manners and smiles when it came time to decide her tip. When we pointed out the error, she ran off AGAIN and 10 minutes later brought back all the missing food that she forgot to initially put in. I don't usually leave reviews, I am very non confrontational, but it was made very clear to us that she didn't think we would pay well and thus decided we weren't worth any service until she could attempt to guilt a good tip out of us. read more

We arrived around 10:30am for lunch on a Friday, fresh (or unfresh) from a horribly early flight into New Orleans on our way to Baton Rouge. This detour, which rerouted us through Hammond, was a great way to help us slow down and remember we'd entered Louisiana... and all of its quirky culture glory. No surprise, the menu highlight here is the thin fried catfish. The seasoning is almost non-existent, but that lets a few shakes of Tabasco and a generous dunking into tartar do its job. The result is a lip-smacking flavor and texture combination that makes you understand immediately why this place has been around for more than 80 years. Other things we explored were less impressive, although I applaud their efforts to make so much in house. The turtle soup and the banana bread pudding a la mode fall into this category. The former, while chock-full of turtle flavor, was thin and lacking the bold and well muddled flavors that turtle deserves/needs; the latter was rich but on the gummy side--and the nail in the coffin of any ice-cream: icicles throughout. So overall, this is a 3.5-4 stars for the food on its own. However, the great down-home servers and traditions steeped in history help earn Middendorf's my high praise. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Large thin fried catfish. - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

If crispy, crunchy, scrumptious fried catfish is your thing, then this is most definitely the right place. It's a beautiful 25 minute ride from Metairie, and well worth it. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Boom sucka!!! - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

Very disappointed today. Food was Undercooked and very bland. We have been coming for 30 years but , this time may be our last. What a shame!!! read more

Awesome every time ! Always great service and great food ! Catfish is always crisp and tasty !

This is the second time the catfish is good but too salty you can always add salt but you can take it out

Great views of Pass Manchac and the surrounding bayous. The food is typical southern Louisiana cooking - but the thin fried catfish is amazing. I promise you have never had anything like it. Fabulous. Service was very good. The ambiance was warm and friendly. Very family friendly. read more

I'm a fan. Nice little drive out there... But worth it. Had the thin fried catfish and crawfish poppers and it was amazing. Quick service and good service. read more

Worth every minute of the drive to get here! I've been coming to Middendorf's most my life, and every chance I get I bring new people. This restaurant is a solid 45 minute drive from where I live and I never mind taking the time to make that drive. I can remember coming here as a kid and meeting up with my grandparents who lived in Baton Rouge. Now as an adult I bring my friends here. Mainly I like to bring my out of town friends here most especially if they have never been. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is really neat. They even have what they call the "sunset" dining room because it is an excellent place to see the sun set. I love the menu items that are broiled and stuffed with the amazing crabmeat stuffing. It's the best crabmeat stuffing for 60 miles in any direction from here! I'm not exaggerating, it's just that good. They are famous for their thin fried catfish, but you really can't go wrong ordering anything off their varied menu. I recently tried to convince my friends from Ohio/Pennsylvania that they needed to try the frog legs and of course they looked at me like I lost my mind. We all had a wonderful time and the food was amazing as always. I can't wait to go back. read more

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My family walked in with 10 of us and a birthday cake for my wife. We were greeted by the statement that Middendorf charges a $2 cake fee per person. I appealed to a manager as to how this rule made no sense. The manager answered that because they sell cakes they have to charge a cake fee, but if we want they can hold our cake in their fridge. The manager claimed that because of the owners decision for this $2/person cake fee their cake sales had increased significantly. We choose to put our cake in the car and stay to eat. The 10 of us spent $156 on food, but not $20 more to eat our cake. Instead we went to McDonalds for coffee and ate our cake there. In my letter to the owner this will be our last visit to Middendorf's until I am notified by the owner that the their $2 cake fee is removed. read more

The best fried catfish anywhere including New Orleans ! I drive out 35 minutes from New Orleans just to get inhale this deliciousness !!! Usually by myself so I love sitting at the bar where I'm always met by the most friendly of bartenders. My absolute favorite is taking in the atmosphere of the back patio by the water during nice weather. read more

Well we thought the food would of been very extra considered everyone talks about it, well not to us. We ordered what was suppose to be mushrooms with spinach and cheese well it had something Italian in it which was over powering. Then we asked if the shrimp were butterflied we our waitress went to find out well she came back and said no. When our other guest got theirs they were. The steak and onion rings were really good. Fries tasted like they were soaked in grease. The stuffed crab had way to many greens but lots of crab meat if you like it that way. Food looked presentable. read more

Felt like it was going to be a good visit because we snagged a front parking spot. It was 6pm on a Saturday. There was a truck parked by the front door selling cracklings, veggies and preserves. A friendly cat greeted us outside. We were seated upstairs by the window which was good. There was an elevator for those who need it. The decor can be a table topic and bathroom was clean. The water in the toilet is brown bc of the area? We had sodas, water, thin and thick fried catfish and fried shrimp. We both enjoyed the fish though it didn't have too much flavor, the tartar sauce made up for it. I thought the shrimp was good but honey said it was old. Honey doesn't like coleslaw but I told him it was quite tasty so he tried and agreed. Hush puppies are on the mild bite side and I like sweeter hush puppies. Sodas are sold per bottle. The dr. Pepper bottle was 8oz and the root beer was 12oz @ $2 a pop. My feelings were right, we had a good visit. We didn't have room for dessert or stopped by the gift shop but maybe next time. read more

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

The catfish is always delicious, but today I tried the boiled crawfish. It was absolutely horrible!! Flying in from New York City, I couldn't wait for some crawfish but I should have stuck with the fried catfish. Even being severely crawfish deprived, I couldn't eat even half of it. The waitress had said it was great, but I let her know it was not good at all. She didn't seem to care. A total waste of money!! read more

Thin fried catfish is a must have! Stuffed crab was delish..a little on the dry side but with a pat of butter melting inside it was all good. Arrived at 1:30 and only had a twenty minute wait. I don't come here often enough! read more

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I had the thin catfish with shrimp. It was the best catfish I've had so far. The portions were huge. Had to take some home. My friend had the flounder with lump crabmeat. It was outstanding. Perfectly broiled. Will definitely return. Of course the ride out there is fun. read more

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

Everytime I drive down to Nola, this stop is a must. The best fried catfish I've ever tried. They're a little pricy, but honestly, for the amount of food, and the quality of the fish, and their amazing sauces, it's absolutely worth it! read more

It is an hour drive from New Orleans. The thin cut catfish is pretty good. We got a seafood platter plus soft shell crab and its only 24$. The quality definitely worth the price. The oyster stew are basically chowder and it is amazing. The only reason I didn't give five star is because I think all fried food for a meal is too heavy and two people couldn't even finish one platter. I think it worths the drive. read more

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Not dog friendly as they promote. If your dog barks, don't go. We called ahead and explained we have a German Shepherd and is not friendly - meaning she barks (loud!) and doesn't want strangers petting her. She is a lean 75# sable and looks like a police dog. The girl said it was fine and they had a patio. I brought her in the back door to the patio where only one table had 4 people. She barked her entrance and settled in between our two chairs after a few minutes. As the server brought our drinks a man with an earpiece came over to our table and stood behind my husband and asked if we would go put her in the car. It was 82 degrees that day so we said no and explained we called and told them she wasn't friendly. He wanted to know why I would bring a not friendly dog in. Good question! I said "She doesn't bite she just barks. Why would you say you take dogs when you really don't?" Don't other dogs bark or is it she's loud AND scary looking? I think they should have said they only take quiet dogs then we could have planned lunch accordingly. We actually stop here often, as we pass this way almost every weekend. We had the dog with us this time but we won't be stopping here again. read more

I'm originally from Tangipahoa Parish and grew up eating at Middendorf's. The food used to be very good and the service was excellent. Unfortunately I've been there three times since the new ownership took over and have been disappointed all three times with both the food and the service. We decided three strikes, you're out and don't go there anymore on our trips back home. It's sad... I see other reviewers who have similar opinions. I sincerely wish the new owners could figure it out and get this place back on track. The atmosphere and location are awesome. Great food, friendly servers...provide those consistently and profits will overflow the cash registers. read more

Onion rings are not homemade. Thin catfish is what it says. Not much meat. The thick catfish was very good. Cole slaw was good. Waitress was the best. read more

Some of the best, freshest seafood I've ever had. It's right on the lake next to the swamps so you know you're getting fresh. I had BBQ shrimp and my wife had the platter. The portions were huge and everything was delicious - hush puppies, stuffed crab, thin sliced catfish, oysters, ALL good. read more

The staff is amazing and friendly. The food probably isn't worth what you get for the price. read more

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(Fried Catfish/Hushpuppies & Turtle Soup) ----- Stopped in for lunch, no wait. Had the fried catfish/hushpuppies which was excellent. The catfish breading awesome and no hint of grease & the hushpuppies weren't the run of the mill ones lacking flavor...these puppies had so much character, left you savoring every bite trying to identify the ingredients. The bowl of Turtle soup is good sized and it looked delicious. When I tasted it the delicious bell wasn't going off, I kept trying to associate the flavor with something I knew but never made the connection. The flavor was good but it never made friends with my palette which I contribute to the fact my family owns many turtles that are part of the family. The atmosphere was pleasing to the eyes...quite, clean, relaxing open seating. Our waitress "WANDA" was awesome. We are from MO/IL in town for 3 days and she told us of the events happening that are popular among the locals. Wanda Rocks! Highly recommend! read more

I love this restaurant been eating here for years. They specialize in thin fried catfish, but there other seafood is great too like the alligator and just ther burgers. A must eat. read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Large thin fried catfish - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

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I wanted to love Middendorfs, but they made it difficult for a first time visitor. Yes, the thin fried catfish is delicious (too thin by some in my party), but there were some big drawbacks on the evening. Boiled crawfish, yes please. 45 minutes later, I'm sorry but we are out of crawfish. While I am standing, right there, a tray of crawfish goes out. To a guy I'm with. That came and ordered twenty minutes after me. Seriously. I was out crawfish, but at least my son got to share some of his son's. Other info. Bad fried chicken (overdone), good salad (surpringly fresh mixed greens) and overly breaded broiled oysters. read more

Awesome view and the thin cut fried fish was very good. Had an appetizer of large onion rings and was very disappointed, the did not taste home made at all, more store bought, and they were very slim on the portion for $6.95. I had the seafood platter and everything on it was good. The fish was the best. read more

We've always loved this iconic restaurant but today, the wonderful service we received was above and beyond. We are traveling to the airport with our son and daughter in law and grand pup who is registered as an emotional support dog. (They surprised us by bringing him for Christmas ) We asked if they could accommodate us outside and they said "oh no it's too cold, just bring him inside." He sat quietly under the table while we received excellent service and food...great way to end a great holiday visit! read more

Two old friends I have not seen in many years made contact and plans to reunite and break bread together at Middendorf's. One friend who is even older than I am informed me he has been going to this restaurant for over thirty years and it is one of his favorites. I have never dined at Middendorf's and agreed to make the long drive and share some memories. Upon arrival our wait was relatively short and reasonable. Once seated, but for our conversation, the experience took a nose dive. After a long wait for our server we were never given any water or bread. The server appeared with a somewhat less than positive attitude when she took our order. But that does happen at times at a number of establishments. Dining in restaurants has been a life long hobby of mine. A hobby I totally and completely enjoy whether in my home town or visiting other cities. In my very long life I can only recall three instances where in a restaurant/eatery the server appeared to take the order, deliver the order, and did not show up again until the check for payment was presented. I have never returned to those places. At Middendorf's on this visit the server took the order, delivered the order and never showed up until we went and obtain a manager/supervisor. We politely informed her of the fact we wanted to leave after a thirty minute wait pass the end of our lunch. The supervisor's response to my dear friend, who knows his way around Middendorf's, was that the server we had was one of her best but she was involved with a large table. No water; no bread; no checking to see if our order was being enjoyed; no additional drink order; and no checking to see if anything else is needed or wanted. A server who disappears like this not only hurts the bottom line of the business in sales but also his or her tip. Additional sales of food and drinks do mean larger tips. The food failed in the taste and flavor category for me. My oysters were overcooked, greasy, and had too many shells I had to carefully avoid to protect my teeth. Besides the above listed speed bumps encountered the other staff members were nice, the décor is worthwhile for a walk around and a look see. There is history here and this may have been an off day for the kitchen and the server. A long drive back to Akers, LA to see if another visit would not also be an off day is not in my plans. My friend who has been a customer over many years did file a complaint and receive a response from the General Manager. read more

What is it about Middendorf's and oysters? What is their source? Haven't been in a while because the oyster poboy I got a couple of months back was really terrible. The oysters were either very poorly sourced, or cut in half. It was just oyster tasting breading. Went back on a whim this last week and ordered thick fish with oysters, which is said to be a serving of half a dozen. Got served thin fish with little chunks of oysters, again heavily breaded. I'm thinking I want to go back and order oysters for a test, take off the breading and see what's actually in there. The best part of the experience was that someone in the restaurant unbeknownst to me paid for our meal. What a kind gesture. We gave the waitress a pretty decent tip, only because the meal was comped. The service did not deserve the tip we left. I have literally been going to this restaurant for about 65 years. It's strictly a sentimental thing now.Other dishes I have had there have been decent enough - just don't get oysters. read more

We sat at the bar on a busy Saturday night. The bartender was quick to serve us and apologized for being so slow. We got 2 drinks, 2 dinner salads and shared a seafood salad. They were so fast we couldn't finish our drinks and salads in time. Ate and had a full belly within 30 minutes. Bartender was so attentive and did a great job juggling us, the wait staff and to go orders. We don't get to come here often since we live closer to Baton Rouge but Kudos for doing such a great job! We will continue to dine at Middendorfs. read more

I have been here many times and the food has been ok. Today I was disappointed. The hush puppies had no flavor. The catfish lacked taste. I had to add salt and hot sauce to give it a bit taste. Maybe I had a bad batch!!! read more

server jenn, chk 9720 1st time here for my birthday meal. i had the german entree, my wife melva had stuffed flounder. my meal was great. made me miss my home town lancaster, pa. melvas meal not so good.had a strong taste and smell.rather than send it back. we got a go box and disposed of it on our way back to metairie. 3 stars for mine, jenn got you the last 2 stars, she is the best. read more

Omg the food matched the view!! I loved everything we had! Even though it was hot outside we still sat out back and the cool misters kept us comfortable! There is a great beachy sand play area for the kids so the parents can enjoy the view while the kids played! read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Our oyster poboy!!!!! Yummy and huge!! - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

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