Thin fried catfish was good and crispy, not greasy. The sides leave a lot to be desired. Potato salad was blah, no excitement there. Coleslaw was uninspired. Hushpuppies: meh. Also ordered the Italian oyster appetizer. Strangely, the cheese on top was browned but the cheese was not melted at all. The oysters were in a type of casserole; my bad, I thought they would be on the half shell like chargrilled oysters. Not awful but I would not order again. I like stopping here when I am on the way somewhere, but wouldn't make a special trip out. They also took crab claws off the menu so that's another strike. 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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Always good! It had been a while, but I'm back. Had a friend from OOT pay me a visit and I took her. It's not far from the city. Worth the little drive. I like being outside by the dock to eat, but it was too windy. Inside is nice. A little loud. Stays busy. Food is great. I like the seafood platter. I had the Fish Bait and it was good. One cocktail was enough. My friend had the same and she was not disappointed. read more

Hadn't been here since well before Katrina. The new place is really done nice. It has an inviting, comfortable modern design not at all reminiscent of the old shack I recall. More importantly, the food was quite memorable and left me planning my next trip. We sampled a large swath of the menu from appetizers to entrees and the only thing that fell short was the all important hush puppy. Thus, a 4 rather than a 5 star rating. read more

My gosh! What an awesome plate of fried catfish. Order the thin catfish. Go ahead and get the big plate, life is short. Pair it with a Dixie beer and it's the perfect cheat day lunch. I've been here twice in 15years and it hasn't changed. Just as good as it was. If your ever out on this hwy it's worth the stop. The service was that southern hospitality you would expect from a place like this. The gumbo was great too! read more

We had a pretty okay experience at Middendorf's. It was bae's birthday and wanted to take him out of town and somewhere different for dinner. It's about an hour outside of Baton Rouge, but the drive was easy and we jammed to 90's alternative radio. Good times. Got seated right away. I was very disappointed their awesome outside area was closed for dinner. I was unaware that was a "thing" considering it was around sunset and who wouldn't want that view for dinner? We sat outside on their weird patio area, I forget what it was called. It was like half inside, half outside. Ordered onion rings to start with. They were pretty good. David ordered the gumbo and that came shortly after. We both agreed it was the best seafood gumbo either of us had had in a REALLY long time. We absolutely recommend the gumbo, hands down probably the best thing we ate. We both ordered the fried thin catfish and shrimp combo and a side order of the stuffed crab. Catfish tasted mostly like breading, mine had a little more meat on it than his did, so we could taste SOME fish. The fried shrimp were good. The stuffed crab was awesome, we both agreed we should have just ordered a few of those for dinner. I pulled my server aside when David made a trip to the bathroom and asked her if she could do a birthday thing for him. She said yes and I chose the banana bread pudding as our dessert. When she came to pick up our plates, she asked if we wanted anything for dessert. I thought this was a cover to throw him off the scent of bday celebration dessert. It wasn't. She just brought the check and said thank you. I was very confused, as I had had an entire conversation and even ordered a specific dessert like 30 minutes prior. Oh well. I was a little frustrated, but he didn't really care. Our server was very distracted with a party of (literally) 20+ extremely drunk people. The view is what make this restaurant, in my opinion. As far as the famous fried catfish goes, it was okay, but I just don't ever think I'm going to be a fried fish kinda gal. read more

Thin fried catfish, good and more than enough to eat. Homemade ice cream, 6 flavors available , or banana split?? Decisions, decisions!

Yet another review. Me and the family stopped there last week on the way from a trip to NEw Orleans. Basically, what it comes down to, no refills except on tea and water. Our bill was $150+, it was the sons birthday. He wanted a piece of chocolate cake, ( remember birthday), asked waitress if they would warm it up, without hesitation, she said " no, they won't do that"........? Just give me my damn bill and you've lost my business FOREVER! read more

Good thin fried catfish. First time i have been since the renovation. This place looks really nice. Really like their hushpuppies. read more

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

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I drove all the way from Texas to eat here. I cannot drink colas and I tried to bring my water bottle in and they would not allow it. So I was forced to drink the tap water from here. I can hardly believe this. I have never been told I could not bring in my water bottle. The food is awesome but the stinginess of the new owners is disturbing. My last visit and I have been coming here since 1982. read more

I went for my birthday and we had no wait when we arrived. We never got welcomed when we walked through the door or anything. I told the host what size table I needed and she walked away. I waited a few minutes and she sat a party that walked in after us at a table before us. They were not busy and I can tell why. The staff was very unfriendly. However I must say that the food was amazing as usual but the service was the worst I've ever had. We sat in an area with one other party of older people having the time of their life. They were very loud and having a great time and drinking adult beverages. A gentleman at the table motioned the waitress over with a hand gesture and she replied back to him that she don't come with one finger, so he made a gesture with two fingers and we all laughed. She rudely looks at me and says I need to mind my own business and get back in the menu. From that point on I was so upset and ready to leave. She never laughed or spoke with us the entire time. She didn't ask how we were doing or what brought us there. When the rest of our party arrived she came over and just stood there for our orders. They asked for a little more time because we were all talking and catching up since we hadn't seen each other in a while. She came back and they were still deciding and at this point I could see the disgust in her face. We told her to go ahead and enter a partial order because my nephew was hungry. She came back and took my brothers order and put it in, 5 minutes after ours was already entered. His food was put in last and came out long before anyone else's order. He was able to eat all of his food before we got ours. My nephew was so hungry and had to wait a good 20 minutes before he got his food. They ordered a kids plate for him and he didn't even eat it because he ate all his dads fries while we were waiting for our food. I ordered the fish and shrimp plat and had two pieces of fish and three shrimp and a heaping of fries and two hush puppies. My son and I ordered the exact same thing and he got two fish and 6 shrimp. Not sure what happened to my other three but it was not worth the price I paid. The witness never introduced herself or tell us her name and truly didn't deserve the tip that I left for her. It gets one star because I could do a negative review. The food however gets the 5 star review. If you decide to eat here, I recommend getting it to go so you don't have to deal with rudeness!!!!!! read more

Middendorf's - Manchac - Fish and shrimp dinner - Seafood Near Me - Akers, Louisiana

Yesterday I was really craving me some thin fried catfish, so I sweet talked hubby into taking me here for that thin fried catfish. I love love love it! Everything is just kind of OK but that catfish rocks! Totally worth the hour drive from BR. read more

Service was a little short with herself We told waitress we didn't like really thin fried catfish and she assured us everyone loves the thin Well we ordered that... it's like eating fried crust... Once the waitress came to the table (which was left ke 10 mins) we told her and said we could talk to the manager... The manager came to the table and said since it was on out table there was nothing they could do... she explained since I put ketchup on my plate she couldn't do anything... she made it sound like she would have reused the catfish but since I put ketchup on my plate there was nothing she could do.... I hope the don't re use good in that fashion... This place definitely does not aim to please the customer first... Very disappointing experience read more

The catfish was indeed thin and golden but there was more batter than catfish. -1 pt. The BBQ oysters were more sauce than oyster -1 pt. The blatant segregated seating of blacks (in the back) and whites (in the front) made the food barely edible -2 pts. Sad story. read more

Went on 11/22/2013. Thin fried catfish was excellent, but the service was a little disappointing due to my waitress being more interested in sitting and talking with another waitress rather than waiting tables. Overall, very good food and atmosphere. read more

Middendorf's has been a family favorite for the longest. Being that I'm not a big seafood fan, I can usually take it or leave it. But I'm always ready to take that 30 minute ride to Pass Manchac and have that delicious thin fried catfish, their signature dish. I've had both the small and large portions and the small is more than enough. True, you can spend 3 dollars more and get the large portion so you can have left overs--but that catfish doesn't taste as well reheated. We tried the BBQ oysters--they were great! Middendorf's makes their own BBQ sauce that while heavy on the worchestershire sauce, it's makes a kicky companion to the oysters on the shell. Be careful when they are served--those shells are oven-hot and the waitress didn't tell us. Ayy! The funny part is that they were served on rock salt that looked like ice cubes *blush* I did not like the gumbo though. The roux tasted...too floury. Too brown. Does that make sense? The crabfingers in remoulade were pretty good. Fountain drinks do NOT have free refills, only the iced tea. I find that strange these days, but they were bottled sodas and not from the fountain dispenser so probably that's why. There's a deck to sit outside and enjoy the lake view. During the summer, they have misters to deal with the heat and of course, it's shaded. So along with the lake breeze, it's not as bad as you may think to sit outside on a Louisiana summer day. read more

I had never heard of "thin-sliced" catfish but it was mighty fine. The gumbo we had there was among the best I've ever had, too. How can you not like a place where the waitress calls EVERYONE hun at EVERY opportunity. read more

It had been a long time since I had last been here, but we went a couple of weeks ago with a group of about 10 of us. The wait staff are wonderful. The place still gives off that "old time" feel even though, they've had some work done since the hurricane. My wife & I split the thin catfish dinner. It was good stuff. The breading isn't too flavorful, but if you're a catfish fan, you can't go wrong...and you know it's fresh too! To this day, this place has the best coleslaw I've ever eaten! The hush puppies & fries were good. Washing it all down with a cold, bottled Barq's root beer was the capper. I say this place is worth the drive. It's not a true New Orleans restaurant by definition, but it helps define the cuisine of the region...if only in some small part. read more

Middendorf's is a south Louisiana staple. In business since the 1930's, it's one of those places that ANYONE who grew up in south Louisiana remembers going to. Located on Bayou Manchac it's been washed away by storms and rebuilt multiple times. They are best known for their thin, and lightly breaded catfish, but they serve other south Louisiana seafood fare as well. The atmosphere is casual, the prices extremely reasonable, the service great and the food delicious. It's out in the middle of nowehere but well worth the drive. Since Hurricane Katrina they have rebuilt and expanded quite a bit. There is also a very nice, sand-box area for kids to play and a serene pier on which you can walk out onto Bayou Manchac and enjoy the south Louisiana swampland landscape. read more

Ate here yesterday after about a 6 year hiatus. I know they were devastated by Katrina and am sympathetic - we were all affected by it. But the Middendorfs I ate at yesterday was not the one I remembered. The good things first: I still love the setting, on the northern edge of the lake, perched between the open water on one side and marshland on the other. The wait staff was friendly, restaurant was quaint but clean, bathrooms were well kept. Notice I haven't mentioned the food which, if you're a restaurant is sort of the main thing. I ordered what should have been a signature slam dunk for them - broiled catfish with fries, hush puppies, and Cole slaw. The portions were small - for $14.95 I expected more on a lunch plate. The catfish was divided into 4 small pieces and tasted very average. The fries were warm, not hot. Same with hush puppies which tasted like they had been sitting out a while. The best part was the Cole slaw - not amazing, but above average. It wasn't an awful experience, but definitely not worth the time and effort it took to get there. Sorry guys. read more

Now I remember why we waited so long to come back. Unless you're coming for the catfish, or to enjoy their gorgeous outdoor seating don't waste your time. Every other food item we've tried has been mediocre at best, with way too expensive of a price tag to make the trip out here worth it. There is better closer to wherever you're from. That said, the service is good and Southern...slow and charming. read more

Great food I love the softshell crabs

I had the thin fried catfish with fries and hush puppies and it was excellent. The breading on the catfish was not greasy at all and perfectly crisped. It was honestly the best fried catfish I've ever had. I can see why they needed to open a second building next door, that place gets packed! read more

I had been waiting to come here since I saw it on season 2 of Mind of a Chef. On our way back to South Florida from Texas, we stopped at Middendorf's. Apple maps thinks the restaurant is just in the middle of the highway on a bridge, so be careful, ha. We got the seafood platter, to experience the seafood and the thin fried cat fish. I should have ordered more catfish because it was that freaking good. The stuffed crab was probably one of the best stuffed crabs I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was the seasoning, or cornmeal or what. It was perfect. My boyfriend and I almost fought for it. We were so excited we ended up ordering gumbo and frogs legs because neither of us have had frogs legs before. Frogs legs were actually quite good, but neither of us could get over the frog part. I'm glad we got the experience, though. The use of buttermilk in their breading is outstanding, too. This was such a fun experience and our server was a sweetie. I'm glad I got to have the famous catfish! read more

Ate on the deck, self serve, but, very comfortable & easy. Thin Catfish fantastic Will be back! read more

I had read about the thin fried catfish and how amazing it was and my mom loves seafood so we decided to make the trip out here. There is plenty of parking and the place was packed when we got here but got a table right away. I got the thin fried catfish and noticed just about everyone else that I could see had gotten it too. It came with coleslaw, 2 hush puppies and fries, The fish had no taste and was dry, it was fine but boy I don't know, obviously I am missing something. The fries were good though. Also ordered the turtle soup, now that was good !!! And even though I was in a food coma at the end the waitress talked me into the pecan pie since like the turtle soup I have never had that before and it was pretty amazing itself My mom got a whole HUGE broiled flounder, it was cooked well and the skin had some good flavor too it. It wasn't the best fish we had ever had but it was much much much much better the the thin fried catfish. Ok of the three stars I am giving this place our server Lacy gets like maybe 2 1/2 of those stars or maybe middendorfs gets a 3 stars and Lacy a 5 star.....what a fun person !!! We were laughing our heads off at the stories she was telling us. When I get home and tell everyone about our 3 week trip though the south, she will be part of the story. So If you decide to go to middendorfs try the pecan pie and the turtle soup if you have never had them before and the rest is up to you, maybe it was just me who didn't like the catfish, I don't know. But if you get Lacyas your waitress you will be happy you came !!! read more

On our way to another place took the wrong turn and ended up here. Nice place , family atmosphere. My husband had BBQ oysters and they were awesome. He also had the stuffed flounder and it was great. And it was a lot of it too. I had the shrimp gumbo, and i was disappointed. Not the kind of gumbo I am used to. No roux. Really thick saucy. I also had the seafood platter. The fried oysters and shrimp were great, just needed some more seasoning to batter. Bring your bottle of Tony's with you. The food is not spicy at all. The Thin catfish for which i a told they like down here was good just add a little more seasoning. They serve the cold drinks in the small old time bottles which is really neat. My son thought that was cool. Good experience.Clean bathrooms, waitress very nice and service great. Will go back. read more

2/16/2014 We have been coming here for years but no more. It was overly crowded and we ordered a large gumbo which we cold. Sent it back and it came back cold. Ordered onion rings which were frozen. Then came the seafood platters.. Soggy French fries, cold stuffed crabs, and not much fish. After sending back the gumbo to the kitchen for the 2nd time we told them to keep it. We sent back the platters to only get the same ones back but we're microwaved!!!!! UNACCEPTABLE any way you look at it. Our waitress was sweet and apologetic. We will not be back. So sad. read more

Absolutely delicious seafood. The stuffed Flounder is incredible - just like you used to get out at West End. The catfish is great,but the thin is a bit to thin, and the tick is still pretty thin, so go with the thick. read more

I'm giving this place an almost perfect review completely on its own standing & not comparing it to any other seafood restaurants located actually in Nola, it just wouldn't be fair as this isn't a fancy place, plus it's a way's away but a nice drive & nice location. I had a tasty, super fresh-shrimp po' boy which was delicious!!! The husbo had a massive bucket of crawfish & took over an hour enjoying his delicious personal crawfish boil :) Great service, nice location overlooking their sand bar for kids, which was adorable, & delicious rum cake for dessert. I'd def go back once I move here! read more

Wasn't quite sure about this place being out in the middle of what seemed like nowhere. I am not a seafood fan, but if you are and you like everything fried this is your place. The catfish seemed to be the favorite of the day and everyone in my group tried a little of everything; catfish, oysters, and those nasty lil' crawdad things (gross). I think you could have heard a pin drop when I ordered the bacon cheeseburger, everyone in the place could probably tell I wasn't from there. Anyway ... I am told all of the seafood was delicious, as for the burger it was average, but what do you expect from a well established seafood place. read more

Take a ride through the swamps of Louisiana to Pass Manchac. Arrive at an eatery in the middle of nowhere with a million cars in the parking lot. Where do these people come from you ask? If my experience is typical, they may come from as far as Biloxi . . . For lunch!!! The thin catfish is the way to go. It is very good and consistent. The prices are great and the service is great. This place has something for everyone, indoor or outdoor dining. All in the middle of nowhere. A must for catfish lovers. read more

All is can say is yummmmm!!! Went here for lunch today and has the thin fried catfish and it was wonderful. The place has recently been Renovated, or hubby said raised so it dosent flood anymore. Anyway, it looks great and the food was selfish! Def 5 stars!! read more

The catfish is fresh and crispy! Our server was Michela and she was very friendly, professional and prompt with our order. The food is amazing and our server was the best! read more

The first time I saw this place we were just driving through on I-55, heading north from New Orleans. I made a mental note and googled it when I got home, and, sure enough, it's very popular and highly rated, although it's truly in the middle of nowhere without much else around it. No insult meant to Manchacians...it's a lovely nowhere in beautiful bayou country, with a nice lake for a backdrop. For me, this is part of its charm. The people here are so friendly and sweet that when we left I had a smile on my face and was glowing with all the good cheer. That, and the really yummy thin fried catfish, which is their speciality. We started with barbecued oysters on the half shell, which were good, but I prefer them just raw personally. I probably eat my body weight in these things annually. Anyway, good oysters, great catfish, coleslaw and fries. The thin catfish is perfectly fried and melts in your mouth. Add a little Crystal hot sauce to everything and you've got a great meal. We both ordered the thin catfish, which was stupid of us, as they do both thick and thin, and we should have tried both. Southern Living magazine calls their fried catfish the best in the world. Wow. They also offer gumbos, fried chicken, shrimp remoulade, all kinds of fried and broiled seafood, even hamburgers. The bread pudding was very good, one of the better ones I've had. We'll be back to try more. They're open Wednesday thru Sunday for lunch and dinner, and closed Monday and Tuesday. read more

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

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They said they could accommodate our party over the phone and turned us away at the door. Not good news after the long drive there. Boo.

to much fried whatever, forever. missing the old style boils but everybody wanna a fry and a lot of them are fat like pigs. the place was ok, the best the oyster soup and the steamed shrimps. not worth a trip especially for the stupid catfish. the waitress was a sweet heart though read more

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Went there today with the family. The food was not amazing but good, mostly fried food. The service was good and they even made my toddler something that was not on the kids menu bc he doesn't really eat fried food. We got stuffed mushrooms as an app which was my favorite part of the meal. I got fried shrimp and oyster dinner which was delish. My husband got the broiled seafood dinner but didn't like the fish bc it was too fishy. The place has character and a toy train running at the top by the ceiling which my toddler was mesmorized by. read more

This place is delicious... The fried fish is awesome... But the BBQ shrimp is the BEST

I was so shocked and disappointed on my last visit to Middendorf's and I want to emphasize, "my last visit", cause that's what it was. I live in Biloxi and drive to Manchac to dine at Middendorf's for special occasions. This special occasion happened to be a birthday celebration and I met up with other family members from around that area and we brought in our own birthday cake. They weren't real busy and I was actually surprised that we did not have to wait to be seated on a summer Saturday evening. Once we were seated, our server asked if we were familiar with the cake fee. We were all very confused and asked, "what cake fee"? It was explained to us that there is a $2.00 charge, per person for the cake fee. The table next to ours was celebrating a birthday also, (a party of 12, ours was a small party of 5) and they were livid and swore never to return. I am still mulling it over in my head, the amount of money I spend when I dine there, the distance I travel to get there and then, I am basically insulted and told to pay a fee to celebrate a family birthday. Any other restaurant that I have been to for a birthday celebration, would bring a complimentary birthday dessert to the table and sing happy birthday to the guest and Middendorf's charged me a fee instead. I am truly disgusted with the whole cake fee ordeal and with that said, I will never return to eat there again, not in Manchac and not at their future location in Slidell, LA. Sincerely, Very Disappointed Customer read more