We met some friends for dinner on a Saturday at 4pm. When we arrived, the place was empty. The decor is what you would expect for Cajun seafood place. I really loved the painted wall. We ordered the 50-50 catfish and shrimp combo and the c'est la vie potato. With our tea and lemonade, the total came to $47.64. Unfortunately, the meal definitely did not meet our expectations. The fish and shrimp were small, the potato was small and undercooked in the middle and hard to chew. Only saw two small bites of crabmeat in the sauce. Well, the food itself had an acceptable flavor, it just was not enough to be satisfying. We left hungry and ended up stopping somewhere else to eat. I will say the waitress was nice. This was my first visit and my last. read more

Philay's Catfish & More 13386 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, LA 70737 I've been driving past this spot in Gonzales forever and WHY did nobody slap me and tell me to stop sooner?! If you're a seafood lover cravkng fried catfish, crawfish étouffée, all the good stuff, Philay's Catfish is that place. Trust me, your stomach will thank you later! MENU ITEMS: 1. BIG EASY (FAVORITE) Fried thin-cut fish, shrimp, oysters, crab cake and crab claws. 2. IVY'S SPECIAL Fish filet topped with crawfish étouffée over rice. 3. FRIED 50-50 PLATTER Thin-cut fish, shrimp or oysters. (choose 2) Served with fries. 4. PHILAY'S BREAD PUDDING (FAVORITE) Warm white chocolate bread pudding topped with praline sauce and pecans. 5. CRAB AND SHRIMP QUESO (FAVORITE) Lump crab and grilled shrimp blended in melted cheeses. Served with fried pita chips. 6. MI MI'S BUTTERBEANS & SHRIMP (FAVORITE) Homemade roux-based dish with tender baby lima beans and shrimp. Served over rice. Served in cup or bowl. #tonylameats #philayscatfishnmore #gonzalesla read more

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The food and service was excellent. Wonderful experience-the staff were extremely attentive and helpful.

Had it not been for Yelp, I would have never known about Philay's. We happened to be in the area, as we had just finished shopping at the Tanger Outlet Mall, and we were looking for a place to eat. I had never heard of Philay's Catfish N' More, but the Yelp reviews were so good, that we decided to venture another 8.5 miles westward to try it out. It was very crowded upon our arrival, but this was a good sign that the food was worth the wait. We were seated fairly quickly and our server was Colby. Although crowded, the ambiance was inviting, albeit as little noisy. It definitely was a family clientele. My son got the Jumbeaux burger with fries and I can honestly say it was legit, as he allowed me to sample it. My wife got the small 50/50 platter with grilled fish, gilled shrimp and rice "pilaf". Again, I was afforded a sample of her platter and can say it too was legit. I also got the small 50/50 platter but with fried fish, fried oysters & MiMi's lima beans with shrimp. The fish was deliciously seasoned as were the oysters, but the oysters were entirely too small. I would have happily paid extra money for larger oysters, but perhaps they were not readily available or near being out of season. For dessert, we decided to try an order of Grammy's Banana pudding, with 3 spoons. I can honestly say that this was the best banana pudding I've ever eaten. The "Nilla" wafers were broken into smaller pieces, but there was something a little different, but very special, that made this pudding so darned good. It's a secret recipe, but I am guessing that it contained, cream cheese double cream or creme fraiche. Whatever it was, it was subtle enough that it still tasted like the "standard" banana pudding most of us know, but just different enough to make it very special. You have got to try it if you ever go. read more

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Service was amazing. Went when they had live music, but it was so quiet it was kind of akward. Food was ok.

Best oysters I've had in a long time Very good food and good service Restaurant was very clean and a great atmosphere read more

Been there several times. Each time it's just ok. Nothing majorly wrong l, nothing you'd run back to get again. Service is normally good. Did get cold gumbo on our last visit. read more

Everything we ate was delicious! The service by our waitress and the personal attention by the owner was amazing! I highly recommend the banana pudding. read more

Philay's Catfish N' More - Seafood Near Me - Gonzales, Louisiana

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Fresh soft bread makes the difference with their fried shrimp Poboy plus the shrimp & corn soup was amazing! read more

Philay's Catfish N' More - Poboy and Soup Combo with an Arnold Palmer (sweet tea & lemonade) - Seafood Near Me - Gonzales, Louisiana

Great restaurant great representation south Louisiana seafoods food clean great service. Family owned

This place has some really good seafood. The catfish and shrimp are seasoned well and have a light crispy taste. I didn't like the crabcake it had a strange taste so they subbed it out for more shrimp. Their redbeans were awesome as was the service. This will definitely be one of my spots when I visit Louisiana. read more

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The service was great but the food is another story. This was the worse catfish I have ever had. If you are from another area this would be okay, but not in south Louisiana. No seasoning and the batter was strange. The sides had great room for improvement. read more

Friends Night out!! We had the works!! Apps: Crab claws marinated in butter green as suggested by our Waitress Denise and it did not disappoint! Crab cake creole and gumbo was okay. Gumbo was more like an etouffee and I can appreciate that the crab cake was made from real crab stuffing. The Cajun clusters and crab and shrimp queso was our favorite appetizers. Moving on to Entrees: The 50-50 platter with blackened fish and shrimp was good. The whole catfish platter and the big Easy were the star dishes of the night. The steak was cooked to perfection but they were skimpy on the sauce for the pasta dish. Overall great restaurant to socialize with friends and Denise keep the drinking coming!! Drinks: try the strawberry martini and Cajun punch. read more

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Food was very good! I had a Caesar salad wrap with grilled shrimp and a side of butter beans and shrimp which was amazing! Closest ever to my grandmother's and my mom! Hubby had the jacked up burger which he said he will definitely get again! Waitress was attentive. Restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and was very clean. We will definitely be back! read more

Went with a friend on a Sunday. There was a bit of a wait but it was worth it. The menu was fairly typical but the taste was quite good. The service was fine. read more

Ate here last night. I am from California so when i come to LA I am always looking for great food. This place did not disappoint. I had the crawfish baked potato and it was delicious! Smothered in crawfish ettoufee with fried crawfish on top!! Delish!! Also had the crawfish balls which were amazing!! Tasted like they were fried in fried chicken batter on the outside. Delicious!! My hubby had one of the fried platters which he also enjoyed. Would definitely visit again. read more

Philay's Catfish N' More - Crawfish baked potato - Seafood Near Me - Gonzales, Louisiana

Awesome food and service!!! Found this place on Yelp while traveling. It was the best choice and all of us enjoyed it!

One of my favorites. I love the philay sauce. The crawfish queso is fantastic. The service is always fantastic. If you like salad try the boiled shrimp salad. Enough for 2! read more

January 2, 2025. We went to eat there a few weeks ago and I was so disappointed because I wanted some of their good Fried Oysters, but only to find out at 4:00 PM that they were out of Oysters. So I don't know if I'm going back, because we came all the way from Baton Rouge. And Don's Seafood has Louisiana Fried Oysters all the time. And, also, I got the Fried Catfish with the Crawfish Etouffée on top of it. I asked for a little bit of rice - light on the rice. Well, they also just gave me a little bit étouffé - they went very light on the étouffée. Maybe just a tablespoon. :-{ We have eaten there about four times and it was perfect. My boyfriend said his Fried Catfish was cooked too much and he didn't like it either, this time. So I don't know if they got a new cook or what, because it was not like that the last few times we ate there. ;'-( read more

Awesome food Will definitely be back. Awesome Service also. The fish is amazing. Awesome Fish read more

Food was excellent and the service was on point. Friendly and efficient Cajun Clusters Catfish Plate Jacked up Burger Sweet Potato Fries read more

Let's be honest...we've all eaten a ton of food. However...I have never seen all that food on one plate before. To say that this place has huge portions would be an understatement. I had more food than plate. AND...the food was fantastic. It was all good, not just some. Everything was tasty...and we had so much left we had it for a midnight snack, and again for breakfast the next morning (ah, the hotel life....). Great atmosphere. Great staff. We had a great time for certain. Will come back again! read more

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Everything here is very good, unfortunately last time I went they were packed and I didn't receive the great service I usually got, they would of got a 5 star rating, will still go and eat there because everyone deserves a second chance read more

We went here for a group outing and the service we received was Excellent. Our group had 14 people and the server did great to manage our group by herself. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the atmosphere. read more

Pretty solid seafood place. There are lots of options for appetizers or for dinner. I do not believe they have lunch specials which I feel would make it even better. Most things can be grilled which is great for people who don't want fried foods. I had the grilled catfish tonight. It wasn't the best of the best but it was pretty good. This is really a family friendly restaurant and I enjoy it very much. Prices are reasonable as well as the service. read more

Philay's Catfish N' More - Seafood Near Me - Gonzales, Louisiana

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Best fish ever! My husband gets the seafood plater & honestly everything is great! I'm just stuck on the awesome fish! It's outstanding!!!

I'll have to say, that the food and service was excellent. The place has a variety of food on the menu to choose from, but I had to try the crab claws & crab crake. It's been awhile since I've had those, and I'm glad I ordered them - they were delicious, along with the catfish and fried shrimp. A place I'll be visiting again. read more

Philay's Catfish N' More - Oyster, Crab Cake. Crab Claws, Fried Shrimp, and Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Gonzales, Louisiana

Such a quaint place with a very welcoming atmosphere. The food was outstanding as was the service. We try to support the privately owned businesses and this one was a win for sure. They have a house salad dressing that's Balsamic Dijon .... Definitely TRY THAT ! read more

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I am ashamed of myself for having been in Ascension Parish as long as I have and not having tried Philay's yet. I had a hankering for some fried seafood but didn't want to drive way out to the Diversion to get it so we decided on Philay's instead. It's a smaller place with loads of character. Not only is the food delicious but the wait staff and management are all super pleasant. My only issue were the metal chairs not being comfy at all. However, we mentioned it and they immediately brought us the "old chairs" and we were much more comfy. Recommendations: the shrimp and lima beans (oh my gawd delicious!), the fried seafood (loved the fish the most! move over Kevin's!) and the onion rings! Will definitely return and be a regular more than likely! Thanks for the delicious meal! read more

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Usually this place is good. Tonight not so much. No flavor to the roast beef po-boy, crab claws smelled like old seafood and onion rings were over done. Even our little who usually loves the crab claws said "I can't eat this one, they are too crunchy." I tried one and it was indeed crunch but not with batter- more like old shell. 2 hours after eating I'm still feeling a little What happened to your food? read more

Great service and the food was good. Looking forward to going back. The owner was very polite and was working with the servers. You don't see that very often. read more

It was good but the food to long to come out service horrible .I would not there ever again

I love that its family owned and operated never been disappointing and gotten almost everything off the menu

Soooo good! The catfish, the shrimp, the hush puppies all are amazing. Thin fish but super flavorful! All really well done. Fried food is something I don't eat often but this place make me want to. Nice local decor and you can tell it's a bit of favorite among people here. Very nice server & bread pudding with pecan praline sauce was a recommendation by her & she wasn't lying, that stuff is yummy. We will be back for more! read more

Let's be clear, this place has the best fried seafood I've had in years. And a bargain too! Today I had 6 large fried shrimp, 3 slabs of thin cut catfish, and a big mess of fries, plus a whole mess of battered fries and a side salad for $20 on a Sunday! Excellent! The reason you don't see 5 stars is all structural. 1. The wait staff was competent and friendly but.... 2. The kitchen was struggling. Took over 30 minutes after ordering to get our food. 3. The bill, when it came, was full of errors including food I didn't order and prices that didn't match the menu. The staff corrected this when I pointed it out. 4. An automatic 20% tip was added to the bill for a party of 6? That's a first for me. Typically a party of 8 or more triggers auto-tipping. It was also not mentioned anywhere. The food, again, was excellent! Operational issues kept them from 5 stars. read more

Great service, the food was excellent! Wife had the shrimp and grits, and as picky that she is, she loved it! Will be back again.

Only in a few times with lil wait but food great! Nice friendly folks and atmosphere.

Last time we ate there our waitress was ready to go home and told us to hurry and decide what we wanted . needless to say we didn't r enjoy our meal Or the atmosphere. Haven't been back. Not sure if we will. read more

Excellent service. Staff is friendly and engaged. Facilities were clean. Food was great. Try it. I think you'll like it.

This is good restaurant for most everyday occasions. It is not a fancy place, nor is it a hole in the wall. The food is good and the prices are right. There is something for everyone here. Note: The fried food has some spicy kick to it that some people may not like. You can't lose eating here. read more