Catfish Parlour Georgetown — Restaurant in Georgetown

Before dining at this restaurants, please read this review. Now, understand that there is no malice, just frustration and disappointment. We dined in at this establishment yesterday after a day at the lake. I will say the best part of our experience was the swiftness to us being seated, and the clean bathrooms, everything else was less than acceptable. Menus do not provide you with all the information needed to order (there is no list of available sides) so when our server came for our order, she could only provide us with the list she remembered. She struggled to keep our orders straight, took a very long time to fill drinks, or clear plates. Okay, I get it, it was Sunday. But she only had three tables the entire time we were there and .....two of us have an extensive history in restaurants and understand the struggles. She told us while taking our order that "everything is pre-made" so that it shouldn't take long for our food (which took a very long time to get; other tables were served before us and they came at least 15 minutes after us; no, we were only a table of 5). When she was delivering our food, she informs three of us that ordered green beans that they were out and offers us a substitute, which took an additional 10-15 minutes to get (I was already done with my dinner when she delivered the broccoli and my daughter ended up being charged for the extra side). The catfish was super "fishy" as if it had not been washed properly. and other members of our party had grilled fish that had no flavor. The sides were cold and bland. Even after we completed our dinner, we waited, and waited, and waited. With dirty dishes all around....we waited. When she finally came to check on us, we requested our check. Well, this caused a huge problem because we asked for it to be split. We told her at least four times how to split the check and each time she wrote it down, only to return on two occasions because she couldn't get it to balance. She later told us that she had overcharged us a meal (which we never got the extra plate) and was having a manager override her mistake. With all this, we just wanted to pay and leave. I really would not have even written this review if it hadn't been for waking up this morning to two charges from this establishment. WE ALL GOT CHARGED TWICE!!! ARE YOU KIDDING?! So, now I have to wait until they open, so I can contact them and have one of the charges reversed. Look, I understand that everyone has an off night. I understand that we won't always been happy with everything. But, this was over the top and ridiculous. We will never eat here again. We will not recommend this place to anyone we know. And, honestly, at this point, I suggest everyone stay clear of it. I don't know how it has so many good reviews, because that honestly was not our...

Today is the first time my daughter & me ate here. Overall the food was good, small portions & overpriced, but these days everything is. 4 peice gulf shrimp & big catfish plates were $18.00 each. A dozen hushpuppies were $5.00, 1 order of cobbler is $6.00. The atmosphere is really cool & fun, reminds me of several places in Austin. These days you couldn't pay me to go back. However, the service was not a good experience.

The only person that was polite is the man that greeted us & took us to our booth. The waitress treated us like we were a nuisance. She brought a bowl of hushpuppies and our drinks while we looked at the menu. The menu says the plates come w/hushpuppies, fries and 1-2 sides depending on what you order. Our food came out quickly and hot. After a few minutes we realized we didn't have hushpuppies on the plate, no big deal. When we asked the waitress about the hushpuppies she looked at us as if we were idiots while pointing at the bowl she gaves us before we ordered. My daughter and I said oh ok, we didn't know sorry. No response she just walked off. We didn't know those are considered part of your plate before you even order, no big deal. My daughter and I eat out once a month so asking for things, in a new place to us, was forgotten/scattered. I forget things quit often which is an issue for me, with that said. She saw us looking around and came to the table, I asked for extra lemons and an order of hushpuppies to go. When she walked off I realized I forgot to ask for containers to take our leftovers. When she came back I asked for the containers and added an order of cobbler to go. She looked very annoyed & handed me a big bowl of lemons asking if I had enough now, then walked off. When she came back she asked in a very sarcastic way, with her hands held up infront of her; "is there anything else you need, are sure you don't need anything else?". I stated I wasn't trying to be difficult and we apologized. Because we had her going back and forth I had planned on leaving a bigger tip than what I usually do. The place was not busy maybe 3 tables taken w/us included. Plenty of staff, there was a group of girls standing around talking, it was slow. As we all know, the tip left reflects the experience a customer had. People know me as one to tip too much. Many times I have left nearly a 50% tip. Normally about 30-40%. I like helping people & sometimes that tip is what fills your gas tank, buys diapers, formula or even medications. I know all too well that sometimes tips can help out emmensly. I feel bad for this but, the bill was $57 all I left her was $3. It doesn't feel good being treated like you're an inconvenience to people. I have worked at the clinic down the street from there for 5 years now & had never stopped in to eat there. Honestly, I don't think I...

Pleasantly surprised today with my first visit to the Catfish Parlour. We happened to arrive during lunch hour, where service was "cafeteria counter" style service, complimented by their self-serve, all you can eat sides and salad. Mom enjoyed delicious oysters that had her on cloud nine. The rest of us has the Catfish Lite, which was 3 delicately seasoned Catfish filets to which I plated with golden brown hushpuppies, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, cabbage, and Cesar salad. I was surprised at the well seasoned green beans and cabbage. So much so, that I expected to see 3 Southern grannies in the back, whipping up these batches of made from scratch delights. The unpretentious surroundings led to a feeling of casual comfort, where one might expect to find some Bayou-inspired music playing overhead, to match the vintage conversation pieces sprinkled about the walls of the restaurant. Although lunch required no formal wait staff, the hostess provided pleasant conversation as she moved about the restaurant, ensuring all glasses remained full and customers needs were met. We were so enthralled with our visit that we took the time to Google some background detail of the Catfish Parlour while we dined, as was surprised to learn that the man who greeted us with such warm southern hospitality was actually the owner. Dave, is a gem. His hans-on approach had him hosting, greeting, seating, serving and yes, he was also cooking! With hands dusted with flour and cornmeal, he dipped pieces of Catfish into what would be batches of golden fried fish, all while chatting up each customer to make them feel like they were welcome guests to his home. If grandmas weren't in the back cooking those sides, they definitely had to be responsible for the bread pudding, generously covered in their home made bourbon sauce, the pecan pie with homemade bourbon whipped cream, and need I mention peach cobbler that rivaled any apron clad granny on a Sunday afternoon. Yup, this is a treat for all! Plenty of seating and good food make for a great place to dine with family...