Catfish Kitchen — Restaurant in Tennessee

I’ve been wanting to try this place for months and finally went last night. I went early before the crowds arrived. I’m glad I did because the service was good and the food was freshly cooked. I ordered the seafood platter. I traded the small bay scallops for 2 fish fillets. Normally that would have made me happy but I didn’t like the fish batter. Every good southern person knows that catfish is battered with a cornmeal & flour mixture. Not this place! It was more like a beer batter? Very disappointing!!! The server told me that I could have ordered the cornmeal batter ? It was Nowhere on the menu, no one told me that and I’d never been there before. How was I supposed to know that? This is Burns, TN- it should come with the cornmeal batter and then if you want the other, ask for it! If I had ordered the catfish meal, the rating would have been lower but the shrimp & oysters were good. The crab cake was flat and overcooked & so was the fish. The sides were the highlight of the meal! The slaw was really good without having too much mayo. The white beans were cooked perfectly and came with a slice of onion. And the fries were fantastic! Fresh cut fries were soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside. The best fries I’ve had in a long time!!! The hush puppies sucked. I’m sure it’s because they are made using that weird batter? I’ll go back one more time just to order the cornmeal battered fish. I feel like I can’t really rate the catfish until I have it the way it’s supposed to be? UPDATE: I went back to Catfish Kitchen last night and ordered the catfish dinner with the cornmeal/southern style breading and it was wonderful! The way catfish should be cooked in the south! Everything was great, the beans were tender, the slaw wasn’t overly mayo tasting, fries were perfect. Even the hush puppies were big and had some onions. They still had the weird batter but it wasn’t bad as a hush puppy. I know the owner wants his fish to be different but if it’s hurting his business? I’d rethink that? Since my first visit, I’ve asked family and friends what they thought? Not one person I asked liked it cooked that way and literally No one knew that they could have gotten cooked southern style? I think the food was great last night and I’ll be spreading the word! I think either putting signs on the walls or better yet, in the menu’s that people have the choice of breading would be advantageous for the restaurant? If it’s were me, I’d want ALL the business I could get! Once again, the wait staff were friendly and attentive. And the lake view can’t be beat! I’ll be back and I think more people would be repeat customers if they had the...

My Husband works in Dickson and we live in Ashland City. Believe it or not we had never eaten at the Catfish Kitchen until 2 weeks ago. We both love catfish and have been branching out trying new catfish restaurants. We go through phases of picking a certain type of restaurant and eating at several different ones to find the best overall. This one threw something new into the mix we weren't expecting. My Husband likes to try new stuff. Well the first time we went he tried their quail. Now he is hooked. No pun there and it could have been so perfect if we were talking catfish. Lol!!! We went back yesterday and he could not resist the quail again. 8 pieces each time. Oh, I forgot to mention it's all you can eat. He said if its possible he likes it better than fried chicken. I'm blown away by that statement coming from my Husband. The King of let's get some KFC. So, I say if your up for something new or if you know you like quail give it a whirl!!! Me, I'm just not that kinda girl. No wild meats or anything out of my ordinary. I'll stick with the catfish. And it is AWESOME also. I got the spicy and I loved it. To me if you do not have a good tater sauce I can not do your fish. Luckily their tarter sauce makes the grade. A little bit of squeezed lemon juice in it and all the better. Oh and their hush puppies. YUM!!! The best way I've found to ask if a restaurant and their food is good or not is to ask yourself how did you rate it on a scale from 1 to a 10. And if you would come back. I can already tell you my Husband will make sure of that just for the quail alone. P.s. The quail comes with a biscuit and mashed potatoes which he says is delicious also. We are real foodies and travel all over just to eat in specific restaurants. We have been to all states in the USA except Alaska and Hawaii. But sometimes the best restaurants you will ever find are tucked away in the middle of no where or even at your own back door. Ya know, your close to home when the Owner still comes out to meet ya!!! Out of every part of the US we have eaten dives to high end dinning my favorite still has to be the ones that make you feel like you've just came home!!!

Let us take you...

I travel and I frequently tire of the homogenized banality of chain restaurants. Whenever possible I seek out the local gems where those who know congregate. What a joy it was this evening when, while driving along highway 70 just east of Dickson, TN, I chanced upon the Catfish Kitchen.

You can tell right away that it's my kind of place. The building isn't fancy and the parking lot isn't paved, but the lot was so full you would have thought it was bingo night at the VFW. I was greeted with a smile so warm and genuine that I immediately felt at home and forgot to be self conscious about dining alone. I skipped the menu, though it looked appealing. Instead I asked the waitress what she liked best and went from there. My "hot fillet" of farm-raised catfish arrived quickly with a side of the best hush puppies I've ever eaten. "Homemade!" she said with a smile so warm and full of dimples that I felt like I had just been invited to marry into the family. The double fillet of catfish was tender to a fault and so mild it could have been wild-caught Alaskan Pollock. The breading was crispy and light, with just a touch of spicy heat. The fries were home-cut and delicious.

If you are anywhere near the west side of Nashville, this little gem is worth the drive. If the lot out front is full, drive down behind and park out back. If it's still light outside, ask for a table along the back where you can look out over some beautiful, tree-lined lakes. You'll soon find out why this place is a local favorite. The food is delicious, served with a double helping of southern charm, and it won't put hardly a dent in your...