Catfish John?s Leaves Diners Wanting

601 W. Hudson Road

Rogers

The memorabilia on the walls and vast array of “Ass Kickin'” brand hot sauce, salsa and horseradish were most entertaining for one of our staff members and his guest as they entered Catfish John’s restaurant recently.

However, the décor ended up being the highlight of their day, as the two were a bit disappointed in their lunch.

The menu even reads “Nothing Fancy,” which they expected and even appreciated. After all, we’re talking about a catfish place, and catfish and fine dining just don’t mix.

The menu also reads “Just Good Food.”

One of the diners had the special of the day ($4.95) — four pieces of catfish with hush puppies, french fries and something the restaurant tried to pass off as coleslaw.

The hush puppies were small and average at best. They just couldn’t compare to the ones at another popular catfish restaurant in Northwest Arkansas, where the hush puppies are large and almost as desirable as the fish itself.

The fish was nothing spectacular either — hardly what we expected from a restaurant about which, quite frankly, we had heard better reviews. The best comment about the catfish was that it was light, or at least as light as farm-raised catfish fried in peanut oil can be.

The other diner ordered the chicken dinner ($4.95), which also came with the homemade hush puppies, fries and “slaw.”

The first thing this diner noticed was the “bitterness” of the slaw.

“[The slaw] wasn’t up to a fish house standard for slaw,” said the guest. “And the chicken strips, well, I’ve had better, and I’ve had worse. It was an average dinner.”

The guest said he expected better hush puppies from a catfish restaurant.

Catfish John’s also offers shrimp, hamburgers, beans and pies. Family pack baskets include orders of 10, 30 and 50 catfish fillets with hush puppies.

The atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed, particularly with the old country music playing in the background. The owner is obviously a big fan or the late Bob Wills. It’s not every day you can walk into a restaurant and hear “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette.”