5 must-try 'fancy' catfish dishes in Memphis, from sizzling to sweet potato crusted

Jennifer Chandler, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·3 min read

August is National Catfish Month. To celebrate, we decided to share five of our favorite "fancy" catfish dishes in Memphis.

Fried catfish may be the most common preparation for catfish in town, but several Memphis restaurants are creating elevated dishes featuring the South's favorite fish.

Chef Tam’s Underground Café: Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish

668 Union Ave.; thecheftam.com

Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish at Chef Tam's Underground Cafe in Downtown Memphis.
Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish at Chef Tam's Underground Cafe in Downtown Memphis.

The Sizzling Jambalaya Stuffed Catfish ($28) at Chef Tam's Underground Café is a blackened filet of catfish smothered with jambalaya and topped with grilled shrimp. The dish comes to the table still sizzling in a cast-iron pan. A ramekin of the restaurant’s signature seafood cream sauce comes on the side.

Chef Tamra Patterson, the owner of Chef Tam's, said she put it on the menu about four months ago because she wanted to have a "sizzling" dish on the menu. "It's a Cajun culinary delight," she said of the dish that has quickly become a customer favorite.

SOB: Blackened Catfish

Two locations: 345 S. Main St. and 5040 Sanderlin Ave.; southofbeale.com

The Blackened Catfish ($21) at SOB is served over a bed of okra and corn succotash with an andouille sausage and spicy crawfish cream sauce. SOB uses locally raised catfish from Lake’s Farm Raised Catfish in Dundee, Mississippi.

Blackened Catfish over Okra and Corn Succotash with Andouille Sausage and Spicy Crawfish Cream Sauce at SOB restaurant in Memphis, TN.
Blackened Catfish over Okra and Corn Succotash with Andouille Sausage and Spicy Crawfish Cream Sauce at SOB restaurant in Memphis, TN.

The catfish dish has been on the menu since SOB opened its Sanderlin location in 2020. It is the restaurant's most popular entrée. "I think that a lot of places typically only have catfish fried. Earl Lake’s catfish is so clean in flavor that I wanted to highlight that and show it off," SOB chef Anthony Fenech said. "We have so many guests that think they don’t like catfish, but love this dish."

McEwen’s: Sweet Potato Crusted Catfish

120 Monroe Ave.; mcewensmemphis.com

Sweet Potato Crusted Catfish ($28) with Creole Honey Mustard, Macaroni and Cheese and Braised Collard Greens is a McEwen’s classic. It has been on the menu for more than 20 years, and it will likely not change anytime soon.

Sweet Potato Crusted Catfish with Creole Honey Mustard, Macaroni and Cheese, Braised Collard Greens at McEwen's restaurant in Downtown Memphis.
Sweet Potato Crusted Catfish with Creole Honey Mustard, Macaroni and Cheese, Braised Collard Greens at McEwen's restaurant in Downtown Memphis.

“I was working sauté back in 2002 or so when Michael Patrick added it to the menu. While I’m not sure of the original inspiration, like so many things, the care that is required to maintain our reputation and standard is what inspires me now,” chef Joe Cartwright said. “It’s something that we have to take care of every day and make sure our guests can continue to count on.”

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The Farmer at Railgarten: Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish

2158 Central Ave.; thefarmer901.comThe Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish ($21.50) at The Farmer can be considered world-famous. It was one of the dishes that Guy Fieri featured on his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” when he stopped in at the restaurant’s former location on Highland.

Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish with Mac-n-Cheese, Braised Greens and a Smoked Tomato Broth at The Farmer restaurant in Midtown Memphis.
Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish with Mac-n-Cheese, Braised Greens and a Smoked Tomato Broth at The Farmer restaurant in Midtown Memphis.

The catfish is well-seasoned and pan seared to perfection. It’s served with the restaurant’s Mac-n-Cheese and Braised Greens. A Smoked Tomato Broth is the sauce that ties the dish together.

The Half Shell: Catfish Pauline-Louisiana Style

Two locations: 688 S. Mendenhall and 7825 Winchester; halfshell-memphis.com

The Half Shell’s Catfish Pauline-Louisiana Style ($19.99) is a half-pound catfish filet that is hand-breaded and fried until golden. The crispy fish is served over a garnish of rice pilaf and topped with lump crabmeat and a Creole Meuniere sauce.

The Catfish Pauline-Louisiana Style is shown at The Half Shell at 688 S. Mendenhall Road in East Memphis on Aug. 16, 2023.
The Catfish Pauline-Louisiana Style is shown at The Half Shell at 688 S. Mendenhall Road in East Memphis on Aug. 16, 2023.

The Half Shell owner Danny Sumrall said it’s been on the menu for more than 10 years. He and his former chef were on a trip to Louisiana and tried a similar dish at a restaurant. “He immediately started creating a version for The Half Shell,” Sumrall said.

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Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Best catfish in Memphis: 5 must-try spins on South's favorite fish