Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Catfish On The Bluff

When you're stranded in small-town Arkansas, at least one of your meals is going to include fried catfish.  Well, that's what Ed told me.

We were recently in Camden, Arkansas for a few days and let me tell you, there's really not much to do.  We hit the Walmart, went to see baby chicks at Atwood's, and upon a local recommendation, went to Woods Place for lunch.

When we sat down at the table we were greeted with a basket of fresh, hot, homemade yeast rolls and hot, crispy, hushpuppies.  A bowl of butter spread and tartar sauce accompanied them.  I was perplexed by the tartar sauce - were we supposed to dip the hushpuppies in it or are they just assuming we'd be ordering fish?  I ate hushpuppies while I decided.  They were delicious.
Woods Place has been around since 1984 and has won awards for their catfish.  Ed is a huge fan of catfish so I knew that's what he was going to order.  I decided to try the fried tilapia.

The Southern-style catfish fillets were right up Ed's alley.  Nice, large pieces in that distinct cornmeal coating, served with a side of coleslaw and fried okra.  
I chose the tilapia because a light fish meal sounded like a good idea.  I picked the half order over the full and was glad I did because it came to the table with two insanely big pieces.  I only ate one piece and gave the other to Ed.  Mine came with coleslaw, fries, a lemon wedge, and slice of red onion - I think that's a Southern thing, too.  
In addition to the hushpuppies, tilapia, and french fries (jeez, can they fry anything else??), I ordered the soda that was born right there in Camden - Grapette

My impression overall was good.  The food was good, the batter on the fish was light and not greasy at all.  And Ed's catfish was great, according to him.  And although I didn't like the fries (mushy) and thought the coleslaw could have been served a bit colder, I'd go back again. 

It's obviously a hot spot because the stream of people coming through the door picking up takeout orders did not stop the entire time we were there.  

The restaurant was clean, the staff was very friendly, and the service was quick.  At least next time we're in the area we know where we can go for Ed to get his catfish fix.  That's one thing I don't (and won't) make in my house.  I made fried catfish once, over 15 years ago, and my house smelled like fish for days.  Never again.
So if you're in Camden, head over to Woods Place for a meal.  It's one of the most talked about places in town.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: 
If Only Gas Were That Cheap Again

2016: Friends Don't Let Friends Exercise Alone
2015: I Would Never Mute This Commerical
2014: State Line
2013: No Pity
2012: Stop Grackling!
2011: Chicks And Kids
2010: Ultima Lavada 9:00 PM
2009: Eddie Touches Up The Old Girl Friday
2008: The Morning Sun Greets Guadalupe
2007: Starting Soon. No, Really.
2006: This Mary Doesn’t Go To Pre-School
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

1 comment:

dlg said...

Thanks for this, Salena. It looks like making a special trip for; and I would!