I can honestly say, my family and I have never had a bad experience at Paw Paws! From the service…read moreto the food. This is a very nice place to go have lunch or dinner.

I genuinely cannot believe I've never written a review for Paw-Paw's Catfish House because we have…read morebeen coming here for YEARS and I love this place so much. There are restaurants you try once because they're trendy... and then there are places like Paw-Paw's -- the kind that become part of your family's story over time. From the fried deviled eggs, to the seafood platters, to the chicken tenders, to the genuinely wonderful staff, there just isn't a better spot for this kind of old-school comfort food experience. And the staff? Always SO friendly and welcoming. Every single time we come in, it feels less like "customer service" and more like old friends excited you finally stopped by so they can catch up with you awhile. That kind of warmth cannot be faked, and it makes such a difference. Now let's discuss these fried deviled eggs. Because respectfully... who allowed them to be this good? You think deviled eggs have reached their final form and then Paw-Paw's comes in like, "Hold my beer." Crispy, crunchy, creamy, flavorful perfection. We start most meals with them because not ordering them would simply be poor decision making at this point. I usually get the chicken tender basket and LISTEN -- these aren't sad little freezer tenders pretending to be a meal. These tenders are literally as big as my hand. Juicy, tender, flavorful, cooked perfectly every time. My adult kids are obsessed with the seafood platter: three pieces of fried catfish and three jumbo fried shrimp with fries, pinto beans, slaw, hushpuppies, and homemade tartar or cocktail sauce. And when I say the catfish tastes CLEAN, my fellow seafood people will understand exactly what I mean. No muddy taste, no weirdness -- just fresh, crispy, perfectly fried fish done right. And the portions? Paw-Paw did NOT come to play. Nobody is leaving hungry unless that was a personal choice. What I love most, though, is the feeling of the place. The small-town care. The heart that clearly goes into the food. The old-school comfort vibe that feels increasingly rare these days. Places like this matter. And Paw-Paw's is absolutely one of them.

Was driving through on 290 and saw the word gumbo. A happy find. The place is older, and has a…read moregreat hole-in-the-wall feel. One server for the floor, but she did a great job. Attentive without being intrusive. Being lunchtime and not wanting to go to full food coma mode I got the NOLAtrio with gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans. Upgraded to seafood gumbo for a couple of bucks. Everything was very tasty. I enjoyed it all and was quickly on the road again. Good lunch crowd. Will certainly stop by again when I'm in the area.

Service is okay, definitely nothing fancy. Vibes is definitely for older seniors, which is cute…read more For the food, I had to try the gumbo, which was extremely spicy. My friend randomly ordered a burger, which was okay for a non-burger place. Her fries were super hot and yummy, and they saved the day since I stole them from her so I could eat the gumbo.

Been there several times and all I can say is they never disappoint. The food is is so good and…read moretasty. The shrimp diablos are one of my favorite.

FM 812 is turning into an interesting place to eat…read more Seven hundred thousand million billion people are moving to Southeast Travis County and Southwest Bastrop County. A very large proportion of them are Mexican or Central American. That usually leads to a lot of food trucks, many of them excellent. North Lamar has an outstanding collection of food trucks. The economic driver is the nearby population of Honduran immigrants. Now FM 812 is getting its turn. Ten years ago there was virtually no place to eat on 812. Now there are regular clusterings of interesting trucks - along with some new brick and mortar places and some excellent Mexican grocery stores. Okay, the brick and mortar places are often plywood and concrete slab places. But that still means lots of customers and a potentially good kitchen. Nearly all of the new establishments serve traditional Mexican food. * * * Except Catarino's. Catarino's is run by a former manager of Captain Benny's seafood-in-a-boat restaurant on I-35. Captain Benny's was and is a first rate seafood restaurant - with a heavily Mexican and Central American clientele. They are known for their grilled and fried seafood and a superlative shrimp diablo that is worth dying for. What does a former manager of a good grilled and fried seafood and shrimp diablo place do when he opens up a food truck? Serves good grilled and fried seafood along with shrimp diablo. Catarino's calls itself Creole/Cajun to set itself off from the twenty five other taco trucks and Mexican home cooking trucks located elsewhere on 812. They justify the Creole/Cajun label by serving po-boys .... And technically Louisiana food does involve a lot of fried seafood. But this is basically Captain Benny's II - with chicken tenders and a cheeseburger added to the menu for variety. * * * How is it? Outstanding. My male partner in crime (this time a carnivorous male and not the usual pescatarian female) went nuts over the grilled tilapia. I am not a tilapia fan and avoid tilapia whenever I can. But management says the tilapia is the house specialty. Even stubborn me has to admit this is very very good tilapia. The cajun rice that comes with it is knock your socks off. We both went with shrimp diablo. The shrimp diablos are just as good here as they are at Captain Benny's. I could eat about thirty or forty of these babies happily. (And so could my partner in crime.) I went with a fried chicken tenders with french fries and a country gravy dipping sauce. The house offers Valentina's hot sauce to pour on the chicken tenders. TAKE THEM UP ON IT. The tenders dipped in gravy are nice enough. But add Valentina's hot sauce on top of the tenders for the combo and you get die-and-go-to-heaven good eating. For the record - There are a lot of places that serve awful chicken tenders. (Top Notch Diner - I'm talking to YOU, baby!) So a good tender is a good thing. * * * If you live anywhere near this part of the world, You want to definitely check Catarino's out. But then you probably want to go up and down 812 Eating up a storm. There is a lot of good stuff here. Someday, those food trucks won't be food trucks, And those establishments will be famous. You can say you ate there just when they were getting started.

Excellent service and location. L had a Strawberry beer and I had an IPA. L ordered Oysters…read moreContraband and Fried Oysters. I had a side Caesar with Fried Crawfish Tails and Oysters. The Oysters Contraband was outstanding. Both of our entrees were perfectly prepared and delicious. An iconic location with great food.

Went here for lunch got the red beans and rice with side salad tea and bread pudding for dessert…read more Small place great food instant service small local restaurant. Red beans, rice and sausage was great very flavorful and delicious being the perfect size. Salad was all greens and tasty. Bread pudding looked home made. Restaurant has been here for years.

Was paying for used oil at Annies but husband got greedy and took my money but gave somebody else…read morethe oil for last two months (double dipping) Taking multiple peoples $ but only 1 person gets the oil. SHADY! Not an honest way to do business.

Love their crawfish. Perfect seasoning. Great little hole in the wall place. Friendly people and…read moregreat service

I had the boiled crawfish and they were some of the best I've ever had! My wife had the fish…read morebasket and it was really good too!! I would recommend it to anyone!

From the owner: We specialize in Louisiana raised boiled Crawfish along with boiled shrimp.read more

Living in a small town that's full of BBQ and Mexican food, this spot is a nice change. They offer…read moreplenty of options on the menu, even for those not a fan of seafood. And, everything tastes fresh! The service was absolutely top notch when we were there. Was quite busy and a tad noisy but not bad. Cute little spot with plenty of seating inside, as well as an outdoor patio. If ya like seafood, give it a shot!

The shrimp and sausage were amazing. The service was outstanding. The ambience was pretty cool.read more

Why did mud bugs close?…read more It had become a favorite and so sorry it closed. The food was always great; staff super friendly. Why?

Such a big portion! I ordered the seafood platter, and it was my first time ordering from this…read morerestaurant. What a great experience! The shrimp were succulent and gigantic! The catfish was cooked perfectly and not overdone at all, the hush puppies were soft and of a perfect consistency, and the oysters were delectable. This was a delivery order and everything was piping hot and fresh. This is a restaurant that truly cares about getting things right. I called and asked for extra tartar sauce and utensils and they gave me a generous portion! Ate the whole seafood platter in one sitting and I will order it again!!

This restaurant was pretty good and the food came out in less than 10 min! The service was good and…read moreI liked how he was very efficient. The restaurant has lots of seating and it has a very chill vibe. There are plenty of TVs to watch sports games and there is a bar as well. Calamari: The calamari was very crispy and a good portion. The flavor was also very neutral and there was not any weird tastes. However, I wish the calami came out warmer as it was a bit lukewarm when it arrived to the table. Shell Shocker: This boil was really good! The portion is good and the prices are standard. I got the Hook & Reel special blend and it was extremely flavorful and yummy. Next time, I am going to get the spicy because the mild had ZERO spice. This boil came with corn, two potatoes, crab, and shrimp.

My past interactions with seafood broils have not been positive so I had given up. The first was…read morewith a party and was meh but I'm finding out it was the stuff others picked out as well as the flavor( "butter") . The second time was at Joes crab Shack and the crab there was empty and they mixed up the flavors with the incredibly spicy one. Like the saying goes third times the charm. Came here with my fiancé over the weekend. First and foremost the service was great. Our server was very friendly and helpful. She also informed us that they had an all day happy hour so we ordered a pitcher of margarita. Everything came out fast, the flavors were great, and for the price the amount in the bag was great. Will definitely be coming back.

The fish was crispy with nice batter. Sides were a nice compliment. Crab cakes were great as well…read more The dipping sauces that came with it made it more flavorful. It is a tad bit on the greasier side, but over does hit the seafood craving. Ambiance was in a food truck park which is great if you're coming with friends as there is variety with the other trucks. I did do take out as it was very hot today.

These Crawdawgs were massive! A great blend of spice and flavor. We loved these and i am looking…read moreforward to eating them tomorrow!