"Friday Night Catfish - Live Music" 02/20/26…read more
I decided to give this place a try since I've been passing by it for a while, always wondering if it was any good. I'm glad I finally gave in to curiosity.
This spot was already jumping on a Friday evening around 6 PM. They had live music, a solo artist singing and playing guitar, and the whole atmosphere felt lively and upbeat. It gave me "Urban Cowboy" vibes in the best way. The southern hospitality was definitely there. It's family-oriented, pet-friendly, and apparently Friday nights are the only time you can catch them frying up catfish and shrimp.
Customer service was a mix of good and just okay. The lady taking our order was polite, but not very friendly, maybe she's just not the best with social skills. You walk up to the outside window to order (like my husband and I did). We were told there'd be about a 45-minute wait, which we were fine with. They gave us a pager to let us know when the food was ready, and luckily we found a table in the packed dining area where we could enjoy the entertainment while we waited.
We sipped on margaritas on the rocks and took in the scene. I was honestly surprised at how good they were, especially with the Tajín on the rim. Delicious and strong.
Now, the two female servers were the real highlight. They were friendly, down-to-earth, and very attentive, checking on us periodically. One of them even refilled my margarita cup free of charge to make up for the wait. I loved their high energy and bubbly personalities, and I will say: it ended up being well worth the wait.
When my husband brought our food to the table, it was piping hot. We both ordered the fried catfish and shrimp dinner, which comes with French fries, hush puppies, and a salad. For some reason, we were served crinkle-cut fries instead of their usual authentic-cut fries, aka "crappy fries," which confused us a little, but it wasn't a big deal.
The fish and shrimp were fried to perfection, crunchy, succulent, and full of flavor. The shrimp tasted fresh with that ocean-seafood flavor. The fish tasted a little less fresh to me (slightly on the stale side), but it was still good overall.
Complaints
Pet-friendly: They allow dogs and cats to roam around the dining area while customers are eating, which is just not my cup of tea. I get that it's outdoor dining, but not everyone enjoys animals up close while they're trying to eat. There was a dog roaming and sniffing guests, and a cat doing the same. Luckily neither one made their way to my table.
Another complaint is the styrofoam plate issue: Our dinner was served on a styrofoam plate without the paper lining to keep the hot food from melting into the styrofoam. I don't mind styrofoam, but please add the liner, especially for hot fried food. We noticed other customers had the lining, but we didn't. Maybe it was just a slip-up, who knows.
Food Ratings
Catfish/Shrimp Dinner: 5/5
Fish: 4/5 (fried to crunchy perfection and piping hot, but didn't taste as fresh, slightly stale)
Shrimp: 5/5 (crispy, fresh tasting, piping hot)
Hush puppies: 5/5 (crispy outside, moist inside)
French fries: 4/5 (not the authentic cut, but fresh and hot)
Side salad: 4/5 (fresh lettuce and tomatoes, but a very small portion)
Margarita on the rocks: 5/5 (delicious and strong)
Overall, Tailgate Grill is energetic, upbeat, and serves up some seriously tasty fried catfish and shrimp, especially on a Friday evening with delicious tasting Margaritas to top it off. The atmosphere is inviting, the food is mouthwatering, and I tore my plate up! I definitely recommend this place if you're craving southern fried catfish and shrimp.
One last tip: bring cash to tip the hardworking servers; they were tag-teaming it and taking care of a packed crowd with smiles on their faces. Great job ladies!