I had the pleasure of returning to Ezell's on 4 SEP during a business trip, and it was my first time back there since 1986. Yes, it took me 39 years to return to Ezell's, but it was well worth it. While stationed there at Fort Benning back in 1986-1987 for school and my final duty assignment, a fellow soldier friend insisted on taking my wife and me to dinner. It was so delicious that I vowed to return one day. And yes, I've been back to Columbus on several occasions, but never found the time to patronize Ezell's again. But I did this time, and it was just like I remembered it. Oh, and did I mention it was busy with locals? I was waited on by Hannah and had the filet with the coleslaw and fries...and man, did that hit the spot! I think what was my favorite part of this meal was their homemade tartar sauce, which was very mild and accompanied the catfish perfectly. It was a wonderful experience, and being able to once again return to this fixture of Columbus. Five stars for wonderful service and delicious catfish...and all the sides that came with the filets. I hope to return to Columbus again early next year (2026) for more business meetings, and when I do, I'll definitely return to Ezell's again...and not wait another 39 years! read more

We arrived at 9 pm on a Friday (today)....online states you close at 10 pm, your recording even states you close at 10 pm. But, you told us to our face you all were closed...at 9pm. Then would not answer the phone for to go orders. Never again! read more

Stopped by this restaurant while visiting Columbus, the service and the food was good, but the restaurant is extremely dated and could use a good deep cleaning. As I was walking to the bathroom and to the cashier there's a grimy stickiness that causes your shoes to stick to the floor as you walk. That makes you wonder about the other parts of the restaurant you don't see, like the kitchen......Hmmm? read more

This has got to be one of the filthiest restaurants I have ever seen! The floors have so much grime and grease on the floors your shoes stick! Bathroom was awful. Food was ok. They need to do a lot of cleaning and refurbishing! read more

worst place ever! Starts out with sprite that taste bad. And then came the fried pickles that were horrible it was like they dropped them in the fryer for a minute and got them out they were soggy and greasy.They were 5 of us and none of us could eat the food. The fish was not done and shrimp was barely cooked it was awful. The only thing that was okay was the Cole slaw and hush puppies and the bill was over a hundred dollars. Will Never Eat There Again! But let me add we had the sweetest waitress ever! She should find her somewhere else to work she deserves Better. read more

Excellent service, good food and great customer service. A little bit crowded and noisy for my taste.

We have been going there for years. The food is always prepared well. Great flavor and portion size matches the price. The bone in catfish, hush puppies, and coleslaw are excellent. The vegetables are fresh and well seasoned. There are not a lot of options on the menu which allows them to excel at what they do serve. The wait staff is friendly and professional. The restaurant dining area is clean and inviting. I would highly recommend Ezell's as an affordable comfort food kind of place. We moved out of town and we always come back when we are back for a visit. read more

Excellent customer service and very friendly staff. I love the food, especially the fried catfish and hushpuppies. Will definitely go there again and I highly recommend it. read more

As someone who doesn't get Catfish often, from Washington State, I have to say this was delicious! The catfish and chips was so good and mouthwatering. The tarter sauce was also delicious. I have to say the best part though, aside from the amazing service, was the hush puppies! Make sure to check them out if you're in the mood for a fun place with a chill vibe! read more

Best catfish and unbelievably good hush puppies. Very reasonable prices. The staff is friendly and attentive.

Went to Ezells at 8:15pm and found the doors locked? The advertised closing time was 9pm. A waiter told me as she was leaving that they decided to close early. Totally wasting my time. I will never go back, if they are going to post closing time at 9pm. They shouldn't close at 8:15 bad management! read more

We've been coming to Ezell's for years and the Catfish is as good as our first trip to the Catfish Cabin. I ordered the 3 piece Whole Catfish dinner with a baked potato while my wife ordered the two piece with baked potato as well. Both dinners were excellent, while we also order fried green tomatoes for an appetizer that were delicious. Our waitress Nacole gave us outstanding service and we enjoyed the friendly atmosphere by the entire staff. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

Ezell's is a staple in Columbus and is really the best place to go for catfish in Muscogee County. The breading on the fried catfish is my favorite of all time: very coarse cornmeal with the right amount of seasonings. Their fried shrimp is really good for inland and so is their steamed gulf shrimp. I had the fresh veg of the day with mine last week and those zipper peas were excellent. The coleslaw is good and definitely make sure you get pickles and onions when they bring those piping hot hush puppies to the table. Hello, heaven. Good tea, good fried food...a local institution. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

Went to this restaurant for the second time. The first time I had grilled chicken that was absolutely delicious. My second time there was an epic fail because the chicken was raw. The manager came over and apologized for the error. She offered to take it off the bill. She also brought out some fried chicken. I was Leary about it. Do I got it to go. If you order the chicken be sure to check it. read more

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I came here on Sunday for lunch and it's a really laid back kind of place-I mean it's called Ezell's Catfish CABIN-you don't expect a lot of high brow, snooty, dining. There's even a fishing cabin inside the restaurant with more tables. It was my first visit, and my friend's first visit as well so I asked our waitress what was good. she was friendly and gave a cheerful, if not particularly helpful "everything's good." She did, however say that the lunch portions were the same as the dinner portion. I got the catfish and the fried shrimp with the cheese grits as the side. The catfish was actually quite good, I liked the flaky texture and the cornmeal batter. I liked the shrimp better though, but that's because I'm not a big catfish fan. The little fan tail shrimp were good, but I wish there had been more. The cheese grits though-I really enjoy grits but haven't really been able to get a good order of them unless it was a big bowl of shrimp and grits.The side order of it here were creamy, rich and tasty enough. The slaw was all right, it was a little too sweet-it was a mix of relish and cabbage which wasn't my thing but it was a nice counterpoint to the fried food and the hush puppies though were terrific. Hot, fresh, slightly spicy and in unlimited amounts. Delicious and right near my house! read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Fantail shrimp, catfish and cheesy grits. - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

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The alligator po boy is my absolute favorite, aside from the fried catfish strips. All the sides are really yummy (especially the slaw!) we usually get our meal to go but dining in is fun. The staff is really nice and the restaurant is really cute and home-like read more

Checked the place out bc me and the wife wanted to try something new plus they had a dish that included "alligator". The wife wanted to try so we did; sadly I've had alligator and was hoping it to be like BBQ gator tail but instead it was a hush puppy type eats. Too pricey for the the quality and quantity for my wallet, so unsure if I'll take the chance to try their catfish. Gumbo is good, better one I've tried so far since I've been here. Other than that it's rated how it's rate in my taste.word. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Gumbo - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

In short Damn good food. We go to the one on Warm Springs Road in Columbus. Staff is always super nice and fast with service.Seating is always fast but we do go in an 1 -2 hours after they are open to skip the open rush.Best hushpuppies and coleslaw in town.Family likes it so much we always do Special Occasions there. read more

I came here with a group of other yelpers after hiking Providence Canyon. It was highly recommended by a few of my yelp friends and thought it would be a worthy place to add calories back to our bodies after a 3+ mile hike. While I really loved the quirky interior decor, such as the screened doors on the restrooms, I was not as impressed with the food. I absolutely loved the fried onion rings and fried green tomato appetizers. They were delicious and tricked my mind into believing the entrees would be equally amazing. However, the appetizers turned out to be the best part of my meal. * COMPLIMENTARY HUSH PUPPIES - good, but a tad too greasy for my liking. (2.5 stars) * COMPLIMENTARY COLE SLAW - decent, but KFC Cole slaw sets the standard in my opinion and anything less is just wasted calories. (2.5 stars) * FRIED CATFISH FILLETS - entirely too dry and the "fillets" looked more like large nuggets or fingers. One of my table mates allowed me to sample a piece of their blackened catfish and I loved it. The fillets were much larger, better seasoned and juicy! When I asked if I could switch to the blackened catfish I overheard one of the servers say to another server "Now he wants the blackened" in a snarky sort of way. There were a group of servers standing just outside the kitchen when the comment was made, but it was clear to me they wanted me to hear it because our table was the furthest from the kitchen as you could possible be inside the restaurant. I thought about saying something to the manager, but decided it didn't matter. It is unlikely I will ever be back this way again. (2.75 stars) * FRIED FANTAIL SHRIMP - although I enjoyed the shrimp, they were entirely too small in my opinion. I've had fantail shrimp many times in my 4 decades on this earth and this is by far the smallest shrimp that ever qualified for this title. Also, their definition of "fantail" means cutting a slit down the center of the shrimp instead of flattening the shrimp out, which is what gives credit to the name FANTAIL. These shrimp looked more like they had a freakish deformity, like a person with a split tongue. (3 stars) *BLACKENED CATFISH - this was far more to my liking. I typically do not order catfish any other way than fried, but I was happy to have this as an option after sampling the fried catfish. The size difference between the blackened and fried fillets is highly noticeable. So much so that I confirmed it with my server just to make sure it wasn't my imagination. I don't know why they choose to use two different sizes of catfish, but it stands to reason the fried catfish SHOULD be the larger of the two, but it was not. (3.75 stars) Come to think of it, I believe the fried catfish that I was served is probably one whole blackened fillet sliced in two. FINAL THOUGHTS If I'm being honest, I felt uncomfortable with the staffs reaction to my dislike of the food. When my server returned with the blackened, I wondered what happened to the remaining shrimp on my plate when she quickly whisked the fried catfish away. I assumed at the time they would transfer my shrimp to my new plate, but the servers response was "That would be like giving you free food!" I was totally baffled by that response until a person in my party whom had eaten here before told me the blackened catfish is not offered as a combo, so I would not have gotten the shrimp had I ordered it that way at first. Now that made sense, but to brush me off as wanting free food honestly pissed me off and I lost my appetite. I tried to play it cool in front of my group because I felt slightly embarrassed, but inside I was steamed. I slid my entire meal into a to-go box, paid my $27 bill (gratuity added) and walked out the door wondering what the heck just happened. Pretty sad that the person responsible for bringing 14 souls through the door got the worst service. Cool place, okay food and questionable service = 2.75 stars overall. 2016/134 read more

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Admittedly I may not be the best person to write this review, being allergic to all things seafood, but this did end up being the restaurant of choice after we finished up a hike over the weekend. With a lot of great reviews, we headed on in after reserving a table for 15. Right off the bat, we were greeted by friendly staff who seated us and gave us complimentary hush puppies and cole slaw. The Hush puppies tasted like dressing (thanksgiving style dressing), which wasn't a bad thing, and I didn't try the cole slaw, but I did hear it wasn't really sweet (I prefer a sweeter slaw) Flipping through the menu, I decided on an order of beer battered onion rings ($5.99). There were about 9 thick sliced rings that came with a homemade ranch sauce. These things were BIG...so big that I only had three, shared the rest, and I was pretty satisfied with my eating situation. The flavor wasn't bad, but i've definitely had better. The ranch dressing was really good though! I also got to try one of the fried green tomatoes, and sadly it was pretty bland and watery. I would not order these. There were some menu items that catered to those who maybe didn't (or couldn't) want fish, but none of them were really appealing to me, as they ranged from chicken fingers to hamburger steak. customer service was just fine making sure to get to go orders and checks out quickly. Parking was no problem with their own private lot, but be careful exiting onto warm springs road. There's a big dip that can scratch up your front bumper. End of the day, if you love seafood and are in the area, there's enough great reviews and dishes that you can find something to make you smile. If you're like me though, you may just want to keep on driving. read more

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My family stopped here when we were in Columbus for our son's turning green ceremony. It was the best place we ate at in Columbus. The food was amazing and reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you're in Columbus, GA. read more

I haven't been there in 20 years but our family growing up would go there on Fridays. Food was good, the staff was quick and friendly. It was a nice place, too. read more

I went here on a weekend for late lunch after a great hike at providence State Park which is 40 miles from Ezell's. Someone suggested Ezell's, so we thought we would give it a try. Best catfish in town and old fish cabin atmosphere. Nothing fancy but just good ole fried seafood, grits, Cole slaw, hush puppies southern style. Good price for quality seafood. Decent country seafood and catfish, but the real reason to visit are for their absolutely fantastic hush puppies and their Blacken Grilled Cat Fish. Great dish and enjoyed to the fullest. Reasonable fried green tomatoes. Price was very reasonable for all I can eat about the same I had any fast food joints. Some of the finest you could ever hope to have like Service is speedy and friendly and paired nicely with the quaint and rustic interior. Food was definitely prepared to order not sitting under a lamp and there's no way anything was frozen. You have free ample parking in front of the restaurant. I highly recommend this restaurant. Best in the neighborhood. I will try again when I am back in that area. read more

I always loved Ezell food. Now they have cut back so much on quality that they are close to losing our business. I have always ordered the popcorn shrimp but now they are serving tiny salad shrimp and shrimp pieces. Sorry to see my absolutely favorite seafood place declining like this. read more

Catfish on the bone, keeps me coming back. I am looking forward to Covid-19 becoming a thing of the past so I can dine in.

Ok so there are plenty of times where I feel like I don't belong in the south - particularly when I'm surrounded by so much camo that I feel like I'm suffocating in the hunting and fishing departments of stores (please don't ask what I'm doing in those sections to begin with). Then something awesome comes around to remind me why I love it - college football season and mild winters to name a few. Ezell's is one of the places that make me love it. You'll never find anything like this outside of the south. I've eaten at four of their locations and this is by far my favorite. They have the best hushpuppies. I really go here for the hushpuppies. They are like crack. As soon as you sit down, the server will bring you a bowl of hushpuppies and a bowl of cole slaw. The cole slaw is average. The hushpuppies are divine. They have corn in them as well as jalapeños to give them a kick. I personally prefer to eat them with the tartar sauce. Don't knock it til you try it. Unlimited complimentary refills on both the cole slaw and hushpuppies. This is a catfish place so that's their specialty. I'm not a catfish person so I usually get the fried shrimp. Everything is pretty reasonable price wise - most items are under $10. The place gets super busy during prime dinner time and often has a wait. I'd advise to arrive early or later to avoid the crowd. The parking can get a bit iffy during the rush as well. Hopefully you'll get Mama Jan as your server. She is an institution here. She's been here for over 25 years and has been serving us since I was a young one. I love hearing her stories when I come. A definite must go if you are in the Columbus area. read more

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Ezell's is known for their great catfish and it is definitely Fantastic!!! I feel I would be doing the world a disservice if I did not shout out praise to the amazing Hamburger Steak they also offer on the menu. One of the best I have ever eaten in my entire life as a girl from the South...and that is no lie! The slaw, as always, is the best in town...and the hush puppies...some of the best on the planet. Go see for yourself!! read more

"Austria! Well, then. G'day mate! Let's put another shrimp on the barbie!" -- Dumb & Dumber (1994) Oh how I love me some fried shrimp - fantails, dipped in cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or just plain. Not overly battered, but fried to perfection. YES! This is the place. But I digress...let's talk about why I really came here and will make the drive to come back again and again... HUSHPUPPIES! That's right - the best damn hushpuppies anywhere. Fried, golden brown and delicious. Soft, light, cornbread fritters of delectable yumminess stuffed with nuggets of corn and flecks of jalapeño. I mean, you just cannot go wrong. Especially, when they are brought to the table non-stop in a symphony of stuff-yourself-silliness of fried-golden-goodness. We managed to polish off a bottle of homemade tartar sauce dipping these beauties and we almost had NO room for dinner (but have you met me?). So dinner - I went for the combo of fantail fried shrimps and chicken tenders and my side was the veggie of the day: fried okra. I mean, at this point, why not have friend item number 4? So everything was amazing. Nothing was salty (okay, maybe the okra a little), but was perfectly fried, the batter stayed on the food and items inside the batter were perfectly moist and tender. The sauces on the table were clearly fresh and homemade (okay maybe not the ketchup), but we overstuffed ourselves with yummy delights. Note: They also bring you unlimited free coleslaw - mayo-based, also tasty, but I am not a big coleslaw eater. At the end of the meal, if you are a kid, they bring out the shark full of candy. Well, the mama at the table felt we ate well and had them bring us the candy shark (awwww) and we each got a morsel for eating well. Thanks Mama C! I will need to figure out how to special order these fritters of love, or make regular trips to Columbus for a hushpuppy fix. I'm hooked! Also note: loss of a star for slow service. We were in the back room and were lacking for drinks quite often and our waitress would forget things we asked for upon her return (Lemons, more tea, waters, etc.). read more

How many hushpuppies can you eat? The answer is as many as you want. These are delicious..but you will soon realize you have been eating fried goodness and may not have room for your catfish... That is what happened to me..I must have had 6 hushpuppies! I had the catfish special, and could not even eat half. The catfish was very fresh and fried perfectly. THis place has really great ambience. Definitely worth trying, and its not a chain! read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

So the restaurant is pretty cool looking. Looks like a fish house of some sort and it has alit of deer heads and fish on the walls. I went on a Wednesday night and it wasn't too busy. I order the fired catfish fillet with the fantail shrimp and cheese grits. They bring out hush puppies and coleslaw upon arrival. So, the fish in my opinion was not as good as I thought based off the reviews. Maybe I'm not that big of a fish person but I will pass on the fried catfish fillet. Now the shrimp are another story mmm mmm mmm they were simply amazing but I will say I am a shrimp person. The hush puppies were tasty as well. The coleslaw was ok it's edible but I wouldn't ask for it. Cheese grits were ok. I did not eat them just tasted them. They lacked flavor. I mean texture was great and very cheesy but not flavorful to me. The sweet tea is a must sweetened just right. So overall, the experience was ok. The service was great, but I didn't get great catfish at a catfish house. That was a little disappointing to me. I would come back again but just for hush puppies and shrimp. Oh can't forget that tea. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

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If you like fish and grits, this is the perfect place for you. The fish is fried golden brown and you can add cheese to the grits for good measure. read more

We came for my nephew's birthday and there were 9 of us. We waited over an hour for a table and when I went in to just use the restroom the dining room was almost completely empty. We were trying to get the lunch menu which was the reason we came before 2:30. However when we got to our table it was about 10 minutes after the cutoff time for the lunch and we were told that we would not be getting the lunch prices. After waiting an hour to be seated. We were first told we were waiting for a table and then we were told it was because of the kitchen. So it's a good thing the food is good and we were hungry or we would have gone somewhere else. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Dining room that is empty - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

This place is dope. If you like your seafood fried, your tea sweet and your service awesome you've got to try it! Stopped here with my family on our way to the beach at the advice of my brother who eats here whenever his travels bring him within a hundred miles. They serve hush puppies and cole slaw like chips and salsa and the cantina. everything was delicious and the service was amazing. Shout out to our server Jamie who was so friendly and guided us through the menu with ease. Can't wait to go back. read more

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My son and I decided to go by and pick up to go dinner. He got catfish filets I got grilled shrimp. The fish was so salty and overcooked he couldn't eat it. My shrimp were the size of a nickel and just not very good at all. The hush puppies were alright but a word of cation they are quite greasy. I love most any coleslaw but I just couldn't make myself like this at all. I'm gonna chalk it up as a lesson learned, you don't know until you try. The guy that was up front bringing orders from the back was super nice, there were 2 older ladies sitting at the checkout and answering phones, one seemed nice but the other was the most rude, crude, down right nasty person I've ever encountered in a customer service position. I'm shocked that she's allowed to be the first and last person a customer sees in this business. read more

Love this place we go after Church on Sunday. There are about 10 of us Love hush puppies and calabash shrimp read more

Everything is fried and over priced! I got the catfish fillets and a children's corn dog. The corn dog was burnt looking and the catfish was like frozen catfish fillets you can buy from the store. The grease they fried the stuff in tasted old. Grabs the older crowed but I think that's what keeping them afloat. The service was great though! read more

Food and service is amazing. Worth the stop! Fried Catfish and Fried Shrimp with tartar sauce was simply the best!! read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Coleslaw and Hush Puppies before meal is so yummy!! - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

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As soon as we sat down, the server brought over fresh, hot hushpuppies. They were delicious. We ended up ordering the fried crab claws as an appetizer. Market price was around $16. They were okay. You can tell it's something that comes pre-battered and it has no flavor. I wouldn't get them again. I ordered the fried catfish. It delicious. You can taste a hint of lemon pepper seasoning in the catfish batter. I like that the lemon pepper flavor wasn't overwhelming. Their menu is simple. Staff is friendly. I would come back and recommend it. read more

Ezell's Catfish Cabin - Fried crab claws - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Georgia

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I don't like catfish; but I like their fried shrimp and cole slaw. Good food at a reasonable price.

Original review: "I've been going to Ezell's for over 20 years, so I have quite a number of experiences to justify this review. Most of the time, Ezell's food is great. Some of the best items they offer are the fried whole catfish, the fried catfish fillet, the grilled catfish fillet, the fried Calabash shrimp, and also the seasoned steamed gulf shrimp. However, sometimes the food is greasy, especially the hushpuppies. But when they're not greasy, a whole basket will probably be eaten. But half the time, Ezell's service is not up to par, especially the takeout service. Whenever my family and I order takeout from Ezell's, the order is messed up half of the time. It's not easy to ask the waitress to correct the order once I arrive home, and it's not worth it to drive all the way back. With that being said, I do recommend Ezell's Catfish Cabin for great fish and shrimp if you are dining in. Don't forget to ask for pickles and onions as they go great with everything!" Update: Since an actual Ezell is now running the show, the quality of food and service has gone up another star. read more