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    Middendorf's - Manchac

    3.6 (519 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Sandwiches
    Closed 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Middendorf's - Manchac Photos

    Business Info

    MIDDENDORF'S - MANCHAC ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Middendorf's - Manchac

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cheeseburger and Fries
    Craig L.

    Without even getting to the food, I'll just say if you are passing through this area Middendorf's is worth trying. If you take a look at some of the photos that I've included you will see that it is located in a unique, picaresque location. The original location was established in 1934. The food? I enjoyed it. I like catfish and had no complaints. Their specialty is the thin sliced fried catfish. I had that with fried shrimp, and it was delicious. They also offer the regular sliced catfish as well as other fresh seafood and non seafood choices. The only downside was that the hushpuppies were not the best and I can live without coleslaw. I thought that maybe they could offer a substitute veggie for the non cabbage eater. I did not have drinks since I was driving, but they did offer what appeared to be a full service bar. The restaurant has a unique vibe. Tables are arranged in various areas so that you do not feel crowded. The decor reflects the uniqueness of the area. The service was okay, but could have been a little more attentive. Also it is a pet peeve of mine when a server asks if I need change, especially when you are paying with large bills. Overall, a good time was had by everyone in my party and no one left hungry.

    Michael L.

    The food is great, the service is great, and the building is part of history. I have been eating here since I was a kid and now I bring my children and grandchildren to experience.

    Thin fried catfish, breaded shrimp and delicious Cole slaw

    Wow! This was recommended by some friends and they were correct. Delicious thin cut catfish. The service was fabulous. Friendly welcoming and defiantly a highlight on our trip

    Cole slaw topped with a dill pickle slice
    Toni F.

    First stop after being picked up at the airport for a visit home. I'd been craving Middendorf's thin fried catfish for weeks, and it didn't disappoint! There was a bit of a wait for a table, then we settled in for the best catfish anywhere. The cole slaw is so-so, just a simple slaw but it's the fish that's a standout. Every bit as good as I'd remembered it!

    We been stopping here for many years when traveling I-55 Never disappointed always plenty of great seafood and good service at affordable prices. Had the catfish oyster poboy with gumbo and salad. Great views of lake Pontchartrain.

    Thin catfish platter

    Arrived around 2pm for a late lunch. We were seated right away. We waited for quite some time and nobody came to take drink orders. Very few customers in there and several wait staff actively waiting on those customers. After a considerable amount of time I asked someone if we had a waitress assigned to our table. She said yes, I'll have to go find her. After several more minutes, our waitress comes and takes our order. Food came out quickly and looked good. . Serving sizes are large. Everyone's food was very salty. None of us finished our food. I would not recommend this place.

    Outside

    I ordered the gumbo, and as someone from Louisiana, I can confidently say--this is not gumbo. It was by far the most disappointing version I've ever had. If you're expecting authentic Cajun or Louisiana-style food, this simply isn't it. I genuinely appreciate the service and cleanliness of the place, but I can't recommend anything on the menu based on my experience. If you're looking for true Louisiana Cajun cuisine, you'll want to look elsewhere.

    Broiled Chicken Breast sandwich
    Traci B.

    Great location and roomy deck on Lake Maurepas! Staff is friendly, but they're understaffed so you have to go to the counter, order, get your order, and your refills which is fine just fyi. Our food was pretty good, typical fried seafood and sides. I don't get the hype for thin-cut catfish. The pasta was meh. The mushroom appetizer was weird-broiled mushrooms with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs sprinkled on top, cheese doesn't melt. The best values for your money are the fried shrimp basket (lots of fried shrimp!) and the broiled stuffed shrimp with hush puppies, fries and coleslaw for $19! It had lots of crab on the broiled shrimp. The hush puppies were disappointing-bland (you get 2 with the dinners). We had a great time with our family, but don't want to drive 50 minutes out of our way to get charged that much for so-so seafood.

    Thin Fried Catfish Poboy
    Lucas G.

    Finally took the opportunity to give this place a try after always seeing it and wondering what it even was...wonderful is what it is! Our waitress here was so nice and friendly and funny, patient. To start, outside they have their own mini zoo. Turkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, fish, and more I'm probably forgetting. Definitely a great sight for the kids if you bring them! Also inside is just decorated so fascinating, I love a nicely decorated restaurant. Had to try the onion rings and as you can see, they taste just as good as they look. Great! Went ahead and got the poboy while my girl just got an order of fish which comes with coleslaw, hush puppies and fries. It was good, does not come with mayo on it but they can bring packets for you to apply your own. It was good, absolutely ginormous pieces of fish, very thin and crispy and good. I must say when I finished it for leftovers hours later, it wasn't as tasty as I remembered it when fresh. The French fries were just basic restaurant fries but still good. 2 gnarly barley beer on tap as well as michelob ultra. Ticket was $51 for the poboy, order of fish, onion ring appetizer and 2 regular drinks. Overall 5 star in my opinion with the ambiance and service being spectacular. Oh, also, it was lunch time on a sunday and they were packed like sardines but the kitchen is still very speedy and we didn't wait to be seated but only had a party of 2

    Aj W.

    Today we went to middendorf to celebrate my parents 67th wedding anniversary my mother had the whole fried catfish and my father wanted to fried shrimp and me I had the seafood platter with a softshell crab and it was delicious

    Fried Shrimp and Thin Catfish
    Jeannine A.

    The shrimp and fish were delicious. Our server was very friendly and helpful. I love the decorations here.

    Thursday night entertainment
    Mike M.

    I can remember coming to Middendorf's as a kid when my Dad brought our family to eat here. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere and I remember good seafood in an old building next to the water. The last time I dined here was about 20 years ago before my dinner last Thursday night. I was on the fence to come here because I think during my last visit I decided I wasn't a fan of their thin fried catfish. I have changed my mind. I ordered the large version of their thin fried catfish meal for $19 and it came with fries, hush puppies and fries. On the night of my visit the restaurant had a nice dinner crowd there with about a 5-10 minute wait for a table in this large multi room restaurant. They even had an accordion player in one dining room entertaining the guests. My meal arrived about 10 minutes after ordering and it looked quite large. I received 5 or 6 pieces of fish, two large hush puppies, fries and cole slaw in a separate container. The fish was delicious. Lightly breaded and with plenty of meat the fillets were so light tasting and almost like eating tender potato chips. They were very good. The hush puppies were thick in their cornmeal texture and flavorful and filling. They were quality hush puppies not often found nowadays. I liked the well cooked fries and the cole slaw was perfect as a palate cleanser. This meal was very good and I couldn't finish it all wishing that I had ordered the smaller version of the meal. Middendorf's is kind of a Louisiana institution with a unique and decorative interior and a seafood centric menu with their famous thin fried catfish. Strongly consider eating here especially if you are driving by on I-55.

    Menu
    Dawn M.

    On our way for a family getaway to New Orleans for New Year's, my mom mentioned she had never eaten at Middendorf's so we decided to swing by. I've eaten there once and being a Mississippi woman, I like my catfish a certain way. It's two days after Christmas and they appeared to be short staffed, which impacted seating. To say there were a lot of people there, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes. Inside reminds me of a typical local Louisiana seafood spot. They do have a mini animal farm on the property which is good if you have kids. It all gives you a touristy feel but it's cool. Momma ordered the small thin catfish platter, my sister got the one stuffed crab platter, my niece got a kid's chicken tender plate and I got the fried shrimp and thin catfish combo platter minus fries sub extra coleslaw. My shrimp were lukewarm when my plate arrived. The flavor was good but they were not fresh out the grease hot. The coleslaw, as I remembered it, was very very good, which is why I got two servings. The hushpuppies were horrible. I do not like thin catfish! It's like eating pork skins with very little fish. I don't know why I got this instead of just getting the fried shrimp plate instead. My mom didn't like the thin catfish either. My sister said the stuffed crab, while it had plenty of crabmeat stuffing, lacked basic seasoning. Only person who enjoyed their food was my niece. She said the chicken tenders were very good. Again, I live in Mississippi and we eat plump pieces of catfish. They do have that on the menu and next time I will skip the thin catfish here.

    Crab and Shrimp Gumbo

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    Christie G.

    Thank you, Andrew!

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    4 months ago

    Excellent food definitely try the thin fried catfish! Service was on point. They were friendly. It's a great place to go.

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    1 year ago

    We go to Middendorfs almost every time we are driving through LA. It's one of our favorite seafood restaurants in the world.

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    Christie G.

    Thank you, Annie! :)

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Middendorf's - Manchac

    Is the outdoor seating area dog friendly?? 🐶

    I don’t know. I don’t take dogs to restaurants.

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    Reno's on the River is one of those places that instantly makes you slow down and enjoy where you…read moreare. Sitting right on the river, the views alone are worth the stop--especially around sunset when the water and boats set the perfect Louisiana backdrop. The food is where Reno's really shines, especially the buffet. It's well worth it--hot, fresh, and packed with Southern and seafood favorites that are full of flavor. Everything tastes homemade, not rushed, and the selection makes it easy to find something for everyone. You can tell they keep it stocked and take pride in what they serve. The drinks are cold, the atmosphere is relaxed, and it's the kind of place where you can pull up by boat or car and feel right at home. Friendly staff, a laid-back crowd, and live music on the right nights give it that true river-life vibe that keeps people coming back. If you're in Maurepas--or anywhere nearby--Reno's on the River is absolutely worth the stop, especially if you catch the buffet

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