And seafood is wonderful- I like the fried oysters and the whole catfish Staff is friendly and attentive The recent remodel has improved the overall quality of the restaurant without sacrificing its unique ambience read more

Outdated decor, relaxed atmosphere, only means one thing, GREAT FOOD. Servers are fast and friendly, always checking on your beverage refills. The kitchen is slso fast in their preparation and getting food to you hot n fresh. Orders are always correct, large portions n very tasty. I always get the fried shrimp and my wife gets the catfish filets or nuggets, lucky for me, she never eats her whole meal. If you're in the Pell City area, or just out for a drive, don't miss this place . read more

Delicious! We had catfish platter with Cole slaw, hush puppies, onion rings. Food was piping hot, fried perfectly, slaw was tasty and crisp. Waitstaff went out of their way to please and see that each guest was happy. A definite gem! read more

The Ark - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

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Normally catfish isn't my thing, but i was passing thru and wanted something different. This is the long-established local place. The catfish and shrimp are fresh, and they were so lightly battered and flavorful that i didn't need sauce for them. Not frozen, hand made. Cute clean place, friendly help. People poured in one after another. This is a local favorite. read more

This little restaurant is AMAZING! My dad is in the VA Home close by and it has become our favorite spot to eat and as a bonus my Dad has an emotional support animal and they were so sweet to let her come with us. The staff is always very nice and makes sure you have a great experience with fantastic hot food! Try it for yourself you won't be disappointed. read more

Always good! Catfish nuggets are my favorite. A feeling of coming home even if it is your first time there!

We actually came here with a large group. They were very accommodating for our 20 plus that we had in our party. They did need to split us up between a couple tables/spaces, but we were all in the same general location. With a large group we had a few servers that were taking care of us, they did a really good job keeping the orders straight and making sure we were taken care of (no empty drinks). No other way to describe this place, it's straight up a dive. But, that is where some of the best food comes from. This place is no different, they are masters of the art of frying .... obviously a staple in the south! The food was all fresh and tasted really good (great hushpuppies). Price was reasonable for what you get and customer service was exceptional as well. I wouldn't mind coming back to try some other menu items --- would recommend! read more

Best seafood in Pell City! We love this place and have been several times even though it is the furthest out from us. The catfish and shrimp dinner is fabulous. Fries and hush puppies are good too. Often, there is one waitress, but they do a good job working the place. They refill drinks as needed. We highly recommend this place. Best shrimp ever! read more

Best fried catfish you'll ever put in your mouth ! Had the fish and shrimp plate and was way more than I could eat ! read more

The Ark - Catfish and shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

Great people, atmosphere, and food!! A neat little seafood restaurant right by the Lincoln-Riverside Bridge.

The best seafood - hot and fresh - and the quantity is enough for two plus leftovers. Good atmosphere and the employees were beyond nice! We will be frequent customers. read more

The lunch catfish nugget basket is delicious and the price is very reasonable. The coleslaw is not that good "to me" but the fish and hush puppies and fries and wonderful. read more

Tasty po' boy sandwiches, cold Cokes, friendly service. What's not to like? The Ark was started as a speakeasy in the 1930s during prohibition. Then it was a barge on the Coosa River. Now it's a proper building. read more

This is my First time to eat at The Ark in Riverside AL since the 1990s. Back then, the food was greasy. Today, there was no grease and it was all fried food. So I ordered the Seafood platter, which was advertised to have stuffed crab, fried oysters, frog legs, filet or whole catfish piece, 2 sides, and hush puppies. They were out of oysters so they gave me the option of extra shrimp or extra frog legs. I hadn't had frog legs in over a year, so I chose frog legs. The frog legs were ok but no seasoning & more batter than anything. The shrimp was the best thing on the plate - it was lightly breaded butterfly shrimp. I chose a whole catfish, it too was lightly breaded, clean tasting, but no seasoning. A nice side salad with onion & tomato, and a baked potato rounded my meal. My friend had the 2 piece catfish filet & said it was very good, but the Cajun fries were just fair. For 2 of us to eat, with no appetizers or desserts, it was $35. A little pricey. Next time is his turn to pay. I will try something else. read more

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The Ark Family Restaurant is a popular little seafood restaurant located on the banks of Martin Lake, just off I-20 Exit 162 at 13030 US Hwy 78 East in Riverside. The Ark was seen in Southern Living, Portico, The Birmingham News, USA Today, and The NY Times. The place inside has a cozy roadhouse atmosphere with plenty of framed/autographed photos of celebrities and race car drivers on the walls. The menu offerings include their Famous Catfish (fillet or whole/grilled or fried), seafood (oysters, shrimp, crabs, frog legs), sandwiches, loaded burgers, chicken fingers, chicken livers, steaks (t-bone & ribeye), fried foods, and seafood gumbo. The prices are pretty fair. Lunch specials (11AM-2PM) are also offered. Beer and wine offered too. I stopped in here on a sunny Sunday afternoon and the place was very busy, folks dining in and picking up large takeout orders. I decided to get a takeout lunch to enjoy at Talladega. I ordered Catfish Fillet Lunch Special ($6.95 plus tax) served with slaw, fries, and hush puppies. The food came out fast and I was back on the road again in no time. The Catfish filet was very good, which was a soft and tender fillet with light crispy corn meal breading on the outside. The 3 corn meal hushpuppies (oval shaped) were pretty good, crispy outside and soft inside. The fries were okay, lightly fried to yellow. The minced cole slaw was sweet and crispy and had a creamy texture. read more

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No longer serve baked potatoes which I think is a bad decision. I've always loved The Ark but our last visit was many negative issues and the service was far from satisfactory. Sure hope they improve soon. read more

Enjoyed our stop here on our way out of AL. They had good service, and yummy catfish!

Probably the best fried catfish I've ever had! Only docking a star due to the bright lights and lack of atmosphere in the interior.

Woke up Saturday morning and took a little drive out to Pell City and decided to eat on Lake Logan Martin. This is a nice family owned restaurant. It has a hometown feel with vinyl booths & old wood. It made me feel like I was back home in South Louisiana eating seafood on the water. The restaurant was also clean, but a little on the warm side. It could have been a slight bit cooler. We were greeted upon arrival and asked to sit wherever we would like. Our waitress was so sweet and helpful with our menu questions. She was prompt and always got what we needed with a smile. We only waited 10 minutes and our food came out piping hot. I ordered the Fried catfish and shrimp lunch platter. It came with 1 large fried fish filet, 3 XL jumbo shrimp, 2 hushpuppies, coleslaw, and I opted for okra instead of fries. The prices were reasonable. The fish & shrimp was fried well. They were not over seasoned. The shrimp were so big it took 3 bites to finish one shrimp. The fish was clean and fresh tasting. The hushpuppies, coleslaw, and okra were good- nothing fancy. They also make their own ketchup which was very good. We look forward to going back very soon. We haven't found another mom n pop seafood restaurant like this one. GET THE SHRIMP THEY ARE THE HUGE AND TASTY!! read more

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This place was recommended by a friend. It is small, but very clean. The wait staff was very helpful and welcoming. I ordered the crab fingers with corn nuggets and side salad. The portions are huge, the prices are reasonable, and the sweet tea is delicious. The food was great. I loved everything and I will be back. read more

Great food,great service really nice atmosphere will eat here again,loved the oysters and daughter loved the frog legs

We have always enjoyed the food here and there are very few places in Birmingham, or on the gulf that can match the taste or price. This plate was $10.99 and I have leftovers for supper. Even the tartar and cocktail sauces are better. I have been coming here for 40 years and it is every bit as good as it always has been. read more

The Ark - Lunch special - Catfish filet and three shrimp - $10.99. - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

Food is good. Locations is good. Service was good. Bathrooms were clean. We love their shrimp

Excellent food! Had fried shrimp (huge and fried just right) and catfish, also very good. Cole slaw and other sides were good. The adult beverages were cold and always kept on hand by our server, Yvette. She took great care of us throughout the meal. Nice down home, locals kind of place. If you are looking for dim lighting and white table cloths this is not it. They don't need to hide their great food with poor lighting, lol! read more

Had the grilled catfish, fried shrimp, hush puppies, and sweet potato fries. All were very good.

Great food. Love the crab claws! All the food has been great and i recommend you go there!

When we checked into the RV park next door, the owner told us about this restaurant within walking distance. We got there about 515p on a Monday and were seated right away. I ordered the fried shrimp plate with a loaded baked potato and fried okra. My husband ordered the catfish with coleslaw and greens. Everything was hot and delicious. There are signs everywhere saying they are short-staffed, but our food came out within about 15 minutes. All the employees were friendly and helpful. The food and sweet tea were perfection. We would never hesitate to visit this place again if we're in the area. We highly recommend it. read more

Great Shrimp and catfish. Unique hush puppies and home made ketchup. Steaks and burgers good, also.

Famous for being a bit of a hole in the wall, the Ark has a rich history. I encourage you to read about its days as a barge during Prohibition. It still has a limited bar, and is famous now for catfish and - if not, they should be - famous for their butterflied shrimp. They are large and juicy and positively sinful when fried - the homemade tartar sauce only enhances them. Others in my group got the patty melt (delicious) and the chicken fingers (hand-breaded and also delicious). This food is absolutely delicious - but oh my no shortage of grease. In my dotage, i find my courage is often greater than my fortitude. The food did disagree with me later, and I was advised by management (as a response to a Facebook review), that I should have ordered grilled shrimp. Fair enough Oh and the hush puppies?!?! Little football-shaped balls of deliciousness! read more

It's been a while since I've been to this little joint but as usual I was not disappointed! My friend had the seafood platter and I had catfish and shrimp. Onion rings to start salad and baked potato w meal! I have to say in the 50 mile radius of Birmingham, this has to be the best catfish, shrimp, onion rings etc! Delicious as always!! read more

The food is amazing for this little hole in the wall. It is worth the trip over. It is a small place, but clean, the staff is super friendly. The portion sizes are big and the food is fresh. The catfish is fabulous! It gets 4 stars because the beer could be colder, but other than that it was great! read more

We were passing through on our way home from Dallas and didn't want fast food. Restaurant is a little off the beaten path but glad we went. Owner and staff were very nice. My wife had the fried catfish and I had the jumbo shrimp. Both were delicious. The place was pretty busy with locals on a Monday night. Definitely worth a try. read more

Food was delicious. Service was good. Love this place. I did not go away hungry! It is a quaint place.

Very friendly staff. Baked beans are great!! Would recommend the shrimp. Extremely nice in size.

The food is always good. The servers are always friendly and accommodating. We tend to do our eating out on the weekends, so we usually have to wait for a little while before being seated, but if you are in the market for fish, this is your place. This is not a fast food place so the food is cooked fresh and worth the wait. The building is a little dated, but all in all, a nice establishment read more

During our stay in Georgia and day-trip into Alabama, I made a point to have some authentic Southern cookin'. I'm happy that we stopped into The Ark because it filled the bill! Basically, we were looking for a place to get lunch between Talladega Superspeedway and Birmingham. I fired up my Yelp Android app and came across Ian's review and convinced the family that we should give it a go. I ordered a catfish fillet with fries and slaw. This also came with hushpuppies. Unlike Ian's experience, our order was none too quick to get out and when everyone's food came it, seemed we were short some hushpups. No sweat. The waitress said, "I'll just bring y'all out another plate". Those appeared instantly. They keep a bunch of sauces on the table for your fish (I went tabasco and another Louisiana hot sauce). My fillet was perfect. The fries were not too shabby and slaw creamy. The hushpuppies, though, must've had some crack in them or something. I could eat those things all.day.long. Everyone else in our party enjoyed their meal, as well. Lotsa locals in here, which is always a good sign. I did have some trouble finding it, as Ian seems to have put it in the wrong place. Luckily, I cross-checked it with Google Maps and got us there fine. Hopefully, I can correct the location after my review. read more

The Ark - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

I like a good dive just as much as the next person, but that being said, I still expect it to have decent food. And while the service was good, the food was not. Highlights of our meal were the fried pickle appetizer and the peach cobbler with soft ice cream for dessert. Lowlights were the actual entrees. Three of us had the fried oyster and fried catfish combo with sweet potato fries. Unfortunately, the fried oysters, the fries, and the hushpuppies were served completely cold. The catfish was very hot - obviously they were waiting on that to come out of the fryer after they had already cooked and plated the rest of the food. My other side dish was fried okra which was completely cold, as well. Quite frankly, fried food served cold is nasty. And while I was pleased that at least the catfish was hot, it was overcooked and not flaky at all. The entire table agreed it was a pretty disappointing meal, and we will not be back. read more

Food was great for what you got! Pricing was pretty good too! Would go back if I'm over there on that side of town again

The catfish was great, the service was good and we really enjoyed our dinner. We will definitely go back again.

Ok, I've been here twice and both times I had the shrimp dinner, with baked potato n salad. Homemade Ranch dressing, amazing on club cracker! The hush puppies are very tasty and not greasy. The Ark is going to be the go to place when I'm driving back from Atlanta. Fast and friendly staff, good food at a price, you can afford. I was only able to get a picture of the salad this trip, next time I'll try and get an entree. read more