The restaurant and staff are absolutely amazing! I have eaten here many times but the last time was the best. We took my MIL to eat for her birthday and I forgot the cake/candles. I went and asked the staff what they had. The staff was quick to find me a good dessert and even found candles that were the correct numbers for her age! I later found out that the staff member that helped me was the manager. He was very approachable and so helpful. He even lit the candles as I also didn't have a lighter. DIL fail and a win for The Ark!! read more

We took a chance on this place based on Yelp ratings. It is definitely a hole in the wall place and we wouldn't have found it without the gps. But great service and great food. The blackened grilled catfish was probably the best I've ever had. And the hush puppy sauce was great! Will definitely be back if we are in the area again! read more

I called in an order. The female was rude an didnt seem interested in offering hospitality. I orderd simple, simple as they come. 3 piece fried whole catfish with FF, an a side of fried fickels an onion rings. Ff were cold, stale, hard, dryed out, didnt even get my pickels, but was charged. Onion rings so soggy w/grease, could not eat. Fish bland an has "0" seasoning. Same for the 2 hushpuppies. Bland. Will not visit, or recommend. I can excuse the bad food, but not rude service. read more

Wonderful Catfish and Shrimp great little Mom and Pops place. Dining by boat is a little difficult as you have to pay to dock at the gas station next door. However the food more than makes it worth it. read more

I give a 5 for the catfish filets, pups & onion rings. Best catfish I have ever had. Just the right amount of what seemed like combo flour&cornmeal batter. Thick and moist portions at fair price. The restaurant atmosphere is a different matter. Old, outdated needing a refresh badly. I'd go back for the delish food. read more

The Ark - 3 fried catfish filet dinner with onion rings & okra - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

We had mixed results at The Ark. The place is a country dive type restaurant, which we found charming as it gives you a slice of authentic rural Alabama. Be aware that most everything you get here will be fried: fried oysters, fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried hush puppies, fried chicken tenders, and french fries. I had the catfish and shrimp combo and it was very good. My wife had the grilled catfish (about the only non-fried entrée they had) and it was also very good. My daughter had the chicken tenders and the meat was tough, dry, & chewy. The hush puppies were very bland and none of us ate more than one bite. The fried pickles appetizer was very good. The sweet tea was also good. The waitress was pleasant and the service was fine. read more

Always happy with The Ark, just wish they offered more green veggies cause I always feel bad about eating all the fried yummy foods & need some balance!! read more

We stayed in this area last year because our RV broke down on the way to Jackson, MS. We found this restaurant through Yelp. We were in the area for a week and probably ate here 4 -5 times. The catfish and the crab fingers are the best we've ever had!! We're from Orlando and they just don't have great catfish and certainly don't have crab fingers anywhere!! In fact we're headed back to Jackson in June and are planning our trip so that we'll be staying in this area for a couple of days. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone that loves catfish fillets and crab fingers!! read more

Small, older sit down restaurant Great food and service. I always order the catfish filet meal with sweet tea, onion slices and hot sauce #Yummy. Some of the best Catfish you will ever taste!! read more

the only thing good was a salad that came out of a bag with added tomato and purple onion, even the sweet tea was awful , more like lemon water with a little sugar. took 15 minutes to get a house Salad , more bread on the catfish than fish, coleslaw had sweet pickles in it, just not my cup of tea. almost $60 for 2 people. I could have stayed home and had a V8. read more

The host, management and wait staff wear their masks below their noses. They were asked to wear them properly. They have not changed. The place is too small to have management and wait staff not following state guidelines. Food was great but we won't risk this again. read more

Okay...here we go. 1st I'll say the service was excellent. Our waitress Donna was a hoot! 2nd the hush puppies were awesome. I ordered the seafood platter which consists of 1 catfish filet, 2 fried shrimp, 2 small fried oysters, 2 fried frog legs, 1 deviled crab...plus 2 sides in which I chose slaw & baked potato. The hubby had a ribeye steak & baked potato. Hush puppies come on the table when seated. Our total was $41.23 and we both ordered tea. So, we were not a fan of what they called hush puppy sauce...it seemed to be a mixture of ketchup & BBQ sauce. The tarter sauce was made with dill pickles...too many of them because it was bitter. Slaw is good here. All the fried stuff was pleasant looking & golden color. However, the catfish was cooked a bit too long making it dry. The fried shrimp was butterflied therefore it was difficult to eat...even though there were only 2 on the platter..and too much batter/crust...same thing on frog legs which were small. Deviled crab was too mushy inside, but tasted good nonetheless. Baked potatoes were good. As for the steak...it needed seasoning, maybe a bit of garlic salt was it grilled because it was bland, but cooked exactly how requested. The seafood platter was a bit pricey considering the small amount of food on it. However, I was stuffed, but nearly ate all of it. A man would've needed more food. Steak was a good size and cut. Tea was good. Overall it was a good experience, but a so-so meal. Couldn't ask for nicer folks. I'll return and order something different. read more

The Ark - Awesome hushpuppies!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

Classical southern fried catfish house on the old coosa river, now lake Logan Martin. Everything is fried and fantastic. I stop here whenever I am traveling I 20. Rustic wood paneling, rural setting. It hasn't changed in 37 years. Regionally famous place to eat with families. Limited beer and wine, but bud on tap. read more

The Ark - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

Service was southern friendly. There we were, a couple of Detroit area guys, trying to figure out who's Tiger picture it was on the far wall. Quick search reveals that Todd Jones lives in the area. Food-wise : Old ketchup bottles old enough to be collectibles. Soda sold in cans only. Fries had a hint of shrimp. Catfish was pretty good. It's far from fancy - I think 'roadhouse' is the best description. read more

Nice atmosphere. Inattentive, "dismissive"service. Lower quality food. Frozen fries out of bag. Fried pickles had fishy taste. Forget the hush puppies. read more

I have been eating at The Ark most of my life. My husband and I went there last night and wound up leaving after waiting for our food way too long. The waitress offered the excuse that they had two larger parties, but if that was the case, she should have told us when we got there that our food would be the last to be served so that we could have gone to another restaurant before it got late. Not a happy experience. Service is a very important piece of the puzzle for us. read more

The catfish and the oysters are delicious my favorite. Everything is delicious here and yes it's a hole in the wall place but the food is cooked with love!!! Try it for yourself read more

The Ark has amazing food! We love the staff and the food. We suggest anyone who loves catfish, eat here! We had the fried catfish, fried shrimp and fried platter. You won't eat anything bad here. It's all amazing! read more

We went to the Ark last night after the talladega race. This place is amazing! My group had shrimp, catfish, cheeseburger, onion rings, okra, hush puppies, and fries. All of it was amazing, especially the fish, shrimp and onion rings. I highly recommend it. read more

A great place to have a fried dinner. I had the catfish and shrimp combo with sweet potato fries and fried okra. The fish was nice and thick and had a great flavor. The shrimp were large and cooked just right. I'm taking home some peach cobbler as I am too stuffed. read more

The best lightly battered shrimp, oysters and catfish. Catfishes offered whole or big filets. Staff very friendly. Restaurant is country/marina decorated and clean. Highly recommend for great Southern fried food. read more

The catfish was awesome, but it took over an hour for us to get our food. We ordered 2 adult meals and 2 kids meals. There is a warning on the table that all meals are prepared at the time of ordering, but an hour seems ridiculous! The sides are ok, and the gumbo was ok. read more

Delicious shrimp, fish and hush puppies. Been eating at the Ark for 50 years. All of the cooks are great and all server's are spot on with their excellent service. read more

The Ark was started in the late 40's. When we moved to Pell City about ten years ago we were told not to miss the Ark. Our first trip a pleasant young lady asked us what we wanted from the menu. Stating it was our first time, she began telling us all about the restaurant and the food. This seafood is fresh daily. Fresh from The Gulf and catfish farms. Combo catfish filet with shrimp is the best. My wife goes for the "bigem" shrimp plate. Oyster - Shrimp combo is good. The Cole slaw and hushpuppies are the best. After we ordered she brought us a "Center Plate" on the house.( Don't know what that is? You will have to and find out. Don't know about dessert as we never make it that far! Oh, that young lady is still at The Ark, is the floor manager and never fails to recognize us on sight! Don't go on NASCAR weekend. You cannot get near the place! You may see one of your favorite drivers IF you do manage to get inside to eat. All in all....... A nice place with very friendly people. read more

Really good, deep fried seafood. The building is small, simple and old. Inside and out. But that adds to the experience. Food was exceptionally good. Shrimp and hush puppies were delicious. And the tarter sauce is wonderful. This place has been there for years and is well known but this was my first time. I will definitely be back. If you like simple, southern fried seafood I would highly recommend. read more

The fish was good they said the hush puppies was hand made but there is no way! They was alfull they tasted freezer burnt then I seen one of the workers buying the hush puppies at a store that I shop in regular. If they are store bought then they just need to be truthfull any going there don't eat the hush puppies unless they let you watch them make them. I can make better ones with one hand tired behind my back.and they are to overpriced. And when I questions them about the hush puppies the lady got a attitude about it read more

This place has filling, fried seafood with prices that are very reasonable. I was brought here by a local and now make a point to bring others when I'm in town. read more

Good place to eat and the service was great. I had the fried catfish and grilled shrimp. The shrimp was great! The catfish was fresh but I was not a fan of the flavor. Maybe it is just where were were. The coleslaw was very tasty. I am only a fan of very view coleslaw. I would eat this one again. I am not sure I would go back but it was worth the adventure. The story of the restaurant is a good one! read more

The seasoning on the deep-fired catfish was not to my liking. The onion rings were just OK. The grilled catfish was outstanding. That dish is worth making a stop off of the I-20 interstate for lunch or dinner at this restaurant. read more

Catfish and shrimp were fantastic! Fried perfectly. If you're in the area a must stop!!

The whole fish is super small. Get the Filet.. not whole. Food OK but misses the mark on what the old Ark cooked. The Shrimp poboys are awful. Oysters are super small overcooked in cornbread batter. I defy you to taste an oyster are find it. If there were an oyster tha price may have been acceptable.. but was not recognizable..sorry. I still come back hoping things would get better read more

Great seafood. Catfish is a must. Locally owned and operated for decades. A must-visit if passing through (especially when visiting Talladega Superspeedway... tons of photos of NASCAR & sports figures' visits to The Ark adorn the walls.) read more

Great Service; our waitress was friendly and caring. The food was fantastic. My husband, teenage son and I shared appetizers of fried chicken livers (awesome), a seafood platter and a 3 piece fried fish plate. It was more than enough for us. All of the seafood was perfectly cooked, as were the sides. Delighted we selected this place for dinner. read more

The food is good, but very expensive. $8.95 for a 5" oyster poboy sandwich. Fries are an Extra $2.00. The restaurant is run edown. There's dust in the windows, the booths are vinyl and cracked. And the salad was iceberg lettuce cut up with pieces of tomato, and a clump of shredded cheese. I would not recommend for a fancy dinning experience. The Waffle House is cleaner, and not so expensive. read more

I always like to eat here when I'm in town. My favorite dish is the catfish fillet with coleslaw, hush puppies, and a baked potato or fries. And I love the sweet tea with a fresh slice of lemon. I've eaten here many times and I've never been disappointed. This is a popular restaurant with the locals - always a good way to judge a restaurant. read more

Awesome food, awesome service! We love this place! The catfish is great, and the fried shrimp is fantastic! Highly recommend this place!

The Ark Pell City AL so close to Talladega and everything NASCAR. Fried catfish and hush puppies are best in the world. This restaurant has been in business for 60 plus years. read more

The Ark - Seafood Near Me - Riverside, Alabama

We came here for Mother's Day and the food was pretty good but service was slow with it taking 30 minutes to get our food to the table. We will come back either way. It's a quaint place been here since 1930. read more

Great food! Great service family atmosphere! Every one you meet at the Ark is friendly! Fast service! Excellent! If you don't like the Ark you must be a hard person to please, or a yankee! I saw reviews saying not enough food, etc! I can never eat all the food I am served here! read more

Only three stars because in my opinion the food is overpriced for what you get. The food is good, the staff members are very nice. However, seriously overpriced. This is coming from someone who doesn't mind spending $30 on lunch for one person. read more