The Tackle Box is in a more rural area of Laurel, MS and has a plain look on the outside but some interesting things inside with an ambiance that almost reminds me of a German Bier Hall except they don't sell beer or bier here. This is mainly a seafood restaurant that also serves steaks, country fried steak and fried chicken. They have boiled shrimp and fried seafood with all-you-can-eat catfish which seems to be the star of the show here. They have fried options including oysters, shrimp, stuffed crab and chicken. They also have a baked redfish with crawfish sauce and boiled potatoes that I ate, which for the price, it was unfortunately really small and for around the same price in many other spots I've had a much larger serving along with a lot more crawfish in the sauce.
For the area it seems very popular and there are lots of other catfish places around but this one seems to have a bit more variety. You also get coleslaw and hushpuppies with your meal (which is the same practice for many of the other spots around this area). Like the majority of places in this region their coleslaw is sadly NOT to my taste as it is far too sweet and is the mayo style while I'm on team vinegar and mustard based coleslaw with no mayo and zero added sugar. I literally would rather have plain sauerkraut or kimchi than this kind of coleslaw. Most people around these parts will by quite happy with the food here but a lot of it just isn't to my taste. The redfish had potential but I can get a way bigger portion size with a lot more food on the plate in New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast for around the same price or cheaper than here. I sampled a boiled shrimp and like most of the boiled seafood in this area I found it way too bland to my taste and I would rather just boil my own. The service here was really great and they stayed on top of keeping drinks refilled. Overall most people from the area will probably like this joint but if you're used to seafood with a Creole or Cajun flair like I am then you will likely find it pretty bland here. read more