Middendorf's Awards

Middendorf's Restaurant Review:

Hordes of New Orleanians take the 45-minute drive to Middendorf's, usually for the catfish dinners. Middendorf's three large, unconnected structures seem never to be empty. Each week the proprietors make the hour-long trek to Pass Manchac to buy two tons of catfish, whose preparation is overseen by chef Horst Pfeifer. The restaurant's team hand slices it so thinly that, after being breaded and fried to order, it is just right: greaseless and crisp. Contrarians also may order the fried catfish thick-cut or whole, styles that don't lend themselves to chip-like dipping into tartar sauce but do provide more catfish flavor. If catfish isn't your preference, other options include a fine oyster stew with milk and scallions, soft-shell crab, and a broiled or fried whole flounder that no establishment would be ashamed of delivering to a table. Desserts made in-house include classic New Orleans bread pudding, Key lime pie, white chocolate pecan pie, cheesecake and ice creams. The short wine list is not exciting. Wooden floors and tables and a partially open-air deck overlooking the water combine to make this a relaxing place to enjoy the seafood. The only remarkable bit of décor is the main building's restrooms, which are crafted completely from stainless steel, a defensive tactic prompted by the nearby railroad tracks as the trains rattled the tiles off the walls.