Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant

Amazing atmosphere great for family gatherings, kid friendly and really deilicious southern food! I recommend this place for anyone taking family from out of state here because it’s just a Cajun fun spot near water! Plus they also have back side section where you can go look at ducks

Fried fish are one of my favorite foods and Middendorf’s is worth the detour. The fish are paper thin and crispy. Great location.

It’s just a gem of old time delicious fried, baked and broiled seafood. We had BBQ shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp gumbo, baked Italian oysters, stuffed mushrooms, hush puppies, alligator bites, French fries… a feast! Easy place to stop when headed north leaving New Orleans at Manchac exit 15 on I55. It feels like the last place to get really good, deep-​south, Louisiana seafood so save room on your way back North. I really wanted to get a couple quarts of gumbo to take with me but had no way to transport it.

Fantastic thin fried catfish. GREAT Bread pudding. Awesome Key Lime Pie. Giant Boiled Crabs when they are in season.

This place is great for a nice drive and a good meal away from city life. A good change of pace about 35 min outside of New Orleans.
Best thin fried catfish around… and I dont really like catfish. Really! Soft shell crab was outstanding.
Read the menu carefully. Writing is a lil small for my aging eyes. I misread the softshell crab to say $ 8.25 when it actually says «market price» (which turned out to be $ 14!!). I thought we were getting a good deal when I ordered one large thin fried catfish plate and a softshell crab as a SIDE to split. We didnt know what market price was, but that is my own fault for misunderstanding it. The service was great and attentive. even when I argued over the price and realized my mistake.
We were served a nice warm mini loaf of french bread and crackers. Then a plate of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce arrived. Next came our food and mini plates. The catfish came with fries, 2 hush puppies, and slaw butbwe requested potato salad instead. Fries were cook well and you could tell that they are cooked seperately from the seafood .same with the hushpuppies. The potato salad also pretty good a bit heavy on the spicy mustard but still good. We really enjoyed our food.
Anyway, the atmosphere is nice. The food is great. Best fried seafood around. My mouth is watering now as I write. You get plenty on your plate. We had enough to take home and bring to lunch.
There is an open deck in the back and a sand play area for the kids. Also a bar with live music right on the water. You can dock your boat right up to the place. We got there around 3pm on a Friday and the place wasnt too crowded, but as it got later (around 5pm) it started to fill up quick.
We will definitely be back.

This place is a staple of New Orleans area culture. I can remember coming as a small child (albeit to a much smaller building at that time). One thing that hasn’t changed is the flavorful food, environment, and company kept. You don’t go here for «the best meal I’ve ever had»…you come for a good olé fashioned slab of fried southern-​style goodness.
The recipes are tried-​and-​true, tested over decades. Anyone should be able to find something on the menu. My personal favorite is the thin-​fried catfish!
Service is generally fair and attentive, but expect to wait for a table. Especially if you decide to go during Lent. No reservations here; It’s first-​come first-​served.

this place is a hidden gem, everything was delicious…
Your tip is added when you order outside, it’s on your bill as a service charge so make sure you did not over tip, thin catfish, fried soft-​shell crab was my favorite

Was on our way to a seminar in Nola from BR, had to drop in as I have been craving for a while
We were greeted promptly and shown to a table. Went straight for the seafood platter, no playing around. As I expected, food was very good, large portions as well. Service was very good, she checked on us well and refilled promptly. Highly recommend and will be back.

Pilgrimage is a different thing for every pilgrim — Middendorf’s is mine. As example it was my first stop other than for gas on a recent drive from Chicago.
Not near a darn thing except the water. You have to want to go here to dine here. Thin Cut Catfish is their signature, rightfully so, but their boiled seafood is top-​notch and the broiled oysters are OUT STANDING. This place has so much history and yet knowing none of it won’t spoil a great meal.
If you are looking for a place to drive to to eat or just willing to drive to eat you will not be disappointed in the regional fare they have to offer.
p. s. on my last trip I saw they were vastly expanding the dock/​patio section so if you have been away for a while let seeing that be your excuse to feast.
«Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart» — Ecclesiastes 11:9

Ate there (again) last Wednesday. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and I’m 59 now. I always get a cup of gumbo and the thin catfish. I think they have a great product there and love that crispy fish and their gumbo is good too.
Décor? We don’t need no stinking décor! Just kidding. :-)
There’s a bit of contrast: On the one hand, it’s an old school, gingham checked place cypress on the walls and local art and photos. On the other, there’s the post-​Katrina additions that included an open dining area on the pass to the lake, and it’s nice).
Sometimes there’s an accordion player who strolls among the tables and plays Cajun music. Very nice touch.
Anyway, people drive from as far as 50 miles just to eat here. I live in Houma, which is about 75 miles away and I try to stop in when passing by.
Excellent seafood and nice people too.

I was so excited to eat here for lunch today because the last time we passed through was about 8 years ago and I remember the food was delicious. Unfortunately, that was not the case today. I will say that the atmosphere, décor, and wait staff was definitely enjoyable. However, the food should have been the main event and it was seriously lacking.
For starters, we got a cup of shrimp and crab gumbo and onion rings. The gumbo reminded me of something you’d find at Sicily’s Italian Buffet in Houma except Sicily’s is actually better. I wish this weren’t the case. There were two tiny shrimp in the gumbo and one crab claw that was still completely in the shell and get this… it was burned. I don’t understand how they managed to burn the claw meat while it was still in the shell, but so it was. The onion rings were not what I was expecting. They were large and thickly breaded with no seasonings.
Onto our entrees, two of the kids ordered the catfish and the other ordered chicken fingers. The catfish was well cooked but again no seasoning but considering everything else we had, the catfish was the best thing on our plates. The chicken tenders were not homemade, similar to what you can find in the frozen foods section of your grocery store. My husband ordered the stuffed flounder and I ordered the seafood platter. The flounder was good but the stuffing had very little crab meat and was mostly bread crumbs. As for my seafood platter, the oysters (4) were mush. The crust of the shrimp (4) fell off as we tried to eat them, and the filling on the stuffed crab was the same as the stuffing on the flounder. The only thing, as mentioned before, that I can’t complain about is the catfish that came on my platter.
Oh, also, the drinks served here come in 8 ounce glass bottles at $ 1.90 a piece. Best bet is to get water or tea.
I really wanted to love Middendorf’s. It’s location and atmosphere was really charming. Maybe I’m biased, but this place doesn’t even come close the the fresh seafood on Bayou Lafourche.

Ok, I don’t get down to Louisiana very often anymore, so when I do get close to Middendorfs I can’t pass up the thin sliced catfish! It is deelish!
Portions are generous for this old lady, heck they were even big when I was young! Next time, no bread, no crackers, no onion rings – save lots of room for the thin sliced catfish.

I wanted to love Middendorfs, but they made it difficult for a first time visitor. Yes, the thin fried catfish is delicious (too thin by some in my party), but there were some big drawbacks on the evening.
Boiled crawfish, yes please. 45 minutes later, I’m sorry but we are out of crawfish.
While I am standing, right there, a tray of crawfish goes out. To a guy I’m with. That came and ordered twenty minutes after me. Seriously.
I was out crawfish, but at least my son got to share some of his son’s.
Other info. Bad fried chicken (overdone), good salad (surpringly fresh mixed greens) and overly breaded broiled oysters.

Stopped here on our way to Alabama and ate their thin catfish dinner plate & «peel & eat shrimp». Both were real good and will defiantly be back!
They have ducks, chicken, Geese and a white turkey outside that my daughter just loved.

Seafood Louisiana Style Original
The seafood platter here is among the best I have ever had. The establishment is the originator of the fried cornmeal battered thin catfish. The original owners sold this some years back but they still maintain the original recipes for the most part. Off the beaten path the still gather lines waiting to get in. The fried food is topped notch. The only complaint I had was with the stuffed crab which comes part of the seafood platter. When the original owners had it, they made the best stuffed crabs. Now the stuffed crab dressing is on the dry side but still boast good flavor and crab meat. The seafood platter comes with coleslaw, fried hush puppies, oysters, shrimp, thin catfish, fried to perfection.

SUPERIOR fried seafood platters! Staff are southern gems that make you feel like your at your mamas house with the whole family. Prices are very, very reasonable for all platters, sides, soup, salads, and plates. Price ranges are from $ 3.00-$$ 21.75 (market price for fried soft shell crabs). Very clean, and they have outdoor seating.

This place is awesome!
I love their thin catfish, which is perfectly breaded to give the right amount of fish to breading ratio. I really like that it’s not too breaded like some places do. The flavor of their batter is very delicious, if your in the mood for fried food this place does it right.
This is a place that is a bit a way from New Orleans, but not too far. We hit it on the way out of town driving. Ifnyou do have a chance they do a great job here.
Can’t wait to go back here for more.

Definitely the thinnest catfish I’d ever had. It was really good. I ordered the small plate, and after eating the bread that comes out first, and an appetizer of hushpuppies, husband and I could have shared the small plate I ordered — that’s what we’d do next time, a lot of food, and pricey.
Our total after tip was $ 75: appetizer of hushpuppies, husband had a beer with the shrimp & fish plate, I had tea with small fish plate, oldest son had root beer with chicken sandwich, and youngest had Sprite with kids popcorn shrimp.

Well shut my mouth! The stuffed clams, fish and even the seafood gumbo soup is absolutely to die for. This was one of those spots that was off the beaten path so I thought, but the locals swear by it. We came in around 11:30 am and it was as empty as a titmouse in a silo full of hay. But once 12:30 rolled by, that was another thing. It quickly packed up and the hustle and bustle began. Of course not before we got our food and drinks. And let me tell you, the food here is amazing. I can’t quite put my foot on it, but the fish was super amazing and really flaky but moist. This is something that I find hard to find when it comes to fish, its obvious they do this well. And when I spoke to some of the locals outside, they also stated that they have been coming here since it was a smaller version of itself. It has grown and they have seen family members also grow with it. It is pretty big I must admit.
The taste of their fish is nothing like I’ve tasted in the past, the breading is really nice and it lends itself to the term fresh, and with a nice cold beer, this is exactly what is needed.
They also have a small farm zoo on the side for the kids to enjoy and also the side river is nice and Im sure its nicer when it really gets warm.
Still, don’t hesitate too long to visit, as this is one of those places you HAVE to try while you are strolling down to your final destination, in my case New Orleans.

I had been waiting for quiet sometime to come back here. I wanted to make sure it was a nice evening so that the ladyfriend and I could eat outdoors and enjoy the weather. On this particular October Saturday night the weather was perfect. So imagine my disappointment when I was told the deck was closed. I then asked about the patio but was told it was full. The lady didn’t even check, when I went to the bathroom I could clearly see 2 tables open. When we finished eating and went outside to check out the outdoor area, 3 tables were open. GRRRR!
After the hostess lied and actually sat us, the experience got better. We order a few beers (only bottle, no draft) and since it was October, they had several German beers to choose from. They served them with frosty mugs so that was a plus. We shared an order of Italian Oysters to start. I had these once before and remembered them being really good. This time not so much. You get like 6 oysters baked in a little casserole dish with Parmesan cheese, garlic bread crumbs and italian seasoning. The cheese wasn’t really all the way melted and you couldn’t really taste the oysters. It needed to be cooked longer.
For the entrée, I ordered their «World Famous thin-​cut catfish». A small order is 13.50 and is not small. The large order is 16.50 and could easily feed 2 people. The catfish are phenomenal. The best I have had. I don’t generally like catfish but these are thin, lightly breaded, and fried to perfection. There is zero oil/​grease on the fish or your plate.
We decided to split the banana bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream because I love all things banana. So glad we actually got this because it was sooooo good.
I’d definitely come back despite the crappy hostess and terrible idea of not opening the outdoors. I’ll skip the app next time though and just dig in to the catfish.