Dowds Catfish & BBQ

After hearing this Lebanon staple had new owners; always a fan of the catfish, my husband wanted to make sure the catfish was the same. He was not disappointed. Not a single bite of the 6 pc dinner was left. He commented that he could have eaten at least 4 more pieces! I had the sliced brisket combo and chose cheesy corn and baked potato for my sides. The brisket was a good sized portion, fork tender and had a great smoke flavor. All the food was served hot. The chocolate pie and sticky bun were very good. Excellent and attentive service. Don't be afraid to stop in. You won't be disappointed!

New owner is cullinary graduate, has improved the quality of the BBQ! Smoked turkey, pork, and ribs where excellent! If your hungry the BBQ nachos portion size is very generous!

New ownership... evidently working out pretty good for them. Went for late lunch, my self and wife and 2 other couples there... been eating here 2 to three times a year for over 10 yrs, even riding motorcycle from east of st louis here to eat... saw portion size on catfish filets, THEY NO LONGER SERVE REAL CATFISH WITH BONES!... I can get filets in st louis.. no longer any reason to return.. even tho waitress (only one there) was nice as could be....

Food was ok, not nearly good as I had hoped based on the reviews. Prices online don't match in house. Bacon cheddar burger has gone from 12.99 to 14.99, a lot of other meal prices have gone up a dollar or two also. Items not available anymore, just a bunch of that kind of stuff. Kids eat free on Wed promo that is listed online is no longer honored. Apparently the former owner hasn't passed the website info to the new owner. Hopefully they can get all the change of ownership stuff figured out. Might give them a second chance, depends on the other local BBQ joints.

The food was great but everything came out at once. We felt very rushed and couldn’t enjoy anything. We had just started on our main course when we were asked if we needed boxes and were handed a check. Personally I like to enjoy my appetizer and if the salad comes, that’s fine but now you’ve got hot food getting cold because you haven’t even started your salad. Again, food was great but if you are looking for a slow and relaxing night out, this is not your place.

I'm always looking for a good fish house to try out with the kids, and my wife will so sweetly go and order something else on the menu, there in solidarity with us even though she doesn't like fish at all! We tried Dowd's Catfish House, and we enjoyed it very much! The atmosphere was unique but well done, definitely a fishing theme but with impressive murals on the walls and fun things to interest the entire family. The lunch specials were a good deal, and really came with a large amount of food. No one left hungry! The staff was attentive, always checking for a refill on drinks or napkins or tartar sauce; they understand what the fish house is about! All in all, we liked it very much, and would definitely recommend. 😎👍

We came today around 1. There were only two other tables that had people. Our food came out warm. I expected it to be hot since they were not busy. The pieces of fish were very small. The cole slaw is bland and it was warm. The coleslaw should have been cold. The catfish was ok but it's definitely not the best I have ever had. I don't understand the hype and the awards. Its not the worst but I would not recommend or go out of my way to eat here.

We haven’t been to Dowds in YEARS!! The quality we just didn’t feel like hit the mark. We went tonight for a birthday party and the food was DELICIOUS! The new owners have really done a great job turning it around! Super great service and food was top notch! They even helped us avoid a toddler meltdown which is always a win!

This very hidden establishment brings great service and taste and a welcoming environment. The place has fun decor and fantastic catfish. Bathrooms were clean and stocked and our waitress, Paige, was very attentive and knowledgeable of the area. Food was hot and tasty and portions great size. Definitely a stop in Lebanon.

I'm done and it's sad this is the 10th and last time. This review is over a year's worth of going and it being the same each month! We always buy meals to bring home we both get the same catfish dinner 12 pc fried okra, fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. The catfish use to just melt in your mouth now the ends are so hard sometimes you get pcs that almost more than half the pc is hard. The fish is tough and rubbery. If you're lucky you get a thick meaty pc. Most are thin. Forget most sides we try different sides fries are super salty but have taste. Beans you have to favor, fried okra is hit or miss, coleslaw lately is horrible. Corn and green beans hit and miss. I've had frozen in the middle cottage cheese. Let's just say forget about the sides,they were put on the map over the catfish. It became really sad the day my daughter took me for Chinese food and I had the best catfish I'd had in years reminded me how Dowd's use to be! I stopped eating in because last time I did the table was sticky and the poor girl couldn't keep up with everyone. So it's nicer at home anyway. The place looks good how they decorate but that doesn't make the food taste any better. I think ppl forgive a lot or just keep coming back hoping it'll go back to the way it was that's what we did. But we're done.

What a fun restaurant discovery on our way home. Fun decor, reasonably priced, nice size portions and great menu selection. Our party of four, all enjoyed something different and we were all happy with our choices. Our waitress Delaney was very attentive! Would definitely visit again!

If you don't mind fly's in your food ! Can't imagine what the kitchen looks like? Could not wait to get out without paying!!!

I ordered a Brisket Sandwich. It was dry and cold on my first bite. I asked for the spicy bbq sauce that they offer. There really wasn't any spice and it was super sweet. Overall a cold and flavorless meal. I had 1 bite of my father's fried shrimp and it was better than my entire meal. Thats the reason it gets 3 stars and not 2. Staff was kind. Maybe i just ordered the wrong thing. BBQ is in the name and i thought i couldn't go wrong. Good luck if you give it a try!

I ordered the senior catfish dinner with green beans, fries, and coleslaw. It was excellent. The catfish is pounded very thin so don't expect a real meaty piece of catfish. The four pieces was more than enough to fill me up. I really appreciate it that it was not greasy. The service was very fast, and the food was hot. The servers were personable. I will definitely eat in this restaurant again when I pass through Lebanon.

UPDATE YOUR ONLINE HOURS, PLEASE! Closed Monday and Tuesday I planned my stay in Lebanon to have dinner here.

Very good Catfish! Doesn't have a ton of breading on it like some restaurants make it. The same for the huge pieces of fried shrimp. The grilled shrimp and sauce were excellent.

The best Catfish and BBQ in the area! The location is welcoming and comfortable and the service was great! We love this place, definitely a 5 star rating!!!!!

Food was great...all of it! My husband and I killed the whole plate Very steakhouse-y feel...old school music was playing and the tables have ads on them lol Our server, Sierra, was efficient and sweet. We were just passing through but wanted to bookmark it since we make this trip quite a bit. We will be back

Found out about this place from my nephew, so had to visit and give the place a try. I pulled up right after they opened and I was the first person that walked in lol.... got seated in one of the party rooms in the back. I had reviewed the menu few times before coming here and I went with the following: - tried to get the fried pickle, but they were out, got the fried mushroom - 4 pcs catfish lunch combo that comes with 3 sides - by default, it comes with pinto beans, slaw and one additional side of your choice - I went with green beans - Papa combo - which is 3 meats and 3 sides, went with ribs, sausage, turkey and rice and beans, green beans and bbq beans Fried Mushroom - skip it, just a filler. They were hot on the outside, but few of them were still cold after you bit into it. Catfish - I would recommend you stick to the catfish as this place is known of it. It was perfectly fried, the fish was moist, seasoned perfectly and very good by itself. Ribs - the ribs were good, perfectly flavored and the meat fell off the bones. Would recommend the ribs. Turkey Breast - it was decent, but it dried out quickly unfortunately. Sausage - was too salty. Had few slices and that was it. BBQ Beans - if you like them sweet, then this is for you. Pinto beans - had a bit of sour taste, maybe its from vinegar, but couldn't really tell. Greenbeans were decent, the slaw was good and was surprised by the rice and beans, it was actually good. They only had two types of bbq sauce - mild and hot, I got the mild and I was not a fan. Overall, come here for the catfish for sure!!

This is really good food! I did not try the barbecue but I've had the catfish a few times and it's fabulous. It comes with lots of attractive side dishes, too (Green beans, pinto beans, slaw). The ambience is very simple-kind of like a farmhouse with wooden tables. Lots of families come here and that seems to work out well for them. The service was super fast and efficient. I couldn't believe how quickly I got my food so that makes me think it's waiting in the kitchen to be served. I wonder how long ago it was cooked? It still tasted fine The only part of the meal that I did not care for where the hush puppies. To me these are tasteless lumps of dough and not worth eating.

Wife ordered the catfish I ordered the 12oz ribeye the catfish was just ok, but the steak was one of the worst ribeyes I have ever had it was overcooked and it was a very thin cut (didn't even look like a ribeye) the sides were on the salty side and the tarter sauce was bland I definitely don't recommend this place and will not be going back!

Fabulous service, fabulous food and a fun atmosphere. They are known for their fried catfish and smoked meats. They have a huge menu. Husband got 3 meats - he chose Catfish fillets, a large sausage link and 2 ribs. It came with 3 sides of his choice from a huge list - he got fried okra, slaw and a cheesy corn casserole. I had coconut shrimp with in-house made Peña colada sauce, baked potato with in-house ranch dressing, the cheesy corn too and it came with hush puppies. The food was amazing. So good we are going back next week - it's an hour away and worth the trip. I think the meal cost us about $40. There are all kinds of options to pick from.

Th catfish was okay, but nothing else impressed, and certainly not the service. Our waitress was quick to seat us, ignore us and then just disappear until we had to find another waitress to ask for our check. At the front counter when we went to pay three young ladies were sitting around shooting the breeze while dutifully ignoring us with all their might while I cleared my throat until I finally had to straight up interrupt them and ask to pay so we could split. You'll get better service from your kids make believe restaurant as they play with their easy bake oven, so maybe try that for lunch instead.

Ok, I have now eaten here several times. I decided to wait on the review to see if they had any variation in the service and food. Yes, I'm an engineer! This gem has hit home runs every visit and I have switched up my dinners as they have so many option. Catfish is some of the best I have had anywhere. Excellent steaks cooked they way I ordered it. Juicy and thick. Hush puppy's, cold slaw, Texas toast. I could go on and on. When I am in this town for a week I hit this one two or three times and never disappointed. The girls serving here also do a great job.

Amazing Catfish and the steak was cooked better, Med rare, then I have seen in a long time, even better then a steakhouse, it just melted in your mouth. The waitress was very attentive and checked on us periodically to make sure we were not in need of anything. The decor had my husband looking all over the place just to make sure he didn't miss anything. Worth the stop on our way back to Indy from Texas.

I wouldn't go there if you are hungry. Ordered the Turkey dinner and it was about 2 ounces. Flavor wasn't bad but a little dry. The bbq beans were not good, it tasted more like a poor attempt at making chili.

Oooooooooooh man. This place was the bomb! My husband and I were driving through towards northwest Arkansas. On our trip up we had a terrible food experience (clearly not at Dowd's!) so we decided to find something ahead of time on our route. We decided that Dowd's looked good and decided to stop in. I got a side salad and picked off my husbands plate. Both our salads were incredibly fresh, crisp and delicious! My husband got catfish with chicken and fried shrimp, cheese corn, and a side salad. He LOVED the shrimp most of all, but he said everything was amazing. We weren't a fan of the corn, but it was exactly what it said it was, we just weren't fans. We did end up ordering a hush puppy basket. I was a bit disappointed at the regular hush puppies. They weren't crispy and they were kind of chewy. I loved the jalapeño hush puppies, they were fried to perfection. Everything I love in a hushpuppy, just wish the regulars had been made the same way! We will 110% be back, we come through every few months and this is a great 1/2 way spot. So glad we found Dowd's!!

This was recommended by Route 66 publications and blogs as the "must go-to" when in Lebanon. So I fell for the hype...and that was fine! Whenever I go to BBQ-type places I usually get the combo, like with two meats. Here I got the catfish and pulled pork with two sides. Came with buttered toast. I should have gotten a baked potato, but instead I got the baked potato salad (which is an upcharge, but hey I was on vacation, had to splurge, blah blah...). The baked potato salad was okay, as was the fries. But the meats were good. Wish there would have been a better selection of sauces, but I understand most places don't have them out because of the pandemic. Speaking of which, I was the ONLY person wearing a mask in there. Not even the workers were wearing one. But oh well.

I called in order for pick up and they said the green beans didn't have meat in it so I ordered it and cheesy corn and potato salad. Turned out all the sides had meat in it. Even the potato salad had bacon in it. Everyone doesn't like meat or bacon, they should let people know Whats in the food by writing it on the menu

I stopped here while out riding my motorcycle with some friends. They atmosphere is great and service was attentive and fast. I ordered the lunch combo with catfish and shrimp. It came with two types of hush puppies (both great) a chicken strip and a choice of side. I got the fries. It also came with pinto beans and Coleslaw. I loved the pinto beans. The coleslaw was good. The catfish, shrimp, and chicken were cooked to perfection. Great lunch deal at $10.99.

I'm not a fried catfish expert but I found the tender, moist, and lightly breaded catfish filets to be fried to perfection. If you are on I-44 or paralleling it on the historic 66 then I recommend you stopping here to try the catfish. The kitschy decor adds to the ambiance / experience.

ICE COLD Beer I ordered the 4 piece Spicy Catfish with Green Beens, BBQ beans and coleslaw. Catfish was FRESH and tasted good. BBQ Beans and Coleslaw tasted homemade. Green Beans were good. Tarter sauce was ok. I am a OVER THE ROAD TRUCK DRIVER and walked to here from 1/2 mile away. Definitely worth the walk.

Timed our trip to Table Rock Lake perfectly to take advantage of a catfish lunch at Dowd's. It was busier than I expected, with somewhat of a wait. Not much to say except, fried catfish, fritters, slaw and pinto beans were perfect. Fried catfish at Dowd's is way more reliable than the 33% dirty catfish at Cracker Barrell. Service was a little slow. Kind of a drag that the men's urinal was out of service, and I nearly wet my pants while some little leaguer was playing video games in the stall.

Order was stuck to my cheese on my loaded baked potato. Insude tge container.very bad.

Service was great, parking was flat and plenty of it, and the food was delicious. We got the lunch combo platter and the green beans are amazing! Catfish and shrimp were both delicious but the chicken was over cooked. We will definitely eat here again next time we are in Lebanon. I would say it is kid and family friendly and they have a cute little t-shirt collection by the registers for vacationers.

Delicious food and great service in a fun atmosphere. Portions were just right as was the price.

I've eaten at Dowd's several times in the last few years with my husband's family. Dowd's speciality is catfish (obviously) and I've had my fair share! The catfish is pretty good, very consistent. My husband gets the spicy but it's not really too spicy. I have gotten burgers, catfish and chicken tenders and all have been good. The best thing about this place is the amount of food you get with each meal. I recently got the chicken tenders and it came with 2 sides and Texas toast. Many of the catfish meals come with 3 sides. Some of the sides are a little bland (Cole slaw and beans) but their other sides like fried okra and hush puppies are delicious. We have also done the family packs which are a really great deal with tons of food. I recommend everyone try this place at least once. It's not going to change your life but it is going to be a good plate of food! Friendly service and good food!

First time going, prob the last. Was not impressed with the food at all. Best thing about the meal was the fried pickles (appetizer).

Twenty years ago, the STANDARD of the region (not quite as good as old Plumbers in Booger County......but nothing was. Then......management changed to folks that did NOT care about quality or service. THIN, undercooked fillets became the standard, catering to truckers and other tourists who would never come back. Now the locals have reasons not to bother.

Dowd's is a very nice restaurant to enjoy great tasting food! The service is fast even when most tables and booths are filled with people. I always get greeted with a smile by all the employees/servers. i love the atmosphere. It is a very nice establishment to relax as you enjoy top-notch food. Every dish that I order is cooked as I specified. The coffee is the best in the Lebanon area! I highly recommend Dowd's Catfish house and BBQ to everyone--local people and traveling folks TOO!!

Had the catfish dinner and the stuffed baked potato. The potato was huge and had a generous amount of pulled pork. The BBQ beans had some bite to them. Attentive staff, good food.

We had dinner at Dowd's just last night and I gotta say while it isn't what I would seek out everyday, it was really good! Cute atmosphere, enthusiastic service, portions from reasonable to huge and good cooking. I'd go back.

The server Katie caught my attention the second I walked in. Shes probably married or not single. But staring at girls without talking to them can be creepy at times lol... she got a tip from me nontheless

The food was incredibly delicious! The place was decorated really neat, with ties from older times, Route 66, and a fishing theme. Service was fast, friendly, and efficient. Could not pass this place up! Keep up the great work, Dowd's!

Spicy catfish was wonderful and proportions were great. Definitely coming back to try more.

Food was delicious! Way more than enough! Service was definitely with a smile.Atmosphere was also quite pleasant...that was the most delicious catfish dinner i've ever had. I'm a truck driver from California and I saw the signs leading me to that delicious catfish ...so I had to stop ... that plate of catfish and all the other fixings puts these other places to shame ...hope to stop again one day ...thank you!

Good fish big salads and great service. Shared the grilled chicken salad aaaamazingggg!

Oh sweet sassy molassy...this place. This place right here is AMAZING!! We left with full bellies and smiles. The waitresses were super sweet and the place just had a home feeling. The three of us got the Dowd's combo, and my daughter got a grilled cheese and fries. The combo included: catfish, shrimp, chicken tender...with some hush puppies and your choice of three sides. I got okra, sliced tomatoes and BBQ beans. Y'all, the beans...I almost licked the bowl clean. Our waitress dropped some of my fish on accident...and replaced it with a whole basket of fish...she didn't need to give me that much, but I wasn't complaining, the fish was AMAZING!!!!!! I am glad I wore some leggings...pretty sure if I wore jeans, I'd have to unbutton my pants. Haha!!

Ribs wasn't done, so much pepper on the baked beans, so much salt on the coleslaw, the time before that the whole family went and 5 out of 9 people got sick. My mom and sister went 3 weeks ago and her fish was do small and under cooked. The food has went down hill, and when we tell them it's not done they wanted to argue with us. We will never go there again.

This is a good place to stop off the highway if you're craving some fried catfish or shrimp.

Awesome food, ribs were cold and they brought out hot ones quickly And the waitress was friendly and fast

We ate here on YELP recommendation. We were traveling and this was mostly on the way. We both got fish and was happy with food and price. It looks like it could get busy but we were fortunate to get right in and out. We plan on stopping by again when we pass .

Great catfish, great service, clean restaurant, clean restrooms! I will definitely be back! Now off to Kansas City till next time!!

The time frame we went was a little past lunchtime and the crowd was older (not sure if it's the timeframe or all the time). It's quiet and mellow but I assume it's louder and busier during dinner. The staff was prompt and polite. I ordered the grilled shrimp, hush puppies, onion rings and mashed potatoes. My shrimp was more of a shrimp scampi as it was in a lot of butter. The mashed potatoes were a white gravy and felt bland to me (although husband liked it) onion rings and jalapeño hush puppies were good. Husband got the meat sampler, potato salad and green beans. I really liked his potato salad as it was more of a dill taste rather than sweet. He enjoyed everything and I liked the smoke turkey. I would like to come back and try their burgers.

Work colleague and I had the Lunch special. Fish and chicken breading are fantastic! Will be back!

I ate lunch here on August 29th, 2021. I had the Catfish. It was delicious. So were their sides. The atmosphere is very rustic, but at the same time nice and clean. Our server was very friendly and gave us great service.

The best catfish in America. I've eaten catfish all over U.S. and this place is the absolute best. It has many option along with all you can eat too. The prices are reasonable too. The perfect place. I can't tell you just how good it is here.