Middendorf's Manchac

Third visit to Middendorf’s (Manchac) last week. First visit was in 2017, second visit in 2018. All three times get 5 Star ratings! We love the thin fried catfish! The service is always fast, the food is always hot and tasty! I love the laidback atmosphere and view of the water! This time, it was just two of us, and we went mid-afternoon on a Friday (4’ish o’clock) and it was mostly empty. Audrey was our server - she was helpful and showed up right when needed without being overbearing. I hope our next visit isn’t as long of a time in between, but even if it is, I have no doubt Middendorf’s will be just as good then!

We arrived on October 1st, the beginning of October fest! German specialties all month! Stuffed flounder was on the menu, it was wonderful! We had the apple strudel for dessert.

A nice seafood place for family dining. Reasonably priced; several dish selections; proportionate servings. Easy on/easy off access. Not overcrowded.

Awesome catfish as I remember. Hadn't been there for several years, I told my wife it was a must eat place while on our way to New Orleans. She also loved the food and atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and the service was great. Food was hot when it came out, after only a 10 minute wait.

This place was AWESOME! Had an old school feel to it and the food and service were GREAT! The Shrimp Gumbo was UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!

We had a table of 20 ladies and our precious waitress handled our many needs with so much hospitality and class! She even remembered several ladies names! The banana bread pudding and stuffed shrimp are to die for!

My wife and I arrived for supper on July 3rd about 5:30pm. There was plenty of parking, plenty of handicap parking too. There's a neat little gift shop on the left at the foot of the stairs/ramp. We were greeted immediately and our drinks came pretty soon after. There's a bar but it might be just beer/wine. We got thin cut catfish. I'm told that's their signature dish. It was quite tasty. As was the slaw. The main dining area is big. Real big. There were a few tables set up for 8-12 people and they didn't look out of place. I imagine it could be loud. The chairs left a bit to be desired. Straight wood with no cushion as I remember. My wife's and my back were both hurting before we finished eating. There's a very old and very interesting map of the area in the hall where the restrooms are. This place has been open for 95 years. It had been a few of decades since I had seen a trough sink😄. Out back is a big ol' sandbox for the kids. There's a dock so you can arrive by boat as well. Can't forget the train! There's a model train that comes out of the wall and makes a little journey every now and then!

Stopped at Middensorf's after a couple of folks said it was the best fried shrimp you'd ever eat in your life. The fried shrimp was awesome! Fried oysters, hush puppies, and french fries, too. The slaw was absolutely delicious! Will definitely stop again when I pass by this way!

Still the best catfish I've ever had. Thin, hot and crispy. We ordered 2 seafood platters and took home enough leftovers for another meal. The service was excellent. Our waitress kept our beverages full. Middendorf's has fish camp feel and has kept the character of the original building in the new building. Stop in and experience thin fried catfish.

My daughter and I went for the first time yesterday. Really cute place and the waitress was great. I ordered the whole catfish, spicy red potatoes and cold slaw. The fish was fried to perfection but had no taste. It's like the chef forgot to add salt. The potatoes were okay. The best thing was the cold slaw. My daughter ordered the crab gumbo. She said it was okay but I did not like it at all. Won't be back.

Best thin fried catfish eva! Always a pleasure to stop by! Opens at 1030 am sat was seated at 1030. Got food to go. Mr Don super nice. Very friendly I Environment

Great food and wonderful service. pull your boat right on up. Look at dat soft shell! Always looks and feels the same inside very comfy.

Middendorfs has recently been sold and has new owners now running it. The menu has changed and so has the taste of the food as well. The last time I went to this restaurant I was unable to eat the food due to it not tasting right.

The gumbo was delicious and filled with seafood. I also enjoyed the shrimp and thin fried catfish. It was a delicious meal, for sure! The service was great. And of course the ambiance was good. There is a reason this restaurant has been a staple so many years!!

On our way for a family getaway to New Orleans for New Year's, my mom mentioned she had never eaten at Middendorf's so we decided to swing by. I've eaten there once and being a Mississippi woman, I like my catfish a certain way. It's two days after Christmas and they appeared to be short staffed, which impacted seating. To say there were a lot of people there, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes. Inside reminds me of a typical local Louisiana seafood spot. They do have a mini animal farm on the property which is good if you have kids. It all gives you a touristy feel but it's cool. Momma ordered the small thin catfish platter, my sister got the one stuffed crab platter, my niece got a kid's chicken tender plate and I got the fried shrimp and thin catfish combo platter minus fries sub extra coleslaw. My shrimp were lukewarm when my plate arrived. The flavor was good but they were not fresh out the grease hot. The coleslaw, as I remembered it, was very very good, which is why I got two servings. The hushpuppies were horrible. I do not like thin catfish! It's like eating pork skins with very little fish. I don't know why I got this instead of just getting the fried shrimp plate instead. My mom didn't like the thin catfish either. My sister said the stuffed crab, while it had plenty of crabmeat stuffing, lacked basic seasoning. Only person who enjoyed their food was my niece. She said the chicken tenders were very good. Again, I live in Mississippi and we eat plump pieces of catfish. They do have that on the menu and next time I will skip the thin catfish here.

I can remember coming to Middendorf's as a kid when my Dad brought our family to eat here. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere and I remember good seafood in an old building next to the water. The last time I dined here was about 20 years ago before my dinner last Thursday night. I was on the fence to come here because I think during my last visit I decided I wasn't a fan of their thin fried catfish. I have changed my mind. I ordered the large version of their thin fried catfish meal for $19 and it came with fries, hush puppies and fries. On the night of my visit the restaurant had a nice dinner crowd there with about a 5-10 minute wait for a table in this large multi room restaurant. They even had an accordion player in one dining room entertaining the guests. My meal arrived about 10 minutes after ordering and it looked quite large. I received 5 or 6 pieces of fish, two large hush puppies, fries and cole slaw in a separate container. The fish was delicious. Lightly breaded and with plenty of meat the fillets were so light tasting and almost like eating tender potato chips. They were very good. The hush puppies were thick in their cornmeal texture and flavorful and filling. They were quality hush puppies not often found nowadays. I liked the well cooked fries and the cole slaw was perfect as a palate cleanser. This meal was very good and I couldn't finish it all wishing that I had ordered the smaller version of the meal. Middendorf's is kind of a Louisiana institution with a unique and decorative interior and a seafood centric menu with their famous thin fried catfish. Strongly consider eating here especially if you are driving by on I-55.

If you like locally sourced seafood and have a hankering for some fried or grilled fish or shrimp, then this is a place. Right near the bridge (I-55) in Manchac and Lake Maurepas the restaurant is very large and can seat 100-150 or more. If the weather is pleasant, sit outdoors in the patio. A little bit quieter and you can see the lake. Got here before the lunch rush on a Sunday which is perfect for us. We ordered the large THIN fried catfish w fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. We prefer the thin sliced, doesn't taste as fishy. Also, bowl crab and shrimp gumbo. 4.5 Stars Overall Service: 5 stars. Our service was very pleasant and attentive. Received our drinks within 2 minutes, Soup in 5 minutes and our fish within 10 minutes of ordering. Kudos to the kitchen staff too. Again we ate before the Sunday lunch rush. Food: 4 Stars 4 stars - The Thin CatFish is coated with cornmeal and corn flour with no seasoning. So it needed a little kick from the Tony Chacheres Seasoning. Coleslaw was bland, needed acid to help (lemon juice) not the 70's acid to bring the flavor out. Hush puppies were dry - bummer. Normally they are moist inside. The Crab and Shrimp is delicious. The roux is dark and crab and shrimp were tasty. NOTE: the gumbo will have portions of SHELLED crab in it. So sip or slurp the soup, don't inhale. The crab meat in shell is delicious catching all the flavor of the roux, veggies and seafood and seasoning. After a satisfying meal, time to head back home. Too bad they aren't in MS.

Cute roadside restaurant Incredibly friendly waitress. Tasty margarita . Party of 2. I had the broiled stuffed shrimp plate with included sides. Tommy ordered a cheese burger with fries. Both enjoyed our meal. The side of Coleslaw wasn't flavorful. However, the stuffed shrimp are delicious. I would stop here again. Especially to try the seasonal stuff. Beautiful view off the water.

Food: excellent, thin catfish is really worth eating Service: friendly & fast Ambience: decorated beautifully with seafood designs and view of the bayou. Also outside eating. Water fountain for kids to play. Even a separate smoking area. And a boat dock

This was our first time dining here, and the food was pretty decent. We sat down right when we walked in and were immediately greeted by our waitress. She was super sweet and helpful when deciding what exactly we wanted to order. The only item that was not as tasty as the others and we probably wouldn't order again is the potato salad. Very different from the southern potato salad that is so popular in New Orleans. Otherwise, everything else was tasty!

The thin catfish is still the my favorite meal. The food is consistently good, and the service is friendly. I was surprised this visit that Middendorf's no longer has the small catfish platter, and there is only one size. Please bring back the smaller platter!

I didn't get a chance to really sample this place, but what I ordered was really good in many aspects. We shared some appetizers, onion rings and Italian oysters, and I also had crab gumbo. They were all good, but what stands out is that the gumbo was strong flavored and salty like what a real seafood gumbo is supposed to be. Onion rings were very tasty on its own with delicious oil taste, if this makes sense. Crispy and light but with flavors. Oysters were good too. Unfortunately, I was in the mood for a burger, so I ordered a cheese burger. I think the appetizer menu is pretty good, and there was some other interesting menu items I wanted to try later. My local friends have been telling me about this place for years, and they were right on.

I so long to go back. The thin fried catfish is AMAZING!!! Fries are perfect! Service was great, and the atmosphere is awesome EVERY TIME we are there!!!! Can't wait to do it again!

We had a great lunch today. Was seated on the closed in porch. We enjoyed a beautiful water view. Our waitress was great. I ordered the small thick fried catfish and it did not disappoint. It comes with 2- slices of thick fried catfish, fries, 2- hush puppies and coleslaw. It is one of my favorite coleslaws. We also had the 2- stuff crab plate. The stuff crab was very dry. It has more bread and veggies in it. Also had the thin fried catfish which I am not a fan of anymore. Nothing but crust. My daughter loves it. We will be back!

Years ago, this place was great not so much today. Even the catfish is just OK. The stuff Crab was absolutely terrible and the turtle. She was weird with a lot of spinach in it.

While this location will never have the sentimental appeal of the Slidell location, it was shockingly good. If you want a great fried seafood meal, get yourself here quickly. The other night a co-worker and I met a work contact here for dinner. He had just flown in and was driving to BR and my co-worker suggested we meet here. I have driven by this location hundreds of times and figured it just lived off of its reputation. Wrong. This place is great. I decided that since I was in a place known for thin-fried catfish, that is what I should try. I got the shrimp and catfish plate for good measure. Both the shrimp and the catfish were cooked perfectly and brought out minutes after we ordered. The catfish was spectacular. I don't know if I would pay $94 per piece or anything but damn it was good. Making matters even better were the containers of cocktail sauce and tartar sauce on the table. No need for a pesky ramekin that is good for two dips. A whole freaking container was available. That is what I call knowing your customer. Service was great and the ambiance is perfect south Louisiana charm. Get to Middendorf's as soon as you can.

Food was alright. Nothing too special about it. Got the catfish, shrimp & oyster platter. Not bad but again, nothing stood out. What did stand out was not being greeted at the door- no hello or how are you doing? 3 ladies stood at the front talking with 2 of their backs toward us for about a minute. Then when we were getting sat she just pointed and said meet another girl to get seated... it was very uncomfortable. Our server was nice and attentive. When leaving there was no goodbye or anything. No southern hospitality. Probably won't return. Sad bc we just bought a boat and we're hoping to make it a weekly visit.

If there was 3.5 stars, that would be this review. It gets 3 for food, however the service by Michaela would be a 4, hence the 3.5. An early afternoon visit on a Friday netted a decent lunch. Sweet tea, Bloody Mary (ok, not great), crawfish cakes - more "cake-y" than "crawfish-y," potato salad and a fried shrimp basket dinner. Everything just left us wondering if there was something better we should have ordered. Our nephew told us later the catfish is the best, so if we find ourselves in the area again and craving catfish, we will return for a 2nd chance.

Love this place ! Had the turtle soup and it was amazing ! Also tried the thin catfish! It was amazing !

Awesome catfish!! Worth the drive. It is truly a destination event. You will be telling your friends about this place for years to come.

I ordered the seafood platter.. the best part was the catfish and hush puppies. The shrimp and oysters were just ok and I was sad about the stuffed crab. It was all bread.. no crab whatsoever.

Middendorf's is a fun experience! Very cool to be surrounded by Maurepas on all sides. Inside there are cool decorations and even a tiny gift shop. The catfish is truly great, thin and crispy. They give you a lot of food too. Definitely worth checking out!

Middle of the road seafood joint. They have your seafood standard fare. Nothing fancy. There is one menu for lunch and dinner I ordered the stuffed crab which was hearty and filling. Came with hush puppies , Cole slaw and fries. I love hush puppies and was disappointed with these as they were over fried . Coleslaw was nice and creamy but doubt it was homemade. Fries were standard but delicious nonetheless. Hubs got the seafood platter which he said was "fine". There is an option to o get I broiler d which h recommends There is also a bar but it was so hot that iced tea hit the spot for us.

Stop. What you're doing. Now! And go get yourself the Mittendorf Special! I grew up in Louisiana but had never been to Mittendorfs. Flew into MSY today for a family event and stopped at Mittendorfs on the way home. I had the house special - thin fried catfish. Excellent! I had the large. I'm a big guy with a big appetite and I couldn't finish it. Thin fried not your thing? They have thick and other seafoods like oysters, shrimp, etc. Awesome place. Highly recommend

Middendorf's is an iconic place of which I have fond memories from childhood. My last trip here was a couple of years ago, and I found the food not to be very good -- my fried catfish was just a heap of fried stuff on a plate. The wait time was also very long because a busload of people had to be served. I went again today and was even more disappointed. The crab and shrimp gumbo I had didn't taste like gumbo, and in fact tasted like it was made from very old shrimp. I found it inedible. The hushpuppies had no flavor at all. The service and ambience are as nice as always, but the food is not.

VISITING NEW ORLEANS? This restaurant is worth the drive. It's about 40mins from New Orleans. We saw a movies that was filmed at this restaurant so we made sure to try it while visiting NO. We were really glad we did. Their thin fried catfish was really, really good! Coleslaw that comes with any order was so good. The place is colorful.

My family and I ate at Middendorfs last night. I had catfish and shrimp. My thin catfish was so thin there was barely any fish! I have been eating at this restaurant over 60 years and this time was so disappointing. Please make sure this isn't happening all the time! Paying for fried corn flour is definitely not worth the price of eating out!! Sincerely, Ellen P

Thin fish has been good but they did something to the coleslaw. It's chopped different and has a different flavor, Don't like it. It used to be the perfect compliment to the fish. I wish restaurants wouldn't change time tested items.

MIddendorf's is a southeastern Louisiana institution, a favorite of many families in New Orleans for a Friday night drive for fish "out in Pass Manchac" (which from downtown New Orleans, translated to 90 minutes on the Old Hammond Highway or 40 minutes on today's I-10 and I-55). In the 1970s, a second dining room with the vibe of a rest-area Shoney's was added. Some preferred that as the setting was more modern. Storm surges from Lake Pontchartrain did in both the original dining room and the annex, and the restaurant was closed for periods after the storms. Today the 70s annex is gone, the old dining is restored to its 1940s glory, and a new and much more appealing dining room has been added on the other side. Better yet, an outdoor dining area that fronts directly onto Pass Manchac is available, weather permitting. More on that below. Middendorfs is famous for the thin catfish, shards and fillets of catfish fried to perfect temperature and crispness. Most people seem to prefer "thin fish," but for me the "thick fish"--same breading and seasoning, but with a substantial slab of catfish below the crust--is better. The oyster stew is delicious and exactly as local New Orleanians might remember their mama fixing up on cold nights after going out to see Mr. Bingle on Canal St. Also available is a proper gumbo that's unremarkable (unless you've never had a proper gumbo; if so, be sure to order it. ) In late 2020, Middendorfs was advertising outdoor dining, it was indicated as available on Yelp!, but after driving up on a warm December afternoon the reception maître'd seemed surprised we asked for that. On that particular day, the Omicron variant of COVID19 was breaking records both in cases and hospitalizations, and yet very few people wore maskes. Sadly we had to forgo our catfish because our party had individuals who could not risk bringing the disease back to vulnerable family members. Be sure to check with the restaurant before making an assumption that the outdoor patio is open.

I still like Middendorf's, but my go to dish of thin fried catfish is not my go to dish any longer. On my last visit about a month ago, the thin fried catfish was so thin I felt as if it was mostly breading...as if I was eating potato chips. On today's visit I switched to the thick fried catfish which I feel is a better value. The service is always prompt, friendly so I always appreciate that aspect.

There were definitely some plusses and minuses to our visit. It was my husband and I's first time. The good- We were seated right away. The waitress was very nice, friendly, prompt, and knowledgable. The food came out quick. Some of the food was delicious. The crawfish cakes were phenomenal. The broiled catfish and oysters were good. The house made tartar sauce is on point! Absolutely loved the german potato salad! The Christmas decor was beautiful! The not so great- My broiled seafood platter was very small for the price I was charged. I was very disappointed to get shrimp there were clearly the cheap frozen type shrimp that you get out the freezer Wal-mart. Not what I expected for the price I paid. The stuffed crab was huge but under seasoned. The fried fish were good but could have also used some more seasoning. I would like to give this place one more shot in the near future.

i ordered a cobb salad but had to have it sent back after the first bite because it had too much dressing. A new salad was brought out without chicken and bacon. i called the server back over to let her know and she said it was because the chef said I had eaten the chicken and bacon. i let her know that I had only taken one bite before noticing it had to much dressing. She took the salad back, and after thinking about it I decided to cancel the order, as I was seriously offended and did not trust the chef to prepare the food. I'd went to bar to speak with a manager and the server came back out with THE SAME salad, apparently preparing to double down in letting me know they would not be adding the meat. The manager quickly dismissed the issue and authorized the waiter to take the order off my bill. I have never been so offended and embarrassed to be falsely accused of stealing some darn chicken and bacon off a salad. I'm sure it would to no one's surprise that I'm black i left her a $12 tip...just for good measure.

What an experience. It's a staple so we had to stop. Didn't really eat much, just came to check out the scenery. Country place.... Odd menu. We ordered, one cocktail, one appetizer and one dessert. For cocktail: Sneaky Tequila, for appetizer: frog legs with a side of tequila (first timer, so anxiously was high) for Dessert: a chocolate cake with ice cream. Frog taste like a salty tilapia fish- so the tequila helped. The Sneaky Tequila- sweet, but sneaky. The dessert- can't go wrong. The Waitress, Mc...? oh I forgot her name- but super sweet girl.

Wasn't greeted upon entering, no one welcomed us or said hello, first interaction was hostess who looked up and said "how many?" Ordered fried seafood - shrimp was mostly undercooked and peeling were left on many. Waitress was nice but very slow for the underwhelming crows. Didn't refill drinks or return to ask if we needed anything. Had to ask to speak to manager regarding food quality- said thank you but no discount applied or offered. The food was mostly unedible.

This review is a little late but goshhhh, this was just plain awful. Frozen, microwaved chicken. The Alfredo sauce was pretty much water. Stick to catfish...!

If you've never had thin fish, you have got to stop here. Food and service were excellent Planning on stopping everytime I'm headed to or from NOLA

Very good The thin cut catfish is more like the thickness of a potato chips it's that thin The bread is a French baguette Not poor boy bread It's good overall It's not a new Orleans poor boy The place is super clean The staff is friendly You have to ask for straws and lemons Overall it's a good place to eat

I would give this place zero stars if I could, the seafood platter was not even fried all the way and the batter was still wet when separated with your fingers. The "thin catfish" is basically the thickness of a sheet of paper which is more like 5 percent fish and 95 percent batter. The service was quite slow even though it was not busy and right before closing time, waitress was polite but just seemed to disappear at times. When told about the poorly under fried food, the shrimp were replaced with better quality although another fried shrimp meal consisted of about 25 percent of the shrimp with the shell still on them. I asked for the manager and all he had to say was "sorry, our kitchen is usually not like this", not an offer for a reduced bill or a replacement. Food is very poor and below mediocre for taste and quality. Restaurant appeared clean although it definitely caters to tourists that don't know any better. Take your money elsewhere, I've been coming here for over 40 years and it has gone down to fast food quality at tourist prices. This will be my last time, I'd rather starve or drive an hour than eat this garbage.

Regardless of which direction you came from, you passed a bunch of much better places to eat. This place has a lot of history, it's a really cool place to visit However, if you know and expect good food, I recommend visiting somewhere else The paper thin catfish is good if you are determined to go.

. Middenhdorf's is unique, a bit peculiar, but excellent. It is widely known for special fried thin-strip catfish w/ or w/o fried shrimp. Those are what to order! This is a specialty place with fond clientle from all over the South, order their famous specialty. Plenty parking, some views, full bar. Check website before embarking. Although near a major highway, and b/t two historic lakes, it is not really close to anything else, and you won't want to be driving if place is not open. Never anything bad here, Y'all do come ! Rick .

Food and service made this a memorable meal. Nice location too! Thin Catfish was a winner...

Second time coming to Middendorfs. I got the bloody Mary Miller light. The Beautyberry was awesome, spicy! Platter and it was huge hush puppies were OK and the french fries were song. Coleslaw for a side salad, and we receive a little cup of hamburger toppings. Very sad salad lol I attached a picture but our server was sweet! And we loved talking a walk and looking at the scenery! It's summer and hot, but outside isn't open

Very disappointed! Ordered the seafood platter. The bread was dry, the stuffed crab was mostly bread with a little bit of crab, and the thin fried catfish was mostly batter and no fish. Way over priced! We will not be returning. A complete rip off!

Went here around lunch today , get home everyone is sick & not feeling good . 0/10. Used to be good I do not know what happened to this place .

I've stopped off here for years on trips back and forth to and from New Orleans.  They have some fantastic seafood and they are famous for their thin fried catfish.  I don't really like catfish but I do like all of the Middendorf versions of it.  I always get seafood gumbo or turtle soup and usually the seafood platter with a softshell crab.  I think I've liked pretty much everything I've ever had here and they also have a broiled seafood plate if you want to avoid the fried stuff.  They have a pretty extensive menu with lots of options and good po boys to round everything out.  Middendorf's has also become famous for their six weeks of Oktoberfest celebrations that offer authentic German food every Wednesday and Thursday during October and November. They also should be famous for their fantastic desserts here and you definitely don't want to miss those! Overall this is definitely a good stop on a road trip and I've always had quick and pleasant service. My video review of Middendorf's is here: https://youtu.be/T7PoiXP4bsQ

A lovely place! Virtually everything except salad and dessert is fried. Lol.. we enjoyed our lunch.. thin fried catfish and fried shrimp..fried onion rings and fried alligator bites. service was good and very polite even though one member of our party was quite later! Visited on a Thursday right after lunch and there was still a crowd.. cute little gift shop as well..

The food was great as always. We visited by boat just for a different experience. The docks had many tied up but we found room. Staff was pleasant as always. We mostly had the thin fried catfish, a favorite, but got some extra hush puppies and onion rings to start. Add some cold beer and iced tea and it made for a great Sunday afternoon experience.

While the service was excellent for me as someone who is local the food was extremely bland. I understand that this is how it has always been cooked but there are to many amazing restaurants in the area that serve way better catfish with fries.