Some of the best meals in Texas start before your main plate ever hits the table. At the right catfish house, a basket of hushpuppies shows up first, and a good server keeps it coming until you wave them off.
This list rounds up seven spots across the state where fried catfish and bottomless hushpuppies are the whole point. Whether you are near the coast, deep in Hill Country, or way out by a bayou, one of these is worth building a lunch or dinner around.
1. Catfish & Co, Hurst, TX
Fried catfish filets get top billing at this down-home spot just off Airport Freeway in Hurst, and the hushpuppies arrive at the table like a warm welcome.
The kitchen leans Cajun and Southern, with fried catfish baskets, low country boils, and fresh seafood built around comfort. Finger-style hushpuppies come out as an appetizer, and the all-you-can-eat option means they keep refilling the basket as long as you can keep going.
Beyond the catfish, the menu covers a Catfish Strip Combo, butterfly shrimp, fried okra, fried pickles, and crab legs, with key lime pie waiting at the end. The hushpuppies pair with butter and a spicy ranch that regulars ask for by name.
Hours run Monday and Tuesday from 4 to 8:30 PM, and Wednesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 8:30 PM. Friday evenings pack in fast, so aim for a quieter Sunday night if you want room to stretch out.
Parking is easy and free, and reservations are accepted.
2. Sudie’s Catfish House, Pasadena, TX
Over in Pasadena, the hushpuppies land on your table the moment you sit down, no ordering required.
Sudie’s keeps things simple and Southern, with fried catfish fillet platters as the star. The complimentary homemade hushpuppies come with tartar sauce, and servers are known for keeping that basket refilled and your sweet tea full right along with it.
The rest of the menu gives you plenty of reasons to come back. There is blackened catfish, a lunch catfish plate, crawfish and shrimp, seafood fondue, fried oysters, and a side of jambalaya rice.
Fried green tomatoes and banana pudding round out the comfort-food feel.
Prices sit in the friendly 10 to 20 dollar range, which makes it an easy weeknight call. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM, Friday and Saturday until 9 PM, and Sunday until 8 PM.
Friday evening is the busy stretch, while Monday morning stays calm. Reservations are accepted, and there is a kids’ menu for the smaller eaters.
3. Catfish Charlie’s, Corpus Christi, TX
Down on the coast in Corpus Christi, the hushpuppies come with a twist: they are hot jalapeno cornbread puppies, brought to every table for free.
Catfish Charlie’s works a wharf-style setting where fried catfish, shrimp, and oysters share the menu with Louisiana favorites. The complimentary hushpuppies are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, and the staff keeps them coming for the whole table.
The lineup goes deeper than fried baskets. You can order frog legs, chicken fried steak, Crab Pepper Puppies, fried pickle spears, red beans and rice with ham, and Opelousas-style seafood gumbo by the cup or bowl.
The sweet tea is a point of pride.
Three full meals with sides here can still land near affordable territory, which explains the family crowd. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday until 10 PM, and Sunday until 9 PM.
Friday afternoon into evening is the rush. No reservations, but parking is free and plentiful.
4. Big Pines Lodge, Karnack, TX
Way out near Caddo Lake, the hushpuppies at Big Pines Lodge are almost a spectacle. They come out long and slightly sweet, some with a fleck of jalapeno, and they arrive as a free starter alongside coleslaw and a pickle relish plate.
That combination is generous enough to feel like a meal before your catfish shows up. The lodge sits in a bayou setting and specializes in fresh, crispy catfish, with all-you-can-eat catfish fillets and whole catfish on the board.
You can also work through a fried shrimp basket, fried gator bites, fried pickles, onion rings, and grilled shrimp skewers. There is a salad bar too, and outdoor seating where dogs are welcome.
Here is the catch: it only opens Friday through Sunday. Hours are Friday and Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 7 PM, closed Monday through Thursday.
Saturday evening is the peak, so plan a road trip around the weekend. Reservations are accepted, and there is Wi-Fi if you need it.
5. Catfish Parlour Austin, Austin, TX
In South Austin, the free hushpuppies work a lot like chips and salsa at a Tex-Mex spot: they hit the table right away and keep coming.
Catfish Parlour is a family-owned seafood restaurant known for fresh catfish, shrimp, and oysters, with a throwback feel and 50s and 60s music playing in the background. The unlimited sides are a big draw, covering coleslaw, hushpuppies, and fried okra.
The catfish is the reason most people come, often served with a jalapeno tartar sauce that fans single out. Popcorn shrimp, fish and chips, chicken fried steak, seafood gumbo, onion rings, and green beans fill out the plate, and bread pudding or key lime pie closes things out.
It moves fast, which makes it a solid lunch stop off East Ben White. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday until 10 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 4 PM.
Friday evening is busiest, weekend mornings are calmest. Free Wi-Fi and free parking make it an easy sit.
6. The Lakehouse, Kerrville, TX
Hill Country travelers heading through Kerrville have a river-view catfish stop that backs up a bold claim of best catfish in Texas.
The Lakehouse has been around a while, with fried catfish leading a Southern-style seafood menu overlooking the water. The all-you-can-eat fish and hushpuppies deal is the headliner, and you can even work in some kayaking around your meal.
Plates come loaded with sides that feel like a home kitchen: mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pinto beans, sweet potato fries, and of course hushpuppies. The menu also offers popcorn shrimp, a catfish and shrimp combo, fish tacos, brussels sprouts, and fried mushrooms.
Save room for pecan or blackberry cobbler at the end. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 8:30 PM, Friday and Saturday until 9 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 3 PM.
Sunday afternoon and Friday evening draw crowds. There is a drive-through, free Wi-Fi, and reservations are accepted, which is handy for groups.
7. Huck’s Catfish, Denison, TX
Up in Denison near the Oklahoma line, Huck’s brings a Mississippi Delta approach to North Texas catfish, and the complimentary hushpuppies are a genuine point of pride.
The catfish comes crispy and flaky, and the down-home menu keeps things honest with rotating sides and generous portions. Fried okra, black-eyed peas, coleslaw, and creamed spinach share the table, and a starter of green tomato relish with those hushpuppies is a longtime favorite.
Counter service keeps the line moving, and the menu covers a fried shrimp dinner, chicken tender salad, chicken fried steak, and a kids’ fried shrimp plate. Peach and pecan cobbler handle dessert.
It runs Tuesday through Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM, Friday and Saturday until 9 PM, and Sunday 11 AM to 2 PM, closed Monday. Friday and Saturday evenings are busiest, and there is usually a wait, so factor that in.
No reservations, but parking is free and there is a changing table for families with little ones.
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