Catfish Parlour

When visiting Austin I make it a point to take my family to the Catfish Parlour. Last night, we went and were in the mix of a charity event being held. There were a lot of elementary school children and the restaurant was busy and noisy. We had a wonderful catfish meal and the waitress (Cherie) was very tentative. However, when we were standing in line to pay the cashier, I noticed a tip jar on the counter. I asked the woman behind the counter if we were supposed to place tip money for the waitress on the table or in the container. She (Karissa) said that it was all the same and tapped the tip jar on the counter in a demanding fashion, although it had a note attached to it regarding the event. I walked back to the table and asked the waitress which was the best thing to do and she politely explained what the difference was. I left the tip on the table as the cashier watched. She glared at me as I left, and I felt that I did something wrong when I just wanted to tip my waitress. We probably won't be back with that type of ending to our visit. What a shame because the food is wonderful and the service is usually very friendly- all the way up to paying the check. more

FRESH CATFISH - BEST AROUND more

Tasteless catfish (even the spicy), but good coleslaw. The employess were rude and seemed angry at having to be there or having to bother with customers. Too much money for average food and being treated like poorly by staff. Never again. more

I have eaten here 3 times. Still the same. Overpriced, small portions, a little to heavy, sides tasted okay, but nothing to write home about. more

I have lived in Austin for 1 year and have driven by the parlor everyday without stopping. On a whim, my wife and I went there this past Saturday.\r \r Very nostalgic decor throughout the restaurant. Posters from the 70's and 80's are in the entrance way which literally has a wall covered from top to bottom with patron's business cards. As soon as we entered and before being seated, we were offered either a beer or an icy mug root beer. This was a nice touch.\r \r The catfish is breaded in cornmeal. We tried the original. The fish was good, however, the Cesar salad bar was where they shined as ingredients were very fresh. The hush puppy sticks were addicting. Basically, the salad and hush puppies are considered "fixin's" and are unlimited. After we ate the first batch of hush puppies (6-8) I ordered some more. Unfortunately, I was only brought 4 more. This must be there deterrent from taking advantage of the "unlimited" offer. =-(\r \r Overall, we enjoyed the visit as we both chocked it up t more

catfish is something I definitely love and I was excited to try this restaurant. however, I found the catfish had little to no flavor (i tried both varieties) and the side dishes were not too great either. The place is really casual and good for families though. They also have EXCELLENT homemade cobblers, which really saved the day in my opinion. I would consider going there just for dessert. more

Great catfish & the hushpuppy sticks are delicious too! The prices aren't bad & the service is great as well! The parking lot is small & they get crowded but it still doesn't take long to get seated & get your food. more

From day 1 of me moving to Austin, this was the restaurant recommended to me. The catfish is always crispy, add the jalapeno tarter sauce, total perfection. The buttered potatoes are the best I have ever had. Pros: FOOD, SERVICE Cons: GOING FOR LUNCH YOU MUST GET THERE EARLY more

I have been to Catfish Parlor and few times, especially to the one in North Austin. The first time the catfish was greasy, like the oil was old or the catfish sat around a while. Then the next few times, the catfish was perfect. The coating was crisp, catfish tasted perfect and their sides were delicous. I thought the first time I went was just a fluke, but a couple of weeks ago when we went, my wife asked for her catfish extra crispy. Again the catfish tasted greasy, and both her catfish and mine seemed like it sat under the heating lights for a while. more

Not only does this place have some of the best spicy catfish and yummy hushpuppies, but there root beer is to die for! Don't go to Catfish Parlour without getting a glass. The peach cobbler and the key lime pie are also a bonus! Pros: catfish, hushpuppies, caesar salad bar and root beer! more

I went to dine at the Catfish Parlour today with 2 friends. We sat and dined in and spent about $60.00, then I ordered the 1 lb of catfish to take home to my daughter and friend. I asked for tartar sauce and they told me I had to pay .60 for each pack of tartar sauce. I spent another $12.00 on the fish. I had to go home and tell them there was no tartar sauce for the fish. Bad experience and I have never had that problem before. They give me the excuse, they make their tartar sauce homemade. Well, in my opinion they should maybe get tartar sauce to go. Who buys that much fish to be told they have to pay for tartar sauce. I'm very dissapointed and won't eat at catfish parlour again. There are too many other seafood resturants here in Austin to choose from, that will not be so cheap about tartar sauce after you spend over $70.00. more

I *love* this place! Wonderful catfish (I recommend ordering the spicy catfish), hushpuppy "sticks" and if you go at lunch on certain days, you can get corn fritters! WOW! I don't know how these are made, but they are INCREDIBLE! \r \r The price is great. The decor is interesting and fun to look at. I think my only complaint about this location is the lack of windows and the crowds at lunch! It's VERY popular, so I recommend going early! more

Who wants to pay so much for catfish? Me for one! You could hook me up to an IV of that stuff as long as it tastes great. The salad bar was impressively fresh, one of the best I've had in a casual setting. They even opened up on Father's Day (they're usually closed Sundays) and gave all the guys free back scratchers. :) Having someone walk around the restaurant with a skillet of fried okra that's literally a few feet in diameter is a nice touch, too. I just love this place, and all the staff are sweethearts. Pros: service, food, atmosphere Cons: closed Sunday, but I can live with that more

My family and I have been going here for years and all I can say is thank goodness they have so many other choices now other than fried fish! My husband loves the blackend chicken ceaser and our friends just wanna keep going back for their COLD beer and GREAT service!! more

Went here recently for lunch and found it to be a bit pricey. The fish was just ok, and the sides were average as well with one exception: The Cole slaw was 100% fresh and very tasty. Not sure if I would go back, even the service was a bit rough around the edges (too much so for kids) Pros: Cole Slaw Cons: Prices (for what you get), service more

We used to love this place because it was casual, inexpensive and decent food. We recently went and noticed the prices have gone up significantly! If I want to pay $14 for a plate of food it definitely wouldn't be a couple pieces of fried catfish and french fries. Wow! One good thing is they have cold pitchers of beer but at $10 a pop we won't be going back. Pros: cold beer, never over crowded Cons: Price, mediocre food, price more

Food was good, nothing to write home about though. I do have one question though. ""Why would anyone in his right mind pay so much for CATFISH"". more

This is one of the most laid back places I have ever been. The staff is very friendly and very helpful. The hushpuppies and the fish are great. They have an evergrowing menu. They have just added fried oysters. The best part is where are you going to find a place to eat with colder and cheaper beer. Pros: good food, wonderful staff, great experience more

Best coleslaw and beans I ever had! The grilled chicken I had was also delicious. My wife loved the fish and the gumbo. The 99 cent shrimp cocktail was a neat idea. What atmosphere. Where did all of these neat signs come from? Highly recommended. Pros: inexpensive, friendly, tasty Cons: not enough locations more