Mike's Catfish Cafe

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Food was excellent and the fixins were great also. All three of us got burgers and we all agreed that they were some of the best burgers we have evr had at a restaurant. It reminded me of a Applebees' burger. All meals come with the fixins which include white beans, cole slaw, and hush puppies.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Anybody in the Nashville area who hears me say, "It was just like walking into UNCLE BUD'S," will know what I mean. We had been told of a place called "Mike's Catfish" in Murfreesboro by the people at our hotel a couple of I-65 South trips ago. We had stopped in with all the grandchildren for a very late lunch, and found the place almost empty at that time of day.

DH always goes for the whole catfish, and he was MORE than happy with the plate he received. He'd ordered a platter of "Catfish Chips" for the table, and even the little ones enjoyed crunching on the crispy, thin curls of sliced fish, dredged in a flavorful meal-based coating and deep-fried. The platter came out hot and sizzly and seemed enormous, looking like a three-inch pile of golden leaves.

The children, of course, most enjoyed forays to the big tank to watch the two "freshwater sharks" swimming in their eternal dance in the bubbles. One lone little goldy-striped fish lurked amongst the plastic greenery, whether pet or companion or lunch, and was still peeping out from its hidey-hole when we left.

And then on last weekend's trip, it was just DH and me, on the way home from a visit to the kids in Atlanta---again a late lunchtime, not too great a crowd. This time, walking in was a tiny jolt of nostalgia, for the black-and-white checked oilcloths, the silly "kountry" signs on the walls, the fragrance of fish and hushpuppies from the kitchen and surrounding tables---all quickened the anticipation, for the late, lamented Uncle Bud's Catfish of years gone by.

We sat, and further authenticity presented as a smiling waitress thumped down a bowl of white beans, a bowl of mayonnaise slaw, and a basket of hushpuppies with a still-audible fryer-hiss rising from their beautiful brown roundness. We looked at each other, hoping and remembering---and it was just the same. The exact flavors, the same onion-slice-and-pickle-wedge presented on a tiny plate, the same fat squeeze-bottles of tartar sauce with the tips shorn to accommodate the thick, familiar sauce.

He ordered "two whole" and I ordered a cheeseburger---I'm not at all a fish/seafood person, but I'm delighted to watch him enjoy it. It's the same with his fondness for sushi---I'll sit and watch the beautiful, colorful ballet of the knife, and enjoy his enjoyment. I appreciate the art of it, and don't have to taste it.

Burger was the usual for me---mustard, pickle, onion---a juicy, thick patty with a toasted bun and a cheese slice fresh from the plastic, drooping its corners properly over all. His fish was perfect. His first criterion is crispy tails, which he snaps off and crunches while they're still at their peak of crunch; everybody at our table at home always breaks off the fishtails and puts them on his plate. They passed muster, and he proceeded to fork-fillet the fish from one end to the other, lifting the whole thick steaming ribbon at once, neatly leaving a polished, shiny bone for the now-empty hushpuppy basket.

Refills were forthcoming, though the bowls of beans and slaw were way more than enough for two. In fact, I brought home half my burger, and he just last night finished the last cold catfish with pink sauce, alongside a shrimp salad---it's been in the 90's here for DAYS, and cold supper was perfect.

Mike's Catfish is at 1618 NW Broad St. in Murphreesboro, off to the right as we went in from northbound I-65, in a missable gray building which sports a "Pizza Hut" door handle, though the shape and color do not resemble any such building. Our waitress told us that Mike himself was in the house, and that he oversees all the food from start to finish, having been manager of one of the Uncle Bud's branches. I'm glad we found a step-child or a long-lost cousin or whatever Mike's is---it's nice to know it's there.

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User Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

WHILE HOME ON THE HOILDAYS WE DECIDED TO GO THERE AGAIN FOR THE CATFISH. I ORDERED SOME FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY LOOKED REALLY GOOD, UNTIL I ATE ONE. THEY TASTED LIKE FISH. THEY HADN'T CHANGED THEIR "OIL" IN AWHILE. THE SAME FOR THE CHICKEN IT TASTED LIKE FISH. WE WERE ALL SO DISAPPOINTED BUT THEY TOOK CARE OF IT FOR MY DAUGHTER'S CHECKS. I WILL GO AGAIN WHEN I GO HOME FOR THAT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE...

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