Catfish Alley, Las Vegas
Some places are an awkward call from a "Chowhound" standpoint, and we have had to deal with that in regard to Catfish Alley on East Flamingo since they opened. The menu is limited, and there is not much atmosphere in a bland strip-mall location. But what they do they do awfully well - catfish fried so sublimely that you can eat with your fingers and hardly have any grease residue at all (it is all about fresh oil and a high temperature), and some sides that show a lot of love going into the cooking (the owners are some of the nicest folks we have ever met behind a counter). They are even doing ribs now on Tuesday, which could expand the menu a bit if they are well-received.
But now that the Review Journal has found the place - http://www.lvrj.com/neon/44123142.html it is easier to make a recommendation. "What she said..." can suffice here. Limited menu, negligible atmosphere, but if you are in the mood for catfish we have not found any better in Las Vegas (including places like M&M and Kathy's that have been around for a long time).
By QAW
on May 1, 2009 08:55 AM
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The little corn fritters (I forget what they call them...) are absolutely delicious.....and I agree, the catfish is great!
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I went to catfish alley along with my friends about 8 months ago. The catfish coating is light and not oily. The owners were super friendly and my friends and I still talk about going back when we are in vegas. I thought the hush puppies were awesome and I'm excited to try their ribs.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I'm curious why you were hesitant about writing about this here -- it seems like a very Chowish spot.
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In the process of sharing information, or making recommendations to others, sometimes we need to be aware of our own biases. Mine tend towards wanting good people to succeed so much that I am not always sure that my taste buds are not being overly influenced by other factors. Catfish Alley is a prime example of that - on every visit I have genuinely felt that I was sitting on someone's porch swing enjoying some home cooking. But how much of that is the food itself, and how much the feeling of being given that seat on the swing in a nice breeze? Sometimes we are tasting the passion and the love that went into the cooking as much as, or even more so, than the end product. Hence why romantics make lousy critics. But romantics can still eat awfully well...
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Now I understand, and I know exactly what you mean. But it just makes me want to visit Catfish Alley more!
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http://www.boodle.com/cgi-bin/local.c...=#
A coupon for 2 pieces catfish with fries for $5
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Thanks for the link to the coupon. Definately will give them a try. Currently my votes for the best catfish in Las Vegas are for: Mario's supermarket just north of downtown. Take out only, their is usually a line around lunch and dinner time for the fresh fried catfish. 2. Try Rhythm Kitchen on Decauter and the 215, for a nice sit down lunch or dinner. Very nice atmosphere and authentic cornmeal crusted catfish flown in from Louisiana.
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That's the second recommendation I've heard for Rhythm Kitchen....since its fairly close to where I live, I think I'll have to try it soon...Thanks!
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Hey thanks for the post. I had lunch here today and really enjoyed it. I live 5 mins from the place but probably would have never discovered without reading this post.
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We have unfortunately had to watch a lot of good places drop out of the Las Vegas market over the last year or so, but this one hits home a little harder - Catfish Alley is no more. A real shame. They were some of the nicest folks we had ever come across in our Chow searches.
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I agree, I read somewhere that they closed down but had to see it for myself two weeks ago. I've visited Catfish Alley every time I'm in Vegas, about 3 times since it opened and got visiting friends to dine there. Everyone similarly commented on the friendliness of the owners.
We were heartbroken driving up to the empty space. Does anyone happen to know if the owners will continue to venture in the restaurant business?
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News on this front: On Silverado Ranch (south end of town, near the South Point) there's a strip mall that has a sign announcing Catfish Alley soon to open.. I'll keep everyone posted on when it opens.
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That would be great. I live in Korea now but when I go back to visit I always make sure to stop in at Catfish Alley.
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Any progress on the reopening of Catfish Alley?
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The restaurant is or will be located in the Silverado Ranch Village at 467 East Silverado Ranch Boulevard. @ Bermuda. (702) 492-4543
http://www.silveradoranchvillage.net/
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Yep, I got the info but don't know if it's open yet. I often stay at South Point, so I'm excited.
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Sorry about that, in not responding any sooner! Life's thrown me for a bit of a loop and checking out new places to eat hasen't been on my mind. (dealing with 101+ degree weather with a broken air-conditioner leaves one with little appetite..)
I'm not a huge fan of catfish, but I will give this a try. Anyone try the new CW Buns place in the same shopping center yet? I have Friday off, might give them a try then.
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And I have an apology, myself. Believe it or not, I went there but couldn't eat. If you don't like catfish, maybe you'd want to be a trailblazer and report back about some of the more New Orleans-style food. For example, Catfish Alley offers gumbo.
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Couldn't eat why? Was the food too smelly?
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It was 2:00 p.m., I had already eaten lunch and was saving what little appetite was left for dinner. Sad, but true.
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Dave, I going tomorrow night and will report back to you. Love catfish if done right. After the Warriors game. But I will have to do map quest first. Off to some place new for lunch. Maybe I will have something new to post about.
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Look forward to your report, yimster.
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Went tonight and just finished eating. Right now it is a buy one dinner and get the next one at 1/2 price.
So I order two piece of fish with two sides. Here are my four sides, seasoned fries, sweet potatoes fries, collard greens and mac & cheese.
The fish was cooked to order in a cornmeal batter. Normally I am not a fan of cornmeal but this was done well (for someone who is used to Asian multi flour batters) this is saying something. Crisp, fish was moist (not over cooked) and had a real clean taste (catfish can have a muddy taste).
The tartar sauce was not hpuse made so I pass and asked for two house made hot sauce which had a good bite.
The seasoned potatoes were good but next time I will stick to the sweet potatoes were much better.
Collard green was the best of the four sides, the mac and cheese but I am more into collard green. Our friend who I had lunch with says I missed you by a week. I will post on the rest of my other spots when I get home.
Wish I could have order the gumbo too.
I will be trying a few new places on this trip in bewteen the NBA Summer League.
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Thanks, Yimster. I hope next trip I get to see you and Catfish Alley!
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Well this morning Catfish Alley passed my final test. Fried fish do not keep well and leftovers are normally not good. But the curst still had crunch, the fish was still moist and most important not fishy.
Two thrumbs up for Catfish Alley.
Yeah we should meet again soon.
yimster
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Catfish Alley is indeed back up and running again, and the only thing more heart-warming than seeing the same smiles at the counter is to get back to the food - once again impeccably fried catfish, and quality sides. Even some brisket on the menu now (and thanks for the generous "sample"...). Of course, they did have to be scolded for letting the old phone number go, which did cause some concern. On the southeast corner of Sliverado and Bermuda; they are running a "Buy One Entree, Get One at Half Price" special as part of the new grand opening.
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We have not had many "feel good" restaurant stories in Las Vegas in recent years, but here is a great one. And in time for the Holidays. Ken and his family have opened up a sister location to the one on Silverado, and it just happens to be on the Strip, right across from City Center, 3743 Las Vegas Boulevard South (in the Hawaiian Marketplace).
Same smiling faces, same fresh fish with that nice crunch that is not greasy at all, and now even some fried green tomatoes added to the menu. Nice to see this kind of dedication rewarded, and it also means a quality low-cost option on the Strip. Here is an excerpt from a press release that tells the tale.
"Music legends Mr. LaMonte McLemore, founder of the world famous singing group, “The 5th Dimension”, Mr. Bubba Knight of “Gladys Knight and the Pips”, Mr. Jackie Jackson of the “Jackson 5”, have joined actor Richard Roundtree of the Movie “Shaft”, and a team of business and entertainment pioneers for the launch of the new Catfish Alley restaurant on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Hawaiian Marketplace.
“No matter whether your taste in music is country, jazz, or soul, everyone is going crazy with their first bite of our southern-crispy catfish” said Otis Williams one of the original members of the super group “The Temptations” and one of the eight celebrity co-owners of Catfish Alley. “We decided that the best catfish in the country should be available on the Las Vegas strip. So we brought the best catfish chef in the country, Ken Browder, and his Catfish Alley restaurant to the strip and told him to do his thing!” Enjoy.
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Checking in to Cosmo today, looking forward to it. Will report back.
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