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Restaurant Ratings

The ratings are based mostly on the degree to which the food excites us, and a little on environment, service, and other considerations. I rate restaurants relative to all other restaurants in the New Orleans area. Here's what the stars mean to me:

starstarstarstarstar
Among the best locally.

starstarstarstar
Excellent and ambitious.

starstarstar
Worth crossing town for.

starstar
Recommended.

*
Acceptable.

No star
Unacceptable.

Cost Ratings
Each dollar sign indicates a ten-dollar range, including a normal meal for the restaurant (dinner, if they serve other meals), not including drinks, or tips. So, for example. . .

1$--$5-15
2$--$15-25
3$--$25-35

. . . and so on, with no upper limit. While this scheme may suggest mathematical precision, know that perception of price varies from diner to diner as much as the star ratings do. So consider this an estimate.

All reviews are based entirely on meals I have personally taken at the restaurant and paid for from my own pocket. I don't take free review meals, nor am I reimbursed by anybody for my restaurant expenditures.

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Adams Catfish House

Seafood.
Belle Chasse: 8523 Hwy 23 . 504-394-3819. Map.
Lunch Monday-Friday. Dinner Thursday-Saturday.
Casual.
MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Belle Chasse is one of those places around New Orleans (River Ridge and Meraux are others) that really aren't far from downtown, but which seem like terra incognita to all but the people who live there. The growing community of Belle Chasse, fired with the presence of the large Naval Air Station nearby, keep the few restaurants there busy, and Adams Catfish House is one of the busiest. Part of the attraction is the all-you-can-eat whole fried catfish for $20, but the more conventional fillets are worth coming for, too. There's not much more to the menu except a few salads and sandwiches, but that's all good enough.

WHY IT'S GOOD
Fried catfish is what you came here for. It's reasonably good, although the crust lacks something in crispness and texture. I think cornmeal is the way to go with catfish; Adams does theirs with a much thinner coating (I think it's corn flour). When it's right out of the fryer (as it usually is), no complaints. Grilled catfish--as it is everywhere--is to be avoided.

BACKSTORY
Brothers Dale and Robert Adams opened the restaurant in 1979, and they and their families still operate it hands-on. The building originally went up as a Bonanza Steakhouse in the 1960s.

DINING ROOM
The restaurant is divided into medium-size rooms with a utilitarian design. It's family-freindly, but not what you'd call atmospheric. No alcohol is served anywhere within the walls.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Flowering onion.
Fried pickles.
Onion rings.
Fried catfish salad.
Fried catfish, fillets or whole.
Grilled catfish.
Grilled chicken.
Catfish poor boy.
Grilled chicken poor boy.
Hamburger.

FOR BEST RESULTS
The whole catfish is absolutely the way to go. There is no need to get the all-you-can-eat; the metered portion is plenty big enough, and the sides and hush puppies eliminate any possibility of leaving hungry.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
More menu possibilities would be welcome. Not even one dessert?

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

This review was updated with new information on 3/22/2010.

A list of over 320 full, current reviews is here.