Middendorf's
Akers, LA on Lake Maurepas
Lunch
February 5, 2010
The Set-Up - We st
opped at Middendorf's for lunch on the way home from the New Orleans airport. We've been going to this out-of-the-way seafood restaurant for years. Sitting on the bank of Lake Maurepas, the restaurant has been damaged by several hurricanes, most recently Hurricane Ike in 2008. The site has side-by-side restaurants with the second one opening on the weekends to handle overflow business. The second restaurant also came in handy when the first one was flooded. It opened just a few days after the storm, while the original restaurant took about a year to restore.
The Meal - I usually eat a bowl of the world's best oyster stew and a plate of fried catfish, but for some reason I knew I wasn't hungry enough for both. I settled for the thin fried catfish plate (small - $10.50), which is the restaurant's signature dish. The small portion is huge. Be VERY hungry before you order the large portion. Ultra-thin strips fried in cornmeal batter are a unique offering in the area. Kay got one fried softshell crab ($15.75; two for $22.50). She usually gets broiled softshell crabs, but Middendorf's only offers fried.
The meals are preceded by a loaf of warm bread (yummy but filling, beware), hush puppies (fried cornmeal with jalapeno seasoning) and cole slaw, which is a bit too dilly for my tastes.
Drinks - Iced tea for both. I was happy to see that they'd switched from small to large glasses, eliminating the need for at least one refill.
Ambience - Similar to Steamboat Bill's in Lake Charles, Middendorf's has an ultra-casual roadhouse feel, but in this case without a lot of decoration. In Carnival season, they had a few Mardi Gras beads.
Service - Friendly and efficient. We had a surprisingly young waitress. During past visits, we've seen the same veteran waitresses over and over.
The Check - Lunch for two (no alcoholic drinks or dessert) came to $37 with tax and tip.
The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)
Food - Five in the category of fried seafood. As mentioned, the oyster stew is always terrific - big juicy oysters and loads of butter.
Drinks - Four - No problems with the iced tea, but I don't think their beer menu is extensive if you go that way. They do have Abita, which is a good local brew.
Ambience - Four - Clean and unpretentious.
Service - Five - Checked often for our needs and filled them promptly.
Price/Value - Four - $15.75 seemed high for just one softshell crab. Catfish and iced tea ($1.50) are more reasonable.
Overall Assessment
Special Occasion
Favorite - Many times we've detoured from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and stopped at Middendorf's for either lunch or dinner.
Very Good
Good Enough
If Hungry Enough
Keep Driving and Looking
Travel Tip - If you're heading from New Orleans to Baton Rouge or further west on I-10, take the I-55 North exit toward Hammond. Drive north about 15 miles to Exit 15 (Manchac). Turn right onto Manchac Way. Middendorf's is less than half a mile on the left (the second building being the main restaurant). Afterwards you can continue on I-55 North to I-12 West, meeting back up with I-10 in Baton Rouge.
Restaurant Address and Hours of Operation
985.386.6666
985.386.6668-FaxOpen Wed thru Sun 10:30AM - 9:00PM
Not Middendorf's - this is Reno's Seafood just up the road. I don't think they have table service, but I'm tempted to stop and get some of their specialty meats.
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