Catfish in the City

Growing up a Southern girl, I learned that there are irrefutable truths in this life. You don’t sass your mama (‘cause you’re not too big to be spanked). You can spot a Yankee a mile away, if only by their inability to properly use the word “y’all.” And the best catfish and barbecue (and fried chicken, come to think) come from buildings you’d think twice to set foot in, much less consider as restaurants.

Recently, though, I’ve had to reconsider that last one. In our constant search for new places to eat, EAToo and I stumbled upon Soul Fish Café, in the Cooper-Young district of midtown. This is not my usual stomping grounds — my inner suburban princess is quite happy living out in the county, thank you — but then again, we’ll generally travel any distance for the promise of good food.

Soul Fish Café is not what you’d expect of a great catfish joint. For starters, as a catfish restaurant, the outside looks remarkably new and well-kempt, a modern building with a coat of fresh paint on the outside. (It’s a far cry from my favorite catfish place, County Line Catfish, in Fayette County — while well kept and clean inside, the outside still strongly resembles the hunting shack it used to be before the restaurant opened.) Inside, it looks a bit like a diner; the tables, counter, and quirky decor give off a Route 66, roadside sort of vibe.

The food, however, is pure Southern goodness. I’m picky about my catfish; it’s such a simple food, but has so much room to go wrong if done improperly. I needn’t have worried, though — everything at Soul Fish was done just right. The fish is light and flavorful, with a cornmeal coating that is crispy and not the least bit greasy. The french fries had obviously never been frozen, and were cooked to perfection. Not a fan of ketchup, I dipped the fries in the homemade tartar sauce, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Except maybe the homemade remoulade sauce.

But the hush puppies — oh, the hush puppies. Hush puppies are a uniquely Southern food, and one of my favorite comfort foods. The cornmeal batter was fried perfectly, crispy on the outside, and just the tiniest bit still soft on the inside. There was just the right amount of kernel corn inside, and just enough spice to make things interesting without overpowering the slightly-sweet corn taste. And when paired with the aforementioned homemade tartar sauce... wow. Just, wow.

On different visits, we tried the catfish in both sandwich and plate lunch forms. I enjoyed the catfish plate (the slaw was also excellent), but I think Soul Fish really shines with their sandwiches. The bread was wonderful; fish sandwiches have an unfortunate tendency to get soggy, but this one was perfectly balanced until the very end.

Other sandwiches we tried included the Cuban Po Boy (yes, a Cuban sandwich at a catfish place), which boasted some of the best pork tenderloin I have ever had. The tenderloin was also the star of the Memphis Po Boy, which included the smoked tenderloin, bacon, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce. (I think this was EAToo’s favorite — despite being transplanted to the South during his teenage years, he appreciates all forms of pork, as well as any sandwich with more than one kind of meat on it, as much as if he were born here.)

Both of our trips to Soul Fish have left me too full to even consider dessert — the sandwiches, which run from $7.50 - $7.95, include a side order, and that’s been more than enough food for us. (So far, one of us will order fries and the other will order hush puppies. We share both, an arrangement we’ve been very happy with.) But we’ll definitely go back, and I hope to try the caramel pecan pie when we do.

Soul Fish also boasts a variety of appetizers, including catfish nuggets, several salads, a kids’ menu, and a specials board with a daily variety of plate lunches. I’m sure we’ll get around to most of the menu, eventually.

I’m still convinced that some of the best Southern food comes from the unlikeliest of places. But considering that Soul Fish is now one of our favorite catfish places, I suppose I’ll have to keep an open mind.

Except when it comes to barbecue. I’m just sayin’.


Soul Fish Café
862 S. Cooper
Memphis, Tennessee
(901) 725-0722