bbq or thin fried catfish?

Downtown Hammond, LA
BBQ Fest Competitors Trailers in the Background

March 23, 2018. Downtown Hammond, Louisiana. The Hammond BBQ Festival. We arrived an hour early. We couldn't wait. The anticipation was palpable. We walked amongst the competitor's BBQ trailers to bathe in the delicious smokey clouds, except...no smoke. No smell. No bathing in barbecue. We came hungry. We did our part. Something wasn't right here. Were my senses deceiving me or was it low blood sugar? Why is no one BBQ-ing at this BBQ fest?! Tasty BBQ dreams were dashed that day my friends. 

Notice Anything?  No Competitor and No Yummy BBQ Smokey Smell.

Turns out, the BBQ judging occurs on Saturday, so that's when all the BBQ-ing goes on. Seriously? Your website promised me BBQ on Friday and Saturday. I came to get the meat sweats! So, not-so-pro-tip: If you ever show up to a BBQ Fest then expect to get the good BBQ eats on festival day two. Teetering on the verge of hanger, we needed a Plan B.

Winner Winner Thin Catfish Fried Dinner

You know you're back in the game when your Plan B is Middendorf's.  Only about 20 minutes in Manchac, Louisiana, it may have saved one of our lives. At this point, I'm pretty sure Eric was seeing a big cartoon-ish T-bone steak when he looked at me. Middendorf's is famous for thin fried catfish.  After watching an Andrew Zimmern show one day I'd learned Eric had never been to Middendorf's. I didn't know it was possible for anyone in South Louisiana to have never been. It's one of my Aunt Cindy's favorite places to stop when she's coming to visit. If she flies into the airport in New Orleans (MSY) she is going to stop and eat lunch at Middendorf's either on the way to Baton Rouge or on the way back to the airport. My Pop's (grandfather) 85th birthday was at Middendorf's. Seems thin fried catfish is what most of my family is all about. However, then there's me. I'm more of a shrimp girl. I guess that's an understatement. I don't care for fish. Eric doesn't care for the fact that I don't care for fish. 

Eric's Food Bucket List- The Thin Catfish

It was a BBQ fail, but we checked off something on Eric's food bucket list. If you're ever in the area, heck even if you're not, head to Middendorf's for the thin fried catfish! If it's a nice day then sit outside and over-look Lake Pontchartrain while you feast on the catfish.
   

Views from the Dock at Middendorf's

No longer hangry! Happy with a belly full of thin fried catfish.