What Is the Best Catfish Restaurant In the South? Hagy’s Catfish Hotel

What is the best catfish restaurant in the South? Hagy’s Catfish Hotel near Shiloh, Tennessee.

There are many reasons I’m fortunate I was born and raised in Savannah, Tennessee. For starters, it’s widely known as the Catfish Capital of the World. In recent years have I realized I’ve taken this river fish and those who prepare it so perfectly for granted. After all, some of my earliest memories of dining out revolve around Hagy’s and their southern fried catfish.

The Family, Restaurant & the Food Are Historically Significant

Known by locals as “Hagy’s” or “The Catfish,” it isn’t an actual hotel, so a brief history is in order.

As the Hagy family tale goes, their ancestor Henry Hagy and his wife docked a flatboat along the banks of the Tennessee River in 1825 and laid claim to several acres. They supported their family by building a riverfront store to supply steamboats and other river travelers. In April of 1862, the infamous Battle of Shiloh was fought a couple of miles south and the Hagy business was occupied by Union soldiers.

Fish fries are still and have always been a staple of fundraisers, family reunions, and political gatherings throughout the South. In 1938, toward the end of the depression years, Norvin Hagy held a fish fry for his good friend, Tennessee’s Gov. Gordon Browning, who was running for his second term. As the story goes, Gov. Browning told Norvin the fish was so good he should open a restaurant. That is exactly what he did. The “hotel” part came into play when travelers who arrived by boat would eat and stay overnight in the small shacks instead of tackling the river in darkness. Some good ole Tennessee moonshine may have played a part in their wise decision to remain on dry land.

A Personal Touch

About ten years later, the story gets closer to my family. Before they married in 1948, my future mom and dad, Andy Stanley of Adamsville, TN, and Bettye Lanier of Savannah, participated in the southern ritual of “courting.” My dad often told us the story of picking my mom up from the beauty parlor most Friday afternoons and making the drive to Shiloh and Hagy’s Catfish Hotel. Daddy often said they were the only two in the small restaurant, so they knew Norlin and his wife quite well.

Daddy would carry a small bottle of whiskey in a brown paper bag. He and Mama would sit down, order their fish, and have a little toddy before the meal. Then, to my dad’s chagrin, Norvin would soon deliver their plates and proceed to sit down, helping himself to the bottle my dad had worked so hard to secure for his weekly date. Mama said Daddy never understood why he had to buy two meals AND provide Norvin with his liquid refreshment. They were lifelong friends.

RELATED: Best 30A Restaurants In 2022

I barely remember the “old” Hagy’s building where my parents spent those formative years. It burned in 1975 and replaced the current structure, which is only a restaurant and has no overnight accommodations. I cannot count the times I’ve dined at the Catfish Hotel, but I recall eating at least two to four meals there each month, mainly on Friday nights.

Staff & Family 

There are Hagy’s related by “blood and birthright,” and there’s the staff, many of whom have worked there for decades.

“I can’t begin to describe how important the staff is to the success of the restaurant,” noted Jim Hagy, Norvin’s grandson and one of the current owners. “It’s funny, given our location, hardly anyone can walk to the restaurant, so whenever the staff sees a car pull up, they realize those folks made an effort to come, and we need to make sure the food and overall experience are worth the trip. So regardless of bloodline, everyone who works with us is family.”

RELATED: Southern Americana Podcast: Restaurant Owner Jim Hagy Discusses Coronavirus Impact

Consistent Preparation & A Little Seasoning

Jim, who also operates Chef’s Market, a restaurant, and catering operation in Goodlettsville, TN, grew up cleaning catfish and working in the kitchen. And while the restaurant business has evolved over his lifetime, the product and process at Hagy’s have remained consistent. “It comes down to dressing, seasoning, and cooking,” said Hagy. “The quality of the fish, the temperature of the oil, and cooking length are critical to great southern fried catfish. And people may be surprised there’s not a ton of seasoning on our deep-fried catfish either.”

The menu has grown, but the staple is deep-fried southern catfish.

The “all you can eat catfish” is the whole catfish, served with their legendary hushpuppies (tip, order the hushpuppies with pepper), your choice of potato, and a house salad or coleslaw. I highly recommend ordering the coleslaw served before your fish arrives, topped off with one of their homemade dressings. The Blue Cheese and Thousand Island dressings are superb.

If you don’t want to pick the fish off the bone, you can order filets. Other options include the Lemon Pepper and Cajun-style catfish filets. Lemon Rub Pie is a Hagy family recipe if you have a little room left. County ham, fried chicken livers, and deep-fried frog legs are popular menu items.

Open 7 Days a Week

Hagy’s Catfish Hotel Restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am until 9 pm, a little later on Friday and Saturday. Barbara McAfee and her husband Joey, who practically grew up and met at Hagy’s,  handle day-to-day management duties and circulate through the rooms most evenings. Reservations are accepted, but if you go on Friday or Saturday night or after church on Sunday, I suggest you build in a little extra time. The quality of the food will far exceed any time inconvenience.

Hagy’s is easy to find, although it’s at the end of a winding country road. The restaurant is west of Savannah, TN, off Highway 22, South of the small town of Crump, and just north of the Shiloh Battlefield, which you most definitely should tour if you’re in the area. Just turn by the giant billboard.

Update: Hagy’s has finished some renovations. The front porch and entry are more significant, and visitors now have a larger area to sit while waiting.