CATFISH STATION PERMANENTLY CLOSED DURING THE PANDEMIC
7903 Beechnut
The Frenchy's Fried Chicken at this location has closed and been rather quickly replaced by this new outpost of another home-grown mini-chain. According to their website they started out of a trailer in Third Ward only a little over a dozen years ago and the website now lists six brick and mortar locations It falls a little more into the fast-casual category rather than fast food as the food is prepared to order.
I tried the 2-piece catfish plus 2 shrimp snack basket which came with one hush puppy and some very good battered fries. The coating on the fish is similar to Capt. Benny's, a mix of corn meal and corn flour, I think, but a little bit thicker. The hush puppy was sweet - they're described on the menu as sweet corn hush puppies but I didn't find any kernels of corn in mine.
The chicken and sausage gumbo was very good with a good rich, medium thick roux and lots of Cajun sausage; the chicken pieces were mostly shredded in my first sample but I got chunks the second time I tried this. There was a chunk of tomato and the menu indicated there also should have been okra although I didn't find any pieces in my samples. Pictures posted online from in-house diners with this dish look a little better than my take-home sample - the rice settles down to the bottom in transit. It has a mild amount of heat but there are bottles of Cajun Chef on the tables.
There are grilled dishes, chicken tenders, seafood tacos and po-boys plus one pasta dish. House specialties include shrimp and grits, Cajun sausage with red beans and rice and more. A link of boudain comes with a very tangy remoulade sauce and crackers.
The crawfish pie comes as an empanada stuffed with mostly shredded or minced pieces of crawfish and is served with a home-made etouffee sauce which is an onion gravy.
Besides the desserts listed on the website the in-house menu board offers
Stonie Clark's Tea Cakes, an Austin specialty.
Dining-in accommodations are not plush but they're clean and the staff has been very friendly.
Catfish Station
7/30/17 - Per the
Chronicle,
four more Frenchy's are converting to Catfish Stations.
