Ronnie’s Catfish and More. Photo by Kathy Tran.
Craving some good old-fashioned catfish? Lake Highlands has lots of great options, whether you are looking to grab a quick bite or host a family reunion at the park.
Veronica Navarro opened Ronnie’s Catfish and More at Audelia Road and Royal Lane in 2020. She had worked for years as a cashier and cook at Ronnie’s South Dallas location before franchising a restaurant of her own in Mesquite. That spot was a big hit, and her Lake Highlands location followed soon after. The food at Ronnie’s Catfish is fresh and made to order, and baskets may include fries or salad. Ronnie’s also offers shrimp, links, pork chops and burgers, plus homemade cake and pie for dessert.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 10729 Audelia Road.
Shell Shack opened last year next to the Alamo Drafthouse and has been a big draw for lovers of all things seafood. In addition to blackened catfish and catfish po’ boys, they feature peel and eat shrimp, crab, crawfish and lobster. Their sides include jalapeno hush puppies, steamed broccoli, Cajun corn and fried okra, and desserts include Death by Chocolate cake, Key Lime pie, New York cheesecake and pecan pie.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 6770 Abrams Road.
If you’re like me, you’ve never even looked at the menu at Fish City Grill — you just order whatever looks good on the “daily specials” blackboard and wait to see what the waiters bring you. But, sure enough, you’ll find U.S. farm raised catfish under the “Shrimp, Catfish & Oysters” heading and catfish on Fish City’s “Seafood Platter.” Fish City’s sides include garlic wilted spinach, cheesy grits, French fries and apple cider coleslaw, and the dessert menu features bread pudding, Key Lime pie and “Chocolate Addiction,” a decadent concoction with chocolate cream and almond toffee crunch.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 7170 Skillman Street in the LH Town Center.
TJ Cajun Seafood and Wings, formerly in the Hamilton Park area, was hit hard by the 2019 tornado that devastated North Dallas and all but destroyed the Forest Lane Home Depot. They relocated to the I-635 service road between Walnut Hill and Jupiter Road, where they serve catfish, chicken strips and butterfly shrimp. Fried oysters, hot wings and grilled seafood are also on the menu, and platters include French fries or fried rice, with boudin balls and hush puppies as available add-ons.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 11306 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy.
The Hen House Louisiana Fried Chicken may not sound like your go-to spot for catfish, but sisters Kuyly and Kuysim “Sim” Chan have mastered the art of frying fish and chicken. Sim worked at a Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken in Los Angeles before moving to Dallas in 2009 to own and operate Super Discount Liquor Store, but she missed her days frying chicken and seafood, so she went back to work at another Cajun restaurant and tinkered with her own recipes. In 2015, she opened Hen House at Skillman and Royal next to Tom Thumb, and two years later her sister joined her from Cambodia. Before you order at Hen House, you have a decision to make: Do you want the Big Deal, with eight pieces of chicken, four pieces of catfish and eight pieces of shrimp, or is it a mini deal kind of day, with two catfish, five shrimp, two wings and one side? They also offer shrimp tacos, Cajun burgers and grilled tilapia, with sides such as coleslaw, mashed potatoes and okra.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 8692 Skillman Street.
Shark’s Fish and Chicken is in North Lake Highlands, and the catfish platters are a hit with the hard-to-please hungry man lunch crowd. Shark’s fries up catfish, of course, but tilapia, ocean perch and whiting jack salmon are also on the menu. Whiting jack salmon isn’t salmon at all, but a mild, flaky whitefish similar to cod in taste and popular in midwestern Catholic towns where Fish Friday is written in stone. Shark’s also offers shrimp, chicken and wings and sells cheesecake and banana pudding for dessert.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 10190 Forest Lane.
If you’re looking to order the specialty at Norma’s Café, you should probably stick to their big country breakfast, their chicken fried steak or their trademark Mile-High Pies. Norma’s first opened in Oak Cliff in 1956, but they’ve been serving happy Lake Highlands customers at their store on Park Lane since 2016. Past the pork chops and pot roast on the “Favorites” page of their menu, past the ribeye steak dinner and Monterrey chicken, you’ll find Southern-fried catfish fillets lightly battered and golden brown. They come with homemade hushpuppies and tartar sauce, but a la carte sides include corn on the cob, yellow squash, candied yams and green bean casserole. If the pies don’t fit your pistol, try German chocolate cake, blackberry cobbler or a big ol’ cinnamon roll.
You’ll find the full menu here. They’re at 9100 N. Central Expy.
Hen House. Photo by Jessica Turner.
