Elite Event at Catfish

I expected more quite frankly, and believe you’d do well to go somewhere else to eat on Franklin Ave if there’s a wait. I went during the dinner rush on a Saturday and was really disappointed to receive a 40 minute wait after ordering for a group of 5, and two of the orders were for salad.
Which reminds me, take a pass on the salad. The one I had was too sweet, over-​dressed, and was plated with some of the saddest looking oranges I’d ever seen with the membrane still on and multiple seeds in every segment. I’ve never been to a restaurant that serves salad so carelessly.
The shrimp and grits were okay, the chicken fried steak (special menu item) was atrociously overcooked. The best meal by far was the ½ fried chicken — and sadly it was accompanied by extremely dense biscuits. So, out of 5 dishes, only 1 was a semi-​solid hit.
I really hope Catfish gets back on it’s game, as my experience here at the Unilocal elite Catfish event last summer was really great.

Still. Full. From. Brunch.
I came here in the summer for the Elite event and loved it. The service was great and the food and drinks were tasty.
I’ve finally put some time aside for brunch! Being a fat kid I already looked at the menu online before I arrived, so I thought I knew what I wanted. I’m really not a breakfast person, but love grits. I am a huge catfish fan and didn’t see it was offered on the online menu, but that would have given me another reason to come back.
Well, was I wrong! The catfish po boy is on the menu and might I say it’s soooo good! It’s served on huge crispy bread and the catfish is seasoned so beautifully. I would have liked it cut in two, but whatever, I’m precious. I also had the home fries which were good but I could have skipped.
I split the biscuits with my homegirl and they were good, but I must say I do make better. But really, anything that includes butter is pretty tasty, right?
I ordered a hot toddy with whiskey and didn’t like the flavor so our kind server switched for a butter rum drink that had whipped cream. It reminded me of Tibetan butter tea but with liqour. Omg. It was good. I really didn’t need dessert, but we did it anyway with the bread pudding. With ice cream. It was delicious.
All in all really great food and good service.

Came by here for a Unilocal!Elite event and it was a blast. They wooed us with their appetizers and their drinks and I can’t wait to come back.
The andouille is the best I’ve had outside of New Orleans and their crab cakes were killer.
Decent sazeracs and a not-​too-​overwhelmingly-​sweet hurricane, which is always a win in my book.
After having lived in NOLA for a few years, it’s nice to have a place that brings some of the taste of the city up here.

Just realized I forgot to review Catfish!!!
I had a fabulous time at this Elite event.
There were some potent drinks to be had, Nawlins-​style.
I myself had a few hurricanes, and the staff were beyond accomodating, even being kind enough to bring the drinks to us!
I also enjoyed the yummy corn bread with its amazing cinnamon butter, and of course I tried the bread pudding. I do wish there were vegetarian options to be had.
I loved the space, and the garden in the back was very festive and fun. I had a lovely time! Thanks Unilocal!!!

This event was hands down THE BEST Unilocal Elite event, EVER!
After pre-​gaming slash popping my Crown Heights bar cherry, an Elite friend and I wandered a few blocks away to the Unilocal Catfish event. It was a charming little spot and it was bustling already not even ten minutes after the start of the event! After signing in and being greeted by the ever polite Peter D., who, by the way, allowed my friend, an Elite member, to let little ol’ non-​Elite me in. We sauntered up to the bar glancing at the menu’s and watching in awe of how carefully the bartenders prepared complimentary Hurricanes!
Sipping on our tasty Hurricanes, we noticed a waiter bring out what would be known as orgasmic corn bread for the rest of the evening. I’m pretty sure what made it orgasmic was that fact that it came with cinnamon butter. With a drink in one hand and two pieces of cinnamon buttered corn bread in the other, we used our hips to open the door that led out to an adorable out door garden space! There were three large picnic tables with hardly anyone outside. It seems that this small crowd was the key to breaking the ice of what are usually a clique-​y Unilocal events!
I have to say that the outdoor space was THE place to be and it was a quiet area despite all of our Unilocaling. My new Unilocal friends and I agreed that we all felt special as a waiter kept coming out to the back with endless platters of cornbread, crab cakes, shrimp and sausage! My taste buds really didn’t know what to do with themselves except explode and pray my stomach had enough room to consume all the noms available. On top of the food, there were incredibly strong Sezeracs!
At one point we were politely asked to come inside where happily enough, there seemed to be room for everyone! Upon entry, this place seemed rather small and narrow but had a relaxed, down-​to-​earth ambience about it. I really can’t wait to have an excuse to come back to the Crown Heights area because I’m definitely coming back here!
Big thank you to Peter D. and the Unilocal team for allowing me to bask in all of their Elite glory!

I rarely go to Crown Heights… This may change.
When I saw the this Elite Event was gonna be off of Bedford Ave. I was pretty stoked cause it’s gonna be off the L. Easy. This was until I mapped it out and it was actually on the other end of Bedford Ave. This was doable, a bit more of a trek. I have never been down there and was really curious about the place.
Once we get inside Catfish, I felt like home. The spot is really spacious and welcoming. The backyard/​garden is a bit tight, but any place that has a back space is awesome and rare. The drinks that night were endless. You have choices of any beers on tap and a few awesome cocktails. The Hurricanes made for me really hit the spot with flavor and a great punch that you feel after. Honestly, I didn’t taste any alcohol. Even though they were made right in front on me. That may have been a bad thing, but it tasted so damn good.**
Plenty of small bites were going around such as cornbread, fresh shrimp and andouille sausage. All very delicious. The perfect drink to food ratio here at this event. The staff at Catfish is really cool and helpful. One of the servers working there is actually a «virtual friend» of mine. I found that out later via Instagram. We have been following each other for awhile and didn’t know that we met that night.
This was another great Brooklyn event this year. Good place, awesome people and great times. Thanks Peter D for hosting another great event! I will definitely come back to Catfish.
**This event was so awesome that later that night I lost my wallet. Those Hurricanes are no fucking joke! =)

Thanks again Peter D for an awesome event. I haven’t been to a Brooklyn event in a long time, so this was so wonderful for me.
I love this place Catfish. Sexy, grown-​up and a bit of Southern hospitality right in the smack of Prospect Heights.
The event was only for Elites and although I missed having a +1, these kind of events really make you learn more about other Unilocal Elites. And I like that.
I did of course see some old Unilocalers (and got to catch up), but also made some new Unilocal Elite friends too!
There was tons of food, good cornbread, excellent crab cakes, the shrimp cocktails just kept coming and the awesome bread pudding! Yea…
I also had cocktails that night which included the Hurricane and Sazerac, both well-​made and strong. I walked out of the Unilocal event pretty happy!
I also have to say that the employees here were super nice and friendly. Got to chatting with an owner’s friend and also the bartender, and just really cool people. I can def see myself coming back here and doing it up NOLA style!

I love New Orleans cuisine and Catfish looks to be a promising addition to the neighborhood.
I enjoyed everything I tried (shrimp, crab cakes and sausage) but the standout was the awesome bread pudding !! That alone will cause me return.
The Sazarec was also excellent, I may have had too many (surprised ?)
The widow jane bourbon is excellent, but be warned it’s strong (don’t try shooting it).
Great space, great event can’t wait to return !!

Another solid event! I actually enjoyed this event better than The Woods for a variety of reasons.
1. I liked the set up of this place. The long rectangle shape really gets you to mingle as you make your way to the back which has a nice little patio. I didn’t quite make it that far but it looks like an awesome outdoor space with nice big tables.
2. Awesome drink selection! I couldn’t believe all of the beer on tap was available. I also liked how the two cocktail specials were very different from each other. The Sazerac was a very still yet refreshing cocktail. I probably needed a harder day at work to really enjoy this concoction’s potential. And of course the beloved Hurricanes. This drink matched my «it was an okay day at work» attitude much better.
3. Food. While the cornbread with the cinnamon wasn’t my style the sausage had a nice spicy kick and the jumbo shrimp tasted great. I also really liked the crab cakes.
4. Service was awesome. I liked how the bites were served by butlers. I think this really helped to spread the food evenly between the guests and somewhat avoided that «one guy» that gets referred to so many times who eats all the food. I have butlered hoers d’overs before and I know how hungry guests will swarm or follow you around. So I was surprised the waitress made it all the way back to our table multiple times. She was really great. Friendly and chatty. I suppose you have to be when your establishment serves those über strong hurricanes.
Thanks to all who was involved for hosting another great event!

I recently went to Catfish for a Unilocal!Elite event and had a great time. I only tried their apps an a few of their drinks, but everything I had was spot on. I tried the andouille sausage (which I hear they serve on a PoBoy, too); it was super tasty! I also tried the crab cakes, which were flakey and tender. As for drinks, definitely check out the hurricanes! I’m originally from Louisiana, so it was nice having a taste of home! Plus, the drinks are strong… just like they make ‘em back home! Note that the wait staff and bar staff are fantastic – super nice, very knowledgeable about the food and drinks, and totally on the ball! I’ll definitely try out Catfish again soon!

An amazing event!!!
I still can’t believe the super generous open bar. My hangover and late to work-​ness today as evidence…
Staff was super awesome, venue was cute, Unilocalers were awesome …
I will def make the trek out to Crown Heights to have some Louisiana goodness.

Another fantastic event orchestrated by Peter D. as well as Maxx and the rest of the Catfish gang!
From the food to the booze, everything was top-​notch. I especially enjoyed the complimentary hurricanes, as well as the conversations that ensued about «Man Cards» and drinking fruity drinks from girly glasses. Whatevs!
The sausages were great, and the bread pudding was so ridiculously good I believe I’ll have to measure any future achievements of my own against it. Anything less just doesn’t seem right.
I used to live in Crown Heights for a while, a few years ago but never knew this gem existed. Now that I live in Sunset Park and know it’s here, you can bet I will make it back!
Seriously. Bread. Pudding. Now.

If someone offers you a shot of bourbon, sip it slowly and do not slam it like I did. Yea, that was me exclaiming, «tastes like burning.”*
Thank you, Peter for hosting yet another superior Brooklyn event.
— The staff were super nice and actually took orders and brought drinks to people. (nice touch and much appreciated!)
— The bourbon was great and I heard the rum drinks were super strong, you know, like a hurricane. (bad joke)
— The food, not particularly veg friendly (even though Catfish does offer vegan/​veg items on their regular menu, so I will definitely be back), but what they did have was delicious (corn bread and pieces of addictive bread pudding, which was akin to crack for me).
And, as always, nice to catch up with older Unilocalers and meet some new-​ish (well, new to me) ones too. Excellent evening all around.
Laissez les bon temps rouler, indeed!
*Please note, I used to write better event reviews in past years because I was waaaay more drunk.

Oy vey. My hangover and fuzzy memory on trekking back can attest to this event’s complete awesomeness.
Food was superb. The staff were incredibly charming and helpful. And the fellow Unilocalers were great Tuesday company.
I didn’t even take part of the open bar shenanigans because I was smitten with the shots and hurricane. Which, by the way, hurricane was 90% alcohol, but tasted like a dream. Hence my present day hangover.
Thanks Catfish crew and Peter/​Ruggy for the fantastic event. I can’t wait to come back and try the namesake item!

Catfish definitely gave us a little taste of the «Big Easy» and it tasted SUPER AWESOME and DELICIOUS!
I came here last night and was immediately struck by the design and layout of their restaurant. It had a really nice chilled vibe with beautiful natural wood flooring, ceiling and walls. The bar looked wonderful and relaxing to sit around.
I especially took a liking to their Sazerac and perhaps a little too much because I think I had a few too many! Their Sazerac wasn’t too sweet but it still packed a punch and it made me a very happy girl. Their crab cake was huge and their sausage with mustard cream on toast was yummy.
The staff was also amazing and friendly and I really like the dude in the yellow tee-​shirt. He always came out in the back patio to make sure our tummy was full and drinks were being passed. I even got a chance to ask him about his tattoo and he displayed and explained them proudly!
Once again, much luv to Peter and the Unilocal Team for throwing such a wonderful event last night!

Hurricanes, Abita Beer, Sazerac and Cajun food! Great low cal — low fat event!
In a part of Beford Ave that many of us normallly don’t venture down to since it’s not hipsterville Williamsburg lies this really neat Cajun inspired bar called Catfish. This was a terrific little event as the weather was a perfect Spring day, and they have a really nice backyard with picnic benches to chill out at and enjoy the cooler dry air. Inside has a cool décor with a Louisiana inspired rustic backwoods flair.
The staff here was terrific, super friendly, and took care of us with trays and trays of delish vittles! Along with non-​stop Hurricanes, Sazeracs, and any of their selection of craft beers on tap they kept us properly hydrated! Thanks Catfish!
Food you say? There was aplenty!
Cornbread — a great start.
Andouille sausage on toast points — bad ass!
Big ass shrimp cocktail with two dipping sauces — yes please!
Crabcakes — pretty damn tasty!
Bread Pudding w/​bourbon caramel sauce — amazing!
Almost forgot the trays of whiskey shots that came around — oh my!
The crowd of Unilocalers assembled to this event was on-​point. Just the right amount of vets and newbies to mix and mingle. Met some really nice people tonight while also hanging out with old friends. Big props to Peter D, Ruggy, and Unilocal for making this one happen. Thanks again to Catfish and it’s staff for being so generous and hosting this event. Found a new spot to check out at a future date.
Now all we needed was Sookie, Bill, & Eric to drop by and rename the place «Fangtasia»!

This was the best Unilocal event I’ve been to thus far. It was very lax, not crowded at all and had patio seating! I went straight to the back and it was the best decision of the night. The weather was perfect and to top it off we were getting served drinks and snacks all night long! If this event had catered to more people I don’t think us folk sitting outside would have been so lucky to even sample the corn bread alone.
I had a couple of hurricanes to drink, no shot of bourbon, not my style. I like being able to walk to the train station. I sampled the corn bread which was good but paired with that cinnamon butter, amazing!!! Do they sell that separately? I ask that for the bagels in my near future. I also had a crab cake and the bread pudding. The crab cake was great and I’m pretty lucky since I have an intolerance to shellfish but I was able to have that one mini crab cake… moderation. The horseradish (?) sauce to accompany the crab cake was really really good! Complimented it well. The bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce was just divine. I hate raisins but I couldn’t even tell that it had raisins in it! This place was amazing. The staff was super friendly and went out of their way to please us. I would love to return! Plus it’s in my neck of the woods.

I have never eaten so much at a Unilocal event!
Holy cow.
*I ate more crab cakes than I’d like to admit.
*More bread pudding than my boxing friends would approve of.
*Many slices of sausage on toast with awesome remolaude sauce. Scrumptious bite!
And the drinks:
THE Hurricane: was tasty, not too sweet and packed a serious punch. Normally $ 10 but gratis for Unilocalers? Good stuff!
I didn’t partake in the whiskey shots being handed out, it’s Tuesday for goodness sake…
But if you wanted to feel like you got punched in the face you could drink the other cocktail they were offering. Yikes!
Good times in Crown Heights, Brooklyn meeting new Unilocalers and sipping liquid courage.
Catfish is a lovely venue with a back garden and a serious collection of hot sauce along the walls. I loved the brick wall that started our impromptu photo sesh. Staff were attentive & personable. Can’t ask for anything more!
Shout out to Peter– thanks a bunch for a great event!

I drove by Catfish looking for parking that evening — cannot miss the place! No, not because Unilocalers were lining up outside early (well, that too), but also recognized it by iconic backlit pub sign right on the middle of charming brownstone block.
Short walk brought me to another rave-​worthy Brooklyn Elite Event, at Catfish.
Rustic interior, awesome décor (check out that wheel on the wall, dude!), and home-​y backyard to enjoy food and drinks.
Drinks and food were coming around non-​stop. Abita beer now resides on my favorite beer list, period! Shrimp, crabcakes, sausage, corn bread — and… Most delectable, to-​die-​for, delicious-​to-​the-​last-​bite — bread pudding!!! Seriously, did I mention bread pudding yet? Must. Try. Bread Pudding.
Thank you Peter, Ruggy, Maxx and all the Catfish crew for making this event a blast!
Brooklyn rocks!!!

Great event!
Catfish is a great small venue with lots of character. The staff was pleasant. The wooden tables are great. There are nice wooden chairs that remind me of childhood. I love all of the hot sauce which lines the walls.
Ruggy worked the door and spent some time chatting as Peter made the rounds and kept a good event going smoothly.
I stuck with a beer, and the Abita Lemon wheat was great.
The crab cakes were great! As odd as this might sound, they are comfort food at catfish. They were pretty good.
The food in general was pretty good. I can’t wait to come back.
Did I mention that the crab cakes were pretty good?
Great Event Peter!