Libby's Catfish

Decatur, AL
$5-$12 Entrees

It's not called Libby's Catfish for nothing. This country diner, located in Decatur, AL, serves mouth-watering, farm-raised catfish with crispy, cornmeal breading and finger-licking-good hushpuppies. (For all of you who think "hushpuppies" is two words, you are right. For all of you who think "hushpuppies" is one word, you are right, too.)

Again: It's not called Libby's Catfish for nothing. The other items on the menu, aside from their large, country breakfasts, are consistently mediocre. The ham steak and chicken fingers are too salty and rather dry. Vegetables are invariably canned or fried. In the case of the fried squash, this is a plus; but sometimes you want fresh vegetables, right? Iceberg lettuce salads are served with a bottle of Kraft blue cheese dressing. The sweet tea, for which I had high hopes, was unsatisfactory even to my husband, who sent it back. Unfortunately, they do not serve Diet Coke (my DOC, to you new readers).

The service is communal (We had two or three waitresses - I lost count). One of our waitresses had a t-shirt that said, "Lord, make my words as sweet as honey, for tomorrow I may have to eat them." (Ain't that the truth.) The pictures of roosters and horses along the walls create a tackily homey atmosphere (For those of you who don't think "tackily" is a word, you are right.). This restaurant was packed out on a Wednesday at lunch. The atmosphere is hopping, attracting a local clientele including farmers, blue-collar workers, and other salt o' the earth types.

Any criticisms you may conceive upon entering will dissipate with one bite of the catfish. When I received mine, I fell to with an intensity that shocked my husband and father-in-law. I could not - could not! - stop eating those heavenly, buttery hushpuppies. Libby's boasts extremely large servings, but I polished my plate.

After we paid (and the price was right), I was touched when a waitress ran out after us with our to-go box, which my husband had left on the table. I was positively moved when a second waitress ran out after us with my glasses, which I had left on the table. Now if that isn't Southern hospitality, I don't know what is.

1.5 Kudzu