Everyone knows that Des Allemands is the catfish capital of the universe. So, it’s no surprise that catfish is the star of the show at Spahr’s. When it comes to catfish, Spahr’s has been frying up delectable nuggets of catfish for nearly fifty years. Those small uniform cuts of catfish are referred to as catfish chips by owner Bill Spahr and the staff at Spahr’s. They are a golden-fried, two-bite seafood treat that have made this highway 90 eatery a seafood institution.
Spahr tells us that the reason for the catfish chips was born from a customer that felt he got short-changed in his serving of catfish many years ago. It seems that two fellows came in and ordered catfish platters. When the platters came out, one man had seven pieces of fish and the other had six. Spahr said that incident was the impetus for Spahr’s signature catfish chips. The chips are roughly equal in size and easier to count out per serving. Whether it’s a dozen chips, fifteen chips or twenty chips does it really matter? I mean, I could eat a whole tray of these tiny tender filets. Wow!
Catfish is not the only thing that Spahr’s is churning out with regularity. They also make a mean Bloody Mary. Those Bloody Maries are so good that the fine folks at Spahr’s sell them by the gallon. We had the pleasure to partake in one while sampling our catfish, and let me tell you that it was delicious. Speaking of delicious, I should also mention the seafood gumbo at Spahr’s. When one thinks of gumbo they will certainly think of a heart brown roux. The gumbo at Spahr’s has that for sure. Their gumbo has a great deep, earthy taste that will certainly have your taste buds tingling. It is a winner. The fine folks at Spahr’s were also kind enough to serve up a little lagniappe that we just couldn’t pass up. We got Spahr’s fried green tomato and crabmeat appetizer and a serving of their bread pudding. From appetizer to dessert, we thoroughly enjoyed what the fine folks at Spahr’s were dishing up.
Spahr’s has restaurants in Des Allemands, Thibadeaux and Galiano. They also operate a catering business out of Houma. It’s hard to imagine that this local seafood establishment started as a one stop shop for travelers on highway 90. Bill tells us that his first bar was a piece of plywood and his first cash register was a cigar box. It may have had meager beginnings, but Spahr’s has certainly grown into a thriving seafood empire.