That One Place with the Good Catfish

Houston is definitely West Louisiana with its cultural ties to Louisiana, its Louisianan roots, and the influx of Louisiana residents within the metro’s boundaries. Since the 1800s, Houston has been becoming more and more like Louisiana. One thing that the area can appreciate is the food from its bayou and swamp filled neighbor. Now, everyone and every place in the city don’t succeed at cooking Louisiana food, which is mostly Creole and Cajun based. However, there’s a small mom-and-pop restaurant in South Central Houston called There’s No Place Like NOLA that gets this unique right every time. Let me that you on journey to this authentic Louisianan gem...

LOCATION

There’s No Place Like NOLA, owned by Mr. Tim, is located in South Central Houston off Almeda Road among several other local businesses. It’s in an area of the city that has a lot of Louisiana residents and bloodline.

The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, but its packs a big cultural punch. It’s decorated with Mardi Gras masks and beads that are reminiscent of Mobile’s and New Orleans’s French inspired culture. It’s set up like those hole-in-the-walls with what I’m familiar back home in Alabama, so by first glance, I knew that the food would be awesome. Also, seeing Ms. Nicole, Baton Rouge native, back in the kitchen solidified how my food spirit felt.

FOOD

When I patronize a new restaurant, I’m always indecisive, and at There’s No Place Like NOLA, my indecisiveness became overwhelming due to Ms. Nicole’s confidence. As my eyes started to settle, I’d decided on the fried fish basket; this choice did not disappoint one bit. The meal came with two huge fillets of fried catfish, a personal side of red beans & rice, two Texas toast halves, and Iceberg salad.

First of all, the fish was the best I’d had in Houston; I know I’ve said this about previous restaurants, but the pickings that include fish just keeps exceeding expectations! Importantly, the fish is not that horrible swai fish that many restaurants use that cheapens the experience and quality; this is real down home catfish. I could just taste the freshness of the golden brown fish, which was softly fried and seasoned well with Cajun spices. Honestly, the only thing I need with this fish was some blues or zydeco on a Friday, but the red beans & rice complimented the hell out of the fish. The small dish was plentiful to be a side; Ms. Nicole didn’t deprive me of andouille sausage either. The taste of the red beans & rice tricked me because it felt like I was literally eating food in someone’s kitchen.

Furthermore, I love bread with fish, especially white bread. However, at There’s No Place Like NOLA, the meal is consumed with Texas toast. I’ve never eaten Texas toast with fish, but I must confirm that it is an excellent combo with the fish, and it’s savory when dipped in the red beans & rice. Talm bout satisfaction! Too, fish and salad are good together, so the Iceberg salad was an added bonus to the meal!

For my drink, Ms. Nicole, a very nice lady, offered me a complimentary drink of Country Time Lemonade, which was sweet and sour just how I like it. Now, if this type of beverage, along with their Kool-aid, doesn’t foreshadow the greatness of the food, then you have not experienced an authentic hole-in-the-wall. Lol.

**Country Time Lemonade - Complimentary**

CONCLUSION

There’s definitely no place like NOLA. LOL. I know that was corny, but There’s No Place Like NOLA is outstanding! My meal was $12.99 with tax, which is pretty good for Houston. The customer service from Ms. Nicole can’t be beat, and the portions she gave me were well appreciated. I’m grateful that I found this place, which is about 3 minutes from my house.

By now, y’all should already know that I’m giving There’s No Place Like NOLA 5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). The convenience alone will have me becoming a regular patron.

Before I close, There’s No Place Like NOLA will start serving $5.00 daiquiris on Fridays and Saturdays and will include tent parties on the respective days. Also, Mr. Tim is brewing up a second location soon, so stay tuned!