Fried feast at Charlie’s Seafood

In the Greater New Orleans Area, you will never suffer from a lack of choices when it comes to places serving fried seafood. Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining, but with the multitudes of restaurants to choose from, sometimes it can be difficult to discover true quality among the masses. It seems that my search has ended…

Out on Jefferson Hwy in Harahan, just past the Colonial Golf Course, lies Charlie’s Seafood. I remember the first time I saw the place years ago and read the sign (Charles Sea Foods), I laughed and thought, “I’ll bet the seafood there is off the hook!”  I just love it when I’m right.

On Saturday, John, my friend Dani, her daughter Posie and I all went to Charlie’s for lunch, hungry and anxious for some good, fried grub. We sat ourselves and before we had settled, a waitress rushed over with menus ready to take our drink order. Even though it was late in the lunch hour and the place was packed, we received  attentive service and before we knew it, our dishes came pouring out of the kitchen.

Though no one else ordered an appetizer, I couldn’t help getting a cup of their Corn & Crab Soup. It was wonderfully creamy with tons of sweet crab and I passed it around the table so everyone could try a spoonful or two. John actually stole more than two bites and practically licked the bowl clean. Next time I will have to get him one of his own!

For our entrees, John, Dani and Posie all ordered fried catfish, but I had been craving shrimp. You should have seen the look of shock on every one’s face (including mine) when we saw the size of my shrimp! They were huge, fresh, plump Louisiana shrimp dipped in a spicy cornmeal batter and fried to crispy perfection. I didn’t want to share, but I did, if only to snag a couple of pieces of their equally delicious catfish. Our platters were served with a huge pile of French fries, toasted and buttered French bread, house made tartar sauce and coleslaw. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed their coleslaw that was not too sweet and included the tasty addition of golden raisins.

None of us could finish our lunch and while we waited for to-go boxes, I ordered a slice of pecan pie for all of us to share. The warm, made-in-house pecan pie came out served in a pool of caramel sauce that has us all moaning with pleasure as we devoured every last bite. It seems you can never be too full for a decadent dessert!