2/21/14 - Catfish in Crown Heights

DRUNK BRUNCH ON A FRIDAY?! Why yes, yes indeed. I was swinging through Brooklyn to drop off a bunch of booze at my friend's apartment and he suggested we give this place a shot because they have brunch daily and he's heard good things. I'm always up for trying, and Southern style food has a place in my heart so we gave it a go.

Waiting for me across the booth.

 Located on Bedford Ave off of Prospect Pl, Catfish is cozy and inviting and if it wasn't for the fact that most people are working at 1 PM on a Friday probably would have been a bit more crowded. Exposed brick, leather booths, hot sauce and cast iron art on the walls, the ambiance had a nice charm to it.

My buddy and I were real excited about the menu. A great selection of food and drinks. I opted for a pulled pork sandwich and a Creole Bloody Mary. He went for the Chicken Sandwich and the Shot and a Bud special. I did rib him a bit, over his choice of beer, but it's brunch and all bets are off. I nearly opted for the Death in the Afternoon, a libation consisting of absinthe and champagne, but I did have to drive somewhere after and it didn't seem like the best idea. My buddy also pointed out the extensive whiskey list, which made me smile.

Creole Bloody Mary

The bloody mary was spicy, savory and just excellently crafted. A nice touch was that the ice cubes had little dobs of hot sauce suspended in them, so as they melted the drink got a little spicier and not as watered down. The rim was coated in a cajun salt, that made sipping from the glass equally fun. 

Pulled Pork and sides

The pulled pork sandwich was excellent. While definitely braised and not smoked, the meat had a ton of flavor from both the juice it was braised in as well as the pork fat. The brioche bun added a hint of sweetness to it, and the meat was tangy, slightly spicy and melted in your mouth.  My friends chicken sandwich consisted of pulled chicken and remoulade on a brioche bun. He said it was slightly spicy and really good.  

The accompanying sides for both included a small green salad with vinnegrate, cole slaw and a pickle. The slaw was alright, overall slightly sweet but a bit over dressed. The salad was overall tasty and simple. The pickle really surprised both of us. We were expecting your standard dill. Instead we got a sweet bread & butter pickle, with a hint of nutmeg. As my buddy put it, it was kind of like Christmas. Absolutely delicious.

The service at Catfish was great, our server checked on us constantly. The atmosphere was friendly, and nice and quiet which made for great conversation. The food came out quickly, hot, and our server stopped by and checked on us multiple times.

Overall Catfish was great and I definitely will go back in the future. How many other places have brunch daily after all? I'd give it 4 out of 5 bloody maries overall. Only reason why it doesn't get more is that it doesn't have an unlimited drink special to take it over the top.