10 Tennessee Catfish Buffets That Never Leave You Hungry
Catfish in Tennessee isn’t food you just order. The dining rooms tell you as much: riverbanks glowing with neon, small-town cafés where the “all-you-can-eat” sign feels less like marketing and more like a promise kept.
Platters land on the table faster than the hushpuppies disappear, tea glasses refill themselves as if by magic, and the air hums with chatter that’s half tradition, half appetite.
Friday catfish isn’t penciled in, it’s assumed. You show up, you eat until the plates blur, and you leave smelling faintly of fryer oil and river air. What these places serve isn’t just fried fish, it’s Tennessee’s way of saying, you belong here.
1. Huck Finn’s Catfish — Pigeon Forge
The dining room hums with families, travelers, and servers carrying tray after tray. The tables aren’t quiet for long, the rhythm of arrivals feels almost choreographed.
Platters bring crisp catfish fillets, golden fried chicken, and bottomless sides they call “vittles”: beans, slaw, hushpuppies. The plates keep landing until you call it quits.
The sheer generosity here makes the meal feel celebratory. Even if you swore you’d stop at the second round, another basket of hushpuppies has a way of breaking resolve.
2. Uncle Bud’s — Nashville (Donelson)
Bright signs and plenty of chatter pull you in, and the smell of frying fish settles the rest. It feels less like dining out and more like joining an ongoing neighborhood gathering.
The catfish comes two ways: fillets or whole, both served endlessly. On Thursdays, the “catfish & fixins” deal fills the room with regulars.
Tip: the whole catfish has a richer flavor and pairs perfectly with extra slaw. If you want to eat like the regulars, Thursday is the night to show up.
3. Hagy’s Catfish Hotel — Shiloh
Sitting on the Tennessee River, this place leans into its setting—screen doors, water views, and the hush of boats in the distance. You can feel the decades etched into the wood.
Their signature “all you can eat” whole catfish is the menu’s anchor. Fried until the skin crackles, it’s the dish that ties river to table.
Watching plates disappear here feels natural. The meal isn’t hurried—it moves at river speed. That calm rhythm makes every bite taste like tradition preserved.
4. Hillbilly’s Restaurant — Wears Valley (Smokies)
Log walls, mountain air, and servers calling everyone “hon” make this spot feel stitched into the Smokies. Even before food arrives, the room feels like Friday evening already.
From Friday through Sunday nights, the catfish special rules. Fried fillets arrive crisp-edged, joined by hushpuppies and sides that lean toward comfort classics.
I went on a Saturday evening, and the combination of smoky air outside and frying oil inside made the whole place smell irresistible. The first bite confirmed it.
5. Bea’s Restaurant — Chattanooga
Round tables with spinning glass tops set the tone, this is communal eating. You don’t order; you join the rhythm of dishes being passed clockwise.
Their Friday rotation includes fried catfish, joining fried chicken, greens, and desserts in endless waves. It’s not a buffet line but family-style eating at scale.
Here, strangers become neighbors. Passing the catfish platter across the table felt less like a chore and more like a shared responsibility in keeping tradition alive.
6. Mallard’s Family Restaurant — Nashville (Dickerson Pike)
The sign out front is plain, but by mid-morning on Friday, the lot tells the real story. Families and solo diners file in with the same intent: catfish until full.
“Catfish Friday” runs all day, with platters landing quick. Fillets fried crisp, sides stacked neatly, and staff who know the pace by heart.
The crowd feels steady but never rushed. Watching plates circle back from the kitchen almost dares you to match the energy, and somehow, you always say yes.
7. Dyer’s Café — Collierville (Memphis area)
This café is woven into the weekend. Generations have sat at these tables, and the Friday and Sunday catfish tradition keeps the rhythm alive.
All-you-can-eat plates come hot, with sides rotating as servers know what regulars like. The portions are serious, but the welcome feels even bigger.
It’s one of those rooms where the food and the people blur. By the time the second helping landed, I understood why locals defend this spot like family.
8. Wendell Smith’s Restaurant — Nashville (West)
A no-frills counter and plenty of regulars make this meat-and-three classic tick. The place looks exactly like it should, worn booths, old menus, familiar servers.
Friday is the time to come, when catfish becomes the star. All-you-can-eat plates make their rounds, with hushpuppies and beans filling in the spaces.
There’s something about this setup that feels like comfort extended. It isn’t fancy, but the sheer reliability makes the experience stick with you long after.
9. Flying Fish — Memphis (Downtown)
Right off Beale, this spot pulls in everyone from office crowds to late-night wanderers. Neon glows, tables turn fast, and the Wednesday catfish special sets the tone.
The plates are straightforward, crispy catfish fillets stacked with fries, beans, and hushpuppies. All-you-can-eat means baskets keep arriving as long as you wave for more.
I liked how unpretentious it felt. Memphis can run loud, but here, the focus stays firmly on the fryers, proving simplicity still draws a loyal crowd.
10. A & J Diner — Woodbury (Cannon County)
This is a true small-town buffet where everyone seems to know each other’s order. The room feels half café, half community hall, with steady chatter filling the space.
Fridays at lunch, the catfish pans take center stage. Crisp fillets join mashed potatoes, beans, and biscuits in rotation, served with no fuss.
It’s the kind of place where checking Facebook before driving out matters. Locals watch closely for updates, and when “catfish Friday” is posted, the line forms fast.