Metairie, LA – Bozo’s

Bozo's Metairie Louisiana(From our archives) Went to Bozo’s in Metairie tonight, had been meaning to get there.  A bit hard to find if you don’t know exactly where it is, and very little signage when you are right on top of it. (It’s behind Borders in Metairie).

It’s one of those places that locals say is the “best…” of whatever – in this case, fried catfish is the order of the day, so they say.

The Vodanovich family opened the restaurant in 1928 and moved to its present location in ’85.  The recipes have stayed the same since day one.

There’s not much variety on the menu, and fried or broiled seafood is what people flock to the burbs for.

What’s different about Bozo’s catfish?  For one thing, they claim to serve only “natural” cat (not pond raised) and if you’ve had both, you know the difference.  For another, there’s no intermingling of fry oil at Bozo’s – fish, oysters, shrimp and fries each deserve their own fryer.

Fried seafood comes in a corn-meal batter (what else?), but it’s a bit ‘coarser’ than many other outlets.    The result is that the fish and seafood retain more of their own moisture, IMHO.

Someone had said that the shrimp were “peculiar,” but I found them delightful, plump, butterflied before frying, and tailless.  The waiter will happily bring seafood cocktail sauce components, so you can mix to your own liking.

Starch choice is fries or a loaded baked.   All this fried food, I would have liked some coleslaw, for both the texture and the vinegar, but alas, it’s not one of Bozo’s offerings.

Seafood platters run in the $10 – $14 range, certainly less than the “big name” places in the West End – just as filling, and not the mélange of flavors that Deanie’s or Syd Mars might offer.

Bozo’s cooks to order, so be prepared to wait (after you wait to get a table).

Ambience is non-existent, service is satisfactory, but I doubt either of those two aspects are reasons why people keep returning over and over.

Bozo’s; 3117 21st St., Metairie, 831-8666.  Reservations every night except Friday.

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