Flying Fish in Little Rock, AR: Divine Fried Catfish

When I learned that I'd be in Little Rock, Arkansas, I proceeded to research some of the best food in the city -- as long as it was centrally located in downtown LR, of course, since my mobility was limited.

My good friend SF and I hit all the town's top spots, including Central High School and the Clinton Center (ok, these aren't restaurants but just as enjoyable). So it was only natural that we would end up at Flying Fish for some of the best fried catfish LR has to offer.


Yes, it is on President Clinton Avenue. Everything in LR has Clinton's imprint on it. Beautiful city, by the way. But I digress.

We were not disappointed. The breading on the catfish was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of thickness and amazing crunchiness. Wow. It was piping hot when it reached our table (we were alerted using one of those nifty little flashing pagers), fresh out of the fryer. There are tons of farms around Arkansas that farm catfish and it showed -- the fish was super fresh and delicious.

The fries were good although not as light and delicious as the catfish. I suspected the fries had been sitting there for some time and weren't as fresh as the catfish.

We got a basket that included hush puppies. These fried cornbread balls looked extremely promising but I must say, I think I'm just not a hush puppy fan (the cornbread balls, not the shoes). They were crispy and super hot as well but a bit too starchy for me. Even though I wasn't a fan, it hails from Native American culture and has a fascinating history, including the origin of its name.

We also got a side of cole slaw, which was fine but nothing special.

The vibe of the place was interesting too. It displayed those wall decorations where the fish moves. I guess it's the namesake. It also displayed tool boxes along the ceiling.

I loved the catfish and will be pining for more whenever I see catfish out here.

LR was really a beautiful city, with the river, a lot of green tinted by the foliage this time of the year.