Bayou Eats | Dat Catfish Place

article by Meredith McKinnie
photography by Kelly Moore Clark

This new eatery brings New Orleans fare to the Northeast Louisiana community combining down south ingredients and big easy charm.

For Wendy Borrow and Faisal Ali, the restaurant industry is a way to give back to the community and be among the people. Wendy moved to Monroe from New Orleans seven years ago and immediately dove into the restaurant/bar scene to see how Monrovians ate and drank. What began as a side job while in school quickly morphed into an intentional career choice. Wendy not only served patrons at local restaurants, but also left her mark on each local establishment, chiming in on entrees and cocktail menus. When Wendy met Ali, a long time regional restaurateur, their combined passion for the food business served as a foundation for their eventual marriage and new restaurant ventures. The couple now owns and operates several eateries in and around the Monroe area including: Stumble Out bar and multiple locations of Magic Grill, J Mart, and AB Food Mart. The “serial entrepreneurs” serve residents of Monroe, West Monroe, Columbia, Chatham, Eros, and surrounding towns, bringing local options to some relative food deserts. When Wendy considered opening a new eatery all her own, she knew she wanted to bring that authentic New Orleans fare to her community. When Wendy and Ali bought the Gene Cox Plaza on Arkansas Road with an empty space perfect for a dive bar-esque restaurant, it seemed that fate had stepped in. 

Having lived all over the country, it was the cultural hub of New Orleans that finally captured Wendy’s heart. As a single mom, Wendy immersed herself in her local neighborhood, visiting with neighbors who cooked traditional Cajun food. Wendy paid close attention, mastering the quintessential roux, jambalaya, and etouffee. She arrived early for crawfish boils, leaning into food preparation – combining her passions for food and people. The atmosphere of breaking bread with someone is quantified when one has a hand in making a dish that tantalizes the senses. Food always made Wendy happy, and Cajun fare spoke to her soul. Wendy muses, “What’s better than food, family, and friends?” Dat Catfish Place, the Down South’ Nola-style restaurant and bar, is the fruit of that original love of community. With its family-friendly atmosphere, patrons mingle and soak up the Cajun sauces and neighborly interactions. The unique (yet not-so-unique) name originated from a discussion with friends. While volleying monikers back and forth, Wendy blurted out, “Ya know, in this town, people are just going to say, Let’s go to dat catfish place by Gene Cox!” Wendy insists, “That’s how we speak down South – ‘dis and ‘dat.” 

The menu features dishes that Wendy hails as “thicker, heavier, and more authentic” New Orleans fare. “If you came to my house on a Sunday, this is how I would cook for you.” Stacked with the classic dishes she loves to make, Wendy spent weeks with the Dat Catfish Place kitchen staff perfecting each entree and appetizer for peak consistency. While the menu is not over the top, it is unique to other Cajun offerings in the region – “more down south methods and ingredients” and Wendy’s favorite – darker roux. Dat Catfish Place offers staples like Classic Gumbo, Catfish Atchafalaya, and Red Beans and Rice. The Classic Gumbo is the same recipe Wendy cooks at home, and it comes with a choice of potato salad or rice. While some may scoff at putting gumbo on potato salad, New Orleanians know it’s a valid choice, sort of like putting pineapple on pizza – a little something extra, just like the city itself. The Catfish Atchafalaya comes with fried, blackened, or grilled catfish and can be topped with gumbo or etouffee. Wendy notes most patrons choose the etouffee, but she’s partial to the gumbo topping. The Red Beans & Rice comes in either a cup or a bowl and features that quintessential dark roux. The BBQ Shrimp and Grits also centers that dark roux, is more savory, and comes with tail-on sauteed or fried shrimp, served over creamy grits and garnished with fresh herbs. Po’boys are available with cheeseburger, alligator (seasonal), chicken, catfish, or oysters – the house favorite. The steaks, cut next door at Gene Cox, come as bone-in ribeyes, traditional ribeyes, or filets. The steaks are cooked on a flat top and then finished on an open flame.

More traditional American fare items are go-tos on the menu. The DAT Burger comes with a generously-portioned, juicy beef patty with melted cheese, crisp lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, and is served with golden fries or other choice of side. Also, the Dat Chicken Sandwich comes with a breaded chicken breast and is complemented by lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise and is served on a soft bun. The Shrimp Pasta is available with grilled or fried shrimp. The seasonal fan-favorite oysters come fried, blackened, or chargrilled on the open flame. If you watch the Dat Catfish Place Facebook page, you will notice that raw oysters are often offered for 99 cents on select Fridays. The customer favorite that pre-dated Dat Catfish Place is the Gene Cox Potato (still served in the Gene Cox deli) which is twice-baked with cheese, sour cream, and butter, and can be topped with green onions and bacon. With the potatoes often the size of your hand, the Gene Cox Potato can be its own meal, though it’s often chosen as a select side with numerous entrees. Dat Catfish Place serves up about 300 potatoes per week. 

As most Monrovoians have made at least a few trips to New Orleans, whether for Saints games, or a burst of cultural immersion, we all can picture that corner, hole-in-the-wall Nola restaurant that boasts the best food we ever tasted. Dat Catfish Place mirrors that vibe. Adorned with colorful fleurs-de-lis, brimming with plants and Mardi Gras beads, and walls wrapped in the The Big Easy, Dat Catfish Place is comfy, cozy, friendly, and familiar. Strolling out onto the back patio is akin to walking into a typical Nola courtyard – but in the City of West Monroe. The party atmosphere bleeds into the nightly specials and daily events. Tuesday is Kids Karaoke Night when kids eat FREE and get to sing and provide entertainment while the parents catch a meal. Formerly a single mom, Wendy knows how hard it can be to take the kids out to dinner, and with the Tiktok craze, kids are more open to showcasing their aspirational talents for the crowd. Wednesdays are reserved for Trivia with DJ Worm. Thursdays are Steak Night – featuring any cut of steak, Gene Cox Potato (or your choice of side) and salad for $34.99. Power Hours pop up on Facebook often where patrons can get dollar domestic beers from 6-7PM. With two full bars in the restaurant, patrons are welcome to come just for the booze. Dat Catfish Place offers a $100 annual buy-in for frequent flyers – meaning you get Happy Hour prices anytime. The seasonal Sunday Brunch will be returning soon. Customers will be ready for the breakfast staples like Shrimp-fried deviled eggs, Carrot Cake Pancakes, Egg-Stuffed Tomatoes, Donut Smash Burgers, Creole Crawfish Gravy and Biscuits, and Crawfish Cornbread topped with red gravy. 

For those that just want to soak up the New Orleans atmosphere, Dat Catfish Place is a welcome location for a cold beverage. Patrons can order up one of the establishment’s stellar appetizers and visit with old friends and new acquaintances. An appetizer central to Dat Catfish Place is the HushPuppy Fries, which Wendy describes as more like a funnel cake than a big ball of dough. The unique twist on the traditional hush puppy is deep-fried and made with cornmeal and spices. The Fried Pickle Spears are quarter-sized instead of the traditional flat dill pickles, and the Boudin Egg Rolls come as six mouthwatering, oversized pieces. The Duck Wraps, which are also sold at Gene Cox, stay on the menu year-round and come wrapped in delicate casings and topped with warm pepper jelly. If you’re on the hunt for something satisfyingly warm, Dat Catfish Place offers its version of a soup flight – the Trio of Soups – featuring etouffee, gumbo, and corn or crab bisque. For the dip fans, they have Crawfish Queso, like the typical queso you’d order at a Mexican restaurant but with crawfish tails and a Cajun flair, served with chips or fried bread. For those who can’t quite make up their minds, the Dat App Sampler comes with the Crawfish Queso and your choice of two fried appetizers. 

As mentioned earlier, it is the people who drive Wendy and Ali to continually invest in dining establishments. This shared passion is also the bedrock of their marriage. As the parents of three daughters: Elise (24), Jade (20), and Mya (13), and a Doberman rescue named Luna, they have their hands full – both at home and all over the region. The couple also gives back to the community – feeding firefighters, police, veterans, and teachers. That commitment to community is fostered by the phenomenal employees that work across their establishments. Wendy describes her team members as “superb and dedicated,” people who “stick with us whether it be J Mart, Magic Grill, or Dat Catfish Place.” The customer service mantra is to treat everyone like family. Wendy tells her staff, “Talk to customers. Let them know who you are.” Having been in the service industry for years, Wendy knows that “this town is built off of customer service. People like me because they get to know me. I listen to what people have to say.” The team understands that at the end of the day, most people just want someone to listen, and being kind and courteous goes a long way. While the food piques people’s curiosity, the people who serve them keep customers coming back. Dat Catfish Place hopes to welcome this community for years to come.