BayouEats: Catahoula’s

Article by VANELIS RIVERA | photography by Kelly Moore Clark

When you name your restaurant after the state dog of Louisiana, you’re not making a subtle statement. The Catahoula Leopard Dog is a short-coated canine, known for its striking appearance of varied coat and eye color patterns, including the recognizable icy blue eye. A tough animal, bred for swamps and forests, this pooch is the only breed of dog that historically originated in the state. So when managing partner Colby Mardis, and owners Shane Smiley, and Robert Little kept coming back to the name Catahoula’s when conceptualizing their southern eatery, spawning an exceptional menu, and creating aesthetic to compliment the bayouside view, they knew they were tapping into the uniqueness of what the bayou state has to offer.

Well, I’ll tell you, it’s been a long time coming,” says Smiley who, inspired by the sports bars he frequented during the twenty years he lived in Pennsylvania, began to consider how he could translate the northern set-up to suit southern charm. “It’s something that a lot of people don’t want to tackle, but it’s something that I wanted to do and things kind of came together, and I had the opportunity to build it on the bayou and… really that was the final decision,” he adds. Though most definitely a personal investment, Smiley also considers Catahoula’s an investment in his community. As someone who has been involved in service for over a decade, he has a predisposition for community development. For that reason, he knew the man to consult and ultimately partner with would be Mardis, a culinary school graduate and seasoned restaurateur. “You’ve got to be a crazy person to be in the restaurant business,” chuckles Mardis. Actually, what he’s hinting at is that you’ve really got to love it, and as someone who has helped open four restaurants, including Trapp’s, Mardis has an affinity for food service. “Makes me think I should probably get into the restaurant consulting business,” he says playfully.

“It hasn’t slowed down since we’ve opened,” says Mardis. Though the team planned to launch the new and exciting establishment in March, the pandemic and a few other technical mishaps pushed them back to opening on August 10th, which ended up working to their advantage, as they fortunately missed the quarantine restaurant shutdown. More and more people are opting for dine-in restaurants, especially in places with outdoor seating, for an uninterrupted pocket of time for normalcy and decompression. And what better place to recharge than one offering good eats and an unmatched view. “I’ve always thought that we’ve underutilized our waterways, whether by the river or bayou,” says Smiley. All around, Catahoula’s evokes a casual sports bar feel with Louisiana flair, but the bar-style seating on the wood deck overlooking the bayou allows guests to take a little more in beyond the tantalizing fried and grilled Southern bar staples. “We wanted a place that is the atmosphere you get when you go down south,” says Mardis. That criteria couldn’t be any better met, as dining patrons can enjoyably witness the calming ebb and flow of rippling water, the ruffling leaves of cypress trees, and the occasional roaming heron.

While the bayou naturally provides panache, the restaurant’s interior is designed for celebrating–a shorts and tee shirt kind of place! Greeting customers at the entrance is a doormat styling Catahoula’s logo, designed by Smiley’s daughter. An all-wood bar gives patrons easy access to the continuous flat screens for sports enthusiasts, while white walls become the backdrop to the unfinished wood accent wall. Glass roll-up garage style doors open to the deck for extended views of the bayou, a feature that will become increasingly popular come fall. “I’ve had people tell me that, you know, eating there, they don’t even feel like they’re in Monroe, and that’s ultimately my whole goal,” says Smiley, adding that he wants Catahoula’s to also be the go-to place for out-of-town visitors. “I want it to be an experience,” continues Smiley, remarking on the significance of fully developing an accessible space alongside a carefully catered menu.

The daunting task of constructing a simple bill of fare that would allow dishes to be expedited in a timely manner, fell to Mardis. Growing up, Mardis was always the friend flipping burgers and steaks on the backyard grill, but when he began to watch Good Eats on the Food Network, he fell in love with the goings on in the kitchen, driving him to reconsider his role as bartender and taking the plunge into culinary school. His graduating class initiated with forty-two students and at the finish line dwindled to twelve. Clearly, Mardis doesn’t back down from a challenge. He credits his culinary school experience with sharpening his knowledge of the business side of the restaurant profession, one he has already put to practical use and has elevated at Catahoula’s. Focusing on quality instead of quantity, the colorful and inviting menu is divided into six food categories of five to eight food items–perfect for a casual lunch or dinner.

Mardis encourages first-timers to start their meal with the onion rings. Usually onion rings are thick, but at Catahoula’s they are thinly sliced, using red onions for a touch of sweetness, and served with a little spice in the form of their chipotle ranch. One of the more popular dishes, the Southwest salad (also featuring their house-made chipotle ranch), consists of a romaine and iceberg blend with roasted corn, black beans, pico de gallo, bacon, and jalapenos. Seasoning is in high-gear at this establishment, from their fried pickles (thinly-sliced Claussen pickles, hand-breaded, and served with a fresh herb and buttermilk ranch dressing) to their fried shrimp (twelve Louisiana gulf shrimp, deep-fried or grilled, served with coleslaw, fries, and hushpuppies). It makes a big difference when a restaurant offers in-house sauces, and the Catahoula team is particularly proud of offering their own tartar and cocktail sauce, as well as gravy and all of their salad dressings.

“We try to keep everything local,” says Mardis, referring to their eggs from Double BB Farms, a local micro farm located in Monroe, and their produce from Robertson Produce, Inc. Their catfish platter consists of five deep-fried or grilled catfish strips sourced from Haring Catfish in Wisner, Louisiana, also served with coleslaw, fries, and hushpuppies. “We get compliments all day every day on that,” says Mardis. Working with a condensed menu doesn’t mean the occasional special won’t appear on a chalkboard stand. “In the winter, we’re going to add a seafood gumbo and chicken sausage gumbo,” Smiley enthusiastically reveals, adding that the team won’t be missing out on crawfish season either. Surprisingly, Smiley is not a “big dessert person,” but one thing he highly recommends people giving a whirl is their homemade bread pudding. This recipe from Mardis’ personal reserve is delightfully served with homemade brown sugar praline sauce and has become a quick favorite. Joining the dessert listing is your choice of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry milkshake and key lime pie (tart, rich and creamy filling made with fresh-squeezed key limes on soft graham cracker cookie crust). Just enough sweet in a richly savory menu!

“We’ve been blessed with a lot of community support,” says Smiley, adding, “and I think that folks get a sense of when you really care.” The Catahoula’s staff is also a significant marker of the overall experience of the space. The waitstaff, made-up of mostly college students (many from ULM just on the other side of the bayou), often take care of the “small things” like picking up straw wrappers and assisting each other with bussing tables, exuding a desire to serve. “It’s like taking a test,” says Smiley, referring to the amount of preparation required to keep an A-plus with customers. Thus far, they’re keeping tabs on ways to make the enjoyment of clientele the forefront of their restaurant curriculum.

At the end of the day, what matters to Smiley is the experience that Catahoula’s has carefully curated for their guests. There is an unmistakable pride of place that permeates the bayou; add Louisiana food staples to the mix and a deck which is magnificent at night with its exposed wood ceiling and hanging Edison bulb string lights, and the result is an ode to culture and place, kind of like the tenacious breed that serves as namesake for Monroe’s new kickback spot.

Catahoula’s is located in 5321 Desiard Street, Monroe, LA. They are open Monday through Thursday between 11AM to 9PM, Friday between 11AM to 10 PM, Saturday between 8 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday between 11 AM to 3 PM. They welcome you to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.