Outside the Lines Original: Catfish Charlie's
Doug Wood reconnected with Charlie Coleman, owner of Catfish Charlie’s in Monroe, when he sold software to restaurants across five states in the south. Doug previously worked for Charlie at another restaurant in town as a server. After a few years, Charlie called Doug with a proposition to buy the restaurant. Doug was reluctant at first, but six months later, he decided to jump in!
![](https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=9d39b15ce2fa501789e997c97d8e8a7c 320w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=c33b10b09575d47bae2d8abcfd0c26e3 540w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=6ef411414f15673a171f982880d07962 768w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=08eedf806ca927939ae4e383296d44d5 1024w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=49c4f3fea4a4b64c73ef7eee23a4f9fa 1200w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=37145e91fc775612ea46989e6327c9b2 1440w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/4.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=37197498d76c6043ff4c91a74fb2a726 1920w)
![](https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=79ce3b8757ec14494b7bdb046b335c9f 320w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=41ae18a8bbea1c358da2a873088a5929 540w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=a9d6c3cf10e3fc5db1d7f4ee87e28299 768w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=9a04a46f1bbe4bc30acd91127813da53 1024w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=92da7c85f1df0febd3da39efabeb5b4e 1200w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=05ccbfd1bacc2c64c55c3e7a0b495875 1440w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/Catfish-Charlies.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=582bdaf0b89e6860dd419741accc4234 1920w)
![](https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/IMG_0538-small.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=b33401f5f2e0366ae62a511f28afaf0b 320w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/IMG_0538-small.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=3a5052320b0c9632d43cdd564edf42ca 540w, https://discover-monroe.imgix.net/images/IMG_0538-small.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=e81e0f458a70da85a9b1c439de87f69e 640w)
Walking in the door at Catfish Charlie’s feels comfortable and familiar, like coming home to family, which is how Doug wants you to feel. “We look at our crew and our guests as family,” Doug said. He shared the story of a favorite guest, the father of an old classmate, who would tease the restaurant owner each time he came in by calling out nicknames from the end of the line. Even when our team was there for this interview, a guest joked with Doug as we took his photo saying, “Come on Doug, you can smile bigger than that,” which he did after a quick chuckle.
Just ask Doug about his team, and his eyes light up. Talking about the challenges of owning a restaurant, Doug is sure to tell you that this is not a one man show. His crew is the backbone of Catfish Charlie’s. It’s even in their mission. “Our mission statement has always been that we at Catfish Charlie's are continuing to serve excellent food to a wonderful community with a wonderful team” he said.
Aside from the incredible hospitality, Catfish Charlie’s is known for their thin & crispy catfish. It was original to Charlie’s version of the restaurant, but when Doug took over the reins, it wasn’t a big seller.
“That came straight from Manchac, Louisiana. That was a place, as a child anytime we went anywhere near New Orleans, my dad would route through Manchac and stop at Middendorfs,” he said. So, when he took over, Doug decided they were going to push it, and now it’s one of their best sellers.
The menu at Catfish Charlie’s includes items you would expect…fried catfish, shrimp, and chicken, as well as oysters. They’ve got po’boys, burgers, and saucy options like Shrimp Alfredo, Catfish D’Arbonne, and Red Beans & Rice. A favorite of Doug’s, the Tackle Box, comes with 2 catfish fillets, 4 jumbo shrimp, 4 oysters, and sides. It’s the perfect option when you can’t choose just one.
They have fun with their menu, trying out a few new items each year. One of those additions is their fish tacos. They take a fresh tortilla, drop in the fryer, and form it into a fresh flaky, buttery taco. They add a sweet and spicy slaw and blackened catfish. Doug says, “it's just a great bite, and it's one of our most successful add-ons that we've done.”
Looking ahead, Doug teased a new menu item with redfish. He didn’t give us too many details, only that it promises to be a killer dish. But until then, there are plenty of dishes on the menu that are sure to please. So, stop by and grab a bite, because at Catfish Charlie’s, we’re all a part of the family!
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Catfish Charlie’s
2329 Louisville Avenue
Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 807-7070
Website
Catfish Charlie's2329 Louisville Avenue
Monroe, LA 71201