Middendorf's facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Middendorf's Restaurant |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1934 |
| Current owner(s) | Horst and Karen Pfeifer |
| Food type | Louisiana seafood |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Street address | 30160 Highway 51 |
| City | Akers (Manchac) |
| State | Louisiana |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 30°17′23″N 90°24′05″W / 30.2896°N 90.4015°W |
| Other information | Phone (985) 386-6666 (but closed on Monday and Tuesday) |
| Website | http://www.middendorfsrestaurant.com |
Middendorf's, often called Middendorf, is a very famous seafood restaurant in Louisiana. Many people think of it as a special local place.
The Story of Middendorf's
Middendorf's first opened its doors in 1934. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled. A German couple named Josie and Louis Middendorf started the restaurant. Their family kept the restaurant going for two generations.
In 2006, about a year after Hurricane Katrina, the Lamonte family sold the restaurant. The new owners were Horst Pfeifer, a chef from Germany, and his wife, Karen. They had lost their own restaurant in New Orleans because of the hurricane.
The Pfeifers decided to keep the restaurant's traditional menu. It mixes three different types of cooking: Creole, Cajun, and Southern styles. Middendorf's is most famous for its thin fried catfish. Southern Living magazine even said it might be "the best fried fish in the world!" The restaurant has also been mentioned in popular books, like "Double Whammy" by Carl Hiaasen.
Where to Find Middendorf's
Middendorf's is located about 40 miles northwest of New Orleans. It's close to a place called Manchac.
To the south of the restaurant is Pass Manchac. This is a seven-mile-long natural waterway that connects two large lakes: Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. To the north is the Amite River. These lakes and rivers create an island shaped like an hourglass, called Jones Island. This island used to be a cypress swamp, but its cypress trees were cut down between 1897 and 1952.
Surviving Big Storms
Middendorf's has faced many strong hurricanes over the years. It had only a little damage from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005.
However, in 2008, Hurricane Ike caused more trouble. The restaurant was flooded with four feet of water. This happened because of a ten-foot storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain. Even though the hurricane was far away, strong winds pushed a lot of water into Pass Manchac. This was the highest storm surge since a big hurricane in 1915. That 1915 storm destroyed towns like Frenier and Ruddock.
After the flooding from Hurricane Ike, the future of the old restaurant building was uncertain. But the newer part of the building reopened on October 8, 2008. In 2012, Hurricane Isaac brought more flooding and damage to the restaurant.
The Manchac Race
In 2009, Middendorf's Restaurant sponsored a running event for the first time. It was called the Middendorf's Manchac Race. Runners could choose between a 10-mile race or a 5-kilometer (5K) race.
This race followed earlier events from the 1990s called Swamp Runs. Those runs started in a nearby town called Ponchatoula. They ended at the restaurant, where runners could get refreshments. The runners always followed old Highway 51.
