When it comes to fishing, there’s no such thing as catching too many fish because you can always freeze them to cook another day. After visiting the new Catfish House, however, I had to wonder: When is the amount of food served too much? If you like abundance, the Catfish House is the place to go.

We entered the freshly decorated earth-tone and light-wood lobby. There was a wall between the large lobby and the restaurant, with plenty of room for waiting if they happen to be busy. Three young hostesses greeted and seated us at a table that had not been thoroughly cleaned.

I noticed the deep-fried pickles on the menu and decided to give them a try. They were pickles sliced on the diagonal with a generous amount of breading. This was my first experience, so I have nothing else to compare it to, but it was a fun first experience for me.

Our server then brought a bowl of deep-fried okra served with each meal. She apologized for not bringing them with our drinks or mentioning them when we ordered the pickles. This is exactly where the too-much-food syndrome began to swim in.

Our entrees were served with white beans, bread, coleslaw, hush puppies and a side item. Including the two appetizers and the salad we substituted for coleslaw, we were full before our entrees arrived.

The salad was a generous portion with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and bacon bits. The honey mustard dressing, served on the side, was a pleasant tasting yet light addition to the salad.

My dining companion ordered the deep-fried shrimp and was pleasantly surprised with the quantity and the quality for the price. I had the grilled catfish. There was a choice between blackened seasoning or lemon pepper. I choose the lemon pepper and found it to be a rub that worked. Often a rub type of season on fish is so dry and the fish over cooked, but the Catfish House delivered with a tangy seasoning on a moist catfish fillet. The side item I chose was fried corn on the cob. This was too much fried food for me and I opted for just a couple of bites.

I know that I mentioned the food was too much to finish and we did go home with a full to-go box, but it was my dining companion’s birthday, so we had to order dessert. She decided on the strawberry cheesecake. It was a moist yet rich treat with strawberry preserves drizzled on top.

The Catfish House is typical country dining with lots of food, most of it heavily fried. It also offers steaks, crab cakes, sandwiches and even all-you-can-eat choices, &#8220or the hungry appetite.”

So this spring, if you’ve been fishing and didn’t catch a thing, the Catfish House will certainly fill a void with a more than generous amount of food.

The Catfish House

300 Cumberland Trace

745-7171 € http://www.ilovecatfish.com

Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

Cuisine: American

Specialty: Catfish

Price range for dinner: $8.49 to $15.95

Libation situation: None

Smoking: Yes