Long’s Fish Camp Is Worth the South Mississippi Drive

A plate of hot fried catfish, a basket of hush puppies and a generous scoop of crisp coleslaw make a pretty persuasive reason to point the car down a South Mississippi country road. Long’s Fish Camp is not built for a rushed stop between errands. Getting there is part of the outing, the sort of drive that turns lunch or supper into a small destination.

The restaurant has the easygoing, family-meal character many people hope to find at a fish camp: casual tables, quick conversation, substantial plates and plenty to look at around the room. It is a place to settle in after a backroads drive, order something fried, and let the meal do what it does best.

Fried catfish is the house specialty and the order that gives Long’s its reputation. The fish comes in a cornmeal batter, with a crisp exterior around moist, flavorful catfish. It is straightforward fish-camp cooking, without a need for fuss or reinvention.

Whole-catfish dinners are a familiar choice, while fillets offer another way to go. For a table with varied appetites, seafood platters and fried shrimp broaden the options without straying far from the kitchen’s comfort zone.

The food arrives hot and fresh, and portions run comfortably substantial. This is not dainty lunch food; it is the sort of meal that makes a side of coleslaw seem less like an obligation and more like a useful counterpoint.

Hush puppies appear early in the meal and remain one of the pleasures of eating here. There are regular versions and spicy ones, a small choice that can make a big difference for diners who prefer a little heat with their cornmeal.

They are especially good alongside the catfish, naturally, but the coleslaw deserves equal attention. Long’s serves it fresh, crisp and plentiful, bringing a cool crunch to fried fish, shrimp and those warm little hush puppies.

A fish-camp plate can be a lot of rich food in one sitting. The slaw keeps the meal from becoming one-note, and it has enough personality to avoid fading into the background.

Catfish may get top billing, but the menu leaves room for a longer seafood excursion. Shrimp can be ordered fried, grilled or boiled, and oysters, onion rings and chicken fingers add still more casual supper-table options.

A ribeye and hamburger steak give non-seafood diners somewhere to land. That range makes the restaurant easier for a mixed family group, particularly when one person has been thinking about catfish all day and another would rather have beef.

The dining room is as informal as the food, with mounted animals displayed around the building. Among the more unusual sights are a rattlesnake, a turkey, a large catfish and a lynx, plus a large mounted cat positioned on a bench.

The effect is less polished-theme-restaurant than country fish camp with its own collection of conversation starters. A glance around the room can easily interrupt a discussion of who ordered spicy hush puppies.

There is also a goldfish on the counter with a number-based name, part of a running succession of fish kept there over time. It is a small, oddball detail, but those are often the details people mention on the ride home.

Long’s has the rhythm of a family-oriented dining room, with friendly, swift service and a hospitable manner that suits a relaxed sit-down meal. The building has been refreshed, while still keeping the unfussy character that fits its rural setting.

Large parties have dined here, and a private dining room is available. During busier stretches, the room can get lively and noisy, though it remains a place where people can carry on a conversation rather than simply eat and leave.

The portions and prices have helped make it a practical destination for a casual group meal. A table can order across catfish, shrimp, steaks and chicken without turning dinner into an elaborate production.

Long’s Fish Camp fits naturally into a South Mississippi backroads outing, including drives between the Meridian and Laurel areas. Travelers using I-59 can reach the area through Enterprise-area exits and connecting local roads, then leave the interstate behind for the final stretch.

A free parking lot keeps the arrival simple once the country roads are over. From there, the routine is pleasantly clear: find a table, start with hush puppies, decide between catfish and shrimp, and leave a little room for that pile of coleslaw.