The Discontinued Cracker Barrel Catfish That Left Menus Too Soon

At Cracker Barrel, where comfy rocking chairs line the spacious front porch and the attached retail store sells nostalgic goodies from days past like horehound candy, Moxie soda, and wooden chess sets, comfort food is big business. The Barrel may have attracted press in recent months for declaring itself to be the breakfast restaurant with no extra egg charge, but, for the most part, folks pull off the interstate for Cracker Barrel because they know what they are going to get: Belly-busting platters of hearty grub that's unpretentious but satiating. Golden fried chicken, fluffy biscuits, and gooey hash brown casserole all feature regularly on the Cracker Barrel menu – and, to be fair, we love them all — but we find ourselves missing one departed seafood entree that was the rare lighter bite on a menu long on grease, cheese, and butter.

Pecan crusted catfish debuted at Cracker Barrel in September 2013 as part of its Wholesome Fixin's menu dedicated to what a news release called "low calorie, better-for-you choices, with fresh ingredients and full-bodied flavor." The fish was coated in sweet orange marmalade, dusted in crushed-up pecans, and grilled. When served with wild rice and vegetables as your two side options, the dish clocked only 450 calories, making it a rarity on a rich bill of fare. Some time along the way, this dish disappeared from our lives, leaving us craving what we lost.

Given that catfish is normally served fried, and messing up the dredge is one of the common mistakes people make when cooking fish, Cracker Barrel's airy-but-succulent nut-crusted catfish was something of a novelty among restaurant fish dishes. Today, Cracker Barrel serves both fried and grilled catfish, but they just don't hit the same as that slightly-sweet, nutty option. We've seen some very convincing dupes on the web for Cracker Barrel's original recipe, but who wants to substitute hard work in the kitchen for a nice night out to dinner? Knowing why Cracker Barrel discontinued beloved menu items, it stands to reason that the loss of the pecan crusted catfish was simply a function of the eatery making way for new limited-time menu items, but that doesn't mean that we don't mourn a great dinner.

For seafood lovers who aren't crazy about its current catfish options, Cracker Barrel has a few other choices as of this writing: Lemon pepper grilled trout, country fried shrimp, and two skillets that incorporate grilled shrimp. On Fridays the daily special is a fish fry featuring hand-dipped cod filets. Cracker Barrel is forever changing up its menu to reflect seasonal promotions, so keep your eyes peeled — you never know what seafood surprises might be in store, even if they probably won't be pecan-crusted.