FL Seafood Eatery Popular With Locals & Tourists, Catfish Johnny's, Shut Down Via State Inspection

Photo bypointnshoot, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Because of Florida's proximity to the water, it has no shortage of seafood eateries that are popular with both tourists and locals alike. Examples are Dockside Seafood Restaurant and The Beach House, as a few examples. Unfortunately, one restaurant in this genre - Lake Panasoffkee's Catfish Johnny's - was recently temporarily shut down after a state inspection.

About Catfish Johnny's: This eatery has been serving the community fresh seafood for 33 years. It also sometimes offers live entertainment. The late owner used to feed an alligator named Ole Amos and perform with a band called "The Hushpuppy Band."

However, fans of the eatery mostly focus on the food in their reviews. Catfish Johnny's earns 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google reviews, where it has been reviewed over 1,600 times.

Many rave about both the food and the atmosphere. A reviewer named Bill wrote:

"Catfish Johnny's is always a great place to dine. My fishing club ate there and everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Get there early before the crowd comes in. A very popular eating spot."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on July 11, 2024. At that time, 7 violations were noted.

Examples of basic violations were for employee jackets being hung on the clean dish rack, an employee using no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation, and equipment and utensils "wet nesting" and not properly drying.

An intermediate violation came because of a "mold-like substance or slime" on a can opener blade.

High-priority violations came from the observation of 31 rodent droppings at various places in the restaurant and paper towels being used as food liners.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant temporarily closed.

At a follow-up inspection on July 12, 2024, only one violation remained so the restaurant was free to reopen.

Please note that an inspection is one moment in time and not necessarily indicative of how a restaurant conducts itself every day.

The author is not affiliated with Catfish Johnny's or any other restaurants.