Rocky Creek Catfish Cottage sits in rural country outside Lucedale, Miss. It’s unlikely to come to the attention of a Mobile-area diner except via word of mouth, or maybe you’d spot it if you happened to use Old Highway 63 North as a shortcut.
“Do you need a menu?” the waitress asked, welcoming two visitors from Mobile to the Rocky Creek Catfish Cottage.
“Do you need a menu?” Well, yes, it being our first visit. We ordered a side of onion rings while we made up our minds about the rest and took in the rustic surroundings. There were deer heads and other stuffed animals on the walls, along with vintage farm implements and signs saying things like “Hunters, fishermen and other liars gather here.” As seasoned journalists we felt right at home. The Friday afternoon lunch crowd was steadily growing, and few of the patrons seemed to need menus.
The slaw and hush puppies are top-notch, though we weren't sure what do do with the cheese sauce at Rocky Creek Catfish Cottage. You do you, Mississippi.The cheese sauce must be a local thing. I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. I prefer tartar sauce on fried seafood and hushpuppies, ketchup on my fries. The tartar was right there on the table with a squeeze bottle of cocktail sauce.