World’s ‘catfish capital’ is Savannah, Tenn.

Ready for a road trip to the heart of “catfish country?”

It’s about 815 miles “around your elbow” from Morehead City to Savannah, Tenn., but the “best catfish dinner in the world” will be waiting for you at Hagy’s Catfish Hotel.

That’s the opinion of OneSouthernMan.com, a blog maintained by Paul Stanley. He is a former state legislator, investment banker and a native of Savannah, a small city of about 7,000 inhabitants. He’s also been a Hagy’s “frequent diner” since childhood. 

The community and the restaurant are situated in southwest Tennessee on the Tennessee River, a world-class destination for catfish anglers, about two hours east of Memphis. 

Savannah’s claim to fame as the “Catfish Capital of the World” dates back to 1953, when local industrialist Cecil Parris convinced the town’s postmaster to add that designation to the postmark used to cancel mail. 

Stanley said: “In 1938, toward the end of the Depression years, Norvin and Dorothy Hagy held a fish fry for their good friend, Tennessee Gov. Gordon Weaver Browning, who was running for his second term. Gov. Browning told the Hagys their catfish and hushpuppies were so good they should open a restaurant. That’s exactly what they did.”

“The ‘hotel’ part came into play when travelers who arrived by boat would eat and stay overnight instead of tackling the river in darkness,” Stanley said. 

Thus, the restaurant took on the nickname of “Hagy's Catfish Hotel. 

“I have a feeling some good ole Tennessee moonshine may have played a part in their guests’ wise decision to remain on dry land,” Stanley added. 

When his parents were courting (Adam Stanley and Bettye Lanier), they often enjoyed Friday evening catfish dinners at Hagy’s. “Daddy would carry a small bottle of whiskey in a brown paper bag,” Paul Stanley recalled. 

“Norvin would deliver their plates, sit down and help himself to the bottle. They were lifelong friends.” 

Oldtimers recall the stories about the reason why this stretch of Tennessee River near Savannah offered an abundance of catfish. It’s because near here the “river begins to flow backward” and the fish congregate. 

What they mean is: The Tennessee River turns and flows practically straight north from Savannah until it empties into the Ohio River, at Paducah, Ky. The fish merely have to pause and get their bearings, resetting their internal GPS systems. 

It’s true, the Tennessee River travels 652 miles and ends up north from where it begins just outside Knoxville, Tenn. A few nips of hooch help make all of this perfectly clear. 

Now, the third generation of Hagys is at the helm. Jim Hagy (grandson of Norvin and Dorothy) said: “Given our location, hardly anyone can walk to the restaurant, so whenever the staff sees a car pull up, they realize those folks made an effort to come, and we need to make sure the food and overall experience are worth the trip.” 

Jim Hagy grew up cleaning catfish and working in the kitchen. “It comes down to dressing, seasoning and cooking,” he says. “The quality of the fish, the temperature of the oil and cooking length are critical to great southern fried catfish. And people may be surprised there’s not a ton of seasoning on our deep-fried catfish.” 

Restaurant co-managers Barbara and Joey McAfee have been working with the Hagy family for more than 40 years now, extending the hand of southern hospitality to hundreds of customers on a daily basis.