During this Lenten season, we made one of our too-infrequent visits to JimPa’s, a local fried fish and chicken joint located in a former Huddle House at the corner of Cobb and McCollum Parkways in Kennesaw.
We always enjoy our irregular visits here, filling ourselves with delightful thin-cut fried catfish filets, plus incredible sweet and tangy hushpuppies. Then, we add some of our favorite sides like an extra order of fried hushpuppies, fried okra, fried, pickles, steak fries, white beans and coleslaw.
Eat and Enjoy
So why are our visits infrequent and irregular? Well, we could get really specific and refer you to our primary care doctor and cardiologist, armed with detailed cholesterol test results. But for our purposes here, let’s go with the less-specific answer. We just eat and enjoy way too much of JimPa’s fried fish for our own good. So while we’d love to visit more frequently, we think its in our own best interest to demonstrate some level of restraint. So we simply pass by, then always regretting our directional determination.
But for a special Friday lunch – and perhaps to spite that grumpy, spoilsport doctor! – we drove in directly from a recent physician’s visit. Nothing had changed since our last drop-in. We ordered fried fish at the counter. While a line of people waited for to-go orders, we took a seat at one of the checkered-table-cloth-covered tables to await our fried feast. A few tables away, a seasonally-decorated skeleton and a frog sat together. Fish stared down on us from their wall plaques.
Sharing The Fish Love
For the two of us, we shared a 3-filet fried fish meal, served with two sides plus those incredible hushpuppies. On this visit, we chose sides of coleslaw and white beans – darned that aforementioned grumpy doctor! But before walking away from the counter, I gave in and added four more hushpuppies to our order. HAH, take that, Doc!
We waited a few minutes, a hallmark and badge of honor at JimPa’s because nothing is cooked ahead for dine-in. And that means everything comes to your table steaming hot, especially those cornmeal covered catfish filets that melt in your mouth once you enjoy that momentary crunch from the seasoned coating.
SNAP! My Food’s Gone!
When the waitress delivered our food, items started disappearing from the plate faster than I could snap the always-required photos. Instead of three filets, there were less than two whole fried fish pieces left on the plate. SNAP! When I turned my camera to the hushpuppies, same story. SNAP! Only the cup of white beans remained untouched. And that was because we sent the waitress back to fetch silverware while we snatched up other items by hand. SNAP! And while I was snapping, more fish and hushpuppies were disappearing quickly! So no more snapping!
Now, when I described JimPa’s as a “joint,” I meant that in the kindest manner. This place has character, often is patronized by characters, and, in fact, was established by a character. JimPa, aka, Catfish Jim, aka Jim Schrampfer, was a well-known fixture in the chain, franchise and Georgia restaurant industry before venturing out on his own. The latest incarnation of Jim’s fishy vision features the dine-in and take-out restaurant in the former Huddle House. A highly-popular, in-demand catering business serves regional businesses and events alike. I’ve enjoyed the catered meals at corporate events. We’ve also placed catering orders for holiday events at home. We mix catfish along with shrimp, chicken and those craveable hushpuppies, too.
If you’re looking for a fancy seafood meal, you won’t find it at JimPa’s. But, if you’re after a downhome feast featuring catfish, chicken, homemade sides and perfect hushpuppies, ignore your doctor or cardiologist and set your GPS to JimPa’s.
