Revisiting Z Fish House

Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, we hadn’t dined at Z Fish House in Loudon Tennessee in more than 2 years.  A seafood restaurant in a small town in East Tennessee can be a hard sell, that’s for sure.  During our previous visits, our usual menu choices were fried catfish and shrimp although we did try a couple of fresh fish menu items and they were quite good.

Partly due to the pandemic and due to the limited demand for fresh seafood in this small town about 25 miles south of Knoxville, owners Ed and Melissa Ziems were really struggling.  Quality suffered as the business’s sales slide further into red ink on their ledger.

The solution?  Along came Robert Irvine and the Food Channel’s “Restaurant: Impossible”.  Chef Irvine’s efforts took place in February of this year and our visit was in May as the area opened up with the pandemic’s restrictions being lifted.

Sorry for the poor photo of the exterior of Z Fish House, but my camera has a hard time with glaring sunlight…and/or I’m just not a talented photographer.

This photo of the dining area reflects the fact that although the décor is still simple, it has been enhanced with lighting, framed photos, etc.  Overall, it felt cleaner and more inviting than on our previous visits.

The fried catfish, shrimp and other basic items such as burgers, a steak offering, etc. are no longer on the menu.  While we both love fried catfish and shrimp, we also love good seafood.  The basic menu is much simpler and shortened than on our visits 2 years or more ago.  The specials on the chalk board added quite a bit of variety though…

Laurie started out with a bowl of Conch Chowder. ($10.00) It was a little spicy with lots of flavor going on…and Laurie thought it was great.  I had some of her chowder as well and I concurred with her opinion!

It’s worthy to note that Ed, the chef and owner, had spent many years working in restaurants in the Florida Keys so he had lots of experience in the preparation of fresh seafood.

For my appetizer, I chose the Sesame Shrimp with Brussel Sprouts and ginger wasabi cocktail sauce. ($12.00) It was an amazing dish!  Wonderful!  One of the best shrimp offerings I’ve ever had and much different too…

After that big bowl of conch chowder, Laurie decided that she couldn’t do justice to an entrée so to cap off her dining experience, she ordered an appetizer instead.  Her choice was this plate of luscious Coconut Shrimp with slaw and a special cocktail sauce. ($14.00)  It was another great choice!

For my entrée, I chose the Swordfish Milanese with an herb crust, arugula, capers and tomatoes. ($21.00) It normally comes with olives as well, but I had them left off…just not my thing.  My entrée was attractively plated and the portion was plentiful and it is one of Z Fish House’s best sellers, but the overall seasoning was just too bland for my taste. 

We were too full for desserts but we 'had to' order a couple of slices of Key Lime Pie to take home. ($6.00 each) After relaxing and giving our dinners some time to settle, we had our slices of pie.  It was very good indeed.

We would heartily recommend Z Fish House to those who really appreciate fresh well prepared seafood!  This restaurant is located at 846 Mulberry Street in Loudon Tennessee.  Phone: 865-657-6200.  Their website can be found at Home | Z Fish House and they are on Facebook at ZFishHouse - Home | Facebook. 

To view Robert Irvine’s segment about Z Fish House on “Restaurant Impossible”, just go to Floundering Fish House | Restaurant: Impossible (foodnetwork.com).

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave