Unearth The Voyage
There’s a certain magic that happens when crispy fried catfish meets golden shrimp on a plate you’ve piled high yourself, and nobody’s judging how many times you go back for seconds. Southern Oklahoma holds a secret that locals have guarded like treasure, a place where the buffet tables never seem to empty and the homemade ice cream tastes like someone’s grandmother made it with love.
The kind of restaurant where plastic forks are a small price to pay for unlimited seafood that rivals anything you’d find on the coast. Once you experience this place, you’ll understand why people drive over an hour just to fill their plates again and again.
A Hidden Treasure on Highway 70
Finding BG’s Catch requires a drive to 605 1/2 E Highway 70 in Kingston, Oklahoma, where the parking lot tells you everything you need to know before you even walk inside. Cars fill every available space by late afternoon, and that’s your first clue that something special awaits.
The building itself won’t win any architecture awards, but that’s part of its charm. This is the kind of place where function trumps flash, where the focus stays firmly on what’s coming out of the kitchen rather than fancy decorations or elaborate signage.
I arrived expecting a typical small-town restaurant and found myself in a line of eager diners who clearly knew something I was about to discover. The anticipation builds as you wait, watching satisfied customers emerge with that specific look of someone who just ate way too much and regrets nothing.
Kingston sits near Lake Texoma, making it a natural stop for travelers and vacationers. Yet this restaurant has become a destination all its own, drawing people from Marietta and beyond.
The location may seem random until you realize that great food creates its own geography, pulling people from surrounding towns and cities who’ve heard the whispers about what’s inside.
The Pay-First Philosophy
Walking through the door means reaching for your wallet immediately, because BG’s Catch operates on a refreshingly simple system. You pay upfront, around eighteen dollars per person, and then the entire buffet becomes your playground for as long as your stomach can handle it.
This approach eliminates the awkward end-of-meal calculation and lets you focus entirely on the experience. No worrying about whether that extra plate of shrimp will push your bill too high, no mental math while you’re trying to decide between catfish and chicken strips.
The straightforward process continues throughout your visit. Grab your own drinks from the self-service station, pile your plates high at the buffet, and when you’re done, simply clear your table and head out.
It’s almost liberating in its simplicity, stripping away all the usual restaurant formalities.
Some might miss the traditional table service, but most diners appreciate the freedom this system provides. You control your pace, your portions, and your entire dining experience.
The staff stays busy keeping the buffet stocked with fresh food rather than running back and forth taking orders, which means everything stays hot and plentiful.
Fried Catfish That Defines the Buffet
The star of this show swims in from the fryer with a golden-brown coating that crackles when you bite into it. Catfish here tastes like it was caught that morning, though the secret is probably just really fresh fish and people who know exactly how long to leave it in the oil.
Each piece comes out moist inside despite that crispy exterior, a balance that many restaurants struggle to achieve. The fish doesn’t need much help from tartar sauce, though some is available if that’s your preference.
Most regulars eat it straight, letting the natural flavor shine through that perfectly seasoned crust.
I watched the buffet line during my visit, and the catfish disappeared faster than anything else. Staff members constantly brought out fresh batches, and diners would pause mid-conversation to grab pieces while they were still steaming.
That kind of enthusiasm tells you everything about quality.
The texture holds up even on plastic forks, though you’ll want to cut carefully since the utensils aren’t exactly heavy-duty. This minor inconvenience barely registers when you’re eating catfish this good.
People don’t drive an hour each way for mediocre fish, and one bite explains why the parking lot stays packed from opening until close.
Shrimp Two Ways
Choosing between fried and boiled shrimp feels like an unnecessary decision when you can simply have both. The fried version arrives crispy and hot, breaded just enough to add texture without overwhelming the sweet shrimp flavor underneath.
Then there’s the peel-and-eat option, which several reviews compared favorably to coastal seafood. These come boiled with just the right amount of seasoning, requiring a bit of work to shell but rewarding that effort with tender, flavorful meat.
Bring napkins, because this gets messy in the best possible way.
The fried shrimp works perfectly as a main course, while the boiled variety makes an excellent appetizer or palate cleanser between plates. I found myself alternating between the two, appreciating how each preparation highlighted different aspects of the shrimp itself.
Fresh shrimp makes all the difference, and these taste nothing like the rubbery, freezer-burned specimens that plague lesser buffets. The kitchen clearly understands timing, pulling everything from the fryer or pot at exactly the right moment.
You’ll want to pace yourself because it’s tempting to fill an entire plate with just shrimp, but remember that there’s still catfish, chicken, and dessert waiting for your attention.
The Salad Bar Surprise
Most people come for the fried seafood and consider the salad bar an afterthought, but that would be a mistake. The vegetable selection includes some unexpected treats, including sweet green tomatoes that earned specific mentions in multiple reviews.
Coleslaw sits ready to provide a cool, crunchy contrast to all that fried goodness. The freshness of the ingredients shows in every bite, from crisp lettuce to firm tomatoes and cucumbers.
This isn’t some sad collection of wilted greens thrown together as an obligation.
I loaded up on vegetables during my first trip through the line, figuring I’d balance out the upcoming fried food. That strategy worked reasonably well, though I’ll admit the salad bar saw less action during subsequent visits as I prioritized the hot items.
The variety covers all the standard options plus a few regional touches that remind you this is Oklahoma, not some generic chain restaurant. Pinto beans appear here too, offering a hearty side that pairs surprisingly well with fried catfish.
Some diners skip the salad bar entirely, heading straight for the main attractions, but taking a few minutes to build a proper salad helps pace your meal and leaves room for more of everything else.
Hush Puppies Worth the Hype
These little spheres of fried cornmeal perfection deserve their own paragraph because they’re that good. Crispy outside, soft and slightly sweet inside, each hush puppy tastes like it was made by someone’s Southern grandmother who’s been perfecting the recipe for decades.
The kitchen keeps them coming throughout the evening, ensuring you always grab them fresh and hot. They’re the kind of side dish that becomes a main attraction, the thing you keep reaching for even when your stomach protests that maybe you’ve had enough.
I watched one family with three kids, and those hush puppies disappeared from their plates faster than anything else. Children don’t lie about food they enjoy, and these clearly passed the pickiest eater test with flying colors.
The slightly sweet flavor complements the savory seafood perfectly, and they’re excellent for soaking up any sauces or simply eating by the handful. You could probably make a meal of just hush puppies and be reasonably satisfied, though that would mean missing out on everything else.
Balance is key, but if you find yourself with a plate containing six or seven hush puppies, nobody here will judge you for it.
Chicken Strips for the Seafood Skeptics
Not everyone in your group may share your enthusiasm for fish and shrimp, and that’s where the chicken strips come in. These crispy tenders provide a reliable backup option for pickier eaters or anyone who simply prefers poultry to seafood.
One reviewer noted they were slightly overcooked during their visit, but still tasty enough to eat. My experience found them properly done, with a crunchy coating and juicy interior that held its own against the seafood stars of the show.
The chicken strips follow the same all-you-can-eat rules as everything else, so there’s no penalty for grabbing a few to try alongside your catfish and shrimp. This makes BG’s Catch a safer choice for mixed groups where dietary preferences vary widely.
Kids especially appreciate having a familiar option available, even at a seafood-focused buffet. The strips are sized perfectly for smaller hands and come out hot enough to require a brief cooling period.
French fries accompany the chicken nicely, creating a classic combination that works whether you’re eight or eighty. Having this backup option doesn’t diminish the restaurant’s seafood focus but rather makes it more accessible to everyone in your party, ensuring nobody leaves hungry or disappointed.
Homemade Ice Cream That Seals the Deal
Just when you think you couldn’t possibly eat another bite, someone mentions the homemade ice cream and suddenly you’re finding room. This isn’t some store-bought freezer section product but genuine made-from-scratch ice cream that tastes like summer in a bowl.
The vanilla flavor shines brightest, letting the cream and sugar speak for themselves without fancy add-ins or artificial flavoring. One clever reviewer suggested bringing chocolate syrup because apparently the chocolate helps you not feel full, which is either brilliant psychology or complete nonsense, but either way, the ice cream deserves attention.
The texture hits that perfect sweet spot between too soft and too hard, scooping easily but holding its shape on your plate or in your bowl. After all that fried food, the cool creaminess provides welcome relief and a satisfying finish to your meal.
I noticed several diners making multiple trips specifically for ice cream, treating it less like dessert and more like a separate course entirely. The homemade quality shows in every spoonful, with a richness that grocery store brands can’t match.
Pairing it with the peach cobbler creates the ultimate Southern dessert experience, though the ice cream stands perfectly well on its own merits.
Peach Cobbler Perfection
Warm peach cobbler might be the most underrated item on this entire buffet, which is saying something given the competition. The fruit filling tastes like actual peaches rather than canned pie filling, and the crust achieves that ideal balance between crispy top and soft, fruit-soaked bottom.
Serving yourself means you control the portion size, though I recommend starting small because this cobbler is rich. The sweetness level hits just right, never crossing into tooth-aching territory but definitely satisfying any dessert cravings you might have.
Adding a scoop of that homemade ice cream on top creates a hot-and-cold combination that might be the best thing you eat all evening. The ice cream melts slightly into the warm cobbler, creating little pockets of creamy sweetness that elevate both components.
Several reviews specifically mentioned this cobbler as a highlight, which makes sense once you taste it. The kitchen clearly takes dessert as seriously as the main courses, refusing to phone it in with some generic sheet cake or premade pie.
That attention to detail extends through every aspect of the meal, from first bite to last. Save room for this, even if it means eating one less plate of catfish.
The Grandma’s Kitchen Atmosphere
Walking into BG’s Catch feels like entering a relative’s house for Sunday dinner rather than a commercial restaurant. The decor skips trendy industrial chic or nautical themes in favor of simple, comfortable functionality that puts food front and center.
Multiple reviewers compared the atmosphere to their grandmother’s kitchen, which perfectly captures the unpretentious, welcoming vibe. Nothing here tries too hard or pretends to be something it’s not.
The focus stays on feeding people well rather than impressing them with fancy surroundings.
Bench seating lines the walls for waiting guests, and the dining room fills with a mix of families, couples, and groups of friends who clearly come here regularly. The noise level rises as the evening progresses, with conversation and laughter creating that pleasant restaurant hum that signals people are enjoying themselves.
You won’t find cloth napkins, real silverware, or ambient lighting designed by some consultant. Instead, you get plastic utensils, disposable plates, and bright enough lighting to see what you’re eating.
Some might consider this a drawback, but it keeps prices reasonable and eliminates pretension. The lack of frills means your money goes toward food quality rather than atmosphere, which seems like the right priority for a place like this.
The Local Favorite Phenomenon
The true test of any restaurant is whether locals eat there regularly, and BG’s Catch passes this test with flying colors. The crowd includes plenty of familiar faces greeting each other across tables, people who’ve been coming here for years and have no intention of stopping.
Lines form before the doors even open at 4 PM on Friday and Saturday evenings, the only times this place operates. That limited schedule actually adds to the appeal, creating urgency and making each visit feel more special.
You can’t just drop by any random Tuesday.
I overheard multiple conversations between diners who clearly knew each other from previous visits, creating a community atmosphere that chain restaurants can never replicate. The staff recognizes regulars, and there’s a comfortable familiarity to the whole operation that makes first-time visitors feel welcome rather than excluded.
People travel from surrounding Oklahoma communities specifically for this buffet, which tells you everything about its reputation. When locals consistently choose a place over easier, closer options, that restaurant is doing something right.
The packed parking lot and waiting area serve as social proof that your decision to eat here was correct, even before you taste your first bite of catfish.
Planning Your Visit
Timing matters significantly when visiting BG’s Catch, because showing up at the wrong moment means joining a substantial line. The restaurant opens at 4 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only, and arriving right at opening time guarantees a wait as other smart diners had the same idea.
Consider arriving slightly later, perhaps around 5 PM, when the initial rush has been seated and you might snag a table more quickly. Alternatively, embrace the wait as part of the experience, using that time to chat with other hungry diners and build anticipation.
The self-service model means you need to handle everything yourself, from drinks to clearing your table when finished. Come prepared to be your own server, which most people find liberating rather than burdensome.
Bring patience for the crowds and perhaps wet wipes for the peel-and-eat shrimp.
The eighteen-dollar price point represents excellent value for unlimited seafood, especially considering the quality. Bring cash if possible, though they likely accept cards given the upfront payment system.
Plan for at least an hour or more of eating time, because rushing through this buffet defeats the entire purpose. Your cravings will indeed haunt you all week after this meal, just like the title promises, making that drive back to Kingston inevitable.
