Spicy Grilled Catfish

What's in the Spicy Grilled Catfish?

At 310 calories per serving, the Spicy Grilled Catfish represents about 16% of a 2,000-calorie daily intake. On the macronutrient side, roughly 54% of those calories come from protein, 44% from fat, and 3% from carbohydrates — a profile typical of Cracker Barrel's Entree section. Sodium is often the line to watch with sit-down chain entrees, and this dish delivers 820mg, or about 36% of the FDA's daily reference value. If you're watching salt, pairing the Spicy Grilled Catfish with a side salad (dressing on the side) and water rather than a sweetened beverage is the standard mitigation. Like most items at Cracker Barrel, the dish is built for shareable portions and is plated at restaurant scale rather than a strict single serving. Boxing half of it before you start is one of the simplest ways to bring the per-meal calorie load down meaningfully without giving up the experience.

How this fits a 2,000-calorie day

One serving of the Spicy Grilled Catfish supplies 310 calories, which represents roughly 16% of a 2,000-calorie reference day. That is on the lighter side for a sit-down restaurant entrée and gives a comfortable margin to add a starter, a side, or even dessert without crowding the day's caloric budget.

The macronutrient split lands at roughly 54% protein, 3% carbohydrate and 43% fat by calorie share — a useful frame because raw gram counts often understate how much of a dish's energy actually comes from fat. Protein delivery is meaningful here at 42g per serving, which can keep satiety high relative to carb-heavy or fat-heavy alternatives.

Sodium clocks in at 820mg, or about 36% of the FDA's 2,300mg daily reference value. That is well within a reasonable share for a single meal and gives plenty of room for the rest of the day.

Allergen profile

Fish

The Spicy Grilled Catfish is flagged for Fish in the chain's posted allergen panel. Fish-derived ingredients can appear in unexpected places — Worcestershire-style sauces and Caesar dressings being the classic examples. Cross-contact in a shared kitchen is always possible, so when in doubt, ask the floor manager.

How it stacks up against the casual-dining category

Across the 146 Entree entries we track in this category — averaging 791 calories and 1,869mg sodium per serving — the Spicy Grilled Catfish at Cracker Barrel sits roughly 61% lighter than the category average. It also delivers 1,049mg less sodium than the typical Entree item we list, which is the more useful number if you're cross-shopping menus on the way to a reservation.

For direct cross-shopping, here are the closest Entree matches we track at competing chains:

Ordering strategy

If the Spicy Grilled Catfish is the entrée you want, the highest-leverage adjustments are usually the ones that change the surrounding meal rather than the dish itself. Because the entrée itself is moderate, you have headroom for an appetizer or a starter side without dropping into restrictive territory — useful for a longer dinner where the goal is to stretch the meal rather than minimize it. Sauces, dressings and finishing oils are routinely the largest hidden source of calories on a casual-dining plate; getting them on the side gives you direct portion control without changing the dish you actually want to eat.

Ingredients summary

Cajun-spiced catfish, lemon

The bottom line

The Spicy Grilled Catfish from Cracker Barrel is a light entry on the chain's menu at 310 calories and 820mg of sodium per serving. Protein delivery is strong, which is the dish's most useful nutritional feature. Anyone tracking sodium specifically — including most people on blood-pressure medication — should weigh this dish against the chain's lower-sodium options on the same menu before committing.