Family, Fun and Fins

New eatery making a splash

Diners enjoy the fantastic food and family atmosphere at Ann's Fish House Thursday Night. Located on the banks of the Sunflower River, the restaurant has become one of the hottest eating spots in the region. Photo by Tonja Hewitt, The CNL

By Taylor Mitchell
The CNL

There's a new sight to see along Highway 8 between Cleveland and Ruleville, appropriatley hugging the banks of the Sunflower River.

It's Ann's Fish House, which has quickly become the hottest place to dine in the Delta.

“If you count people coming out here as a response, it has been overwhelming,” Chuck Tackett, owner of the restaurant said. “You can’t get in here at night. It’s unbelievable.”

At night, Ann’s Fish House is noticeable from a mile away. Set along the river, Ann’s is almost perfectly placed, and yet, it was only by coincidence.

“That part didn’t really play into anything,” Tackett said. “It just so happened that this spot was for sale and it was next to the river. It all fits together, though. If it had been on top of a hill, I would have still done it.”

Named after Tackett's wife, Ann’s Fish House is exactly what it sounds like, a fish house. Serving catfish in every shape, form, fashion and taste along with all of the fixings.

“Everything we have is made here,” the Slaughter native said. “Our hushpuppies are made from scratch, and we even make our own peach cobbler.”

Anne's is truly a home-style restaurant.

“That is what we wanted,” Tackett said. “We want to be family oriented. There’s no drinking here. We have music every Thursday night and we will eventually have music on Friday and Saturday, as well.”

Ann’s Fish House can accommodate up to150 people at one time, plus a full staff that includes mostly Tackett’s relatives. Not only do his daughter (Hilare) and wife of 21 years (Ann) work at the restaurant, most of his kin work there, too.

“My daughter is actually the one managing this place,” Tackett said. “She wants to run this place one day and she will.

“We’re a pretty tight knit group here.”

Tackett began working on the restaurant in June 2008 and had a hand in every step of the way.

“We took this building down in Carthage and brought it here and put it right back up,” Tackett said. “I feel very proud of it. The only thing we did not do was pour this concrete slab.”

Tackett even built the tables that customers dine on.
“When we bought this it was grown up full of trees,” Tackett said. “We cleared out the trees and filled some holes about 25 feet deep.”

This isn’t Tackett’s first restaurant venture. A few years ago he owned another fish house named, you guessed it, Ann’s Fish House.

“My family has been in the catfish business for years and years,” Tackett said.

Tackett wound up selling that location and eventually bought the piece of property that his new restaurant sits on.

“We wanted something out in the country that we could make more presentable,” Tackett said. “We found this spot of land here for sell and we bought it and here we are.”

Ann’s Fish House is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

So next time you are driving down Highway 8 between Ruleville and Cleveland and have a craving for catfish, Ann’s Fish House has what it takes to satisfy.

And even if it was coincidence, nothing can beat a catfish house on the banks of the winding Sunflower River.