For many customers, Ezell’s Fish Camp is much more than a restaurant. It is a cultural institution, representing a way of life very much connected to the community’s river heritage and to family tradition. This well-known landmark, located on the bank of the Tombigbee River, began as a pre-Civil War “dogtrot” log cabin – a traditional Southern architectural style featuring two rooms joined by a central open breezeway. Local lore suggests the small cabin may have been built as far back as the early 1800s by a French fur trader. This cabin was used as a trading post during the Civil War, supplying packet boats up and down the Tombigbee River from Mobile.
Charles Agnew Ezell eventually acquired this property, utilizing it as a base for a ferry service on the Tombigbee (known as Lott’s Ferry) before a permanent bridge was constructed.
In the early 1900s, Charles’s son, C.A. Ezell, used the cabin as his family home and the headquarters for a successful commercial fishing operation. He employed several local fishermen and became a fixture of the river economy. As time passed, the cabin also evolved into a sportsmen’s retreat because of the prime hunting and fishing in the area, attracting guests from all over the state. Large fish fries were held to accommodate the guests. Pauline, the original cook, had a huge pot in the yard where catfish and hushpuppies were cooked and sold for fifty cents per plate.
As business flourished, the growing Ezell family eventually had to move out of the cabin. The gathering spot became so popular that the transition to a public eating establishment became inevitable. The business officially became a full-time, public restaurant in the 1950s.
Over the years, several rooms have been added to the building to provide space needed to accommodate increasing demands. However, when entering the restaurant, you are reminded of the humble beginning of Ezell’s. In the entrance and the two adjoining rooms, you will observe that the walls are large, hand-hewn logs. This is the original “dogtrot” where it all began.
Ezell’s Fish Camp is still owned and operated by the Ezell family, and they are still serving the same delicious catfish, hushpuppies, and “world famous” slaw that has been bringing customers back for decades.
Ezell’s Fish Camp is located on the west bank of the Tombigbee River just north of the Hwy 10 river bridge at Lavaca, AL (Ezell’s Fish Camp – Google Maps).
Sources: 1) EzellsFishCamp.com; 2) al.com/life/2019/02/ezells-fish-camp-is-a-trip-back-in-time-with-hush-puppies; 3) Historic Choctaw Tour, by Ann H. Gay; 4) Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail, a publication of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel.