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Years ago, I went to a friend’s wedding in Memphis. I got there on Friday afternoon and left Sunday night. The entire weekend I was there, we survived on beer and catfish. That was well over ten years ago. For years I was haunted by that weekend, not because of anything that happened, but because of the catfish. From the day I landed back in Philadelphia, I had been looking for catfish that was as good as I had that weekend. I had been disappointed many times in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey area. And then a few years back while in Walt Disney World, we went to Downtown Disney and my search was over. I found someplace where I could go to get good catfish, without going back to Memphis. I know from the Philadelphia Airport, Memphis is two hours and Orlando is one and a half, so why not just go to Memphis well, I am in Disney almost yearly, so I was excited about this find. The Catfish wasn’t the only thing at the establishment that reminded me of that Memphis weekend. The whole feeling of the place I’m talking about is laid back, slow and easy. Tonight I present to you the Unknown Magic of the House of Blues.

The House of Blues is actually a chain of restaurants started by Isaac Tigrett, original Blues Brother, Dan Aykroyd and designer James Cafarelli. In 1992, the first House of Blues opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts, because Harvard University was an early investor. Soon after, Disney invested in the House of Blues. Today there are thirteen House of Blues venues throughout the country, with two of them creating Magical Experiences on Disney Property; one in Downtown Disney in Disneyland and the other in Downtown Disney in Disney World.

The House of Blues offers both a restaurant and a concert venue. In the Disney World House of Blues, there are actually three different places where you can listen to musicians, the concert hall, the restaurant stage and the porch stage. But just because it is called the House of Blues, doesn’t mean that that is the only kind of music played there, especially in the Concert Hall.

As I said earlier the House of Blues has catfish. It is actually an appetizer served as Crispy Catfish Nuggets and it is served with Sweet Potato French Fries and their World Famous Spicy Tartar Sauce. They are fabulous. Whenever we eat there for lunch, my son and I usually get this appetizer and a bowl of Gumbo. But we’ve also had the Bleu Blues Burger, the Elwood and Shrimp Po-boy. All the food is very good.

The white ceiling has the
portraits of famous Blues Singers.
Just like many of the restaurants in Walt Disney World, the atmosphere is what makes the place a Magical Experience. As you walk in and are taken to your seat, you walk past the restaurant stage. Behind the bar there is a large picture of the Blues Brothers (Jake and Elwood). The walls are covered with paintings from amateur and local artists. The restaurant is a very relaxed place with blues and other music playing and a friendly staff. There is also a “company store” attached to the restaurant, which sells House of Blues merchandise.
So, now you know, for a Magical Experiences don’t have to go to Memphis to get really good southern food, and enjoy some Blues, all you have to do is go to Downtown Disney and ask for some crispy catfish nuggets in the House of Blues.