OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Lenten season begins next week. That means Fish Fridays are coming soon, too. In this week's Cheap Eats, 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole is taking you to a restaurant that specializes in fish. The restaurant may be in Omaha, but it's giving customers a taste of West Africa and The Big Easy.
If you like big flavor and big portions, BigWay Chicken & Catfish may be your place.
"My dad always said — for everything you want to start small and think big — and so we came up with the name BigWay," explained owner Chris Hamenoo Kpeda.
Not only is the name of the place inspired by Chris's roots, but so is the food.
"It's got that side of Louisiana. It's got some side of African. It's also got some American love," he shared.
Chris is from Ghana, West Africa — where his parents owned restaurants.
He opened his restaurant 10 years ago in Omaha.
It's been at 96th and L the last three.
There are plenty of options on the menu, but at BigWay Chicken & Catfish - the fish is king.
"The fish is definitely the top seller," he smiled.
So, what makes his fish so good?
"I pre-marinate it and the signature breading's signature ingredients makes it hit like home," he said.
BigWay has two types of fish: Catfish (which you can get whole or fillets) or Carp Ribs.
Whatever you decide, come hungry.
"We give you your money's worth — I always want my customers happy," Chris grinned.
Chris serves the fish like he had it growing up.
"We garnish our fried fish with some raw onion. Where I'm from we enjoy fish and some raw onion. That's just brings a little Ghana to Omaha," he explained.
He says the chicken is just as good.
They serve strips, wings, gizzards and their popular chicken rice bowls. The bowl comes with veggies, cheese, lettuce, ranch dressing - and an optional spicy sauce.
If that's not enough — he makes beignets, too. They're deep-fried and coated in powdered sugar.
Serese Cole: Do these just melt in your mouth?
Chris: Pretty much. Crispy on the outside, very soft and airy on the inside.
For Chris, this restaurant is just the beginning.
"I want to see BigWay Chicken & Catfish become a small chain someday. I have a lot of customers that are like, 'hey you know what — you need to bring this to my area'," he smiled.
His goal is to offer even more people in Omaha — a small taste of West Africa.
BigWay Chicken & Catfish is at 4725 South 96th Street (Near 96th & L Street).
It's open Tuesday through Saturday. To see the hours and the entire menu, go to bigwaychickenandcatfish.business.site.
Here's some of the prices of the items we featured in this story:
1 Piece Whole Catfish (Bone-In) & fries - $15.99
2 Catfish Fillet & fries - $13.99
Rice Bowl (ranch chicken) - $11.99
Gizzards - $9.99
Beignets (5 piece) - $7.99
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