A Port Orange Tradition Starts a New Chapter: Inside Aunt Catfish's Next 47 Years

For nearly half a century, Aunt Catfish's on the River has been a fixture on the Halifax River in Port Orange, known as much for its "fixins bar" and homemade cinnamon rolls as for the family that's run it since the doors first opened. Now, as the restaurant looks toward its next chapter, its owners are eyeing a future that extends well beyond the dining room.

Nearly Five Decades on the River

Aunt Catfish's was established in 1979 at 4009 Halifax Drive, at the mainland foot of the bridge connecting Port Orange to South Daytona Beach. The restaurant has been passed down through four generations of the same family, building a reputation as a classic old-Florida seafood joint where, as its own longtime tagline puts it, all the servers are "cousins" who treat customers like family.

Over the decades, the restaurant has picked up a loyal following built on Southern seafood staples: fried catfish, a fixins bar loaded with salads, cornbread, beans, and cheese grits, and desserts including its famous Key Lime pie and the "Boat Sinker Pie," a homemade fudge pie topped with coffee ice cream and dipped in hard-shell chocolate. The restaurant has also earned recognition over the years from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, including honors for Best All-Around Seafood Restaurant and Best All-Around Sunday Brunch.

Beyond the Restaurant: Catfish Commons

Co-owner Brendan Galbreath, who runs the restaurant alongside his wife, Shannon Galbreath, has been looking well past the dining room for the next stage of Aunt Catfish's story. Galbreath is developing a mixed-use project called Catfish Commons directly across the street from the restaurant, at the corner of Dunlawton and South Ridgewood avenues. The project, which received unanimous rezoning approval from Port Orange's Planning Commission, currently calls for a four-unit loft apartment building above office space, mobile retail space, a drive-through restaurant, and a 12-slip marina, though the marina would not be used for overnight docking.

Galbreath has described the vision in ambitious terms, telling the Planning Commission he expects the area to look completely different within five years. He's framed the project as a complement to the larger Riverwalk development nearby, joking that his own venture makes him "a small fish" by comparison, a nod that hasn't stopped him from pursuing real, tangible plans for the corridor.

Notably, Aunt Catfish's itself isn't being left out of the changes. The restaurant, along with its longtime neighbor La Cantina Cocina Mexicana, is expected to be considered for a remodel as the broader Catfish Commons project moves forward, meaning the restaurant that's anchored this stretch of riverfront for 47 years is set to get a refresh of its own alongside the new development taking shape across the street.

Why It Matters to the Community

For longtime Volusia County residents, Aunt Catfish's is more than just a place to eat, it's the kind of institution that's marked birthdays, anniversaries, and Sunday brunches for multiple generations of local families. As Port Orange continues to see new development pressure along its riverfront corridor, the fact that Aunt Catfish's is expanding its footprint rather than being squeezed out by it is a detail worth noting for residents who've wondered what growth along the Halifax River might mean for the community's older, beloved gathering spots.

Whatever Catfish Commons ultimately looks like once complete, Aunt Catfish's itself doesn't appear to be going anywhere, its owners are simply betting on a bigger footprint for the neighborhood they've called home for nearly half a century.