Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always hungry reporter visits a different restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
I’ve heard of a steakhouse inside a hotel.
I’ve heard of a steakhouse inside a casino.
But a steakhouse inside a country music nightclub?
For me, that was a first. But sure enough, RW’s Steakhouse (1003 Gould Drive, Bossier City) is inside Big Country. If you’ve been in these parts awhile, you remember Big Country as the former Cowboys, which later became the Rockin’ Rodeo.
Wanting to see for myself if a restaurant in a bar can serve a good steak, I put on my jeans, pulled up my black boots, and two-stepped my way – along with a friend – to check out RW’s on a recent Friday night.
If you decide to do the same, a word of warning. Call to make a reservation. Early in the week, I sent an email (the closest thing to making an online reservation) through the restaurant’s website. A few days later, realizing I had not received a response, I called. The nice lady said, “I’m glad you called. That thing on the website doesn’t work.”
While RW’s is inside Big Country, it has its own outside entrance. We arrived 10 minutes past our reserved time of 6:45, which wasn’t a problem, as there was only one other table occupied. We were greeted quickly and warmly by Jenna, who (in a good way) made us feel like she had been waiting on us. Jenna later said this was one of the slowest Friday nights she could remember – that most weekends, you can’t get in without a reservation.
RW’s is an intimate setting, with no more than 12 tables, plus a few bar seats. It’s far from stuffy – the dress is casual and the atmosphere is relaxed. In case you want to keep an eye on a ball game, there are three televisions. For our listening pleasure, there was a variety of recorded music. We heard everything from Gordon Lightfoot to Billy Joel to Elton John. Interestingly, we didn’t hear one country music song during our hour-and-a-half dinner.
Soon after being seated, Jenna brought out a basket with two rolls. They weren’t anything special but were very useful. More on that in a minute.
My friend ordered a glass of J Lohr Cabernet wine ($9). It is one of her favorite’s and made a great pairing – red wine with red meat.
All week, after seeing food pictures on RW’s website, I had been looking forward to enjoying an order of marinated crab claws as an appetizer. When I opened the menu, I got sticker shot ($18.95). But, as the old saying goes, you only live once. So, I bit the credit card and turned in our order.
Jenna brought us a plate with 13 crab claws. I don’t know why “13”, and I didn’t ask. At first, I was disappointed at the number of crab claws for the price. My friend reminded me that everything is expensive, especially seafood. However, once I pulled the first crab claw between my upper and lower teeth, disappointment turned to satisfaction. Each claw had quite a bit of crab meat, which isn’t always the case. Think about quality, not quantity.
Back to the usefulness of the rolls. When you order crab claws, it’s an unwritten rule that you must dip bread into the marinating sauce, soaking up that good juice. We played by the unwritten rule and enjoyed one of life’s little pleasures. The marinade, along with the meaty claws, turned out to be worth the price.
RW’s has several entrees other than steak, like fried shrimp, grilled or fried quail, and a double-bone pork chop. But why go to a steakhouse and not get a steak? I chose the 12-ounce rib eye ($39.95), while my friend went with the 6-ounce filet ($39.95). All steaks come with a wedge salad and a side.
The wedge salad was really good. It was big, and we both noticed the freshness of the lettuce. Each of our dressings (vinaigrette and peppercorn ranch) were house made, thick, and had a really good taste, although my friend said her peppercorn ranch tasted more like Thousand Island dressing.
There wasn’t much presentation to our entrees. Steak on a plate, with a (very) small piece of broccoli and an orange slice. I got the feeling RW’s is focused more on the basics – serving a good-tasting meal – than making things look pretty. If so, RW’s accomplished its goal.
Seldom do you take your first bite of food, stop, and think, ‘Wow! This tastes great!’ That’s exactly what I did. Not only was my steak very juicy, but it was also perfectly seasoned. By interrogating Jenna, I discovered the seasoning was a mix of sea salt, restaurant pepper (which is more course than regular pepper), and garlic powder. I’m telling you; it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Tender, with just enough fat to enhance the taste.
My side, asparagus, was just as good. Again, its seasoning made asparagus taste like asparagus I’ve never had.
My friend said her filet was cooked exactly like she expected a “medium” steak to be cooked. She said it, too, was tender, juicy, and flavorful. She did say there was “a little fat, but not too much.” For my friend’s side, she ordered potatoes au gratin. This is where I should tell you that RW stands for Roger Wilbanks, who was at The Cub in Shreveport for 34 years. The Cub’s signature items were steak, and potatoes au gratin.
My friend said the potatoes tasted just like when she enjoyed them at The Cub. I don’t like potatoes au gratin, but I may have been converted after taking a bite, then another bite, then another bite. The potato cubes were big, and the au gratin was thick. And, it all stayed very hot the entire meal, thanks to being served in a metal tray.
For dessert, RW’s offered three choices: chocolate muffin, turtle pie, and crème brulee. We quizzed Jenna and found out only the crème brulee was made in-house. Since RW’s did such a good job with the salad dressings, we decided to share a crème brulee.
We were very pleased with our choice. It was a decent size serving and had a variety of berries on top. The brulee was good and cold, and the top layer of hardened caramelized sugar was prepared just right.
Our meal before tax and tip totaled $118.80. For me, the price makes RW’s a place I would go every once-in-a-while. But I would return and go out of my way to do so. Therefore, I give RW’s Steakhouse Four Forks. We enjoyed a very good meal and very good service. And if you’re in the mood for a little after-dinner country music listening and dancing, you’re just a few boot scoots away.
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to review? Email: SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com
1 Fork: Would rather eat a box of dirt
2 Forks: Will return, but only if someone else is buying
3 Forks: Will return and look forward to it
4 Forks: Will return and go out of my way to do so
