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 have written these reviews for almost a year and have been surprised at the number of Shreveport-Bossier restaurants I knew were here but had never tried.
I say that because this week’s review features one of those restaurants, Johnny’s Catfish & Seafood (5130 W Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport). I was familiar with the name and have even seen a television commercial from time to time. So, on a recent Thursday evening, I invited a friend to join me. It would be his first visit as well.
Frankly, we didn’t think the restaurant would be very busy. I mean, if we’ve never been there, it can’t be that popular, right? Boy, were we wrong. As we pulled into the parking lot just before six o’clock, my friend said, ‘Look at this!’ The lot was full. I mean, full. In fact, there was a line of cars parked along the curb, with people waiting to receive their pick-up order (Johnny’s does not have a drive-thru window.)
We opened the restaurant’s front door and realized our worst nightmare. The dining room was full, and there were 15 people in line waiting to be seated. We both thought, ‘Man, this place must be good!’
We gave our name, and after a 10-15-minute wait, were taken to a table. On the way, we passed a wall full of family pictures. After a little investigation (I asked our server), we learned the people in those pictures are members of the family which owns Johnny’s. According to the restaurant’s website, Johnny’s has been family-owned since 2002, and all recipes were created by someone in the family.
Looking around, we got the impression that most of the diners were probably from the area where Johnny’s restaurant is located. They resembled good, hard-working, America-loving people. There were some in their 30’s, but most diners were 50 and above. My friend and I fell into that category. We were also reminded of our age when – despite a large menu with oversized type – we still had to put on our reading glasses.
As the name implies, Johnny’s main offerings involved catfish and seafood. But, if you’re in the mood for something else, you can choose from three Country Dinners – Chicken Fried Steak, Chicken Fried Chicken, and Pot Roast. (There’s also a lunch menu). But hey, if I’m going to a catfish and seafood restaurant, you can bet I’m going to have catfish, seafood, or both.
Before I get into our meal, let’s talk about our server. My friend and I agreed that Trey was one of the friendliest servers we have encountered. He thanked us after we gave him our order, and was always close by, as we never had to ask for a drink refill or the check. In fact, because of dietary reasons, my friend wanted with his meal a bowl of green beans, which are offered only at lunch. Yet, Trey found a way to bring out a serving of green beans, much to my friend’s delight.
There’s another seafood place in Shreveport-Bossier which used to serve complimentary hush puppies, but now charges for them. At Johnny’s, we were pleasantly surprised when Trey asked if we would like some hush puppies, for which Johnny’s does not charge. Of course, we said, ‘Yes”, and soon had a bowl of seven crisp puppies. They were lukewarm, and tasted okay, but were not anything special.
For my entrée, I chose to get a little bit of everything. In other words, I had the seafood platter ($22.99).
I was attracted by the price point for what I was promised, and hoped I would not be disappointed. All of Johnny’s Famous Country Fried Dinners come with cole slaw, pinto beans, your choice of French fries or a baked potato, and the hush puppies. Upon request, you can also have green tomato relish.
Appropriately, Trey brought the slaw, beans, and relish before my meal. They were all good, but not great. In particular, the green tomatoes were very small. I probably could have asked for more, but by the time I cleaned the bowls, my entrée had arrived.
My plate was filled with four catfish fillets, four shrimp (the menu described them as ‘Jumbo’, which I would dispute), four gulf oysters, and a stuffed crab. Halfway through, I discovered a trend with Johnny’s food. Everything was good, but nothing was great. The fish were a little tough and lacked juice. The crab was small, and more shell than crabmeat.
My health-conscious friend ordered the two-piece grilled fish plate ($15.99), one of just two non-fried seafood items on the menu. It was supposed to come with a steamed vegetable. However, Trey accommodated my friend by substituting a baked potato and the green beans.
As the menu described, my friend received two grilled fillets, each of which were reasonable in size. The baked potato wasn’t large, but wasn’t small, either. He said the fish was, ‘Good, not great.’ There’s that trend again. He said the fish ‘tasted fresh, but didn’t have a lot of flavor.’
Johnny’s offered one type of dessert – Fried Pies. We could choose from apple, peach, or custard. Each is served with a side of house-made custard. However, although our food wasn’t great, we ate it all and were too full for dessert.
The cost of our meal before taxes and tip was $38.98. I thought that was very reasonable, especially for everything that was on my seafood platter. One note: Johnny’s suggested tip amount is based on the with-tax total, and not the pre-tax amount. I was worried Trey may not think I tipped 20%, but I did. I just based it on the amount before tax.
I give Johnny’s Catfish & Seafood Three Forks. I would return, but probably not go out of my way to do so. If you have a craving for fried seafood, Johnny’s fits the bill. Just go with the expectation that what you have will be good, but not great. And for that result, expect to wait in line.
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
