Frequently, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always-hungry reporter has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
I don’t like the cold, and I don’t like to be cold. So, February really isn’t my month.
Add in the fact we’ve still got a couple of weeks until it doesn’t get dark at three o’clock (okay, a bit of an exaggeration), and I’ve been feeling a bit crabby lately.
So, what better time to check out a relatively new place called The Crabby Crawfish (8680 Youree Drive, Shreveport)?
On a recent Wednesday, I invited a friend to join me. He had eaten dinner there once and really enjoyed it. We have pretty much the same tastes, so my expectations were high.
When parking, the first things I noticed – you can’t help but notice – were two beautifully-painted murals. One was on the front wall, and one on the outside wall facing Youree. Because of the way it sits, the restaurant needed some attention-getting signage, and they succeeded. If you go, be sure and get an up close look at the talents of whoever did the work. Very impressive.
On the inside, The Crabby Crawfish was extremely clean and neat. You know how sometimes you go to a restaurant and everything looks scattered? I found this restaurant to be just the opposite. Everything had a place, and everything was in its place, from condiments, to the plastic utensil dispenser, to paper towel rolls on the tables. I felt like The Crabby Crawfish was a place where I would want to eat.
While we’re talking atmosphere, I noticed there were several (quite a few, actually), dollar bills tacked to the walls. Most of them had some type of handwriting. I thought they were there for the taking, but before helping myself, I asked our server. She said no, they were not there for the taking (darn it!). People are encouraged to leave a dollar and write a note. Well, my money is too hard to come by, so I wasn’t interested in coughing up a buck to put on a wall, but those who did contributed to something you don’t normally see.
The Crabby Crawfish is an order-at-the-counter-and-they-will-bring-your-food place. Its menu has Appetizers, Boiled Seafood, Platters, Special Dishes, Po-Boys, and Desserts. It also offers a daily lunch special, which is written in colorful chalk on a board as you walk in, as well as on a board at the counter.
With icicles hanging from my ears, there was no way I was having anything other than something warm (preferably hot) for lunch. This day’s special was a fried shrimp platter ($12.99). A young man named Jackson, who was working the counter, was very nice and helpful. When asked, he said the platter would come with seven shrimp, hush puppies, Cole slaw, and my choice of regular or Cajun fries (Jackson highly recommended the Cajun fries, which he said were seasoned with Tony Chachere’s.)
That all sounded good, but I was looking forward to warming up with a cup of gumbo. To my disappointment, I didn’t see gumbo on the menu. However, when I asked Jackson why gumbo wasn’t served, he said they did have seafood gumbo today. So, it always pays to ask! I added a cup ($7.99) to my order.
My friend chose the Shrimp & Catfish Platter ($15.98). It, too, was promised to come with hush puppies, fries (he chose Cajun also), and slaw. I also encouraged him to get a cup of gumbo, and he did not resist.
Soon after we sat at one of the restaurants eight tables, our server showed up with two small Styrofoam cups. She was offering us a sample of Cajun Corn Medley—corn mixed with bell pepper. That was a nice touch, and good business. Give an already-paying customer a little something extra, and take a chance they will like it and order it on their next visit.
Our gumbo was served first, and thankfully, it was hot. There wasn’t a lot to it – baby shrimp and rice in a dark roux. I did spice it up with some Tabasco Sauce. My friend thought it was “one of the best gumbos I’ve ever had. I didn’t think it needed any hot sauce.”
My shrimp platter came with everything promised. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as hot as the gumbo. The food was lukewarm at best. The shrimp were medium sized with good batter. The hush puppies were a little on the dry side. The Cajun fries didn’t taste much different than regular fries. The slaw was slaw.
My friend had a much different review of his meal. “The shrimp were seasoned really well . . . . The taste made me want more.” As for the fish, “It was a big, huge piece of catfish, without the fishy smell and taste. I could easily cut a piece off with the plastic fork. I didn’t need a knife.”
He was much more impressed with the hush puppies than me. “Hush puppies are often dry. They just crumble . . . . Those hush puppies were good hush puppies. To me, they were the perfect size, and with perfect crunch on the outside and softness on the inside.”
The cost of our meal before taxes and tip was $44.96. When ordering, my receipt was printed, and I wasn’t asked to leave a tip. That should be standard operating procedure at a place where you pay before you eat. If I want to leave a tip afterward based on the service I received, I will. There was a tip jar at the counter in case that’s what you chose to do.
I give The Crabby Crawfish Three Forks. Here’s the deal. My food was okay. Not great. Not terrible. Nothing stood out to me one way or the other (except the restaurant’s cleanliness, neatness, and the staff’s friendliness). On the other hand, my friend loved the place. I’ve known him a long time, and I’m not sure I have ever seen him be so excited about a meal.
“All in all, that was a fantastic lunch,” he said.
Hey, if you’re a restaurant owner, that’s what you want a customer to say.
You don’t want anyone leaving with a crabby feeling.
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
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to visit for lunch?
Email SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com.
