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
A burger is a burger is a burger.
No, it’s not.
Sure, they all have the same things between the bun – meat, lettuce, tomato, mayo or mustard, etc. . . . But even among chain hamburgers, the taste isn’t the same. A burger from Whataburger tastes different than one from Burger King, which tastes different than one from McDonalds.
For years – and I mean years – I’ve heard the biggest and best burger around could be found at Papa & Company. Used to be, their only location was in a part of town I don’t frequent. But nowadays, there’s also a location in (way) north Bossier. That’s an area I found myself in on a recent Tuesday, so I invited a friend to join me, to see if Papa’s burgers are really that big and that good.
We arrived at 12:40, and found only seven customers in the nice, spacious dining room. There is table and booth seating, with a chalkboard at the front door instructing people to seat themselves. So, we did, occupying a booth near the front of the restaurant. Relaxing music played throughout our stay.
Kristen was johnny-on-the-spot to take our drink order (we both had water with lemon). With such a small crowd, I expected good service, and that’s what we received.
Both the front and back of Papa’s menu is filled with choices. From burgers to “oversized” po-boys to salads to baskets, if you can’t find something to eat, that’s on you. There are also starters available, as well as “Meal Specials”. However, since I was going to Papa’s specifically for a burger, that was my focus.
I had plenty from which to choose. There were 10 “Big Burgers”, and seven “Specialty Burgers”. I’m pretty conservative when it comes to my hamburgers, so I focused on the “Big Burgers”, which ranged from a basic hamburger to a Cajun Bacon Cheeseburger.
I chose to order a Mushroom Swiss Burger, which came with French fries. But there was another decision to make. Papa’s burgers come in two sizes. You can either have a half burger, or a whole burger. I asked Kristen what most people order. She said a whole burger was so big, that if that’s what I chose, I should plan on taking a nap afterwards. Lucky for me, my afternoon was free, so, as they say, go big or go home. I had a whole Mushroom Swiss Burger ($16.75).
My friend thought long and hard about having one of Papa’s baskets, or one of their Meal Specials. But she had previously had the Grilled Chicken Salad ($14.99), enjoyed it, and didn’t want to run the risk of being disappointed with something else.
As the minutes passed, my anticipation grew. I expected to be served the biggest hamburger I had ever seen. I expected the bun to be lathered with mayonnaise and piled high with meat, lettuce, tomato, and pickles (I left off the onions). Heck, I figured I should probably go ahead and unbuckle my belt! I had resigned myself to the fact the burger would be so big, I would have to take half of it home.
I set my expectations too high.
Was the burger big? Well, it was bigger than a McDonald’s burger. Was it bigger than a Whataburger? Maybe, but it was hard to tell since the burger was served as two halves. Was it so big I wouldn’t be able to eat it in one sitting? No. I ate the entire burger. I am writing this review five hours after dining and haven’t felt the need to take a nap.
As for the burger’s taste? It was fine. Frankly, I thought it was a middle-of-the-road burger. I didn’t taste the Swiss cheese, and I didn’t taste the mushrooms. In fact, there wasn’t a distinct taste of anything. The burger was lukewarm at best, as were the fries, which were also too crunchy for my liking.
My friend’s salad was just what she expected, and that was a good thing. It was loaded – and I mean loaded – with grilled chicken, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, purple cabbage slices, carrot slices, shredded cheese, and croutons. In a bit of irony, my friend’s salad was so big, she had to take part of it home, while I cleaned my plate.
We were in and out in an hour. The cost of our meal before tax and tip was $31.74. I appreciated the fact that Papa’s tip suggestions were based on that subtotal, and not the total including tax.
Papa & Company is a nice place with good food and a lot of variety, so I give it Three Forks. My friend loved her salad, and there were as many ingredients in that bowl as I’ve ever seen in a salad. Could my burger and fries been better? Yes, but I’ve had worse. And I’m still looking for the biggest and best burger in Shreveport-Bossier.
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.
