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
Ever go to a restaurant and ask yourself, “Why don’t I come here more often?”
On a recent Tuesday, I was between appointments at lunchtime and looking for somewhere to eat. I wasn’t craving a particular taste, and open to most anything. Then, I saw a sign – Taziki’s Mediterranean Café (5821 Line Avenue, Suite A). Now, I had been to Taziki’s a handful of times, but for me, it’s an out-of-sight, out-of-mind place. I never see the restaurant advertised, so I don’t think about it. But, with time to spare and a growling stomach, I pulled into the parking lot.
At 11:30, I figured there wouldn’t be much – if any – of a wait. But once I walked in, I saw that wasn’t the case. There was a group in front of me looking over the menu, and several people in line. Although it can be frustrating, that’s a good sign when people are lined up to eat at a particular restaurant – especially before noon.
Taziki’s is set up so that you can browse their menu and decide what you want, before getting in line and placing your order. That works well, especially for those who are frequent customers and already know what they’re going to have. Since I was not a frequent customer, and didn’t know what I wanted, I studied the menu before taking my place behind others.
Like its name implies, Taziki’s menu has a heavy Mediterranean flair. You can choose from salad bowls, gyros, and pitas. Or you can “Build Your Own Feast” by choosing a protein, a side, and if you like, adding a salad. There are also “Daily Features” Monday-Thursday, and a pasta special Friday-Sunday.
I love salads, and the salads have had in the past at Taziki’s have been terrific. But since I was reviewing the restaurant for you, the reader, I thought I should try something a little less boring. The special on the day of my visit was the Spicy Harissa Chicken Gyro ($10.99), which came with chips and my choice of a side. I didn’t know the difference between Harissa chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken, so I decided to give the “feature” a try.
The morning of my visit, I woke up with the crud – sore throat, stopped up nose, etc. Shy of a Celestone shot, there’s nothing that soothes those symptoms like a good bowl of soup. Taziki’s only has one, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup ($4.49), so I added that to my order.
The inside dining area at Taziki’s is deceptively large. There are tables and booths in just about every space possible. But I would hate to see the restaurant’s electric bill, as the dining room was freezing!
Lucky for me, there was also outside seating. So, after placing my order at the counter (I was in line 12 minutes), I took my number, filled up my drinking cup with water (beverages are self-serve), grabbed a lemon slice, and headed for warmth.
Considering how busy Taziki’s was, I wasn’t surprised that it took a little longer than expected to get my food. But in due time, a lady brought a trey to my table with everything I ordered. An encouraging sign was that there was smoke rising from the soup. Sure enough, one sip confirmed the soup was hot, as it should be. One sip also confirmed that if you don’t really like the taste of lemon, you won’t like the Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. It just so happens I like lemon, so I was very pleased. The soup had a healthy mix of chicken, rice, carrots, and parsley flakes. You know a soup is good when you can’t get any more with a spoon, so you bring the bowl to your lips and turn it up.
The presentation of the gyro, fruit, and chips was impressive. While the gyro was wrapped in paper, the fruit – red grapes, watermelon, cantelope, melon, and pineapple – looked very fresh, and filled the bowl in which it was in. The chips weren’t plain chips. These had ridges – think Ruffles.
Once I unwrapped it, I saw a nice-sized gyro filled with thick chicken strips. Unfortunately, the strips weren’t hot, or even warm. While the menu said the gyro would come with mixed lettuce, grilled onions, tomatoes, and Taziki sauce, there was very little lettuce, less grilled onions, and one small tomato slice.
However, the amount of chicken, which was bathed in sauce, lessened my disappointment.
The gyro was good, spicy, and filling. I just wished it would have had more of the other promised ingredients.
Taziki’s offers four “Sweets.” While in line, I asked one of the workers if all the desserts were homemade. I appreciated his honesty in saying that the only dessert made in-house was the White Chocolate Lemon Cookies ($1.99). As I said, I really like the taste of lemon, so I included the cookies in my order.
If I didn’t believe the worker before I took a bite, I believed him afterwards. The cookies (there were two to an order) were soft, moist, and delicious. I could tell they weren’t long out of the oven.
The cost of my lunch before tax and tip was $17.47. For the amount and quality of food, I thought that was a fair price. Just the day before, a friend and I were talking about how these days, it’s hard to get away with lunch for much less than $20.
I give Taziki’s Mediterranean Café’ a healthy Three Forks. It’s a nice, clean restaurant which serves good food. And going there is a lot cheaper than going to the mediterranean.
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.
