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 root for the underdog, especially when it comes to local restaurant owners.
You know, the men or women who battle the chain eateries, just trying to get a small piece of the pie.
I heard a radio commercial for SoBo Café. I had also seen the restaurant’s Facebook posts. But I don’t get to south Bossier often. However, not long ago, I learned SoBo Café isn’t in south Bossier – it’s in north Bossier (5608 LA-3, Suite J.) That’s odd. Why would you have a restaurant in a part of town that contradicts the restaurant’s name?
In any event, on a recent Friday, I invited a friend to join me for lunch and see if SoBo Café was worth a visit, regardless of where it is.
We arrived around 12:15, and the first thing I noticed when walking in was how much larger the restaurant was, compared to what it looked like from the outside. The second thing I saw was that SoBo Café was more than a place to eat. The front of the restaurant is a retail space, featuring a variety of women’s apparel and accessories. My friend, a female, spent so much time looking that I had to call her away so we could order.
SoBo Café was heavy on beverages like Frappe’s, Latte’s, and Cappuccino’s. It also had a variety of “Refreshers” and milkshakes. In addition, SoBo Café had several items to satisfy my sweet tooth, like homemade cookies, homemade cheesecakes, and gelatos.
However, there weren’t many lunch food options. When looking at the menu before ordering at the counter, I counted six, including a slice of bread with toppings, a sandwich, and a salad. The other three were wraps.
While trying to decide what to eat, I noticed a “Lunch Special” sign at the register. For $12.99, I could have half a sandwich, a half cup of soup, a medium sweet tea, and crackers. For an extra .50, I could add chips, and for an additional $2.50, I could have a cookie. That sounded like a pretty good deal, so I ordered the special with a Northfield, which was ciabatta bread with turkey, avocado, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. There was one soup on this day, a poblano cheese soup, which was fine with me.
I quit tea cold turkey several years ago, so I asked to substitute for a soft drink, and my request was granted. However, SoBo Café didn’t have fountain drinks, only bottled drinks. That was okay, except my choices were limited to a Coke Zero, a Dr. Pepper, and a Sprite (I chose Sprite). I splurged and spent the extra .50 on chips. However, I wasn’t given a choice as to what kind of chips. When my meal was served, the chips were regular.
My friend also went with the lunch special. She chose to have the Eastfield, which was supposed to be a wrap with chicken, teriyaki, ranch, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, cucumber, and onion. My friend chose sweet peach tea to drink, and to add chips.
SoBo Café had really nice seating for around 40 people, in addition to the “Latte Room”, which is basically a private room for small get-togethers. There was soft, relaxing music playing throughout, leading my friend to say she really enjoyed the “Zen” vibe. I don’t know what that is, but I liked it as well.
When we were served our meals, I appreciated the fact they came on real plates instead of a Styrofoam container, or a plastic basket. I also appreciated my sandwich was a good size to be half of a regular size. In the center of the plate was a (real) bowl, half-filled with soup. The complimentary crackers, and the chips, were also on the plate.
My sandwich was loaded with everything promised. So much so, that some of the goodies spilled out when I took my first bite. What made the Northfield “delicious” instead of “good” was the ciabatta bread. I found out later the bread wasn’t homemade, but it sure tasted like it was.
Despite what my friend ordered being pictured on the menu as a wrap, it, too, came made with ciabatta bread. She liked the bread as well, and said “The combination of the teriyaki sauce and vegetables made for a unique, but good taste.”
While we were eating, a nice lady came over to ask how everything tasted. Come to find out, she was the owner (along with her husband). We had a nice chat. I was honest, and told her that while my soup wasn’t cold, it wasn’t hot, either. She was apologetic and offered to warm it up. My friend and I were a bit pressed for time, so I told her that wasn’t necessary.
I took the opportunity to ask the owner about the café’s name. She said SoBo Café used to be in south Bossier. When she changed locations, she didn’t want to give up the name recognition. However, she has had so many people tell her the name was confusing, that she is changing it. The café will soon be called Sweet Fern. (I asked her why that name, but didn’t really understand her answer).
After eating, my friend and I were so full, we didn’t have room for dessert. But the owner told us they made the cookies and cheesecakes. It’s hard to pass up homemade sweets, and we didn’t. We went back to the counter to get an up-close look at what we might want. I chose a White Macadamia Nut cookie, which was supposed to cost $2.50 according to the “Lunch Special” sign. However, when writing this, I noticed I was charged $3.50. (The lady wasn’t the one who took my order, so I understand how the mistake happened). My friend selected a slice of Millon Dollar Cheesecake ($6.99).
While it was big and soft, I didn’t think my cookie was anything special. In fact, it didn’t have much taste, if any. However, I had a bite (maybe two) of my friend’s cheesecake, and it tasted like a million dollars (see what I did there?). I asked the owner, and she said the cheesecake was made with coconut, pineapple, and nuts.
There’s a reason you don’t see a picture of the cheesecake, or of the small gelato ($5.49) we had. My friend liked them so much, she didn’t wait for me to take a picture before eating!
The cost of our meal before taxes was $41.96. I thought the lunch special was good for the price, but I thought the cheesecake, while good, was expensive.
I am giving SoBo Café (soon to be Sweet Fern) a solid Three Forks. The food, atmosphere, and owner taking time to check on us made for a really nice experience. You’ve seen people who just look like they work hard? The owners of SoBo Café had that look. They’re underdogs, just trying to get a small piece of the pie.
I’m rooting for them.
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.
