By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Contributor
Both my daughters attended Centenary College, so for eight years I found myself in and around that part of town, whether dropping something off or going to one of their soccer games. When in that area I would frequent Papa & Company, 545 East Washington Street, Shreveport. Sadly, now that my youngest graduated in 2025, I haven’t been back. I just don’t find myself in that area much during the day.
While looking at places to eat this week, I was thinking about burgers, and where I could go to get a good one. It didn’t take much for me to remember one of the best ones I’ve ever had, from Papa’s!
I didn’t have time to eat there as I had some friends coming over to help fix the A/C in my car. It’s good to have friends that know how to do that. I ordered a few items so none of us would go hungry on a hot afternoon.
Papa’s burgers are what I always ordered in the past. That year and a half since I was last there did not cool my love for their burger. This week I ordered the regular cheeseburger, which is a ¾ pound patty on a freshly baked bun. It is a big burger, juicy with a great meat-to-bun ratio (that can make or break a burger) with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion.
I ate half of it and shared the rest with my friends, who had never had Papa’s before. I think they wanted more! Luckily I ordered Shrimp and Crawfish Po-Boys. Those were really what I ordered for them. I did cut a little taste of both for me to try before they grabbed theirs.
The Po-Boys were very good, cooked perfectly. Both have a good kick to them, The lettuce and tomato were very fresh and the remoulade sauce added a nice touch to the Po-Boys. Papa’s also bakes their Po-Boy buns fresh daily, and that puts these in the elite category.
These meals all come with fries that are very tasty. I chose to upgrade one of them to funnel cake fries, something I’ve seen on menus before but had never tried. The funnel cake fries were good and sweet. There was an almost dessert-like flavor that satisfied my sweet tooth for the day.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget the places that have been around for a long time, and my visit back to Papa’s reminded me that these places have been in business for a reason — their food is good. I think Papa’s gained a couple new customers, with my friends having finished every last bite of their food, then asking where Papa’s is located.
Lunch was well worth it, as my A/C is back to blowing ice cold air.
Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net
