Shreveport Eats
Our neighbor to the north has an impressive food scene
Admittedly, we New Orleanians can be a bit pretentious when it comes to our food. When you live in the place that birthed Creole cuisine and has been successfully appropriating Cajun culinary traditions for more than fifty years, it’s easy to scoff at the idea of another Louisiana city offering a restaurant scene that can even compare. This is why I was pleasantly surprised (even shocked) to discover that Shreveport and Bossier City have accumulated a wide assortment of restaurants that can stand up even to the massive selection in New Orleans, with an added dose of small-town charm.
“Shreveport-Bossier’s geographic location is probably the most obvious influencing factor on our culinary culture,” said Chris Jay, local food blogger and public relations and social media manager of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau. “In a way, we’re sort of a border town, with Texas barbecue traditions to our west and Cajun and Creole cuisine to the south. Influences from both of those cultures find their way here like pollen on the breeze…” Jay said that the massive nearby Barksdale Air Force Base also contributes international flavors like Vietnamese, Korean, German, and Peruvian to Shreveport and Bossier City. He emphasized too the influence of country cooking or “soul food” in the area: “Some of the greatest meals I’ve ever eaten up here have fallen into that category: ‘meat and three’ lunches with candied yams, hot water cornbread, and black-eyed peas.”
I was incredibly fortunate to explore every facet of this eclectic culinary scene guided by the Yoda of Shreveport-Bossier restaurants himself, Chris Jay; I was part of a group of six journalists from around the South to whom he expertly introduced the area—and brought us to all of the best restaurants, he did.
For New Orleans-style food at a higher elevation:
Situated in the funky-fun digs of a converted service station is the Shreveport brunch staple, Marilynn’s Place. We in the South love a boy who loves his mama, so it’s hard not to be charmed that Robert “Bozz” Baucom named his restaurant after his mother. Bozz garners himself further points with this New Orleanian by serving gumbo with a dark, full-bodied roux and a wide assortment of sloppy po-boys on Gambino’s French bread. Marilynn’s cranks out beignets any time of the day, and even as a New Orleans tour guide, I’m not too proud to admit: this North Louisiana joint serves the flakiest, tastiest beignets I’ve ever had, in the Big Easy or beyond (with apologies to Café du Monde). They even serve bottomless drinks with their famous Sunday brunch, another surefire way to win a New Orleans girl’s heart.
On the healthy side:
When you’ve consumed so much fried food that you begin to feel like a trip to the cardiologist might be in order, pop over to Well+Fed Louisiana instead, and these cheerful vegans will fix you right up. They serve delicious cold-pressed juices, vegan and gluten-free baked goods, smoothie bowls, creative toasts, and other tasty (and miraculously, healthy) breakfast and lunch options out of a beautiful and bright converted home in a lush residential neighborhood on Egan Street. Their vegan and gluten-free baked goods are provided by Scratch House Kitchen, a local small-batch bakery owned and operated by Monika Thompson. While recovering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the nurse-by-trade changed her diet entirely to move toward clean eating, and in the process learned new, healthier ways to bake. She opened Scratch House Kitchen last summer and has been providing her community with healthy and delicious treats as decadently delicious as their less-healthy counterparts ever since—a particular godsend for kids growing up in the area with dairy and gluten allergies.
For riverside dining:
Offering creative cuisine and even more original cocktails with a patio overlooking the Red River, SALT, attached to the new Shreveport Aquarium, makes for a lovely riverside lunch in the sunshine. The menu ranges from a Vietnamese po-boy to a Japanese Poké Bowl to a take on the Cuban, and the “post-prohibition” menu of numbered cocktails is just as diverse. I tried the No. 2, which involves Genever (Dutch gin), Luxardo cherry liquor, lemon-infused honey syrup, and rosewater. For an additional special treat, try the Bluechai: a naturally blue herbal tea that turns hot pink with the acidity of a squeeze of lemon.
For Texas BBQ and Texas-sized portions:
It doesn’t matter where you’re from: a visit to Real BBQ and More feels a bit like coming home. That’s partially thanks to the comforting and gargantuanly portioned food, but mostly because of the warm geniality of owner and pitmaster Harvey Clay, referred to by regulars and strangers alike as “Papa”. Papa originally hails from Midland, Texas, and that’s reflected in the style of his slow-smoked barbecue; including ribs, homemade sausages, turkey, pulled pork, and brisket smoked for up to fourteen hours. Each family member contributes their expertise on the phenomenal side dishes, which include all the old favorites like mac n’ cheese and potato salad. The star of the menu is the Now and Later BBQ Baked Potato, a behemoth of a baked potato topped with mac n cheese, more cheese, and five different types of meat. So named because it’s enough to enjoy now and later, it could probably be called the “Feed a Village for a Week” instead.
The star of the menu is the Now and Later BBQ Baked Potato ... so named because it’s enough to enjoy now and later, it could probably be called the “Feed a Village for a Week” instead.
Because who doesn’t like Mexican food:
Chef Gabriel Balderas has a fresh take on Mexican: the farm-to-table meat and produce he uses at El Cabo Verde is as quality as they come, and he isn’t afraid to get creative with his menu. After indulging in a spicy margarita featuring fresh-squeezed lime juice, cilantro, and jalapenos and an appetizer of shrimp ceviche, move on to the pork carnitas or shrimp tacos on warm, hand-made tortillas. The chips made with those same tortillas and complimentary red and green salsas are another major bonus in an age where free chips and salsa are increasingly hard to come by.
After indulging in a spicy margarita featuring fresh-squeezed lime juice, cilantro, and jalapenos and an appetizer of shrimp ceviche, move on to the pork carnitas or shrimp tacos on warm, hand-made tortillas.
For amazing Chinese food and an extensive global wine list:
Lucky Palace owner Kuan Lim, originally from Malaysia, said that in 1997 he was on his way to visit San Antonio to decide if he wanted to move there when he stopped in Bossier City. He liked the people and the town so much, he decided to stay, and twenty years later the locals are glad he did. His menu is expansive and consists of elevated Chinese food, Thai curries, noodles, and other dishes from throughout Asia. I’m still daydreaming about the duck on scallion pancake appetizer, in particular: tender, shredded duck with white scallions and a strip of crispy red duck skin, accented with hoisin and balanced delicately atop a thin scallion pancake. Conveniently, the large tables are equipped with lazy Susans to optimize stealing off of your friend’s plate.
He liked the people and the town so much, he decided to stay, and twenty years later the locals are glad he did.
As extensive and diverse as the food menu is, the wine list is even more impressive, boasting more than 3,000 wines from around the world. Lim has even invested in an expensive re-corking system to allow guests to try a glass of a fine wine, without opening an entire bottle. Wine and Chinese food might sound an ideal night in, but the laid-back but gourmet atmosphere of Lucky Palace makes for a memorable and fun evening you won’t regret venturing out for.
For a pint:
Lindsay and Andrew Nations named their craft-beer operation Great Raft Brewing after the massive log jam that at one time blocked the Red River and had to be cleared by Captain Shreve, earning him his place as the town’s namesake. Their top seller is the Commotion Pale Ale, a light but full-bodied ale with well-balanced notes of hops and citrus. My favorites were the Creature of Habit, a smooth brown ale, using locally roasted Rhino Coffee, with notes of hazelnut and toffee and a surprisingly dry finish; and the Born in a Barn Saison brewed with ginger, lime, and bread yeast. Their taproom is open and modern, with huge windows overlooking the brewery. Free tours are offered at 1, 2, and 3 pm on Saturdays.
To satisfy your sweet tooth:
In 2016, Chef Blake Jackson was the winner of the Louisiana Food Prize’s coveted Golden Fork, and in September of 2017 he took those skills and opened Whisk Dessert Bar, the first dessert-only restaurant to sweeten up the Shreveport scene. In addition to house-made gelato, cookies, and locally-roasted coffee, Jackson serves up some of the most delicately and decadently crafted desserts around. A thin waffle cannoli comes filled with chantilly mascarpone creme and strawberries sautéed in Grand Marnier. A beautiful and rich chocolate mousse dome is served with a chocolate meriglaze and crunchy caramel crack (aptly named, because it’s addictive).
For local character:
If you want to feel like you’ve had an authentic Shreveport experience, you can’t miss Herby-K’s. The oldest continually-run restaurant in the city has been owned and operated by the same family since 1936 and still offers the World Famous Shrimp Buster invented by Herby K himself in 1945: shrimp pounded thin before being deep fried and served atop a toasted open-face poboy loaf, accompanied by its signature secret sauce (I wouldn’t place a bet, but there seems to be ketchup and worcestershire involved). The Pink Flamingo rum punch cocktail served in a massive goblet easily rivals a hurricane, in my book.
And it’s impossible to visit Shreveport or Bossier without making a breakfast pilgrimage to Strawn’s Eat Shop, a local staple since 1944. With more than six Southern Living write-ups, you don’t need me to tell you how good the strawberry icebox pie is; but I will add that the massive biscuits are pretty impressive as well.
Visit 20x49.shreveport-bossier.org for more on Shreveport-Bossier’s food and drink scene.