Dinner With a View

Where you can find the finest waterfront dining and creative Southern cuisine throughout the Twin Cities.

Crispy fried catfish platters, mouthwatering po-boys, and good old-fashioned barbecue are just a few of the options to eat your way through the hundred-plus locally owned restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, and more in Monroe-West Monroe. 

Follow the enticing aromas of Louisiana alligator and honey-glazed venison to the contemporary Parish Restaurant & Bar. Owned and operated by Monroe native and award-winning Chef Cory Bahr, the restaurant specializes in sustainably sourced surf-and-turf, and you can even try out a few of Bahr's recipes for yourself here. For a bite of upscale Cajun cuisine complete with riverside vistas, make a reservation to dine on the deck at one of Monroe’s most enduring establishments, Warehouse No. 1 Restaurant, a neighborhood favorite for forty years.

Restaurant Cotton elevates classic Southern dishes with inventive twists like their pimento cheese beignets, for example—here, you’ll encounter familiar Louisiana dishes like blue crab and boudin sausage transformed into works of culinary art. Relaxation is on the menu at Waterfront Grill, a popular Monroe restaurant where patio dining is an everyday affair. Take in views of the slow-moving, cypress tree-lined Bayou DeSiard while enjoying an ice-cold lemonade and a BBQ shrimp po’boy, though its biggest claim to fame (hailed by Southern Living, in fact) is the Catfish DeSiard, baked with seasoned breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, mushrooms and shrimp.

Craving an authentic taste of North Louisiana? Dine at For His Temple Foods, the only locally owned certified gluten-free and dairy-free restaurant in the state. Utilizing mostly organic produce in its dishes, this healthy eatery serves up casseroles, salads, lasagnas, and more in an ever-changing menu.

If you’re hungry for more, check out Monroe-West Monroe’s countless other food and drink contenders here at monroe-westmonroe.org.