21 Dishes Worth the Drive Around Louisiana

Of the many aspects of Louisiana culture that lure visitors to explore the state and compel Louisianians to come back home, our theory is that food is at the top of the list. Each region has its own specialties, and some dishes are statewide staples. But you don’t have to be a Louisiana expat to drive far and wide to satisfy a craving. In this year’s installment of our annual travel guide, we’re exploring 21 dishes worth the drive. These are the tasty eats and treats that live rent-free in this reporter’s and some of the other staff’s minds and compel us to traverse hours north, south, east and west to enjoy once more. We think you’re gonna feel the same way. Forks up y’all, it’s time to depart on a food lover’s adventure.

The Salmon Koho at Tsunami Sushi at the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge is a work of art on a plate and a flavor bomb to boot. For texture lovers, this dream dish has a satisfying mix of crunchy, crispy, smooth and velvety.

RIVER PARISH | Salmon Koho

Tsunami Sushi
100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge
batonrouge.servingsushi.com

When it comes to places to see and be seen, Tsunami Sushi has it all. Nearly wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of the Mississippi River, sleek modern interior design, a rooftop lounge and fresh, artfully crafted and presented sushi merge to transport viewers to a place that feels both at the literal height of Baton Rouge and at the same time, some other city entirely. Located in the Shaw Center for the Arts, this is Tsunami’s first location in Baton Rouge, with the second in the Highland neighborhood, another in New Orleans and the original in Lafayette. We go for just about everything, but the Salmon Koho, which is a burst of flavor, color and texture with a crispy rice “cake” (think crab cake) topped by creatively arranged avocado slivers and diced salmon tossed in spicy sauce.

When we’re in Downtown Baton Rouge, we always hit The Main Lobby’s rooftop bar. It’s a chic, yet casual, spot to catch the sun setting over the Louisiana State Capitol building and sip a spirited cocktail. 668 Main St., themainlobbybr.com.

RIVER PARISH | Thin-fried catfish

Middendorf’s
30160 U.S.-51, Akers
middendorfsrestaurant.com

It’s not popular to admit, especially in the South, but some among us don’t like catfish. We generally keep our heads down and order something else. But all bets are off at Middendorf’s. The thin-fried catfish is perfectly seasoned, crispy and not at all fishy. This is a catfish hater’s catfish.

photo courtesy Cocha

RIVER PARISH | Cioppino

Cocha
445 N. Sixth St., Baton Rouge
cochabr.com

Innovative, local, sustainable and delicious define the menu at Cocha. This downtown Baton Rouge eatery has something for everyone, whether you are a meat and seafood lover, vegetarian or vegan. We love the Cioppino with Louisiana Gulf shrimp, little neck clams, mussels, seared scallops and a flavorful tomato seafood broth.

CAJUN COUNTRY | Po’ Boy

Darrell’s
119 W. College St., Lake Charles
darrellspoboys.com

A po’boy from Darrell’s is a bit of a rite of passage. If you bring up Lake Charles, someone will ask if you’ve had one. It’s odd, but who are we to thumb our noses at cultural initiations? Opened in 1985, by Susie and Darrell DeRouen, Darrell’s has grown, but it’s still in the fam. The signature sandwich, the Darrell’s Special, is piled high with ham, turkey and roast beef and is served with roast beef gravy. Initiation by gravy? Sign us up.

Vestal is housed in a beautifully-designed space that serves as a veritable shrine to wood-grilled meat. Order the filet mignon with or without house-made chimichurri sauce and the carnivore in you will leave very satisfied.

CAJUN COUNTRY | Filet Mignon

Vestal
555 Jefferson St., Lafayette
vestalrestaurant.com

Vestal is a contemporary Southern restaurant known for the wood-grilled steak and seafood crafted simply (yet obsessively) by Executive Chef Sullivan Zant. The restaurant’s warm, creamy walls, curvilinear accents and surfaces and open kitchen keep the food in the spotlight. While simplicity is the name of the visual game, the flavors are beyond complex (in the best way). It’s our personal policy to order an eatery’s specialty, so steak it is. The filet mignon is cooked to perfection, sliced and served on a black-rimmed, white ceramic plate. Each bite melts in your mouth and is the kind of steak that inspired the saying “so tender you can cut it with a fork.” It is, and we do.

CAJUN COUNTRY | Bourgeois Hog Cracklings

Bourgeois Meat Market
543 W. Main St., Thibodaux
bourgeoismeatmarket.com

Is it just us or do you also sometimes have an undeniable craving for a cold, sweet Coca-Cola and a bag of warm, salty cracklins’? You know, the kind with the skin with a little fat on the back that are somehow both tender and crunchy? When this happens, nothing less than Bourgeois Hog Cracklings from Bourgeois Meat Market will do.

CAJUN COUNTRY | Biscuits and gravy

Downtown Jeaux
300 Church St., Houma
facebook.com/DowntownJeaux

Biscuits and gravy are not to be trifled with and those who appreciate the dish will search high and low for an excellent interpretation. Downtown Jeaux is doing the Lord’s work with its rendition. So much so, we’ve all but abandoned making it at home in favor of going there to get it. Fluffy biscuits are ladled with sausage gravy that is just the right thickness and as flavorful as your mawmaw’s.

CAJUN COUNTRY | Old-Fashioned Cheeseburger and Onion Rings

Cotten’s Famous Hamburgers
2001 Oak Park Blvd., Lake Charles
cottensfamoushamburgers.com

Cotten’s Famous Hamburgers opened in 1982, but it feels like it has been there since the ‘40s. This old-school diner slings fried catfish and other diner fare, but go here for the burgers at least once. Juicy beef ground in-house, fully dressed, and if you are feelin’ crazy, get it with bacon. The only regret you’ll have is if you don’t get a side of the beer-battered onion rings. Oh, and the prices are also straight out of another era with the hamburgers starting at $2.89.

Don’t visit Acadiana without planning a jaunt to Bayou Teche Brewing. The beer is superb, the vibes immaculate and you can also get tiki drinks, play video games and eat pizza at Cajun Saucer Pizza. 1002 Noth Lane, Arnaudville, bayoutechebrewing.com.

SPORTMAN’S PARADISE | Elk Loin with Caramelized Mississippi Sweet Potato Tostones

Parish Restaurant
318 N. Second St., Monroe
parishrestaurant.com

Many know Cory Bahr as the chef who in 2017 “Beat Bobby Flay” on the Food Network show by the same name, or from his turn that same year as a finalist on “Food Network Star.” Others may know him from his earlier reign in 2011 as the King of Seafood, having taken the title in the Louisiana Seafood Cook-off and the Great American Seafood Cook-off. Bahr has also held the titles of “People’s Best New Chef,” and Food Network’s “Chopped” Champion, among many others. The title he holds most dear, however, is Louisianian, and he serves as a culinary ambassador for the state, participating as a board or council member in organizations dedicated to promoting and maintaining sustainable practices and a stable fishing industry. In 2018, Bahr opened Parish Restaurant in his hometown of Monroe (where he also owns Standard Coffee Co. and Heritage Catering & Events, with a sushi concept scheduled to open this year). At Parish, we can’t get over the Broken Arrow Ranch Elk Loin. The dish is served with elk from an Ingram, Texas exotic game ranch, caramelized sweet potato (sourced from Mississippi) tostones, a green curry spiced sweet potato purée, Fresno peppers and finished with a chimichurri and black garlic molasses. Can we get an amen?

When you’re up North, grab a cold craft beer at Flying Heart Brewing in Bossier City (also in West Monroe and Natchitoches). Located in Historic Fire Station Number 6 in Old Downtown Bossier, the brewery is a family affair and a lot of fun. 700 Barksdale Blvd., flyingheartbrewing.com

Chef Cory Bahr has accolades for days and continues to expand his Monroe culinary empire. At Parish Restaurant, we see the region through his inspired eyes. There’s no better example than his oak loin with caramelized Mississippi sweet potato tostones and green curry spiced sweet potato purée.

SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE | Stuffed Shrimp

Orlandeaux’s Cafe
5301 S. Lakeshore Drive, Shreveport
facebook.com/Orlandeauxs

Damien “Chapeaux” Chapman, owner of Orlandeaux’s Cafe in Shreveport, is often touted as culinary royalty — and rightfully so. Members of his family established Shreveport’s Freeman & Harris Café in the ‘20s. While you can’t go wrong with anything on the Orlandeaux’s menu, the main event is the stuffed shrimp. The iconic Shreveport dish features butterflied shrimp stuffed with Creole-seasoned crabmeat dressing and covered in a spicy cornbread batter. The concoction is then formed by hand into an oblong shape, egg-washed and fried. We make sure to pop in to grub on this when we are up North.

SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE | Banana Pie

Strawn’s Eat Shop
125 Kings Highway, Shreveport
facebook.com/strawnseatshop

We imagine when David Lynch wrote the line, “I plan on writing an epic poem about this pie” for Agent Gordon Cole in “Twin Peaks,” he was talking about the icebox pies at Strawn’s Eat Shop. Strawn’s has seen various iterations since originally opening in 1944, and while the scenery may have changed, the pie is forever a work of perfection. Whipped cream-topped pies on offer include strawberry, peach (when in season), chocolate, coconut, banana and butterscotch. We are partial to the banana. The creamy pudding center is positively loaded with banana slices, rendering it a veritable health food. (Don’t quote us on that.)

photo courtesy Delta Biscuit Co.

SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE | Delta Slam or Biscuit Sandwich

Delta Biscuit Co.
2252 Tower Drive, Suite 101, Monroe
deltabiscuit.com

The first time our editor visited the Delta Biscuit Co. in Monroe, she texted about the incredible biscuits. As biscuit connoisseurs, we had to know more. The Delta Slam features two eggs however you want ‘em, with ham, sausage patties or bacon. The biscuit sandwich pairs scrambled eggs with American cheese — oh so classic. The biscuits are buttery and fluffy and everything you want in this perfect style of bread. The best part — you can have ham, sausage, bacon or fried chicken on it.

There are an awful lot of places in Louisiana to get char grilled oysters, but few have the history and elegance of The Hotel Bentley in Alexandria. Also, house-made barbecue butter. Need we say more?

CROSSROADS | Chargrilled Oysters

The Bentley Room
The Hotel Bentley
200 Desoto St., Alexandria
visithotelbentley.com

In the early 1900s, a wealthy Louisiana lumber baron (originally from Pennsylvania) opened The Hotel Bentley in Alexandria. It’s said that Joseph Bentley built his hotel, inspired by the grand Capitol Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas, after being denied rooms at another local establishment. Not only did Bentley create luxe accommodations for travelers, but he also created an apartment (with a personal elevator) for his own use. Since then, the hotel has had many owners and many ups and downs (including closures), but today it’s a testament to its creator’s vision, complete with a residential tower. Hotel guests and the general public flock to the hotel’s restaurant, The Bentley Room, for business and pleasure and, if they are smart, for the decadent chargrilled oysters. Swimming in house-made barbecue butter, the oysters are a delectable must.

If you’re already in town and staying at The Hotel Bentley in Alexandria, drinks at The Mirror Room are a must. Cushy leather chairs, a cozy bar and a two-for-one happy hour? It’s a no-brainer. 200 Desoto St., bentleymirrorroom.com

CROSSROADS | Tacos Al Pastor

El Patio Mexican Grill
12049 Texas Highway, Many
elpatiomexicangrill.com

Confession: This reporter lived in Texas for over a decade and has only found comparable tacos al pastor outside of the Lonestar State three times. Twice was in Louisiana near the Texas border, unsurprisingly. The best of those was at El Patio Mexican Grill in Many. (The best of the best is, of course, found in Mexico, but needs must.) Crispy, flavorful pork. Fresh cilantro and onions. Corn tortillas. Go there and eat the tacos.

CROSSROADS | Coconut Cream Pie

Lea’s Lunchroom
1810 U.S.-71, Lecompte
leaslunchroom.com

We love a good pie, but we’ll drive well out of our way for a great pie and that’s what you’ll get at Lea’s Lunchroom. Our editor is partial to the coconut meringue. Seems she’s not alone as it’s one of Lea’s best sellers. You’ll go for the sweet snowflake coconut filling and keep coming back for the golden-brown meringue sprinkled with baked coconut flakes for a little crunch.

photo courtesy Explore Louisiana

CROSSROADS | A Meat Pie and a Crawfish Pie

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant
622 Second St., Natchitoches
lasyones.com

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant may not have invented the Natchitoches meat pie, but they certainly perfected it. Meat pies are said to be the product of Natchitoches’ Native American, French and Spanish culinary influences. In the ‘50s, butcher James Lasyone began crafting the recipe for his now- famous pies. In 1967, he opened his own meat pie kitchen. Ever since, Lasyone’s is the spot for crispy, spicy meat pies (and also crawfish pies added to the menu later by James’ daughter, Angela).

photo courtesy Jack Rose

GREATER NEW ORLEANS | Pork Cheeks with Polenta and Creole Meuniere Brunch Dish

Jack Rose
2031 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans
jackroserestaurant.com

Festive, fabulous and fun are a few adjectives that come to mind when talking about Jack Rose at the Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue. Brunch can get a little rowdy, in the best way, so grab your besties and don a flashy ensemble (sequins are encouraged) and prepare to dazzle and be dazzled. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you enter the lounge and your party is greeted by a colorful and monolithic painting of gold-grilled New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne. The pork cheeks with polenta and creole meuniere is quite simply a culinary wonder. Creamy polenta is gently topped with the meltiest, most piquant pork cheeks swimming in a pool of Creole meuniere. Unlike its French counterpart, comprised of browned butter, parsley and lemon, meuniere’s Creole cousin uses stock, heavy cream, aromatic vegetables and Worcestershire sauce. It is exceptional.

GREATER NEW ORLEANS | Turtle soup

Commander’s Palace
1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans
commanderspalace.com

Turtle soup is downright ubiquitous on Louisiana fine dining menus, but there is one that has a certain je ne sais quoi and it’s at New Orleans’ iconic Commander’s Palace. Savory, meaty, not too thin or too thick, it’s the best turtle soup to cross our palettes and we’re sure it’s not only because of the generous glugs of sherry swirled into the dish with a flourish.

Gumbo is ubiquitous across the state, but we all have our favorite place to get it when we’re not making it at home. Fond lovers of chicken and sausage gumbo with a dark roux will love the version at High Hat Cafe in New Orleans. Trust us and order it with the side of the sweet potato salad.

GREATER NEW ORLEANS | Gumbo with a Side of Sweet Potato Salad

High Hat Cafe
4500 Freret St.,  New Orleans
highhatcafe.com

Chicken, sausage and a deep, dark roux are the stuff of our gumbo dreams and High Hat delivers. We ask them to hold the rice in favor of a side of the sweet potato salad. It’s exactly what it sounds like: potato salad made with sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. While we admit it sounded weird the first time one of the servers suggested it to us, it only took one bite to set us straight. We’ve never looked back.

There are too many fabulous places to get cocktails in New Orleans, so we’re zeroing in on a hotspot with a fantastic view, Hot Tin. Housed in a former penthouse in the Pontchartrain Hotel, sip a glass of Champagne on the rooftop here and feel like the queen of the world. 2031 St Charles Ave., Floor 14, hottinbar.com

GREATER NEW ORLEANS | Gulf Fish Amandine

Palmettos on the Bayou
1901 Bayou Lane, Slidell
palmettosrestaurant.com

Palmettos on the Bayou is a not-so-secret secret in Slidell. The Acadian-style, rustic-yet-refined ambience, bayou views and elevated fare keep devotees coming back. You don’t get more local than Gulf Fish amandine. The fresh fish is lightly fried, served with a brown butter sauce topping and a generous sprinkling of toasted almonds. A seasonal green veggie adds pop. We love the live music Saturdays and Sundays.