Eating in Monroe, LA

[VeryApe77]

Hello,

I'll be passing through Monroe, LA and I'm looking for good places to eat. Are there any? Sorry if this has been asked before, I'm pretty new to this whole thing.

[Chris Cognac]

My partner at work has a bunch of buddies there, I will ask him in the morning.

[Mayhaw Man]

I grew up in Monroe and my parents still live there.

Sadly, it is not one of the great restaurant townss in the universe, but there is a reason for this. This is one of the premier places on earth for eating in peoples homes. The entertaining/dining levels there could not be higher. The extended families of the founders of both Delta Airlines (which started in Monroe) and the family that first bottled Coca Cola live there and the money has spread around. That being said I would reccomend a couple or three places

The Warehouse-located in an old cotton warehouse on the bank of the Ouachita River (one of the ten most scenic in the country according to the Sierra Club) it is good for fresh gulf seafood and fried catfish. Nice atmosphere and very dependable service. Family owned and has been ther for about 25 years

Cascios-Sicilian Italian and Seafood. Very good, although the atmosphere is like something out of a bad seventies sitcom. Get the Trout Tony (trout and sauteed lump, an incredible bargain as there is a ton of crabmeat on this dish)

and a Wop salad.

Monroe's Steakhouse - If you have ever been to a Charthouse this place is very similar. Good meat, great fish, great salads, great cocktails, nice atmosphere (once again like the Charthouse)

If you are looking for a beer and a little atmosphere and some live music try Enochs. Nice place, good selection of draft (including a well pured Guinness) and usually pretty good regional (heavy on New Orleans and Delta region) music. The owner, Doyle Jeter, is an old hippie and a nice guy and alot of fun to talk to.

Not that this has anything to do with your question, but Monroe has the single worst newspaper I have ever read in an area the size of Ouachita Parish (200,000 people). Comically bad. A Gannett paper at it's worst.

Hope this helps.

[VeryApe77]

Thanks so much! That's great. I figured that it is most likely not the restaurant hub of the Southeast - but there's always some hidden gems! Thanks for the advice!

[Chris Cognac]

HI all...I'm Chris' partner here at HPD. I know the friggin town of Monroe and have put out an APB for good eateries. This is what I've gotten so far.

DeAngelos.....Italian food.... HOT TIP: calzones

Tokoyo....Tepan style Japanese cuisine w/ sushi bar

Mohawk Seafood Tavern.....duh, SEAFOOD!!!

Sorry, no addresses but Monroe isn't all that big and 411 can get the info you need. Check back later for more ideas.

Scott

[HungryC]

Bump: I'm headed to Fun-Roe for the LA Historical Assn meeting next week. Any additional ideas on tasty food in the area? Planning to drive I-55 to I-20, at least going north.

[chickenfriedgourmet]

Restaurant Sage - the Chef Cory Bahr used to be at Canards

http://restaurant-sage.com/chef.html

Edited March 12, 2009 by chickenfriedgourmet (log)

[HungryC]

I enjoyed Restaurant Sage.....had the shaved pear & gorgonzola salad, sauteed bacon-wrapped shrimp in butter & worcestershire over Anson Mills grits. This place ended up being right down the road from my hotel, and it has a congenial & spacious bar perfect for solo dining (nice patio, too). The chef circulated, even in the bar.

[tomproulx]

Hi- Just passed through that area. Had a neat meal at the Louisiana Cajun Fried Chicken and Catfish at 1534 Hwy. 594 in Monroe, about 2.5 miles off the interstate. The place is run by an Acadian family, originally from Jennings, La, who have run restaurants for 20 years or so. It's very basic cafe with no alchohol and lots of take out. Their boudin and Natchitoches meat pies are very good. Everything except the fried chicken is cooked when you order it. They are very happy to tell you where they get their shrimp, boudin and catfish - they really care about their food. It's not fine dining but it's great for lunch.

[Becca Porter]

Look, I still live in the Monroe area. It is true that most of my meals come out of my own kitchen. However, there are a couple decent places.

If you want a low-key meal, I absolutely love Catfish Charlie's on Louisville Avenue. They have fried catfish, shrimp poboys, fried pickles, etc. They also have salads with fried/broiled fish. I believe they have gumbo. Anyway, I always get a shrimp poboy and a basket of fried pickles. Awesome! They have an open kitchen and seem to cook everything from scratch. It is fresh and the bread is good. I love it.

If you just want pizza, Johnny's Pizza is a regional pizza chain that Louisiana (especially northern) is very fond of. It is certainly not gourmet, it is very much fast food, but extremely popular.

I have not eaten at Restaurant Sage, but I did love the chef's old restaurant (not that he owned it), Canard's. Unfortunately, Canard's closed.