Try the Shrimp Busters
Published Jul 08, 2008
A lot of flavor – along with more than a dash of local color – awaits diners at Northwest Louisiana cafes and restaurants, where unique culinary traditions come with a generous portion of southern hospitality.
From Herby K’s, known for its tangy Shrimp Busters, to Moon’s Café and Grocery, where diners line up for cooked-to-perfection rib-eye steaks, the region’s homegrown restaurants continue to win new customers, even as more upscale and national chains pop up in the area.
“Lunch is fast and furious; we feed as many as we can,” says Angela Doe, a third generation owner at Herby K’s in Shreveport. “Dinner tends to be a little more slow-paced.”
Filled with collections of baseball caps, bottles, old photos and more, Herby K’s has operated out of the same small building since 1939, when it was started by Doe’s grandfather, Herbert Busi. Guests sit in booths, at a counter or on an enclosed patio to enjoy the seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee, hamburgers, fried oysters and Shrimp Busters, where shrimp are flattened and fried, then served atop buttered French bread.
“The Shrimp Buster came about sometime around 1945,” Doe says. “My grandfather was messing around the kitchen one day when he created it.”
Served with cole slaw, French fries and a secret dipping sauce, the Shrimp Buster is by far the most popular item on the menu.
“There’s no telling how many we’ve served,” Doe says. “Probably millions.”
Another signature Shreveport restaurant is Strawn’s Eat Shop. Don’t come to Strawn’s expecting a fancy “dining experience,” says co-owner Heather Gauthier, but there is a reason the restaurant has been around for nearly 65 years.
“Most people eat their food and get out in about 35 minutes,” Gauthier says. “It’s good, old-fashioned greasy food. And you can bring the kids.”
Opened in 1944 on King’s Highway in Shreveport, Strawn’s loyal customers can’t get enough of the home-made onion rings, fried chicken, hamburger steak and the famously delicious strawberry, coconut and chocolate ice-box pies. Two new locations have been added to the Strawn’s legacy: Eat Shop Too on East 70th Street and Strawn’s Eat Shop Also in Bossier City. Customers can expect the same taste traditions at each location, with 20-year veteran Strawn’s head cook Catherine Jackson overseeing food preparation in all three kitchens.
Strawn’s has undergone only two ownership changes over the years, and Gauthier’s family bought the restaurant in 1988.
“We’ve always had some incredibly talented employees who are really part of the family and understand the concept of the store,” says Gauthier, who started working in the family restaurant washing dishes and slicing strawberries at age 6. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Other gastronomic treats awaiting diners in Northwest Louisiana can be found at Mama’s Oyster House and Papa’s Bar and Grill, both in downtown Natchitoches, as well as Moon’s Café and Grocery in Claiborne Parish.
Overlooking the Cane River, Papa’s serves offers a wide variety of sandwiches, including hamburgers and poboys, fried seafood and steaks. Mama’s, right next door, specializes in seafood and offers live music on weekend nights.
Expect a combination of good food and a vintage atmosphere at Moon’s in Claiborne Parish on Highway 9 between Summerfield and Homer. Started as a grocery some 70 years ago by the Moon family of north Louisiana, the establishment was purchased in 1979 by Jerry Bailey, who personally grills the rib-eye steaks that have earned this off-the-beaten path restaurant a widespread reputation.
Diners sit at picnic tables covered with red checked tablecloths as they enjoy steaks cooked over a charcoal grill accompanied by white bread and baked potatoes. Groceries are still sold at Moon’s, too – from bottles of liquor to pickled eggs.
Story by Renee Elder
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