Flavors of Louisiana

Flavors of Louisiana

13025 W Rancho Santa Fe Blvd
Avondale, AZ 85392

Four of us went for dinner at this venue. We were really looking forward to enjoying some real Cajun/creole food. In many ways we were not disappointed, and in a few ways we were.

We decided to try an assortment of items to get a real picture of the food here. We started out with some fried pickles and fried green tomatoes. Nice and tart with a good breading we were hopeful that it was the start of some great food to come. While some of us ordered soft drinks, two of our party ordered sweet tea. It was true to its name, being a real brewed southern style sweet (emphasis on the sweet) tea.

Next on the try list was Gumbo. They have a seafood gumbo and a chicken and sausage gumbo, both of which we ordered. The seafood gumbo was pronounced excellent by all, but the chicken and sausage gumbo seemed overcooked and the chicken a bit dried out.

Next were main dishes. The shrimp etouffee was wonderful. Flavor was right on and lots of shrimp in it.

The shrimp creole followed the same ideal, with great flavor and good spice in a rich tomato base. Next was a po-boy, the quintessential sandwich of Louisiana. Once again, flavor and fillings were spot on.

Finally, came the Jambalaya, and our big disappointment for the night. Totally dry, with rice that was definitely from the bottom of the pot. We called over our wait person who apologized and said they were running out and had given us the last of the pot. I realize that they wanted to please us by not saying they were out of a particular dish, but in this case I’d have been much happier if they had thrown it out and not tried to serve it.

Though we were getting full, we opted to try the desserts. The peach cobbler was a total winner. Warm with great flavor, it was true comfort food. The cheesecake was just ordinary, and our wait person informed us that it was brought in from an outside vendor.

Finally came the Beignets. I felt that with some chicory coffee I’d be eating in Café du Monde. They were ethereal, and properly covered in huge amount of powdered sugar which promptly got all over everything as it should.

Overall, this was a nice eating experience. Given the one blooper of serving the bottom of the pot, the rest of the meal was spot on in flavors and textures.

The restrooms and the restaurant were nicely clean and service as excellent.

4 stars for flavor, quality of food, service, and cleanliness