The Balcony

Wednesday lunch buffet. With a nearly full parking lot, you would believe that the food inside was worth the wait, no?

However, once inside, the buffet offered a meager selection of items which if cooked properly would have been more than enough to satisfy a hungry patron.

The fried chicken was dry and overdone. The chicken gumbo was bland with a slightly bitter roux. The mashed potatoes and gravy were passable. But I won't even mention the overcooked green beans. Desert was cheesecake which was passable, but completely average in it's offering.

Total cost: $10.75

I haven't ordered off the menu, but if it's anything like the buffet, it should be avoided at all costs.

Fried Goodness...

There are not too many choices for eating in LaRose, however you can't go wrong with Cajun/Creole in Southern Louisiana, right?!?  Especially when everybody in the place was local, except for us.

The menu is big, with all of the typical favorites.  I had the fried shrimp with a side of onion rings.  Others at my table had potato soup (which looked like a loaded baked-potato) and the broiled catfish with crab meat on top.  All was good and far from healthy.  It made the drive back to the big city hard to stay awake!

Finally, I can't finish the review without saying how good the service was.  Willa, (part?) owner of the place, never let my tea go empty and was very accommodating.  This truly is a great place to stop and have a bite to eat.

You'll probably never just happen upon this restaurant - since it's well off the beaten path.  WELL off.

This is the kind of place that I love - when I walked in for lunch, probably the only folks in there that didn't grow up in the area were my co-workers and I.  It's the real deal, no frills, and wonderful authentic down-home cookin'.

I had seafood gumbo which was delicious.  Very meaty, tasty, thick.  And only $9!

It's not fancy inside, you won't get a five-star meal, Zagat probably has never heard of Larose...a solid, memorable experience is what you will get.