Before having lunch at the Garden Grille and Bar – a restaurant located inside of the new, dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites in Bossier City – I had managed to get my expectations up pretty high. Several friends who are regular lunch patrons had told me about the quality of their southern fare, especially the fried catfish special on Fridays and fried chicken on Wednesdays; so, I expected good things. But I didn’t expect what I ended up eating, which was the hands-down best plate of southern-fried pork chops I’ve ever eaten.
These pork chops were tender, juicy, and coated in a delicate, flaky breading which almost reminded me of tempura batter due to its airiness. Nothing about these pork chops was heavy, greasy or tough. At some point, I began to wonder if I was over-reacting, or if these pork chops were really that good. Eavesdropping on the next table answered my question.
“Can I get you any dessert?,” the server asked.
“If I had room for dessert, I’d order more of these pork chops,” one of the diners said.
“Will you please tell the cook,” another guy piped in, “that this pork chop brought tears to my eyes?”
The server, Mona, walked over to the window and reported: “This gentleman said to tell you the pork chops made him cry.”
A server working the other side of the restaurant, overhearing this exchange, started to laugh. “That’s what my customer over here just said!,” she said, indicating a gentleman seated across the dining room. The two guys who’d cried over the pork chops exchanged an awkward wave. You’ve gotta love Louisiana.
If southern cooking isn’t your thing, the regular lunch menu sports some impressive options like a Tuscan lemon herbed chicken wrap ($10), red pepper and gouda bisque ($6) and a great-looking cobb salad ($10). I looked over the evening menu as well, which surprised me with options ranging from a pork shank ossobuco ($19) to a Tuscan ragout ($15) and fish and chips ($14). I look forward to returning for dinner soon. This time, I will bring Kleenex. Just in case.
The Garden Grille and Bar is located inside of the Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites by Hilton Shreveport/Bossier City, 2015 Old Minden Road, Bossier City. Blue plate specials are $9 plus tax and are served, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m.
