By the time I’d driven out to the Longwood General Store in Mooringsport, taken a seat in the gas station/convenience store/restaurant’s dining area and taken a look at the menu, I was already making a mental list of friends that I’d like to invite to accompany me to this magical place. The truth is, I was a fan within 30 seconds of pulling into the parking lot. The food could have been mediocre, and I’d still have left raving about the uniqueness of the place. But, as it turns out, the food at Longwood General Store is pretty great – especially for the price.
Longwood General Store is located at 3502 Highway 169, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Shreveport via I-20 West and Highway 169. The remote country store has been there since time immemorial, and in the last 20 years or so has built up a reputation as an outstanding place to eat ribeye steaks, country breakfast platters and daily lunch specials.
My wife, Sara, and I ate medium rare, 16-ounce boneless ribeyes rubbed with Montreal steak seasoning ($21.95), which were served with a baked potato, salad, and (I found this strange, maybe it’s not) a platter of cheddar cheese cubes and crackers. Steaks range in price from $19.95 (9 oz.) to $51.95 (a whopping 48 oz. steak). We drank $3 cocktails with names like Black Metal and Bacardi Refresher that were delivered to our table by Tammy, the bartender from the casino next door, who came back later to see how they tasted. There was no pretense of fine dining whatsoever, but there was great food on the plate, friendly and attentive service, wallet-friendly cocktails and a dining room packed with people who appeared to appreciate all of those things.
As I paid, the manager inquired about my camera and asked what I thought of the place. I told her that I loved it. She apologized for the place being “kind of podunk.” If there hadn’t been a guy behind me at the register, waiting to ring up a six pack of Budweiser tallboys, I would have told her this:
“Ma’am, there is nothing podunk whatsoever about serving a kick-ass ribeye, cooked exactly to the temperature that I requested, for about $20. And there is nothing podunk about Tammy’s $3 cocktails, especially now that I am seeing more and more $13 cocktails on menus. Please don’t ever change a thing about your operation.”
Thanks to Noma Fowler-Sandlin and Brett Malone for encouraging me to visit Longwood General Store. The Longwood General Store is open 24/7, but the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Steaks are only served on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
