Do you love sweet potato pie? If so, then you don’t really need to read any more of this blog post. You can save yourself some time by just going ahead and getting in the car and driving to Cassandra’s Louisiana Kitchen (9001 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport). If you’re reading this in the middle of the night, wait until they open at 11 a.m. and then head that way.
Some folks would call Cassandra’s Louisiana Kitchen a “soul food” place, but that would be an oversimplification, despite the fact that they serve the tenderest and most flavorful greens that I’ve ever had in an open-daily restaurant in Shreveport-Bossier. They also prepare a killer from-scratch chicken fried steak (it’s the daily special on Tuesdays), exemplary fried catfish on Fridays, and oxtails that numerous customers at neighboring tables have suggested I try.
There’s a lot of Cajun and Creole cooking on the menu, which I have to admit that I have not tried. On my most recent visit, a Friday lunch rush, the restaurant was packed – not an empty table in sight – and at least 75% of the tables had ordered the crawfish cornbread supreme. This appetizer is a big chunk of sweetish cornbread smothered in crawfish étouffée. It looks fantastic, but I’ve been too busy attempting to eat my way through the list of daily specials thus far to try it.
But that sweet potato pie, though. If there’s a dessert that is more representative of the Southeastern United States, I don’t know what it is. And this version could serve as the standard that others must measure up to. It is insanely rich with nutmeg, creamy and unforgettable. If I could eat one dessert in Shreveport right now, a slice of this pie would be my choice. So, order whatever you want – you can’t go wrong with the lunch specials – but save room for pie, if you can.
Another aspect of this restaurant that has impressed me on multiple visits has been the service that I’ve received. Each of my three visits has been during the lunch hour, and the restaurant has been hopping with dine-in and take-out orders. But I’ve never felt rushed or ignored, and my servers have been courteous and relaxed each time. It feels as though someone at the top is really running this place the way that a restaurant ought to be run, and that’s a beautiful thing to experience.
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