LA Seafood House

I had never heard of LA Seafood House until they did a burger contest that I decided to participate in.  That was a while back and I hadn’t had the chance to visit again, until now.  It’s a ways down Ridge Road, actually into Duscon, but they always seem to be busy.  The specialty seems to be seafood and local favorites, but they also do a Brazilian grill some nights of the week(which we will be back for later).  For now, we tackle the two steaks off the menu.  Also of note, this is the first truly local and non-chain restaurant we're reviewing!  Something we hope to do a lot more of.

1917 Ridge Road.   Duson, LA 70529
http://www.laseafoodhouse.com/





Boudreaux’s Ribeye, medium rare.

1.  Price.  $27.99.  Steak plus two sides.

2.  Look

The look speaks for itself.  Though it is quite a hefty cut, about an inch and a quarter thick.  The overall size shouldn’t overwhelm many eaters.

3.  Cooked to Doneness

The ribeye was probably somewhere in that middle ground between medium rare and medium, which I don’t mind at all.  Maybe more towards the medium corner.  Sometimes it is difficult to manage the temperate range of larger cuts of steak, but this was an acceptable offering, due to the fact it didn't hinder the taste or the juicyness.

4.  Taste

This is one of the most tender, most delicately flavored ribeyes I’ve had in a long time and it was almost all pure beef to boot.  There was very little in the way of excess fat along the outside of the steak.  It must have been a well marbled piece of meat, due to the wonderful tenderness and moisture throughout the steak.  A fine steak.

5.  Seasoning

I know I’ve said before some places prefer to let their meat speak for itself, which is all I can assume was done here.  The steak had very little in the way of seasoning.  Under salted and barely any pepper, if any at all.  Though this can be remedied with the myriad of seasoning offerings that are on each table in the restaurant, including individual sea salt and black pepper grinders.  Sometimes I sauce, sometimes I don’t, but I found the Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce to go quite yummy with the ribeye.

6.  Bang for the Buck

Coming in at $27.99, that’s moving towards the upper tier of restaurant steaks.  Even though the steak was under-seasoned, I think I’ll still recommend it due to the tenderness and flavor you probably won’t find outside many high dining establishments.  And as I mentioned, there is a full arsenal of spices and sauces to season with at your disposal.  You’re not going to do much better than this for under 30 dollars, so I’d say give it a go.

-Aaron A. Aaronson



Petite Filet, medium rare.

1.  Price: $20.99.  Steak plus two sides.

2.  Look

I've got to say the steak was the least appetizing item to look at.  It didn't look bad, but it wasn't the usual source of excitement a steak is when it hits the table.  (Ed Note 1: I’m not a fan of when restaurants do this to a filet.  I understand it makes the cooking process a little easier, but why mash and flatten the filet into more of a steak patty?  It seems like that would damage the delicate meat of the filet.  Though I could be wrong, maybe it’s just a think cut off a very thick tenderloin)

3.  Cooked to Doneness

I'd probably go A- on this one.  Just a bit more done than I would like, but definitely pinkish red and warm throughout.

4.  Taste

The lack of a true, filet flavor diminishes this greatly.  Texture wise, Aaronson. and I agree this came off much less tender/melt-in-your-mouth than a typical filet.  That's two strikes, for those scoring at home.  I think you know where this is going.  (Ed Note 2: The menu lists this as a Prime filet.  I’m either betting it’s not Prime, or Optimus just got a bad steak.  The reason being is the utter lack of tenderness.  Maybe a regular cut of filet could be excused, but not a Prime.)

5.  Seasoning

Remember how Zea's paired their ribeye with a sauce that made everything better?  Well, LA Seafood House needs to either invest in a sauce or invest in seasoning.  My steak tasted like the only preparation that went into it was chopping it off the cow and throwing it on the grill.  The result was a steak that was flavor-neutral.  A-1 was made for steaks like this, but I'm pretty sure people don't go out to eat for a steak that isn't satisfying on its own.

6.  Bang for the Buck

It was a perfectly passable meal.  Had I paid $15 for round steak and the sides I received, LA Seafood House would be an All-Star.  Unfortunately, I did not.  The steak was bland, not particularly tender, and not really good looking.  Sounds like a candidate for the friend zone, at best.  Either order the Ribeye, or spare yourself the scenic drive down Ridge Road if you're chasing a good steak.

-Optimus Prime Rib