Lagniappe exceeds expectations

When a restaurant has “steak and “seafood” as parts of its name, one can usually count on the kitchen being better at one than the other. Happily, we liked both at Lagniappe.

The inviting eatery has one large and one smaller dining area, and a long bar. The small dining area where we were seated featured a large wall mural of a Louisiana swamp scene dominated by an egret, and smaller murals of fishermen in a bayou repeated along the walls. Both were understated and pleasing to the eye.

We started the evening off with an appetizer of Cajun potato balls ($6.95). The four servings, slightly smaller than tennis balls, were lightly fried and packed with fluffy potatoes, bacon and cheese, like mini baked potatoes. They were quite delicious when dipped in the accompanying sour cream.

A guest tried the 12-ounce steak and shrimp ($17.95) and found the sirloin, cooked rare as ordered, tender and not overly seasoned so the flavor of the beef prevailed. The four shrimp were nicely grilled to a juicy doneness. Our server, Hilary, had suggested this choice over adding shrimp to a ribeye for $3 more. We appreciate such tips when dining someplace for the first time.

The chicken supreme ($10.95) featured a marinated chicken breast topped with shrimp in a slightly spicy cheese sauce. The chicken was very moist, and the sauce a nice complement, along with the side dish of well-seasoned smothered potatoes. This dish, as well as the steak and shrimp, came with two slices of crusty, grilled garlic bread and a house salad of mixed greens, tomatoes and croutons, all quite fresh, with a creamy ranch dressing.

The seafood potato ($12.95) was an oversized baked potato filled with small shrimp, lump crabmeat and crawfish in a cream sauce loaded with cheese. There was a good seafood-to-potato ratio, which a guest appreciated. Quite large, there was enough to take home for a lunch later.

Another guest ordered the half-rack of ribs ($12.95) which came with a house salad and side dish of sweet potato fries. The ribs were fork-tender with a good smoky flavor, but could have used a bit more sauce. She enjoyed the plump, and not overly fried sweet potatoes.

We took home a dessert, the fried blueberry cheesecake ($6.95). The creamy cheesecake filling was encased in a flour tortilla, fried, and topped with blueberry sauce. Delicious.

Lagniappe also has varied lunch and kids’ menus, salads, pastas and some Mexican dishes.