Experience fine seafood at Francois Café
The name makes you think France. The menu makes you think French Quarter.
Francois Cafe in Zachary is definitely south Louisiana fare, but much more New Orleans than Pierre Part. Don’t go in expecting red beans and rice, etouffee or fried oyster po-boys. Do go in expecting interesting seafood with cream sauces, steaks, and a variety of chicken, seafood and pasta dishes attractively presented and, for the most part, moderately priced.
We didn’t go gaga over everything we tried on our recent visit, but there were no problems that would keep us from going back.
There are only two appetizers from which to choose, and we went with the onion rings ($7.95), which were fried extra crispy and served with a ranch dipping sauce.
Thickly battered, there was nothing wimpy about these rings, and there were plenty enough to satisfy our party of four.
The fried tilapia with crawfish sauce ($12.95) offered a large fillet of flaky tilapia fried with a light, crisp batter topped not only with sauce but with crawfish tails. The dish had, to us, the right amount of pepper to make it interesting but not overwhelm the other mix of flavors. It was served with “cafe potatoes” — small wedges lightly fried — and seasonal vegetables, in this case, broccoli, which we think was flavored with lemon and had enough firmness to be satisfying instead of limp.
The shrimp Marcella ($9.95) also pleased us. The large shrimp tails are served over a large bed of linguine with tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic accented with Marcella wine. Some might find this a bit strongly seasoned, but we enjoyed the bold flavor.
The 10-ounce filet mignon ($22.95) was a fine piece of beef — plenty of flavor, tender and moist, except for one of the edges, which was drier. We attribute some of that to it having been ordered medium well and coming out more on the well side.
It’s probably a good idea to ask the wait staff exactly how the kitchen defines terms to describe doneness. (It’s probably a better idea for restaurants to describe those terms on the menu.)
The only area where we left disappointed was with the grilled mahi mahi ($13.95).
The fish came topped with four grilled shrimp tails and spinach, and the flavoring was good and the presentation attractive, but the fish had a chewy texture that wasn’t pleasing at all.
The portions were generous, and our entire party decided to pass on dessert, though the assorted cheesecakes and chocolate cakes tempted us mightily.
The restaurant wasn’t crowded the night we went, so the service wasn’t put to the acid test, but our orders came out swiftly and our waitress was friendly and helpful.
Francois Cafe also is open for breakfast, with a variety of omelets, and has soups, salads and sandwiches for those who want something lighter for lunch or dinner.