Big Mike's BBQ Smokehouse

Sometimes, you go to a restaurant and you're amazed at how good it is. You can't say anything bad about it. That's how I felt when I went to eat at Big Mikes's BBQ , located at 3034 Barrow Street, Houma, Louisiana. I've eaten BBQ at many places on the east coast of the USA. I've had North Carolina BBQ, some from Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. I've also had it in Texas. All of these places had pretty good BBQ. Some were better than others. So you can realize how surprised I was at just how good Big Mike's is. It may just be the best I have ever had. And it's right here in little ol' Houma! Now, I have to be honest. I feel that there are certainly some things on the menu that are better than others. For example, the turkey is not my favorite. However, it is the favorite of some of my friends. For me, it's the Beef Brisket. I love the tender, juicy slices of slow-roasted beef, containing just enough fat to make it good. If you don't like sauce (I do) on it, then order it on the side. For me, I want it covered with their own brand of smokey-flavored deliciousness. Their sausage is fantastic. I hear that Mike has it made to order according to his own recipe. It's juicy with no strange fennel flavor. The best thing about it is the aftertaste. It just makes you want some more. Let's not forget the Ribs. They are pork babyback ribs with some of that good fat and lots of meat. If you like it leaner, get the thin ends. They have less fat and more meat, but are a little chewier. Big Mike's menu has a full range of items that you would look for in a smokehouse. Everything from Ribs to Burgers, Fried Catfish, Chicken ant Turkey. Mike's side dishes are good old homegrown fare. I love the Mama's Green Beans as well as the BBQ Beans. They also have Jambalaya, Potato Salad, Spicy Cole Slaw, French Fries, and Corn on the Cob. The prices at Mike's are moderate. Entree's with two sides range from around $6.95, on up to the $20 range for a full rack of Babyback Ribs. They also do Tailgate Specials for those special occasions. As for me, it's one of my favorite restaurants in Houma. You can check out their website at http://www.bigmikesbbqsh.com. Their phone is 985-876-4477.

Paul's Drive-Thru, Chauvin, La.

Most food bloggers don't review fast food places. But when you live down in Chauvin, Louisiana, you can't ignore Paul's. It's located at 5020 Louisiana 56, Chauvin, LA 70344. A pretty unassuming place. You can get burgers there. Oh, and you can get chicken sandwiches, salads, and tenders. You can even find some wings. But the thing about Paul's is that you can also get some kickass steaks on a Saturday night. Not some little chuck steaks that are fried so much that you can sole a shoe. No, you get steakhouse quality steaks, covered with sauteed onions and mushrooms. Ribeyes, no less. You get a pistolette, baked potato with all the fixin's, a cold drink, and smiling service for under $20.00! Tell 'em how you like them cooked, because that's how you get them. If that wasn't enough, you get real utensils. A fork and a steak knife. They're not afraid to let you have sharp instruments! I've eaten several of these steaks, and I love them. Paul's is great for a place to get a grilled cheese sandwich. You can add bacon, or whatever else you like. Their salads are fresh and crisp. They have a steakburger that will rival all. But order it medium, because anything more is a bit dry. Same thing with the steaks. It's a fast food joint, so don't expect culinary perfection. You won't see chef whites in this place. The wait time is reasonable. Not the fastest place, but the food is good. The lines aren't so long that you can't wait. Perhaps with the exception of crawfish season! (best crawfish in town). Steaks take about 15 to 20 minutes. You can watch tv while you wait. You can also get a cold beer or play the poker machines in their own little booth while you wait. They'll come and get you. Most things are cooked to order. During a rush, the burgers are pre-cooked. Not my idea of a great burger. Ask for a fresh one if you like. Just remember, the wait is longer if you do. They have a drive-thru (Thus, the name), so you can call ahead and pick it up at the window, or just wait. As far as fast-food joints, Chauvin got pretty lucky. As far as some other delights, like the crawfish and steaks, they got real lucky!

Welcome to the first blog entry of Southeast Louisiana Restaurant Reviews! I'd like to tell you why I started this Blog. I have been cooking,and eating in restaurants, working in restaurants, managing restaurants, and even owned a couple restaurants. This all started when I was thirteen years old. I started as a dishwasher. I was shell-shocked on the first night that it was busy. The cook/chef, named Emma, hollered to me, "SIZZLERS!" I thought she said "SCISSORS!" I replied that I didn't have any (at the dishwashing station). It wasn't until she walked over, picked up a metal oval platter with food seared to it and said to me, "SIZZLERS! that I realized what she was talking about. So, I quickly scrubbed all two dozen "sizzlers" clean that I had stacked neatly in the corner, and took them to her. Emma just looked at me with disdain and said, "you'll never make it here." About a year later, Emma and I were great friends. She said that I was the best dishwasher that she ever had. I would help her do prep work, and we would joke and laugh the whole time. When it was busy, and I was at the dishwashing station, I would adeptly keep all of the dishes clean, washing sizzlers first, make coffee for the waitresses, take out the trash, make desserts, clean the entire kitchen and put the food away, mop all the floors in the restaurant, clean the rest rooms, and do all of the periodic maintenance inside the building. The owner loved me. Emma loved me. I made $1.25 an hour. I started at $ .75 an hour. I felt like I was raking in the dough. I had more money than the other kids at school! Since then, I have worked at every single position in any kind of food service operation. I also have a degree in business and systems analysis. Don't ask me how that happened. I just went for what I thought would work. Now, I've been out to sea; worked in scientific exploration, worked on the RMS Titanic project for the Discovery Channel, and the thing I know best is food. Funny how that works, eh? In the next blog entries, you'll read about what I have to say about restaurants in and around Houma, Louisiana. I'll talk about the actual quality of the food, as well as the other things that make a visit to a restaurant enjoyable. You may not agree with me, but that's okay. You don't care what I think, and I certainly don't care what you think. It's about opinions. I'm not taking a survey, here. I'm just saying what I think. Hope you can deal with that.