Strawn’s Eat Shop

First opened in 1944, Strawn’s Eat Shop is one of Shreveport’s oldest and most iconic restaurants. They are open for three meals a day, seven days a week. In the morning, locals fill the place for their fluffy pancakes and “build your own” omelets. At lunch and dinner, the daily specials are the way to go. My thick slab of meatloaf with a tangy red gravy came with sides of glazed carrots, real mashed potatoes and flavorful roasted broccoli.

No matter what time of day, most diners finish their meal with pie. I saw tall slices of chocolate and banana pies that looked tempting, but for a first timer, you need to order the strawberry ice box. The homemade whipped cream topping isn’t overly sweet and is frothy to the tongue. A generous layer of fresh strawberries are left in wide, half and quarter pieces and are held in a thin, almost cracker-like crust that easily breaks apart when fork pressure is applied. This is a great slice of pie! And if they have peach ice box available (it is seasonal), the juicy nature of this fruit works even better in the pie.

Strawn’s spacious back dining room has an eye-catching collection of colorful murals that fill every square inch of wall space. These include local high school mascots peacefully sharing a table, an ancient Greek scene and even George Washington declaring his love for Strawn’s pie. If you have ever wondered what it would look like if John Wayne, ZZ Top, Gandhi and Marilyn Monroe dined together, here you would have your answer.

One word of warning about parking: if you park in front of the building, you will eventually have to back out onto busy Kings Highway. Unless you have mobility issues, I recommend parking in the back, where there is plenty of room, but it will require you to climb two sets of stairs.

There are two other locations nearby. Strawn’s Eat Shop Too is at 1673 E. 70th Street, while Strawn’s Eat Shop Also can be found at 2335 Airline Drive in Bossier City.