Two Wins and a Loss in Shreveport
For those of us who call the Dallas area home Shreveport is an unremarkable and forgettable pass-through town on the way to the Gulf Coast. The casino-hotels dotting the river are a bygone reminder of the days when us Texas folks would flock to Louisiana for a weekend of gambling. I never considered Shreveport a potential destination for anything but sometimes work and life take you places you never expect to go and if you travel with an open mind you might actually have some fun along the way.
Last week we had a work meeting in Shreveport and I challenged my local work friends to change my mind about the city. Even though our stay in Shreveport was short, with the help of my work friends I was able to experience Shreveport like a local.
We had a great time and I ended up with two wins and a loss and none of them had anything to do with gambling LOL!
Win #1 People
Having a local guide completely changes the way you see a city regardless of where you travel. Whether it’s Paris or Shreveport having a local show you around gives you an insider’s perspective and is an absolute treat. By far the best part of this trip was having our friend invite us to his house for dinner and prepare some of us his favorite local dishes.
Not only do local people change the way you travel but so do the people you travel with. A good group of people who laugh and have fun together can take a boring work trip and turn it into a really good time.
We also had a few of the best Uber drivers ever during our stay in Shreveport. The drivers were good sports and were more than willing to put up with our rowdy group. One poor guy had to listen in as we had an impromptu call with a colleague in the LA office and another one was so much fun we had to take a picture with her when the night was over.
Win #2 Food
I mentioned earlier that our friend cooked for us and I can’t say enough about the meal he prepared. I am now a fan of all food Louisiana and I’ll never look at jambalaya and potato salad the same. Our friend served the two together and I’ll admit that I was skeptical but I’ll be looking for ways to put those two items together any chance I can get.
We also had the opportunity to try a few local restaurants including the famous Superior Grill, Superior’s Steakhouse for drinks and The Blind Tiger for a quick lunch before we wrapped up our meeting.
Loss #1: Margaritas
Okay the margaritas were good, really good. In fact they were too good. Our friends warned us that we should only have one margarita at Superior Grill because they were “strong”. I made note of their warning but I figured that since I was a 44 year old woman who had plenty of strong margaritas in my day that I could certainly handle it. What my friends forgot, or chose not to tell me, was that Superior’s Margaritas are some sort of evil concoction of Everclear and Tequila.
In full disclosure had I known what I was getting myself into I probably would have still ordered the margarita, after all it is a local specialty. On the other hand, had I known a little bit more about these margaritas, I wouldn’t have been surprised when I was hit fast and hard or when I woke up with a headache the next morning!
We had a lot of fun on our work trip and Shreveport was a way better experience than expected. I probably won’t pick Shreveport for my next vacation spot but I would be perfectly happy and even excited to visit for a work event or stay with friends. I’ve heard great things about the restaurant/food scene and I would love to see and taste more of what Shreveport has to offer.
Where we stayed:
We stayed at the Hilton Shreveport and also used a conference room in the hotel for our meeting. The staff members were friendly and helpful. They kept us fed and our meeting room stocked with coffee and water. The rooms were fine and the hotel had a pretty good bar that was a great spot for a night cap before heading to bed. The hotel was right in the middle of downtown and was adjacent to the convention center and within a short distance of several casinos. My only complaint was that the beds weren’t all that comfortable and the pillows were a little flat.
Where we ate:
Superior Grill is a local favorite and home of the aforementioned margaritas. The food is good as far a Mexican food goes but I think people really come for the margaritas and the live music. Patio seating offers close proximity to the band but it’s loud so maybe save your serious conversations for another time.
We didn’t actually eat here but stopped for drinks. The restaurant has an open air bar area that was a perfect place to enjoy the pleasantly warm but not humid Louisiana night. I wish I could have eaten here because the menu looked amazing. I’ll be keeping this on my list for next time.
The Blind Tiger is within walking distance from the Hilton and right around the corner from the casinos. It was a great place for lunch and offered a huge selection of Louisiana favorites including gumbo, etouffee and jambalaya. Most of us ordered the Blind Tiger Burger which was a huge burger topped with ham, bacon bits and melted cheese.
