Poor Boy Lloyd's

Poor Boy Lloyds was our choice for lunch on Monday afternoon. We had asked about local Cajun restaurants and Lloyds was recommended.



Although Lloyds serves Po-Boys and Red Beans & Rice, Corn Bread, etc... it is anything but a Cajun restaurant. I and a friend had ordered the fried fish, while another ordered red beans & rice w/ sausage. The fried fish was decent, but absolutely ordinary. It wasn't bad, just not really good either. It wasn't spicy or really flavorful or remarkable in any way. I could have gotten the same fried fish or better at any local cafeteria. The local refinery serves a better fried fish to employees in their on-site cafeteria. Lloyds gets a C- for effort. I should have gotten the clue when they advertised "fried fish" and it never said exactly what the fish was. Was it catfish? Well then, say so.



The red beans & rice and sausage were just OK. The guy who ordered that grew up in Jennings and Church Point and is from a multi-generational Cajun family. He wasn't impressed, but said it was good. I'd say that if you're a Cajun restaurant and your red beans & rice w/ sausage are just "good", it's time to re-think things.



I saw po-boys being brought to other tables. I'm glad I didn't order one because they didn't look anything at all like I'd expect to get in my favorite haunts in New Orleans.



Prices at Lloyds are reasonable and you can eat a good lunch for around $10-$11, which isn't too bad. Don't get me wrong, the lunch meals are good, just not great or outstanding in any way. They had a few unique menu items, but I wasn't impressed. Parking for Lloyds is $5.00. Try any surrounding lot, it's still $5.00, so just choose one and park as close as possible.



I won't be going back to Lloyds because there's no need to. It's OK, but I don't go to restaurants for "OK". If the food isn't beyond average cafeteria fare, then why not eat at the cafeteria and save $4.00 + gas & parking fee.



Lloyds can be so much better if they just tried a bit harder. Not everything has to be served with French Fries. Try offering fried Okra instead, or maybe a nice cajun slaw. Flavor your food, not just spicy but rather make it stand out. Actually re-fill drinks for your customers. They never re-filled a single thing for anyone that I saw, tea or soft drinks. Lloyds is in a great position for tourist business. Maybe having a bit of zydeco music playing, with maybe a speaker playing outside the front door would help attract people.



Not everything Cajun has to be fried or come from a large pot of beans. I would like to see some grilled foods, maybe some wood smoked boudin... some imagination being used.