LSU survives first-half Tulane scare
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October 5, 2007
Mike’s Steakhouse on Tunnel Boulevard has now been open for three years, owned and operated by Mike Duplantis, in the location that originally housed his father’s steakhouse [Yots II].
For those who don’t remember, Yots was the steak destination for the Houma region in the 1960s and 70s. To this diner, Mike’s has taken the best that Yot’s had to offer and expanded dining opportunities with an aggressive seafood menu.
It appears that provision of good food is a Duplantis family trait, running from generation to generation.
The numerous saltwater aquariums with assorted varieties of sea-life provide a good backdrop to a pleasant dining experience. The restaurant’s interior needs some updating but is pleasant and soothing.
The facility has a very nice outdoor courtyard area, which has great possibilities. Also, Mike’s has several different rooms, which can be divided to accommodate larger groups, rehearsal dinners and the like.
There are 12 appetizer selections. We tried the fried crabclaws, onion rings, stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped shrimp, bacon wrapped oysters, fried vegetable platter and spinach and artichoke dip.
To our surprise and delight, the “fried” portion of Mike’s menu is the strength of the menu. The Fried Vegetable Platter could be a meal for most people, with a generous array of fried tomatoes, squash, onion rings, cauliflower, mushrooms and broccoli. The double battering is firm and not greasy.
A close second were the bacon wrapped oysters and shrimp. This appetizer is a staple for seafood restaurants in our community… and Mike’s compares favorably to the best you will find. They are firm, properly cooked and seasoned well.
For the non-fried crowd, the spinach and artichoke dip offers a solid alternative. Although we did not try it, we did observe the shrimp remoulade at a neighboring table. It looked delectable. We simply did not have the stomach capacity to try one more appetizer.
The entrees are broken down into the steak and seafood portions of the menu. The steak selections consist of filet mignon [a 6-ounce petit or 8-ounce cut], ribeye [8-ounce petit or 12 ounces], prime tenderloin, prime rib [16 ounces] and for the person with an insatiable appetite in your group, the 22-ounce Cowboy Cut Bone-in Ribeye.
We tried the filet mignon, prime tenderloin and ribeye, each of which was cooked as requested and delivered as expected. After all, it is Mike’s STEAKHOUSE… And they deliver in the old tried and true Yot’s tradition.
Mike’s has a great special on Tuesday nights: prime rib, cooked to order, for $1 per ounce. For those trying to ignite and/or reignite the flames of a relationship on a budget, they offer two petit filets, two salads and two sides for the combined total of $34.95.
The seafood entrée selections are expansive with the following listed on the menu: crab cake, redfish almondine, fried manchac catfish, fried shrimp or oyster platter, shrimp fettucini, fried or broiled redfish, half-and-half fried platter (six shrimp and six oysters), whole flounder, seafood platter, snow or dungeness crabs, and live Maine lobster.
We thought the redfish almondine was a fine selection – light, moist and seasoned in the way reminiscent of this dishes originator – Mandina’s on Canal Street in New Orleans.
The fried redfish also was a good selection – one recommended by Mike himself.
The snow and Dungeness crabs are a popular selection, so popular that the restaurant offers an all you can eat snow crabs for $34.95 on Wednesday and Friday nights and the same special on Monday nights, but for Dungeness crabs. The price includes potatoes and corn… and appears to be well received.
On those nights, the restaurant does lose a great deal of its steakhouse flavor and atmosphere. Mike has a cure for that predicament though, as the restaurant is renovating the former Bobo’s [which is directly behind Mike’s and accessible from Polk Street] to be the permanent seafood eatery branch of Mike’s.
That operation is not yet open so that change may warrant future trips to and perhaps a follow-up review.
The crab cake was more of a meal than I expected. I anticipated several small patties, but it is prepared as one mega crab patty, which was delectable fried crab stuffing patty. The seafood platter is a solid selection, as Mike does well in this area and we hope he keeps his fry cook happy… so his customers will continue to be pleased.
We were disappointed that the whole flounder was not available on any of our three visits and hope this is corrected.
Each steak and seafood entrée selection comes with your choice of one side selection of potatoes au gratin, fried potatoes, sweet potato fries, baked potato, broccoli or green beans. The sides were acceptable, but in this day and age of the “health conscious” menu, we thought a spinach, asparagus and/or mushroom side option might appeal to the diners.
We do recognize that the Post Katrina environment though does still pose problems in obtaining a stable supply of these items.
For the younger ones or those who want a quicker meal, Mike’s does offer a nice sandwich menu, ranging from hamburgers to grilled chicken breast, shrimp/oyster po-boy and steak sandwich.
For dessert, we did try and like the Key Lime pie and cheesecake. They do offer a chocolate amalgamation, which sounded wonderful, but we simply didn’t have the capacity to sample it on any of our trips.
In addition, Mike’s wine selection was adequate and provided a complement to each of our dining experiences. We also observed a nice seabreeze being served at an adjacent table that we felt compelled to sample. The point is this; the adjacent lounge can accommodate any patrons libation desires.
The service was pleasant, but inexperienced. On two of our trips, we had a waitperson that was attentive and accommodating. Service has suffered throughout the region over the last few years, largely due to a very tight labor force and is a dilemma most businesses must confront. To the credit of Mike’s staff, all were friendly and tried their best.
Overall, Mike’s impressed us as a good restaurant selection in the Houma area, one that is dedicated to improving on an already solid menu. We believe the readers of the Gumbo will have a solid and fun dining experience at this venerable, yet new establishment.
Bon appetit!
