Theresa Adams
February 28, 2011Henry remembered for priorities
March 2, 2011
Ever get a yen for a half-pound gourmet hamburger? A pile of thin-fried catfish? A bowl of piping hot potato soup?
New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. on Main Street in Houma delivers just that variety.
Our table visited at lunchtime on a Friday, and the restaurant was fairly packed.
First-timers will note a wooden stand holding menus as you enter. Once you’ve decided what you want, you make your way to the register to place the order. You’ll fill your beverage cup initially, but the wait staff is quick to provide refills.
Find a table among the diners and your order will soon follow – good news for those on a tight timeline.
As an appetizer, we ordered onion rings ($6.95) and hush puppies for the table. New Orleans Hamburger’s onion rings come thin-cut, crisply fried and accompanied by a mayonnaise-based dipping sauce.
The onion rings were hot and crispy. The group agreed, although very good, the rings and sauce could have benefited by a tad more seasoning.
Sweet cornbread fans will really enjoy the hush puppies. We just wished the order included more than seven or eight puppies.
The menu board announced fried pickles and we jumped at it. As a newbie to the fried pickle world, these were crisp and tasty.
With hamburgers mentioned in its name, New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood must deliver on the burgers. And touting 18 different gourmet choices, they run the gamut. Our table’s order included The Big Ch-Easy ($8.95) smattered with Swiss cheese and the Black and Blue Cheeseburger ($10.95) topped with blue cheese. A pile of garlic herb fries accompanied both sandwiches.
On this day, the feedback on the burgers was mixed. The burger appeared to be slightly overcooked, leaving the diners with a dry half-pound of meat. During a return visit, however, New Orleans Hamburger lived up to its reputation, delivering a worthy, juicy burger.
It would be impossible to visit this eatery without trying the “Famous Thin-Fried Catfish Platter.” The dish did not disappoint. Served with two pieces of toast, coleslaw, hush puppies and fries, the heaping pile of fried fish is easily a meal in itself.
The catfish is not overly seasoned but maintains a hint of spice that meshes with the southern lifestyle. In an area where catfish is readily available, the New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. crafts a dish that can compete with anyone. According to the restaurant’s website, 388,400 orders have been served in Houma as of press time. That should attest to the dish’s popularity.
Rounding out our order was a hearty bowl of Potato Soup ($6.25) and a Sizzling Shrimp Remoulade Salad ($13.95), which is comprised of grilled jumbo shrimp, fried green tomatoes, remoulade sauce, chopped egg, red onions, roasted corn and pepper relish, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. The flavorful, tangy salad with its succulent shrimp and perfectly fried green tomatoes won the diner over. One suggestion: more remoulade.
New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood earns high marks for its comfy-casual dining rooms, fresh ingredients, great flavor and service second to none. One area where we wish they had been more generous in design is the restrooms. The ladies’ room is a tight fit, especially for moms with young ones in tow.
Otherwise, this place lives up to its slogan: “We’re fast, casual and we’re doing it right.”
New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. 6131 West Park Ave., Houma (985) 872-5965 www.nohsc.com Restaurant Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Drive-up window pickups available
