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A quick culinary tour of our northern neighbor, Shreveport


Sometimes, you can taste nearly 75 years of history in one piece of pie.

The dish: berry icebox pie, cold and fresh and light, filled with bright, tart strawberries and topped with a cloud of whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar. The years belong to Strawn’s Eat Shop, an icon in Shreveport since 1944.

Inside the original location on King’s Highway, every minute you wait for the waitress to bring your slice is still a feast.

There’s the blend of breakfast conversation from retired regulars, young families and visiting tourists who’ve heard the legend of the pie from parishes away. The scrape and sizzle of eggs and hashbrowns on the griddle, tossed by a line cook with a sharp fade haircut. The blaring colors and shapes of the famous murals, depicting the likes of Disney princesses, ZZ Top and Abraham Lincoln and George Washington admiring a slice of Strawn’s pie.

Strawberry icebox pie at Strawn’s Eat Shop. Photo by Collin Richie.

And on one wall of the dining room, just next to the ICEE machine and the bus tubs, there’s a mural labeled “STRAWN’S LEGENDS.” Several black women smile down on diners, their hair swept back in hairnets and their hands full of food. These women—Gladys “The Great Waitress” Duncan, Lula “The Fried Chicken Maker” McCoy and Ella “The Pie Lady” Hamilton—joined the diner in the late 1950s under the management of Gus Alexander and helped make it the Shreveport institution it is today. It even boasts two satellite locations in the area now.

It’s thanks to the Strawn’s Legends—especially Hamilton’s pie skills—that when you sink into your dessert at Strawn’s, it’s an experience unlike every other icebox pie in the South. Whether it’s chocolate cream, lemon, butterscotch, banana, coconut or seasonal peach, you won’t forget it. And, of course, there are all the homestyle burgers, fried chicken and fries you could dream of, too.

We all know there’s a bit of regional rivalry in Louisiana. Down here in Baton Rouge, we talk about anywhere north of Alexandria like it’s Arkansas. But if we find ourselves in the neighborhood, not one of us should pass up Strawn’s. strawnseatshop.com

AFTER STRAWN’S, CRAWL TO…

Great Raft Brewing
One of the state’s biggest craft breweries makes its home in Shreveport. It offers three year-round brews and a roster of seasonals and small batches, ranging from boozy Belgian dark ales to barrel-aged porters. Stop in for a tasting, a flight or even a brewery tour. greatraftbrewing.com

Ming Garden
Don’t let the modest location toward the outskirts of town and the understated brick exterior fool you—this is one of Shreveport’s oldest and most-loved Chinese restaurants. The family-owned operation is best known for Chinese classics that are familiar but still gourmet. Find Ming Garden on Facebook.

Marilynn’s Place
A quintessential, old-school po-boy shop, Marilynn’s is the place to try Shreveport’s take on Louisiana staples. It’s also the go-to spot in town for scratch-made beignets, even hours away from New Orleans. marilynns-place.com

Chuck Wagon Crawfish
The Chuck Wagon is currently on hiatus until next crawfish season, but you’re going to want to make a note to visit it when it’s boiling again. This hidden gem of a trailer turns out some of the most flavorful bugs in the Shreveport-Bossier area. Its buttery Liquid Gold dipping sauce will change your life. chuckwagoncrawfish.com


This article was originally published in the September 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.