Let's get straight to it!
Ambiance: 5/5 Dim lighting in the dining area. Moderate noise level, not too noisy. The tables are neatly arranged with the silverware wrapped inside of the dinner cloths. The bar area is huge with plenty of lighting and tv monitors.
Food: 4/5 The food is very good and tasty here. You'll definitely enjoy it, however it's a bit pricey, so be prepared to spend at least 200 bucks for two.
Appetizers: Crab and Spinach Dip 5/5- Hands Down the best crab and spinach dip I've ever tasted in my life. It was very flavorful and paired nicely with the Parmesan crostini toast.
Shrimp and Crawfish Fondeaux 3/5
Flavorless and too soupy for my liking. I've had much better tasting Fondeaux and this is not it.
Fried Seafood Platter: 4/5 This meal consists of shrimp, catfish, oysters, stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, and one side. Everything was fried beautifully and to perfection except for the oysters. They were soggy. I absolutely despise soggy oysters. If I wanted raw oysters I would have asked for raw oysters. I like my oysters fried crispy and fully cooked. Aside from the soggy oysters, it was a great tasting meal. The fried fish and shrimp were flavorful and not too salty. However, the stuffed crab and stuffed shrimp were a bit too salty for my liking but very flavorful. I enjoyed this meal with a side salad consisting of only lettuce and sliced cucumbers, which were very fresh and bright green. I appreciate the fact that they served me fresh lettuce instead of old withered lettuce or dried-out stale cucumbers. The salad was on point. 5/5 stars.
Atlantic Salmon Alexander: 4/5 This dish was experienced by one of my older sons who said that it was very delicious and flavorful. However, the dirty rice was too hard as if it was undercooked. He had no complaints about the salmon, crawfish, shrimp, or the scallops. It was his first time trying scallops and he was impressed with the texture and flavor. Overall, it was an enjoyable meal and the sauce that was drizzled on top of the salmon was rich and flavorful. He said that it would have been a perfect 5 out of 5, if the rice would have been properly cooked.
Pasta Mardi Gras: 5/5 This dish was devoured by my youngest son, the Navy man! He had no complaints whatsoever about this meal and didn't leave one speck of food behind. Full of flavor and the pasta was the perfect consistency of readiness, not too hard and not mushy, but perfectly cooked.
Rainbow Trout & Shrimp: 5/5 This dish was enjoyable to my husband who constantly raved about the flavor and texture of the fish and shrimp. He said that the fish was not overcooked or undercooked and felt as if it melted in his mouth with each bite. Although he would have preferred whipped mashed potatoes with this meal, he thoroughly enjoyed the truffle potatoes that's accompanied with this dish.
Green beans: 1/5 My husband said they were too hard and almost made him choke when a piece of the green bean became stuck in his throat. So, not a good experience with those. They need to cook them a little longer because they were presented beautifully but that's where it all ends. They were just too hard to digest.
Drink: Patron Perfect Margarita- 3/5 It tastes good but I could not taste the alcohol. It did nothing for me. For a $17 cocktail I should be able to taste the liquor or feel it creeping up on me or something.
I had a very lovely time with my family at this establishment. It was my son's choice to visit Pappadeaux's before returning back to the Navy base in San Diego where he's currently stationed and of course my family and I are always ready to accommodate him. The service was just okay, nothing spectacular. Our server was a young gentleman named Gabriel. He was not very attentive during our visit but he was polite and respectful. The place was pretty busy and it's a large restaurant so I can understand why he was not attentive. He probably had plenty of other tables to wait. Parking is plentiful so no problem there. Although they're expensive, you'll get your money's worth at least. So, with that being said, I don't mind paying their prices because it's absolutely worth it. The food is delicious and I would definitely visit them again as I've always done in the past. So, the overall experience was a good one. 4 out of 5 stars. It's a great establishment. Highly recommended! read more