My wife and I were in Lake Charles on vacation to seethe sights, relax and enjoy some south Louisiana cooking. We went to a few seafood places and enjoyed their menus. My wife suggested we try something new and we went on line and saw Pat’s of Henderson and thought it sounded pretty good. My wife called to see if they were open and to ask about dress. They said casual , so we went in the most casual as you can go, shorts, tee shirts and flip flops. When we got there, we saw people that were dressed very nice, some even almost formal and turned to leave when a young man named Cole that worked there hurried over to us and ask to follow him to a table. We said we didn’t think we were dressed nice enough and he said we were fine and come on with him. He took us to a nice table and began to have a conversation with us. He made us feel very comfortable as we talked. I told him about how I was always looking for the best gumbo and he said he believed I would enjoy theirs. My wife got fried shrimp and catfish. I got the seafood gumbo and fried alligator. He turned in our order and came back to talk. Now normally I don’t like a wordy waiter but he was very nice and began to tell us about the restaurant and he was related to the owner and the history of the establishment. How they had the same chef for years and she was really like one of the family. Well our order came, my wife tried her food first and the look on her face told me all I needed to know, this food rocked. Well I immediately tried the gumbo, I knew my search for the best gumbo was over. When Cole came back to check on us my wife and I just went on and on about how great the food was and our compliments to the chef. Well he walked off and to our surprise when he came back he had the chef come with him and we had the pleasure to meet her and tell her ourselves how wonderful the dishes were and she had made our evening. At that point I ask could I give her a hug, to which she responded with pen arms.I jumped up to hug her and felt like we had been friends forever. Between talking with Cole, the greatest food and meeting Minnie, the chef, it was the finest dining experience my wife and I have ever had. Thank you Pat’s of Henderson, Cole and Minnie for such a wonderful time. Oh, yes we will be back!!!
Buffhusker55
From the moment I walked in, they made me feel so welcomed. My server, Chastity, was amazing. Food was delicious, but service was outstanding
KBH01-03
Food, atmosphere and service were all very good with the exception of a couple of things. My friend and I sat in the bar area which is lovely and very comfortable sitting on the banquette. We both had wine which was from a nice selection and affordably priced by the glass. We both enjoyed our food, she had seafood gumbo and I had the grilled seafood salad which I’ve enjoyed before. The two exceptions to what would have been, for me, a perfect experience were the bread and the salad dressing. If I’m in Louisiana and planning to eat bread I want it to be a nice, crusty, hot piece of French bread. This was not. First it wasn’t brown and the texture was mealy and it was barely warm. I cut into the beautifully presented loaf with a pretty butter service and the minute I did, I knew I wouldn’t waste my time eating it. I should have known because it was pale in color, dead giveaway.. fix the bread Pat’s. You are in Louisiana, it’s expected of you. Secondly, they have no remoulade. I’m not familiar with a Louisiana restaurant who doesn’t have a remoulade sauce either white or red. I knew this going in but ordered the salad anyway because I knew it was moist and tasty enough that you really didn’t need a dressing, however, with a good remoulade sauce, this salad would be over the top! Come on Pat’s, you went to great expense re-doing this facility after the hurricane and have added a level of sophistication never known to this restaurant before. Look up the recipe for Galatoire’s remoulade, tweak it to make it your own, master it and serve it. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
MaryH526
Our server, Marlene, took great care of us! The crab cake may be one of the best I have ever eaten. Lots of crab, very delicately prepared. This is not one of those deep fried bread cakes. My husband enjoyed the stuffed redfish and I had the flounder. Although the flounder was served bone in as indicated on the menu, it was not a problem to pull the fish away. The entrees were served with a choice of two sides. The loaded baked potato was a meal in itself so we didn’t save room for dessert although I’m sure they are awesome as well. This location does have a full bar and we enjoyed the signature Old Fashioned served with an ice sphere.
glendao67
So happy it has reopened but much more elegant than before. Lost its homey feeling but staff is still friendly. The hush puppies we are so fond of that were a staple are served sparingly on only certain plates. $4.50 for an Arnold Palmer!?! Portions seemed smaller. Food is still excellent!
Shelby B
I keep giving Pat's a chance to make sure the experiences I've had in the last 3 visits was just bad timing. The first visit was my families first since they reopened. I could not wait to get that famous Red Snapper i've always ordered. First of ll the place is beautiful. As for the food and service, it was nothing like before. The Snapper had little to no seasoning and overcooked. the second time i personally had the seafood platter, it was bland and I substituted the oysters for shrimp and got one shrimp and had to ask for bread. This last time I ordered the Snapper again via take-out. What a disappointment. Again the Snapper was overcooked, rubbery and hard on the edges and no bread. This place is too pricey for the quality of food that's being served. This was my last time ever going to Pat's. Simply put, not the same
Patrick R
Remembered Pat’s in Henderson from many years ago. The new Pat’s is upscale but that’s where the comparison ends. Greeting at the door was nice but too many hostess’s. Once seated had to wait awhile for any service. Drinks were finally served but ice tea was pre-prepared and ice had vanished (ask for ice three times). Food orders and service was conducted at the same pace and took a while. I don’t remember the shrimp and fish dish as it was just another fried platter with very little taste. Others had Gumbo which was basically soup with token two pieces of seafood. Again, took way too long to get the bill so we ordered Crean Bule’. What a disappointment! Don’t bother, not worth the hype.
Janet C
Torn between a 3 or 4 . I had heard good things about Pat's of Henderson so when we had a family celebration we decided to go here for lunch. The staff was friendly. The atmosphere and decorations were great. We ordered two appetizers and 3 main dishes. The appetizers came out with two of the meals. The third meal, the seafood pasta came 20 minutes later. Needless to say two of us were finished before my hubby was served. The waitress said the pasta still had to be cooked. The alligator bites were good, the broiled stuffed mushrooms were left after 3 were eaten. They were hard and had too much cajun seasoning for some of us to eat. Hubby said the seafood pasta dish was delicious and he enjoyed that when it came. He even had leftovers. The fried shrimp was good. My baked potato ..the skin was too hard and crispy to eat and by the time I scooped the potato out there was only a little left to eat. The meal was pricey for the 3 of us. It was a good experience because we were celebrating but the food was not up to par for the type of restaurant it is and the price point. Probably will not return.
LindaU676
The food was awesome and I will stop here again! Very nice place! I ate their grill flounder this was the best I’ve every had! Season great!!
Kathleen R
Excellent service, delicious food, Crawfish Etouffe like grandmother made. Stuffed Red Snapper, homemade stuffed lots of shrimp, baked on the filet. Hot bread, flavored butters. Pasta with seafront tasty, needed to go box. Grilled asparagus delicious. Highly recommend, we were out of state visitors
Brooks has excellent waiter and interpersonal skills. I have been trying to get to this restaurant ever since before COVID and the two hurricanes that shut it down. Outside the restaurant food being amazingly good, hot, spicy, fresh, did I say fresh. Yes, the food was everything I hoped it would be. I had the Seafood dinner (some things done a bit different; the gumbo definitely had a kick to it which I LOVED, but others customers probably should be told this ahead of time, the hush puppies had a bit of a sweet taste to it, and the stuffed bell pepper was delicious, but the pepper itself probably would have been better if it was cooked a tad bit longer); my husband had the red snapper. We had our dessert first, bread pudding with rum sauce and no raisins, and pecan pie with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Again, thank you Pat of Henderson and a very special thanks to longtime waiter/server Brooks.
starketcher
Saw the billboards on the interstate, so we decided to give it a try since we were close by. Only problem that I had was I couldn’t eat more! I got the shrimp dinner shrimp was styled differently and the plate came with gumbo. Everything is homemade. I wish I could’ve enjoyed their crème brûlée, but I just couldn’t. I’d definitely return.
Voyager724514
While dining with my husband, our meal was interrupted when we notice a man, we guessed was the manager, belittling an employee within our table, as well as others, ear range. We both felt bad for the employee, could tell the employee was embarrassed and after hearing what the manager was angry about, we both knew the employee did nothing wrong, it was actually the manager just trying to show his power, or maybe he’s a narcissist and enjoys belittling others to make himself look good. Needless to say, we won’t be back, if this is the kind of people employed there. I can’t believe upper management, if there even is any, would allow this. Shame on you Pat’s of Henderson. Oh, and the food, not worth the prices they charge.
John G
On Fat Tuesday we were headed west on I-10 and drawn to Pat’s by the highway billboards. We are glad that we were. Pat’s has great decor and was decorated for the occasion. We enjoyed fried shrimp and shrimp étouffée, and both were excellent. Prices were very reasonable for the quality of the food. Server was excellent and efficient. Highly recommended.
BRHoover
This was a very nice restaurant recommended by a business colleague. The crab cakes, gumbo and stuffed flounder were all exceptional. I would recommend coming here with friends and family as well. They did a very good job of rebuilding this establishment after the hurricanes. The service was second to none. I very much enjoyed the entire experience and spent nearly 3 hours with a good customer.
My wife and I were in Lake Charles on vacation to seethe sights, relax and enjoy some south Louisiana cooking. We went to a few seafood places and enjoyed their menus. My wife suggested we try something new and we went on line and saw Pat’s of Henderson and thought it sounded pretty good. My wife called to see if they were open and to ask about dress. They said casual , so we went in the most casual as you can go, shorts, tee shirts and flip flops. When we got there, we saw people that were dressed very nice, some even almost formal and turned to leave when a young man named Cole that worked there hurried over to us and ask to follow him to a table. We said we didn’t think we were dressed nice enough and he said we were fine and come on with him. He took us to a nice table and began to have a conversation with us. He made us feel very comfortable as we talked. I told him about how I was always looking for the best gumbo and he said he believed I would enjoy theirs. My wife got fried shrimp and catfish. I got the seafood gumbo and fried alligator. He turned in our order and came back to talk. Now normally I don’t like a wordy waiter but he was very nice and began to tell us about the restaurant and he was related to the owner and the history of the establishment. How they had the same chef for years and she was really like one of the family. Well our order came, my wife tried her food first and the look on her face told me all I needed to know, this food rocked. Well I immediately tried the gumbo, I knew my search for the best gumbo was over. When Cole came back to check on us my wife and I just went on and on about how great the food was and our compliments to the chef. Well he walked off and to our surprise when he came back he had the chef come with him and we had the pleasure to meet her and tell her ourselves how wonderful the dishes were and she had made our evening. At that point I ask could I give her a hug, to which she responded with pen arms.I jumped up to hug her and felt like we had been friends forever. Between talking with Cole, the greatest food and meeting Minnie, the chef, it was the finest dining experience my wife and I have ever had. Thank you Pat’s of Henderson, Cole and Minnie for such a wonderful time. Oh, yes we will be back!!!
From the moment I walked in, they made me feel so welcomed. My server, Chastity, was amazing. Food was delicious, but service was outstanding
Food, atmosphere and service were all very good with the exception of a couple of things. My friend and I sat in the bar area which is lovely and very comfortable sitting on the banquette. We both had wine which was from a nice selection and affordably priced by the glass. We both enjoyed our food, she had seafood gumbo and I had the grilled seafood salad which I’ve enjoyed before. The two exceptions to what would have been, for me, a perfect experience were the bread and the salad dressing. If I’m in Louisiana and planning to eat bread I want it to be a nice, crusty, hot piece of French bread. This was not. First it wasn’t brown and the texture was mealy and it was barely warm. I cut into the beautifully presented loaf with a pretty butter service and the minute I did, I knew I wouldn’t waste my time eating it. I should have known because it was pale in color, dead giveaway.. fix the bread Pat’s. You are in Louisiana, it’s expected of you. Secondly, they have no remoulade. I’m not familiar with a Louisiana restaurant who doesn’t have a remoulade sauce either white or red. I knew this going in but ordered the salad anyway because I knew it was moist and tasty enough that you really didn’t need a dressing, however, with a good remoulade sauce, this salad would be over the top! Come on Pat’s, you went to great expense re-doing this facility after the hurricane and have added a level of sophistication never known to this restaurant before. Look up the recipe for Galatoire’s remoulade, tweak it to make it your own, master it and serve it. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Our server, Marlene, took great care of us! The crab cake may be one of the best I have ever eaten. Lots of crab, very delicately prepared. This is not one of those deep fried bread cakes. My husband enjoyed the stuffed redfish and I had the flounder. Although the flounder was served bone in as indicated on the menu, it was not a problem to pull the fish away. The entrees were served with a choice of two sides. The loaded baked potato was a meal in itself so we didn’t save room for dessert although I’m sure they are awesome as well. This location does have a full bar and we enjoyed the signature Old Fashioned served with an ice sphere.
So happy it has reopened but much more elegant than before. Lost its homey feeling but staff is still friendly. The hush puppies we are so fond of that were a staple are served sparingly on only certain plates. $4.50 for an Arnold Palmer!?! Portions seemed smaller. Food is still excellent!
I keep giving Pat's a chance to make sure the experiences I've had in the last 3 visits was just bad timing. The first visit was my families first since they reopened. I could not wait to get that famous Red Snapper i've always ordered. First of ll the place is beautiful. As for the food and service, it was nothing like before. The Snapper had little to no seasoning and overcooked. the second time i personally had the seafood platter, it was bland and I substituted the oysters for shrimp and got one shrimp and had to ask for bread. This last time I ordered the Snapper again via take-out. What a disappointment. Again the Snapper was overcooked, rubbery and hard on the edges and no bread. This place is too pricey for the quality of food that's being served. This was my last time ever going to Pat's. Simply put, not the same
Remembered Pat’s in Henderson from many years ago. The new Pat’s is upscale but that’s where the comparison ends. Greeting at the door was nice but too many hostess’s. Once seated had to wait awhile for any service. Drinks were finally served but ice tea was pre-prepared and ice had vanished (ask for ice three times). Food orders and service was conducted at the same pace and took a while. I don’t remember the shrimp and fish dish as it was just another fried platter with very little taste. Others had Gumbo which was basically soup with token two pieces of seafood. Again, took way too long to get the bill so we ordered Crean Bule’. What a disappointment! Don’t bother, not worth the hype.
Torn between a 3 or 4 . I had heard good things about Pat's of Henderson so when we had a family celebration we decided to go here for lunch. The staff was friendly. The atmosphere and decorations were great. We ordered two appetizers and 3 main dishes. The appetizers came out with two of the meals. The third meal, the seafood pasta came 20 minutes later. Needless to say two of us were finished before my hubby was served. The waitress said the pasta still had to be cooked. The alligator bites were good, the broiled stuffed mushrooms were left after 3 were eaten. They were hard and had too much cajun seasoning for some of us to eat. Hubby said the seafood pasta dish was delicious and he enjoyed that when it came. He even had leftovers. The fried shrimp was good. My baked potato ..the skin was too hard and crispy to eat and by the time I scooped the potato out there was only a little left to eat. The meal was pricey for the 3 of us. It was a good experience because we were celebrating but the food was not up to par for the type of restaurant it is and the price point. Probably will not return.
The food was awesome and I will stop here again! Very nice place! I ate their grill flounder this was the best I’ve every had! Season great!!
Excellent service, delicious food, Crawfish Etouffe like grandmother made. Stuffed Red Snapper, homemade stuffed lots of shrimp, baked on the filet. Hot bread, flavored butters. Pasta with seafront tasty, needed to go box. Grilled asparagus delicious. Highly recommend, we were out of state visitors
Restaurantji Recommends
Brooks has excellent waiter and interpersonal skills. I have been trying to get to this restaurant ever since before COVID and the two hurricanes that shut it down. Outside the restaurant food being amazingly good, hot, spicy, fresh, did I say fresh. Yes, the food was everything I hoped it would be. I had the Seafood dinner (some things done a bit different; the gumbo definitely had a kick to it which I LOVED, but others customers probably should be told this ahead of time, the hush puppies had a bit of a sweet taste to it, and the stuffed bell pepper was delicious, but the pepper itself probably would have been better if it was cooked a tad bit longer); my husband had the red snapper. We had our dessert first, bread pudding with rum sauce and no raisins, and pecan pie with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Again, thank you Pat of Henderson and a very special thanks to longtime waiter/server Brooks.
Saw the billboards on the interstate, so we decided to give it a try since we were close by. Only problem that I had was I couldn’t eat more! I got the shrimp dinner shrimp was styled differently and the plate came with gumbo. Everything is homemade. I wish I could’ve enjoyed their crème brûlée, but I just couldn’t. I’d definitely return.
While dining with my husband, our meal was interrupted when we notice a man, we guessed was the manager, belittling an employee within our table, as well as others, ear range. We both felt bad for the employee, could tell the employee was embarrassed and after hearing what the manager was angry about, we both knew the employee did nothing wrong, it was actually the manager just trying to show his power, or maybe he’s a narcissist and enjoys belittling others to make himself look good. Needless to say, we won’t be back, if this is the kind of people employed there. I can’t believe upper management, if there even is any, would allow this. Shame on you Pat’s of Henderson. Oh, and the food, not worth the prices they charge.
On Fat Tuesday we were headed west on I-10 and drawn to Pat’s by the highway billboards. We are glad that we were. Pat’s has great decor and was decorated for the occasion. We enjoyed fried shrimp and shrimp étouffée, and both were excellent. Prices were very reasonable for the quality of the food. Server was excellent and efficient. Highly recommended.
This was a very nice restaurant recommended by a business colleague. The crab cakes, gumbo and stuffed flounder were all exceptional. I would recommend coming here with friends and family as well. They did a very good job of rebuilding this establishment after the hurricanes. The service was second to none. I very much enjoyed the entire experience and spent nearly 3 hours with a good customer.