Cajun Landing Restaurant — Restaurant in Alexandria

I ordered Catfish Blackjack (served with cajun rice and etouffee) and a bowl of gumbo. The waitress was polite and attentive. I asked if I could substitute gumbo for the included bisque. She took care of it and served me a bowl gratis (instead of a cup). Service which includes those kind of thoughtful upgrades always gets my attention.

The gumbo was very authentic and tasted homemade. It was exactly what I think gumbo should be. Thick and creamy with an adequate proportion of meat, rice, and vegetables. The roux base provided an excellent "out of momma's kitchen" smokiness and depth.

The catfish was lightly blackened with a wonderful spice blend. It was perfectly balanced and finished with a hint of rosemary and a slight bite of cayenne. The fish was cooked very well and was right on the line between meaty and flaky, which is how blackened catfish should be (in my book).

The cajun rice was a quality side dish. It was very well made, i.e., with care, and had very even seasoning with a strong heat on the finish. It was just enough to get my attention and never built up to be too much heat.

I ordered the entree with the etouffee on the side (it is normally served over the fish), as I do not like to alter the blackened taste. The etouffee itself was much like the gumbo in its quality and authenticity. It was very creamy, evenly spiced, and chocked full of crawfish tails. It also seemed to be distinctly homemade as it had a very prominent celery note, which I welcome in etouffee.

This meal left me immensely satisfied. I wonder if I can ever eat gumbo or etouffee and enjoy them again... it was...

I was just talking about really bad experiences in restaurants, and this place pulled up a memory from maybe six or seven years ago that still sticks in my craw. They had red snapper on the menu. I asked the waitress if it was true red snapper, and she said yes. I ordered it, and behold... it appeared to be a tilapia fillet.

Now, friends, I guess you're thinking "How does he know it was a tilapia fillet?" Well, I did not do a DNA analysis, but I cook them at home a lot because they are CHEAP. I think that's probably why a restaurant might sell one as true red snapper to people who live pretty far inland and don't know the difference. All I can say is it APPEARED to be tilapia. I spent years in Florida, catching and eating mangrove snapper, hog snapper, red snapper, whatever, and I even know that a yellowtail snapper is not really a snapper, either. Also, I have never seen a snapper that small sold in a seafood store. You generally throw back that size snapper. Okay, all well and good. I ate it, and it was meh, but I seem to remember the entree costing in the range of $20... for tilapia.

The restaurant is not a total loss though. It was edible, and the atmosphere was nice. They did act a little too fancy for what they are doing. It's not a fancy restaurant. It's just overpriced, probably because there aren't a lot of good dining opportunities in Alexandria, so just drop the pretenses. It's embarrassing. It's also right off the highway, so it's convenient...

Owner is not professional and dishonest. I am VERY DISAPPOINTED and am a local that has been eating there. Watch your back if you do ANY business there! Mr. McDonald lost or stole two of my displayed works of art. For that I will not recommend this so called Restaurant for anyone. So visitors, beware! The atmosphere is cluttered and smells old in there. What is with the OVER EXPLOSION of garden ornaments out front?? Very cluttered, I might add! As far as the food goes, I found that the catfish and gumbo is MUCH BETTER at Steamboat Bills. I'm sure that goes for other dishes as well. And if the owner is correct and he sold my 16x20 oil painting on canvas WITH frame for $50 SHAME ON YOU for buying it!!!! ( it is a Louisiana blue heron with catfish in his mouth on a beach. The sand is real sand and I photographed this same scene in gulf shores, Alabama.) it is worth 225$ It's title is "Savage" much like the owner! That is sooooo wrong. My other painting is also from a photograph I took of a very bright tree top/ reds, oranges, yellows and greens, it too had a frame, but this one was handmade by a very crafty framer! It was 160$ - it was Acylic and had speckled leaves. Title of this missing piece is: "Speckle" BOTH of these pieces are near and dear to my heart and well worth a...