Pardos — Restaurant in Mandeville

We’ve been to countless amounts of upscale restaurants in many different states. Most may overlook the details when dining, but we don’t.

The Service: We were greeted at the door by a gentleman in suit who held it for us as we were shown in then sat immediately. Our waitress, Sophia, followed through with everything a fine dining experience should be, from beginning to end explaining the drink specials, appetizer specials, meal specials, dessert menu, and recommendations. Our drinks were regularly checked on and were not left dry a single time. Food was also checked on after every course to ensure we were happy with each dish.

The Food: The creations from the chef were all outstanding! To begin, our appetizers’ textures threw me for a fun twist. (Special appetizer) The combination of the homemade lightly charred toast, burrata cheese, peas, edamame hulls, & fried crumbs fools your brain into thinking you’re eating the best cheese bread on planet earth. (Triangoli) thinly shaved fried garlic over a crab stuffed pasta tasted like a shaved toasted garlic almond over crab. Amazing. For my main dish I had the gulf fish. From the flavors of bacon, beans, and pancetta, the dish gives you an unexpected warm comfort food feel. The deserts we had left us with a smile while most others leave you with a nap. The shaved salt on the chocolate with blueberries was a perfect combination of salty sweet. The Sugar powdered doughnuts with strawberry & whipped cream were also like no other cooked...

From the moment I spoke with Reagan for a reservation over the phone, the night was set to be an incredible one! The vibe at Pardos is elevated yet inviting—modern American cuisine with Louisiana soul in a warm, beautifully designed space. Reagan, the hostess, handled the reservation with grace and efficiency. Within seconds of hanging up the phone, I received a confirmation text with our reservation details. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Sam, a sharply dressed general manager with the mustache of the year! Upon being seated, we had the absolute pleasure of being served by Jeremy, a knowledgeable, gracious and completely in-tune server that provided a perfect dining experience. Now let’s talk food—the best I’ve had in the entire city! (tchefunctas is the only competition food wise lol) The Brussels sprouts were UNREAL, the Don Pardo cocktail was one of the smoothest reposado renditions I’ve tasted and the STEAK…my goddd…you have to try it to understand but it was a perfectly cut steak that was served sizzling with a perfect glaze right off the grill! Every detail of Pardos, from service to aesthetics, was dialed ALL THE WAY in. Wish I took more pictures but I opted to be more present in this experience because it was that good. Our phones were away for good reason! They deserve to be fully booked every night. If you’re looking for a night where the food, the service and the energy are all in alignment—this is the place...

Where to start... Called last minute on Friday afternoon (5:30) looking for a reservation for 2. Said they could "Fit us in" around 7:30. Showed up around 7:10 and they sat us right away. Our server was Tyler, who is one of their longest tenured serves. It shows why they keep him around! Couldn't decide between the steak and yellowfin carpaccio and left it up to Tyler to decide. He chose the filet and it was certainly not something to skip! We also had their version of a caprese salad. Had buffalo mozz, heirloom tomato, basil, balsamic, and the surprise was the capers! Perfect balance. Main course was the whole split lobster for my wife and the prime Ribeye for me. The lobster was good but not great and certainly picked clean. The steak was cooked EXACTLY as I requested, which is not always accomplish even at a good steakhouse. There was a sprinkle of something on top of the steak that resembled crawfish boil seasoning (very faint) and it was completely welcome! Did I mention they do not charge a corking fee?! At the completion of the meal, Tyler carried our leftovers and 2 partial wine bottles out the front door, opened the door for my wife and wished us adieu! They had 2 valet attendants and he saw that they were busy and took it on his own to jump in for us.

Do NOT sleep on this place! I'm sorry it took us so long to go!...