El Cabo Verde — Restaurant in Shreveport

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve probably eaten at El Cabo Verde more times than I can count... at least weekly, sometimes every other week, for over a year now.... and I can honestly say it’s one of the most consistently impressive restaurants in Shreveport. Not just in terms of the food (which is obviously the headliner), but the cleanliness, attention to detail, and seasonal creativity that keeps the menu interesting and the experience worth coming back for.

First off, the quality of the ingredients is a standout. You can taste the difference. Nothing feels frozen or rushed. The whole space... from the kitchen to the dining area to the outdoor patio... is spotless, and there’s a calm, grounded energy to the environment that just makes you feel good being there. Even the drinks are crisp and clean-tasting, not overly sweet or watered down. It all adds up to something that feels elevated without being stuffy.

Now, the food. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu at some point or another, and while some items naturally stand out more than others, there hasn't been a single dish that felt like a miss. My absolute favorite, without question, is the chile relleno with pork. It’s honestly one of the best dishes I’ve ever had... not just here, but anywhere. The pork is perfectly tender, the flavors are deep and layered, and the way it’s assembled right before plating makes a huge difference. I happened to see the kitchen staff putting one together while waiting on a to-go order once, and you can tell they’re not just going through the motions. Everything’s made individually, then composed on the plate with a care that shows. That’s probably why it blows every other pepper dish out of the water. It’s next-level.

My kids usually order the chicken enchiladas, which they love. I will say the chicken can come across as a little dry on its own, probably because it’s so clean and lean... but the sauce and queso they drizzle over it bring the whole thing together nicely. Still a very solid option, especially for younger eaters.

One of the most unexpected highlights here, though, is the seasonal offerings. El Cabo Verde does them in a way that doesn’t feel gimmicky. One that really sticks out is their blackberry salsa. Sounds like it could be weird or overly sweet, but it’s the exact opposite... it’s light, tangy, cold, and refreshing. You could eat it with chips, sure, but honestly, it’s so smooth and balanced you could almost drink it. I’m convinced it would be amazing over vanilla ice cream. No joke. It’s that good.

Couple of tips if you’re visiting: they do require a credit card to secure a reservation, which is totally understandable considering how popular they’ve become. Parking is available in both the front and rear of the building. And they put real effort into making the patio comfortable year-round, which I appreciate. The staff deserves a mention, too... genuinely courteous, patient, and attentive without hovering. They seem to actually care that you're having a good time.

If you’re from out of town, it’s 100% worth adding to your list. And if you’re local... well, just know you’ve got a gem right here. As much as I want everyone to try it, part of me hopes it doesn’t get too popular... because I’d really like to keep getting a table when I want one.

(They also have an incredible Sunday Brunch... My youngest won't order anything other than the French toast - photos attached)

(Also Zuzul is another restaurant in the same ownership... I highly...

After seeing several posts on social media about El Cabo Verde, we (my wife Cassie & I) decided to make the 60 mile drive over from east TX. I don't post reviews often but I felt compelled to share our experience. We arrived at 9:40pm on a Saturday evening, 20 minutes before they closed. We were greeted promptly with a sincere smile and were given our choice for seating. Our server offered to grab our beverage order while we studied the menu. Cass asked for a recommendation on cocktails, he described a popular house Margarita made with fresh organic lemon and lime juice as well as jalapeño slices and cilantro. I had iced Tea. Her margarita was fantastic! We also ordered what turned out to be THE best Ceviche I have ever had. Cass ordered the fresh Red fish Tacos and I ordered a Beef steak taco, as well as a Carnitas taco. While waiting for our plates arrival I had to use the facilities and on my way there I passed by a Modern Mill that would be used for Milling Corn, a process in making Masa used to make Corn Tortillas. I was so so shocked to learn that they not only use exclusively house made tortillas, but these people MAKE THEIR OWN MASA!! (That is A-MAIZ-Ing!!) Once our food arrived we were both in awe. The tortillas were perfection, the tacos were all Top Shelf all the way. I could use a lot of fancy adjectives to describe our meal, but my words would undoubtedly fall far short of the high praise this spot deserves. Let me be clear, if you are looking for a dollar Taco Tuesday joint, this is not the place for you. However if you want to indulge yourself with the absolute freshest ingredients, that are organic, non-processed and most likely locally farm sourced, pasture raised, wild caught, than my friend you are in for a treat. I asked our server about the source of the pork in my carnitas and he introduced me to Gabriel (owner of El Cabo Verde) who spent time explaining how he tries to procure all of his ingredients from local sustainable farms. I was impressed with Gabriel's philosophy on his business. He truly cares about the product he is offering his clients. He doesn't even offer artificial sweeteners. Nor does he offer regular coke products containing high fructose corn syrup. (Bad for you) he does however import Select Coke products from Mexico that contain only real sugar. This man really believes in what he is doing. I am truly inspired by this. I mean we all know that he probably deals with a fair amount of negativity for some of his convictions, but he wants his customers to leave having enjoyed a wholesome and delicious meal, without a single processed or artificial ingredient. I have no doubt this philosophy has cost him profits at his bottom line and he is absolutely fine with that, he's got my respect. I mean we could all go to any store and buy chicken for .80 cents per pound, but he will NOT do that, he buys a free range certified Organic chicken from a small farm locally and it costs him the same as I pay at Whole Foods. I'm gonna wrap this up, but do yourself a favor and get over to El Cabo Verde and try for yourself. We will be back 100%!! Oh and did I mention...

#Summary: 17min wait and no seat. Update: Dear El Cabo Verde, I appreciate the follow-up and sent my contact information directly from your site via the "Contact US" section. I look forward to happier returns.

Went for Saturday brunch. Asked a male at the POS station - do I seat myself or do you seat me? I was told they'd seat me. He's was entering an order. Others were running around... No worries I'll wait. Everyone's working.

Well, no one cleaned tables and 1 four top table closest to us went unused. He looked up and was shocked none of the tables had been cleared in the back. He walks away (I presume to clean the two back tables).

Lady comes up and ask party size? How many? Me: Just 1. Her: looks back, side, all around. Ok, you can go to the back. Points doesn't walk me over. Me: proceed to walk to the back and spins around wondering if there more space around the corner? What table is she seeing?

I look up to see she's sat the mom and kid that arrived as she was "seating" me via non-active seating. They got the only empty and clean table.

I'll trust this is a family owned place. I'm figuring maybe they've never worked as servers or front of the house manager but I won't stand around in mess awaiting to be treated like someone trying to spend money. Maybe this was a bad day, faux pas or an example of no training or sheer ignorance but it was off-putting for me.

To drive 30min/miles for chilaquiles with steak and to be causally dismissed by being sent to purgatory or badlands of back of house without being tended to came off as preferential treatment to those arriving after me having not waited as long as I did but treated with glove service... Prompted me to leave.

Hopefully the staff communicates with each other better. Hire more folks. Anticipate brunch crowds. Expect 12 noon to be a peak period or figure out who can be the host/hostess or have seating for dining patrons to wait. Or all of it and create a waiting area but maybe there's another solution...either way I hope they find it + execute it well so there's no hint of improper treatment...