Sedra Bistro — Restaurant in Slidell

This was an odd experience for us. I didn't pick, so I had no reference for the type of restaurant this was. I was not expecting white tablecloth service for breakfast/lunch spot on my way back to MS. It was fairly casual though, everyone was in jeans T-shirt type of attire. I felt like I was in the presidential dining hall on campus though. The menu similarly has mostly classic diner food for breakfast and lunch with a few pinkies out specials. She got a couple cappuccinos which she really enjoyed. I was tempted by the Bloody Marys but I'm drying out for lent. It was still late morning/early afternoon so we did brunch. I ordered the waffle combo and added hash browns and sausage gravy, she got the huevos rancheros. While nothing was bad, we were not blown away either, specifically with the huevos. I'm not sure they should call it, because what we got was unlike any version we had seen or had before. It was oddly deconstructed, with the salsa on a stack of soft tortillas, with the eggs and bone in pork chop and a side of beans that tasted like chilli? Separately everything was good, but even properly put together that was not huevos rancheros. I took everything I ordered, threw it on top of my waffle with hot sauce and syrup and was satisfied with my choices. The hash browns were actually really good as well as the waffle. The gravy and bacon were lacking in flavor but again I had a lot going on with my plate. We did talk about how we may be breakfast/brunch snobs spoiled by the plethora of amazing options in Nola. Service was pleasant as one would expect from the decor. If they were closer to the I-10 exit I would consider coming through for their lunch or dinner options. Fox news(on mute) on the big screen TV doesn't...

Went to Sedra's for the first time tonight. Parking lot had some fancy cars but my wife and I were in jeans. Entry was fancy looking and seemed empty but a hostess appeared and sat us immediately. 2 other occupied tables, big tv on the wall and radio playing lightly. Menu was single page and clean with a nice variety of fares. Average price about 22$ with everything from appetizers to steak available. We both started with a cup of gumbo which was excellent and should be in Louisiana. Tea came in tall plastic cups and was also good. Salads were ribbon cut and fresh with nice tomatoe and cucumber slices, and had some type of garnish that looked like oregano but may have been fine ground parsley. The silverware and table decorations were a bit mismatched and the coffee bar/bar appeared to be made of plywood and painted black, yet these things were minor issues for the picky folk. My wife had Chicken Marsalis and I had the Shrimp and Crawfish Diablo. The chicken and pasta were cooked perfectly and served in a large portion with 2 pieces of chicken. The crawfish dish had lots of shrimp and crawfish with a slightly acidic tomato base over penne again perfect. There was no room for desert, but I plan to try the crepes next visit. I also cannot say enough about the service! Very attentive and friendly staff that conducted themselves professionally at all times. It was refreshing to have a waitress who acted as if she enjoyed working there. I would give a 5 star review but the building is not up to the quality of the food and service. With a couple small tweaks, this place would be a must...

I hate leaving a small business a bad review. If the owner replies, I'll be happy to edit the review.

Positive: Atmosphere nice. Chicken and Waffles were delicious. Homestyle fries have a great taste (but shouldn't be served cold).

Not so great part of the experience: Husband's and my food were brought out first, just warm. Our 3 kids ordered each 2 eggs scrambled, sausage, toast and grits. Their food was brought out approximately 15 minutes after our food was. If we would have waited to eat our food when our kids received their's, our food would have been cold.

Coffee is a hottle of weaksauce. Brown river water has more flavor. (And the table beside us also asked for stronger coffee). The chocolate milk and regular milk were starting to sour. We had to change to other beverages.

Service: she is sweet but appears inexperienced. The wait for beverages or the lack of returning with butter and jelly (which was not brought with the toast) added to the challenges of our visit.

Like I wrote in the beginning, I'll be happy to edit my review. I just want to make sure the owner sees this and considers improvement. This place has potential. Slidell needs another good locally owned restaurant.

And BTW, we're still waiting at the table for our bill...