South Plains Food Company — Restaurant in Zachary

I had a great lunch at South Plains. The hostess was friendly upon entrance and our waitress Korrie was AMAZING! Ask for her when you visit South Plains, you won’t be disappointed. She was attentive and anticipated our needs before we could ask. The restaurant was clean and the atmosphere was relaxing and comfortable. I loved the decor and high ceilings.

Now, for the food… it was delicious overall.

Appetizer 1: Buffalo wings 8/10 Traditional wings, cooked well. We actually ordered BBQ but the Buffalo wings were fine.

Appetizer 2: PepperJack Cheese Bites 1000/10 😂 Light, crispy, fried but not greasy. PepperJack cheese gives a slight kick, but not overly spicy. I could eat these over and over again. Marinara sauce compliments fried cheese perfectly, of course but it wasn’t needed.

Appetizer 3: Deep Fried Mushrooms 9/10 It was almost perfect… it needed a little truffle oil or Parmesan topping to take it over the top. I’d still order it again. Why? Because it’s good! The mushrooms stayed firm during the batter and frying process which was great. Each bite is light and crispy, cooked to perfection. The 7 sauce added some good flavor, definitely a bonus. I need a bottle of that, ASAP! 🤤

Entree 1: Lemon Butter Steak & Shrimp 10/10 It’s served with a Caesar salad and garlic toast. The side salad was a meal of its own 😆 Portion sizes are on point at South Plains. You definitely get your monies worth. The pasta reminded me of Yaka Mein. Simple flavors that come together well. I’m not a mushroom fan but this was delicious.

Entree 2: The Big Italian 10/10 with the perfect name because you have to pace yourself before each bite. Marinara is the only condiment you need with this burger. Beef cooked at a medium well, Cajun sausage mixed with the fried mozzarella…. My goodness 😋

Dessert: Flapjack Cake 1000/10 Let me tell you something about this cake. 🍰 It’s deeelicious. It’s a blueberry pancake baked into cake form but better. Kinda reminds me of a Chantilly cake minus the extra fruit. The cinnamon compliments it well. The only thing I’d add would be a drizzle of syrup and one or two strawberries on top…

South Plains, I’ll see ya’ll soon. I need to try a few more things off the menu. Tell Ms. Korrie send me her...

Trash! Trash! Trash!

🟥 Two‑Hour Wait — Then Told to Sit in the Rain

We waited nearly two hours to be seated—only to be offhandedly “suggested” to sit out on the patio during a downpour. No offer of a dry table or inside seating, just a smug “if you’re ok in the rain.” Hospitality 101 was apparently canceled that day.

🍽️ Mediocre Food Delivered Unevenly

By the time our party finished eating, only some of us even had food. My order was correctly canceled when I realized this place was falling apart—but my mother wasn’t so lucky. Her dish arrived late, burnt beyond recognition, and totally wrong. That’s not “rustic char”—just plain incompetence.

🤝 Manager’s Snark: Outraged at a Simple Request

When I politely asked for a manager to fix the situation—or even to knock something off the check—the response was astonishing. She rolled her eyes and spewed passive‑aggressive nonsense, clearly irritated that I dared to challenge their chaos. I asked for compensation, and she acted as if I was the problem. Unbelievable entitlement.

⚠️ Racist Undertones

There was something low-key racist—offhanded comments, tone policing—and a failure to extend standard courtesy. It wasn’t overt, but it was definitely there. So much worse for being so hidden.

📉 Half-Off Tab? Laughable.

They eventually offered half off the tab—but only after pressure, and certainly not enough to cover the burned food, the delay, or the insult. It was nothing more than token damage control, with zero acknowledgment of how dozens of things went wrong.

⸻

🧾 In Summary • Two hours waiting only to be put in the rain. • Incorrect and overcooked food. • Manager snapped at customers, more offended at being asked to do her job. • Racial undertones dampening the experience further. • Ridiculously insufficient compensation.

South Francis Food Company demonstrated indifference, incompetence, and a seriously warped sense of entitlement. They blew every part of the basic dining experience—and apparently, believe treating customers like inconveniences is okay. Avoid this place unless you’re in the mood for a pro‑level...

I found it a bit disappointing, coming in with high expectations upon learning that it’s owned by the same guys who own and operate The Francis in St. Francisville. The newly constructed facility is beautiful, as you might expect. The food was a bit of a mixed bag of quality. We had two appetizers, four entrees, and a few cocktails at the table. One of the apps was excellent, and the other was just OK. Same with the cocktails, although “OK” is being generous for their margarita… but this won’t really be my destination for margaritas.

The entrees were a mix as well, with a couple being excellent, while their house burger arrived at the table looking like the burger from the 1980’s “where’s the beef” commercials. It was supposed to come dressed, but it was just a piece of meat on bread. They brought the lettuce & tomatoes and ketchup and mayo to the table to remedy it and allowed our guest to prepare his own sandwich. Based on the mild temperature of the burger, our friend commented that it must’ve been prepared first while the other dishes were finished after.

Some of the sides were excellent, some were barely warm but still with good flavor, so not a total bust. Prices were on the high side, but not really out of line for everywhere else these days.

The owners’ experience and obvious ability to deliver a high quality product at The Francis is part of the reason for my initial disappointment with South Plains, and my visit really made me lean toward a 3 star rating. But I also know this is a tough time to start a place of this magnitude, and they’re obviously struggling to get the necessary staffing. I expect that in the coming months, as this magnificent facility gains momentum, they will elevate their dining experience to levels consistent with...