Jacquelyn’s chicken salad sandwich and New England clam chowder

Jacquelyn’s Cafe impresses with speedy service, happy faces

The 318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter often lunches at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

With so many chain restaurants in Shreveport-Bossier, it’s easy to forget about the small, locally owned places that have stood the test of time. There aren’t many, but one is Jacquelyn’s Cafe (1324 Louisiana Avenue, Shreveport).

Frankly, I had forgotten about Jacquelyn’s.

But the restaurant’s name recently came up in discussion. So, I asked a friend to join me for lunch on a Monday that was not long ago.

You know the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover”? That certainly applies to Jacquelyn’s. It’s in a non-descript, nonattractive building, to say the least. Nothing on the outside suggests you will enjoy a delicious lunch. But looks can be deceiving.

Jacquelyn’s dining room, which has ceiling fans throughout, isn’t large. (Neither is the men’s restroom, by the way.) But when we arrived at 12:30, there was only one open table. That tells you something about the cafe’s popularity. And you know what I noticed? Everyone looked happy. There were smiles and laughter. Even a couple of people dining solo looked like they were enjoying themselves.

If you’re into fancy, big-board menus, Jacquelyn’s is not your place. Their menu is hand-written in chalk on two boards near the front counter. (What’s keeping someone from being mischievous and erasing the first number in the price of a sandwich?) On those boards, you will find a variety of salads, sandwiches, a soup of the day (along with New England clam chowder every day), house specialties and desserts.

At Jacquelyn’s, you pay before meals, like at other places. That’s fine, except for one thing. Unless you’re paying cash, you must leave your tip in advance. How can you tip based on the quality of service you haven’t had? If I didn’t like the service, do you go back to the counter and ask for your tip back?

During my previous, though long-ago, visits to Jacquelyn’s, I was a fan of their shrimp salad. But on this day, I was in the mood for a sandwich. Lucky for me, Jacquelyn’s offers a shrimp salad sandwich ($9.50). I also ordered a cup of chicken and sausage jambalaya ($4.75). My friend chose a chicken salad sandwich ($9.50) and a cup of New England clam chowder ($5). Thinking ahead to dessert, we decided to split a slice of Almond Jacq Pie ($6).

The non-descript building is well-known by locals.

I need you to believe me when I tell you that our food was served within three minutes of my friend and I sitting down. Three minutes! And remember, I told you the place was packed. I was very impressed.

I was also impressed with the look of our food. The cups of chowder and jambalaya were almost overflowing. My friend’s chowder was up to the top of the cup, and if there were any more jambalaya, it would have been falling out of the cup. The jambalaya was spicy like jambalaya is supposed to be. It was close to being overcooked but turned out fine. My friend loved the chowder – she wants to have it again when the temperature outside is much cooler than it was on that day.

Our sandwiches looked just as good and filling as the jambalaya and chowder. The bread was thick and soft but didn’t overwhelm what was on the inside. The servings of chicken salad and shrimp salad were more than fair, especially considering the price. Each sandwich came with shredded lettuce, a tomato and a pickle, all on the side.

My shrimp salad was as promised – chopped Gulf Coast shrimp (I appreciated the shrimp wasn’t imported from overseas), tossed with eggs and relish, and served on untoasted wheat bread (my choice). It was outstanding! The sandwich tasted so fresh, and the shrimp, eggs and relish mix was just right.

My friend’s sandwich was made up of chopped chicken with celery and egg and served on untoasted wheat bread (her choice).

While her sandwich looked as good as mine, my friend didn’t care as much for hers. She said the chicken salad was watery and tasted bland. I took a bite of the sandwich and thought it was good. That shows how two people can taste the same thing and have different opinions.

You don’t want to miss Almond Jacq Pie.

Jacquelyn’s has been around 41 years. As Tina brought our pie, you would have never known she’d worked there 37 years. Tina, too, had a smile and was happy to chat it up with people throughout the restaurant. It’s nice to see someone enjoying their work, especially after working in one place for so long.

The Almond Jaq Pie is Jacquelyn’s signature pie, named after “Jacquelyn.” It’s a combination of shortbread cookie crust, vanilla ice cream, amaretto and ground almonds. It’s also a slice of heaven. To me, the best part was that it was cold. Think of eating an ice cream pie. It was so good.

The cost of our meal, before tax and tip, was $37.25. I thought that was an outstanding price for our food quality and quantity. That Jacquelyn’s can serve sandwiches that size for $9.50 each is impressive. It makes you wonder why other places charge so much for what they serve.

Jacquelyn’s Cafe is very deserving of Four Forks, and that’s what they’re getting. The atmosphere, food quality, prices and friendly faces make it a place where I would go out of my way for lunch. Hopefully, my enjoyable experience will help me remember them the next time I’m hungry.