Herby-K’s is famous for its Shrimp Buster.

Good food that exceeds expectations

The 318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter periodically visits a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

There are people who, and places which, live off their reputation.

“He used to be a great quarterback, but now, he’s showing his age.”

“That restaurant used to be the talk of the town but has really gone down.”

Herby-K’s (1833 Pierre Ave., Shreveport) has been around — and in the same place — since 1936. It has been featured on national television shows and in national publications. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has anything bad to say about Herby-K’s.

But is the longtime favorite of many as good as it used to be? Or is it living off its reputation? On a recent Monday, I invited a friend to join me for lunch and find out.

We arrived just before 11:30. I had not been to Herby-K’s in a few years, but I remembered there were few tables, either inside or outside. So, I thought it best if we arrived earlier rather than later. It was a blue-sky, lower-than-usual humidity kind of day, so we chose to eat outside — or as outside as Herby-K’s offers. Its patio is covered and air-conditioned, so you don’t really get the feeling of being outside. But before going in, I took a peek inside the dining room. My impression was that not much has changed since 1936. Except for probably some new seat cushions, Herby-K’s is what it has always been — an old-school eatery with a reverence for history. The walls are full of old pictures and signs. The bar still has stools that swivel and don’t have a back.

On the patio, there were four picnic tables that could seat as many as eight people. Not wanting to take up a big table, we chose the only table for two, with its skinny ironwork that made me wonder if it would hold up the entire lunch. The atmosphere was quaint.

There was blues music playing from speakers at just the right volume.

Herby-K’s felt comfortable.

Grilled Catfish Po’boy

Baby Shrimp Buster

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

It wasn’t long before Percy arrived to take our drink order. Sometimes, you meet people who you immediately like. This was one of those times. My guess is Percy wakes up smiling and goes to bed smiling. He answered our questions, made suggestions and addressed us as “ma’am” and “sir.”

Percy was the type of person we should all strive to be.

Herby-K’s menu had lots of choices — appetizers, oysters, sandwiches, burgers, po’boys, salads, seafood and lunch specials. But if you know anything about Herby-K’s, you know what the restaurant is known for.

The Shrimp Buster. But if you’re not hungry enough for four butterfly-fried shrimp, you can order the Baby Shrimp Buster ($13.99). I’ve known my friend a long time, so I was surprised when she told me she had never had a Shrimp Buster. I was not surprised when she decided to have the baby version. She also chose to — for an extra $2 — substitute fries for onion rings. My friend had a Diet Coke ($2.99).

Percy told us about the lunch special and an off-the-menu choice. They both sounded good. I also thought long and hard about having the Herby-K’s shrimp salad. But I will let you in on a little secret. When there’s an opportunity to have a (grilled) catfish po’boy ($13.99), I am likely to take advantage of that opportunity.

It was only a short time before Percy brought two plates to our table. Nothing was “baby” about the size of my friend’s shrimp. Both were on a bed of buttered, toasted garlic French bread. The shrimp were flanked by a small serving of coleslaw and a container of Shrimp Buster sauce. There were also four, maybe five, onion rings.

My friend loved the shrimp, saying they tasted “buttery.” She noted the shrimp were thin, which made them better. She was also happy she didn’t order the regular Shrimp Buster. “(The Baby Shrimp Buster) was just the right size for someone who doesn’t eat a lot.” My friend compared the coleslaw to the slaw her mom used to make, which is saying something.

As for the onion rings, which cost an extra $2? My friend said they were worth it. She described them as “good and crispy.” My friend especially appreciated that the batter was not overly thick, allowing her to enjoy the onion taste, without the onion being all she could taste.

You know that feeling when you see what you’ve ordered and are immediately pleased with how it looks? I had that feeling when Percy placed my food in front of me. I noticed two things right away. The po’boy was huge — cut in half and making me doubt if I could eat it all (I did). And you know how with many po’boys, it’s maybe 80% bread and 20% what’s inside? Not in this case. The bread wasn’t overwhelming. Instead of trying to be the star of the show, it was simply a nice enclosure for the several pieces of fish. My po’boy was dressed with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. If you ask, you can also have tartar sauce, onions and pickles.

It wasn’t long ago when I wrote about “the best catfish po’boy I have ever eaten” at another local restaurant. That po’boy must now share the honor. My Herby-K’s catfish po’boy was equally good. The bread wasn’t overtoasted, and the fish didn’t taste like fish. The sandwich was hot, as were the fries. It is very satisfying when what you order exceeds your expectations.

Herby-K’s offers one dessert choice: white chocolate bread pudding. However, there was no way we had room for anything else. That is until Percy brought us a bowl of the pudding “on the house.” We were surprised and felt obligated to take a couple of bites. That obligation turned into us eating all of the pudding. As with my po’boy, I had previously declared another local restaurant had “one of the best desserts I may have ever had,” referring to their bread pudding. This bread pudding is now “one of the best desserts I may have ever had.” Holy cow! Yes, it was full of sugar, but I could have drunk a gallon of that pudding. It was so good that I won’t hesitate to pay for it when I return.

The cost of our meal before tax and tip was $34.21. If you pay with a credit card, know there will be a 4% surcharge, which is clearly noted on the front of the menu.

Herby-K’s is not in a part of town I frequent.

A once-thriving Texas Avenue, which runs east-west to Pierre Avenue, is lined with longsince vacant, crumbling buildings. If you’re going to Herby-K’s, you have to be going to Herby-K’s. And in giving it four forks, I will go back and go out of my way to do so.

After all these years, Herby-K’s continues to live up to its reputation.