Toups StumpWater an adequate dining spot

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

It was one of those days.

You know, the kind of day where everything hits you at once — and from every direction.

By the time I looked up, it was 12:30, and I had not thought about eating.

However, for a couple of months, I had considered Toups StumpWater Restaurant & Bar (9294 Blanchard Furrh Road, Shreveport). The pictures of food pushed out on social media looked good, but the restaurant was quite a way from where I spend most of my time. However, with all that was happening that Thursday, this may be the day to take a nice ride and clear my mind. So, I invited a friend to hop in the car and join me for lunch.

We drove. And drove. And drove. The further we went, the more I hoped the long drive would be worth it. Finally, a little after one o’clock, we reached our destination.

For those who live in the area, I’m sure they don’t think anything about the restaurant’s location. For me, Toups was in the middle of nowhere.

Upon entering, I found the restaurant surprisingly spacious. There were two big dining rooms — one on either side of the building. The restaurant seemed quite spacious, considering only one table was occupied in the room where we were seated.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

That room also had a bar. Usually, if there’s a bar, there’s a television, but not at this bar.

With the name “StumpWater,” I expected to see swamp décor, and I did. However, there were also murals of New Orleans, particularly those of Bourbon Street. I also expected to hear Cajun music playing, and I did. But country music also played, as well as some other kind of music which — along with its lyrics — was a big turnoff to both my friend and me.

Reading Toups’ menu took almost as long as it did for us to get to the restaurant. The menu had five pages, featuring everything from appetizers to seafood platters, entrees and lunch specials. For those who aren’t in the mood for something from the water, Toups offers sandwiches, steaks and pasta dishes.

By the time my friend and I finished browsing the menu, we were starving. So, we decided to have an appetizer.

There were 17 — that’s right, 17 — choices! We chose to have spinach and artichoke dip ($11). For our meal, my friend and I wanted to try a little of several things. So, we chose to share the Cajun Sampler ($30).

A nice young lady named Addi was our server. Throughout our lunch, she was friendly and attentive to our needs. Not long after we ordered our appetizer, Addi brought out a large bowl that wasn’t quite filled with dip, along with a basket of chips. The dip was lukewarm but seasoned well. It tasted excellent. The chips looked and tasted a lot like the chips I buy at the grocery store. They weren’t remarkable, but they did what they were supposed to do in scooping the dip.

The Cajun Sampler came with one cup each of chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish étouffée and shrimp Creole. My friend and I took turns trying all three, despite each bowl being accompanied by just one spoon. The gumbo was our favorite. The roux was dark and spicy, with plenty of rice, chicken and sausage. The étouffée was unremarkable, and the Creole was served ice cold. Have you ever tried eating ice-cold shrimp Creole? Please take my advice. Don’t.

Addi also brought us a basket which had two pieces of fried catfish, four fried shrimp and two frog legs.

The menu stated that we would also receive hush puppies; however, they didn’t make it out of the kitchen.

The catfish filets were small. The shrimp were well-battered, and the frog legs were tender and had a “sweet” taste. But once the basket was empty, I felt disappointed. For $30, we should have received more. In hindsight, the Cajun Platter’s emphasis was on the gumbo, étouffée and Creole. I’ve eaten seafood platters that had way more food for equal or less money.

The cost of our lunch before tax was $41.

There was an up-charge for paying with a credit card.

For $41, the spinach and artichoke dip should not have been the highlight of our meal. But it was. However, I give Toups StumpWater Restaurant & Bar Three Forks and the benefit of the doubt. With so many menu options, we may have made the wrong choice.

It was a long drive to Toups, and an even longer drive home.