Taylor’s Catering & Restaurant offers comfort food in a comfortable setting

One thing about the holiday season is that we eat food we don’t usually enjoy during the year. Think about it. When was the last time you had turkey and dressing in July? Those homemade cookies a co-worker brought to the office Christmas party? You’re probably not getting those in March.

But after weeks of overeating too many different types of food, I was craving a traditional lunch. Traditional, as in some home cooking. There aren’t a lot of local places where you can get what I call Soul Food — food that’s good for the soul. However, someone introduced me several months ago to Taylor’s Catering & Restaurant (1136 North Market Street, Shreveport). I had not heard of the place until then and had not been back until the Monday between Christmas and New Year’s Day when I invited a friend to join me.

Taylor’s is as down-to-earth a restaurant as you will find. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Taylor’s is a building with a few (eight) tables inside, a handful of tables outside and a kitchen that produces food your momma used to cook. If you visit, I strongly suggest putting the restaurant’s address into your vehicle’s GPS. Its old, faded sign is almost invisible from the street. Without the address, it would be easy to pass Taylor’s — more than once.

My friend and I arrived a few minutes before one o’clock, which was on purpose. On my previous visit, I got there around noon. So many cars were trying to park that the restaurant had someone in a golf cart directing traffic. Parking wasn’t as bad this time, but when we walked in, a line of people was waiting to order.

Taylor’s has been around for a long time and has an established clientele. As we found out, there is a learning curve for newbies. You won’t see a menu. For dessert, you have to guess what each pre-packaged sweet treat is. But we found everyone — workers and customers — very friendly and willing to help.

On this day, my friend and I each got what turned out to be a “Big Lunch” ($13.75).

Smothered pork chop and sides

Taylor’s Catering & Restaurant

That meant our choice of one entrée, three sides, and a piece of hot water cornbread. There was plenty from which to choose. For the main event, think fried pork chops, smothered pork chops, fried chicken, red beans and rice, and neckbones. Vegetable choices included turnip greens, yams, cabbage and corn. There was also dressing, mashed potatoes, and rice and gravy.

Now, that’s what I call comfort food, served in a very comfortable atmosphere.

I chose a smothered pork chop, cabbage, yams and corn. My friend went with fried chicken, dressing, greens and cabbage. We selected our drinks (a bottled Diet Coke ($2.75) and bottled water ($2.75) from the cooler, and paid for everything at the register. Several — if not most — people took their food to go, but we carried our Styrofoam containers (no plates here) with plastic utensils to a table in the cramped dining area.

By the time my friend and I settled in and began to eat, I wasn’t expecting my food to be particularly warm. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was still hot and remained hot until I finished. However, the plastic fork and knife were no match for my pork chop. So, I picked up the chop and ate it with my hands. That would have embarrassed my friend had we been at a “nicer” restaurant. But at Taylor’s, I didn’t think twice. It also helped that our table – every table – had a roll of paper towels. The gravy in which the pork chop was smothered was delicious. Each of the sides had their own unique taste, the taste you don’t get from something straight out of a can. And that hot water cornbread was to die for.

My friend requested white meat chicken and received three pieces (a breast and two wings). She said each piece was crispy and walked the line between being too juicy and too dry. My friend enjoyed her sides, which reminded her of when her mother used to cook Sunday dinner.

Earlier, I mentioned dessert. At Taylor’s, there’s a table with several kinds of desserts in plastic containers before you get to the serving line. Some were easily recognizable, like chocolate cake and banana pudding. Others, not so much. I don’t like chocolate or bananas, so I had nothing to lose. I chose a piece of cake that looked good, but I had no idea how it would taste.

According to my receipt, I enjoyed a Honey Bun cake ($3.50). After eating the whole thing, I understood its name. I basically ate a honey bun on top of my lunch. That won’t make my cardiologist happy, but my tummy was very pleased. My friend went with banana pudding ($5.00), which had several vanilla wafers. She said the bananas tasted fresh, the pudding was creamy, and the wafers had just the right amount of vanilla.

We didn’t ask but assumed — especially after consumption — that Taylor’s desserts were homemade.

The cost of our meal before taxes and tip was $41.50. Speaking of tips, I would have gladly left one. However, the credit card machine did not offer an opportunity when I paid for our meal. I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a restaurant that didn’t allow a tip to be left if paying with plastic.

I don’t often find myself on North Market, so if I go to Taylor’s, I’m going out of my way. I did this time and would gladly do so again. Taylor’s gets Four Forks for satisfying my craving for some downhome cookin’. After the holidays, it was good to get back to the basics. Taylor’s is about as basic as you can get, and I’m there for it.