By Jeanni Ritchie
On the second-to-last day of a two-week writer’s retreat in Leesville, I decided to drive to DeRidder for a sit-down meal. I checked Google for restaurants open on a Saturday, then Yelp reviews to narrow down my options. I must say that DeRidder didn’t make the decision easy. There were still a half-dozen restaurants with 4+ stars and tantalizing menu options.
It was the description of the crawfish étouffée-stuffed pistolette that tipped the scales in favor of Steamboat Bill’s. (Spoiler alert: it was the menu item I’d drive an hour and a half from home to eat again!)
The atmosphere was fun — like you’d stepped onto a shrimp boat — and the menu was filled with so many fabulous options it was hard to choose.
While there was a Small Plate option on the menu, it had many things I didn’t want and didn’t have some that I did. I decided to make a DIY sampler plate with four appetizers. Best of all, it still came to only $20.
Of course, I’d ordered the crawfish pistolette I’d come for and a boudin ball — which is ironic, given that I’ve always claimed to hate boudin. The thing is, every time I’ve tasted it just to be polite, I’ve enjoyed it. At some point, I may have to admit I actually like boudin.
I also ordered a small cup of chicken and sausage gumbo and their signature appetizer, the swamp fries — a bed of crispy cheese fries smothered in shrimp étouffée, served with sour cream and garnished with chives.
Every time I started eating one of the appetizers, I had a hard time stopping and moving to the next one!
The pistolette was warm and buttery, with piping hot filling — the “stop eating or you’ll burn your tongue” kind of hot. I kinda burned my tongue.
The gumbo had the perfect roux — rich and savory. The boudin ball was flavorful and a little sweet, and I was once again reminded why we don’t say we don’t like things we haven’t actually tried! The swamp fries were delicious and their signature dish for a reason, but it’s definitely an appetizer for the whole table!
My meal was incredible.
Other menu items include po-boys with your choice of shrimp, fish, crawfish, oyster, alligator, chicken, or popcorn shrimp. The Cajun fried dinner section comes with your choice of seafood or chicken, fries, coleslaw, and a Louisiana roll. Combination platters make it easy to sample more than one favorite.
Comforting Cajun staples like shrimp or crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, seafood tacos, shrimp and fish burgers, and baked potatoes topped with shrimp or crawfish étouffée round out the menu. Oysters can be ordered raw, chargrilled, or Cajun-style.
If my meal was any indication, Steamboat Bill’s has its sea legs. Captain Dan would approve.
Steamboat Bill’s of DeRidder is located at 735 N. Pine Street in DeRidder. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 AM–9 PM and Friday through Saturday from 10:30 AM–10 PM. For more information, call 337-460-7788.
