Looking for the prettiest view while dining in the local area? Look no further. The Shreveport Aquarium has reopened their beautiful indoor-outdoor restaurant space overlooking the Red River as the new Riverwalk Cafe. While you can eat in or take out, but believe me when I tell you that you will want to dine in.
The patio at Riverwalk Cafe.
The space has always been lovely; filled with plants and shade with river and bridge views. On nice days, the garage door separating inside and outdoor space is open, giving the feeling of someplace tropical, far removed from workday concerns.
Greenery is everywhere.
The original SALT restaurant closed several years ago, but Jon Whitehead, Aquarium Founding Partner, says significant changes- including beautiful new landscaping, a new event pavilion and a significant increase in overall business- made now the time to rebrand and reopen the space.
Drinks on the patio, anyone?
The cafe menu has gone from the original SALT experiential/experimental to a more limited menu that combines popular, great tasting meals and speed of service. A group I was with recently had only good things to say about the cheeseburger and roast beef sandwiches that came with a side of crispy, hot fries. Our wait staff was also accommodating to requests to make alterations to dishes, such as a request for a side of fruit instead of fries. If sandwiches don’t hit the spot, their is a tempting-looking Seafood Mac and Cheese, a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and other options.
The cheeseburger was great!
Whitehead knows the importance of good food and fast, good service, but he rightfully points out the amenity that his restaurant has that others do not, the “amazing views of the river and bridges”. You can also experience the space on Thursday evenings in May and June at the return of the popular free admission Jam on the Red Outdoor Concert Series.
The May line-up.
Though the restaurant is open 11:30-4:30 seven days a week, Jon says that operating hours may vary, so keep up with the Aquarium’s online events calendar. ” There might be occasions when the cafe closes early or remains closed for the entire day due to the scheduling of significant events”.
All ‘plastic’ items are made from bamboo, high compostable and environmentally-friendly.
The cafe adds just one more reason to visit Shreveport’s riverfront aquarium, says Jon. “With our diverse collection of over 1,000 animals from 300 species, visitors can engage with a wide array of sea creatures, including stingrays, sharks, moon jellies, and more. The aquarium’s experiences like hand-feeding sting rays, touching moon jellies, and digging for gemstones and fossils and entertainment options, such as mermaid breakfasts, shark week, pirate adventures and more, have drawn visitors from up to 200 miles away.” This year, the aquarium will welcome its 1,000,000th visitor, quite an impressive milestone.
The strawberry puree lemonade is crisp and refreshing.
We encourage you to visit the aquarium, and if you’re looking for a dynamite location for lunch or an afternoon drink, Riverwalk Cafe is it!
