The self acclaimed Blackened Catfish Etouffe is decidedly disappointing.  Unlike Etouffes from other Cajun restaurants, the Etouffe from Louisiana Longhorn Cafe resembles a thick yellow colored gravy.  Missing are the seasoning, spices and saltiness that accompany Etouffes.  Missing is the flavor that one expects from any Etouffe.  The paste-like consistency of the Etouffe drowns not only the rice, but the starchiness inherent in the sauce creates a concoction that makes it extremely difficult to even call the dish an Etouffe.   Since there is a possibility that the Blackened Catfish Etouffe is just inherently bad, the Home Cooked Combo is also ordered to include the Crawfish Etouffe, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice and Broccoli with Cheese.

While the crawfish in the Crawfish Etouffe are somewhat seasoned, the accompanying Etouffe is exactly the same bland gravy-like sauce as the Blackened Catfish Etouffe.  In many ways, it is curious how an Etouffe can deviate so drastically from what should be a standard dish for any Cajun restaurant.  Lousiana Longhorn Cafe's Jambalaya bears little difference to Spanish Rice.  The rice is overly cooked creating a mushy damp texture with very little seasoning or flavor.  Rather than being full of meats or seafood, the Jambalaya is heavy on the rice and light on everything else.  At best, it is an understated background dish that does little to stand on its own.  Unfortunately, like the Etouffes,  Jambalayas are also another traditionally highly seasoned and flavorful dish that should be able to more than stand out in a crowd.  The Red Beans and Rice is a mush with the beans and rice without any of their distinctive characteristics.  The dish is neither seasoned nor spiced and is decidedly bland.  The result is reminescent of canned pinto beans cooked with rice.  Even the smoked sausage slices in the Red Beans and Rice fail to lend much flavor to the combination.  It is definitely a bad sign when the Red Beans and Rice from Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits is levels better than the Red Beans and Rice being served.     

In a town with restaurants like Gene's serving up quality New Orleans style Po'Boys, the bar is set rather high for Po'Boys.  Unfortunately, the Louisiana Longhorn Cafe rendition of the classic Catfish Po'Boy is disappointing.  The catfish filet is sparsely seasoned with the lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise dressing failing to enhance both in texture and taste.  The Po'Boy roll is insubstantial and fails to form a stable foundation for the sandwich.  With many regional sandwiches, the bread is the quintessential element that either makes or breaks the dish.  Unfortunately, in this case, the bread does not help make the Po'Boy more authentic.  Rather, it is just another element in a lackluster delivery.

Louisiana Longhorn Cafe is somewhat of an enigma.  Searching customer opinions for the past few years show a stark contrast from when it first opened to more recent reviews.  When the cafe first opened, customers raved about the flavor and seasoning of the entrees.  More recently however, the reviews are filled with disappointment and complaints about the bland food and lack of seasoning in the entrees.  Most telling is how passionately toward the negative many of the opinions seem to be.  In many ways, the changes at Louisiana Longhorn Cafe might be a result of the neighborhood and surrounding area.  In a region that might not be acclimated to spicy and heavily seasoned entrees, it would be difficult to continally receive complaints about the dishes being 'too spicy' or 'too intense'.  Eventually the restaurant either has to adapt itself to the tastes of the local clientele to survive or simply go out of business.

The appetizer gives a hint at what Louisiana Longhorn Cafe might have served upon its inception.  Unfortunately, that entree is the sole bearer of flavor and spice that one would expect from a Cajun restaurant. 

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