When you think of small Louisiana towns and great food you should only think of two locations. One of those locations is a gas station. From Lebeau to Maurice and Bunkie to Turkey Creek some of the best food you'll find in Louisiana comes from a place that also sells fuel for your car.

Texaco Gas Station at corner of Bridge and Rees Streets, google street view
Texaco Gas Station at corner of Bridge and Rees Streets, google street view
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Now if you're into a more "luxury" environment to tempt your Louisiana taste buds then you've got to visit one of our state's diners. Diners are a throwback to a much simpler time and in Louisiana, we've got more than a few places. In the city of Lafayette, there are two that come to mind for me, there is Hub City Diner and Mel's Diner. Both are iconic eateries in Acadiana.

Google Maps
Google Maps
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Southern Living Magazine looks beyond my front porch and they have reporters scouring the southern landscape for bastions of what used to be here in the Deep South. One of my favorite Southern Living creators is Tara Massouleh McCay. I don't know her personally but based on the many articles she creates and oversees, I bet we've got more than an acre of common ground to share.

Tara's latest article for the iconic Southern Living Magazine focuses on Retro Diners in the South. She has listed a full dozen of them and I am proud to say she included a Louisiana eatery that simply had to be included. I was at this eatery this past Monday. They offer meatloaf or chicken fried steak on Mondays. I opted for the meatloaf and my son, who was with me, went chicken fried steak.

Chicken Fried Steak
You Tube
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So where is this amazing diner where you can take a trip down memory lane with every forkful of goodness that you eat? You have to travel down the narrowest road in all of north Louisiana. Shreveport residents call this stretch of "watch your side mirrors" as Kings Highway. The diner in question is Strawns Eat Shop.

The servers at Strawn's Eat Shop are every bit as loveable as you'd want a diner waitress to be. They're funny, cocky, engaging, and delightful to visit with while they take your order. The food is excellent. I always get the meatloaf mashed potatoes corn and green beans for lunch. It comes with a corn muffin and sweet tea. Thank you, Jesus it's good.

Strawn's is also known for its pies. Okay, that's what it's truly known for, the lunch and breakfast served all the time is just a speed bump before you have pie. I don't care what pie you get, strawberry ice box, chocolate, coconut, banana, or whatever else those magicians in the back are making you're going to want another piece.

Strawn's Eat Shop is like dining in a time machine and even if you're driving from Lafayette, some 200 miles to the south, it's worth the drive every time. So, Tara, thank you for including Strawn's on your list. They have earned recognition through decades of deliciousness. I just hope you don't make them too popular because I'd still like to be able to grab a seat next time I'm in Shreveport and I want to feel the rush and anxiety of driving down King's Highway.

And if you don't enjoy traveling on streets that are too narrow for modern cars there are a couple of other locations of Strawn's in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. I haven't personally tried them but I am willing to bet they are every bit as good as the original location across from Centenary College.

And if you've been a regular or just a frequent visitor at Strawn's Eat Shop, I bet you remember these tunes too.

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Gallery Credit: Kaiya Shunyata

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