Waterfront Grill in Monroe Louisiana

by Kathy White

Title

Waterfront Grill in Monroe Louisiana

Artist

Kathy White

Medium

Photograph - Photography--greeting Cards Or Notes Are Cheaper By The Dozen!

Description

"The Waterfront Grill in Monroe Louisiana" is a collage of photos we took on a recent visit to this wonderful, old historical restaurant on Bayou DeSiard. We considered it a lucky "find" as we really enjoyed our time there, eating a delicious meal and visiting with one of the owners, Sam Weems while enjoying the view of the bayou.
Sam Weems and his brother Don and Don's son, Clay purchased the building in 1996 and immediately began a restoration of the building that resulted in the Waterfront Grill. The building holds much history for the local folks. It dates all the way back to the 1930's when it was originally "The Three Mile Inn", referring to its distance from Five-Points where Louisville Avenue and DeSiard Street meet. That spot is also where the first owner had to go to secure a liquor license. The building became the top R&R spot for soldiers from Selman Field, an Air Force base in the 1940s, who called it their NCO or Non-Commissioned Officers Club. Back then, it featured a glass bottomed dance floor just above water level. Visitors to the establishment included mega stars Tommy Dorsey, Glen Miller, and Ozzie & Harriett. They were eager to entertain our country's troops.
The name was changed to the Siesta Night Club in the 1950s and was mostly country and western themed music and decor. The Siesta became a popular hangout in the 1990s, when the emphasis was focused more on college students. The bayou section was added at that time.
When the Weems' men bought the place, they immediately began a major expansion in 2003 that included the West Wing addition for large groups and the Deck, which seats another 30, enjoying the bayou sites outdoors, right from the water's edge.
Waterfront Grill does not have fried foods, focusing on savory seafood dishes that are either grilled, baked or sauteed. Their menu includes many other delectable items, burgers, sandwiches, lunch specials, and the most amazing bread puddings, either with rum sauce or white chocolate sauce. Their appeal grew and they were named "Restaurateurs of the Year" for 2002. They have been visited on several occasions by food critics, including features in Southern Living Magazine. We had one of the "featured" dishes while we dined there and absolutely loved it! The dish is called "Catfish DeSiard" with a baked catfish filet, seasoned bread crumb topping, green onions, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and shrimp topping it.
The hospitality of the Waterfront Grill was amazing, giving us a great experience there. The owner told us tales of the remodeling and the memorabilia on the walls. The W formed by coins in the bar counter top comes from coins from members of their family dating back to both grandparents. The collage shows the waterfront view of the building in the middle, the Deck area outside, a view of the bayou, their sign and the American flag flying high, a couple of views of the front of the restaurant, and insides views of the grill and the front of their menu. We will definitely return to try out something different or maybe even have that Catfish DeSiard again!

Uploaded

March 12th, 2013

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