Boatwright’s Dining Hall is a table service located at the moderate resort Port Orleans Riverside. This restaurant features southern comfort food with unique New Orleans finishes. We reviewed the attached bar, River Roost Lounge, in a separate post that you can read here for information about all the specialty cocktails and drinks. The food, atmosphere, and service makes Boatwright’s a great hidden gem. Knowing a few items on the menu were being changed, we dropped by the bayou to check out what’s going on.
Boatwright’s recently got these cool mason jars for beverages. Very nice and themed.
As always, dinner started with cornbread and a creamy butter. Don’t be afraid to ask your server for more!
Colonel Peace’s Pieces – Crawfish, Shrimp, Oysters, and Okra in a crispy Cornmeal Batter with Traditional Remoulade – $14.00
This is our usual go-to appetizer at Boatwright’s. Everything is fried-up nice and crispy, making the remoulade the perfect accompaniment. There’s a slight coating of spice to the pieces that gives a good zing without too much heat. More okra than anything else, even less oysters, but there’s plenty of small shrimp and crawfish you’ll find in the mountain of fried goodness.
Crawfish Bisque – Traditional-style Bisque with Crawfish Tails, a touch of Sherry, and finished with Creme Fraiche – $8.00
A very creamy and hearty soup that’s full of crawfish flavor. While we miss the Boatwright’s Gumbo, this is a good substitute. But we miss the gumbo. We really do. Anyone out there want to bring it back… maybe? Please?
Louisiana BBQ Shrimp – Sauteed Shrimp in a traditional Louisiana BBQ Broth served over a Pimento Grit Cake – $13.00
This is an appetizer version of the wonderful BBQ shrimp that Boatwright’s offers as an entree. There’s a bunch of shrimp served over a grit cake with plenty of sauce surrounding. Unfortunately, the shrimp were just coated with the sauce instead of simmered in it making them taste more like they’re teriyaki glazed. Fortunately, the grit cake is absolutely spectacular and soaks-up the flavor of the BBQ sauce, the cake makes the dish.
The Louisiana Lugger – Grilled Cola-glazed Pork Tenderloin over a Sweet Potato Hash – $25.00
Previously the pork tenderloin was sweet tea brined, now there’s a great cola glaze on top. The glaze beats the sweet tea brining by a long shot, and there’s a subtle sweetness that helps bring the ultra-tender pork along. There’s a great helping of sweet potato hash below with bits of bacon mixed-in. Everything works well and complements each other to make a stellar entree.
Nashville Hot Chicken – Hand-battered, Crispy-fried Hot Chicken served on a Southern Honey Biscuit with Collard Greens and House-made Bread-and-Butter Pickles – $23.00
This is a brand new entree. We expected this to be a sandwich, but the menu description is literal: There’s a piece of chicken on top of the biscuit. The chicken has an ultra-crispy exterior that helps hold the sweet and spicy hot sauce. This sauce has a nice slow burn that isn’t overbearing. There’s plenty of sauce to mop-up with the biscuit and the pickles taste homemade, as advertised. This new dish is certainly a winner.
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We stayed there every year for a stretch of 15 years and never ate at Boatwrights. Always wanted to try it though. Just so many restaurants.
Agreed……..bring back the Gumbo. Just plunk a big old piece of that cornbread in it and you have your meal!