12 closed restaurants that are missed in the Ark-La-Tex

SHREVEPORT, La. (Ark-La-Tex Weekend) - Gone but not forgotten, there are many restaurants that have come and gone but still hold a special place in our hearts.

KSLA asked the community: “What’s a restaurant that’s closed that you wish would come back?” So we compiled a list of our own.

Here’s our list of beloved closed restaurants, to ignite the nostalgia for great food and memories with friends and family.

• Ryan’s - This one was mentioned quite a bit in KSLA’s post. I know I definitely miss it. I use to spend every Friday going to the Bert Kouns, near Mansfield road location in Shreveport with my grandfather. It’s where my love for steak first started!
• Pancho’s Mexican Buffet - Pancho’s was a cheap cafeteria-style restaurant in Bossier City that closed in 2014. Many people always bring this one up, a lot of people in the community miss Pancho’s. We sure could use the affordable experience nowadays! If you are ever in the Dallas Fort Worth area, they still have one, https://www.panchosmexicanbuffetdfw.com/.
• Mr. Gatti’s Pizza - This amazing pizza place used to be on Youree Drive, Shreveport, where Podnuh’s is now. It was a location of great fresh rolled dough pies with a large variety of toppings, spicy wings, and salad. Don’t forget about the game room for all of the kids who grew up going to this restaurant. https://mrgattispizza.com/
• George’s Grill - An historic restaurant that was located on East Kings Highway, near Centenary College in Shreveport. Many memories were made here, and the community cherished this diner. If you want to reminisce on this old location, check out its Facebook page.
• Grandy’s Country Cookin - There were a few of these around the area, and many hearts were broken when they closed. Grandy’s served homestyle cooking and comfort food.
• Sue’s Country Kitchen - In the middle of the night at 2 a.m. in Bossier City, this place was always open and welcoming the late-nighter with open arms. This place was around for a very long time, and many were sad to see it go, but now Fuzzy’s Tacos has taken its place. Check out the memorial page for the restaurant on Facebook.
• Freeman & Harris Café - This historic soul food restaurant served Shreveport for 75 years. Legendary entertainers ate there, including BB King. It was located at the corner of Lawrence and Travis Street. If you want to reminisce about this location, check out the Facebook group: Freeman & Harris Cafe Memories.
• Pacific Pearl - It was a little Chinese restaurant on Jewella Road, near Mansfield Road, Shreveport. It had great food and a very personal dine-in experience.
• Ruby Tuesday - It was a great place to eat and their salad bar was amazing, especially the croutons! Sadly it’s gone from both Shreveport-Bossier City and the Texarkana area. The closest location now is all the way in Tulsa, Okla. https://www.rubytuesday.com/
• Western Sizzlin - There used to be one of these where Shane’s Seafood & BBQ is on Mansfield Road. They were known for their unique top and bottom searing process for their steaks.
• Cobb’s BBQ -This little BBQ place was open since 1952, Cobb’s closed its doors after nearly 70 years of service. The BBQ recipe was legendary. Sadly, not even the building is left standing.
• Nanking - This Chinese restaurant was located in downtown Shreveport, on the 610 block of Milam Street. The restaurant was a historic part of the city, having opened in 1937. No one’s eggrolls have compared since it closed in 2009. Learn a little about Nanking here >> https://www.ksla.com/story/10958789/nanking-restaurant-to-close-after-72-years/

KSLA’s Facebook post:

If you are interested in popular restaurants that are still open, check this out>> Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Shreveport, according to Tripadvisor

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