Review: Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro

A while back, I was contacted by a representative from a local franchise, Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro, about sampling their new menu. I was actually really hesitant, because this blog is mainly about recipes. What do I know about reviewing a restaurant on a blog? Not much, y’all. However, I decided that this might be pretty fun to do. I mean, I get to take pictures of already prepped food, which is spectacular and heck, this was something different. Why not give it a shot?

My husband and I met Jenny, their PR manager, at the restaurant, and I could tell that this wasn’t going to be the average dining experience. She told the water that we’d need a large table, because we would be sampling quite a few of their dishes. Whoa…

After talking for a few minutes, Jenny informed us of something that reminded me how small the world is. Jenny attended high school at my high school’s rivalry. Oh, and so did the waiter. That made for some fun jabs throughout the evening. 😛

We were offered something to drink, and I did say water at first, but was convinced to try a sweet wine beverage. I’m not a wine drinker, but Jenny insisted that this drink was fab…oh and it was. I also had a glass of moscato that night, and it wasn’t that bad either. Could I possibly LIKE wine? Hrm…

When it came time for appetizers, we let Jenny order for us, since she knew what was best there.

From left: Spicy Bacon Tomato Flatbread, Seared Tuna tasting plate and Crab & Crawfish Bake.

These appetizers were so tasty. This was actually my first time ever having seared tuna, and I was surprised that the texture of the rare fish wasn’t off-putting. The seared tuna had almost a smoky teriyaki flavor, and it was just delightful. The flatbread was pretty simple, but the flavor in their marinara sauce was definitely there. And of course, last but NOT last was the crab and crawfish bake. Do you love cheese? Do you love seafood? Then, you will absolutely love the bake.

From top left, going clockwise: Creole Shrimp & Grits, BBQ Shrimp Linguine, Cajun Crawfish Skillet Mac & Cheese and Stuffed Redfish.

It was really hard to say which dish I liked best. Every single entree here was just delicious. My husband absolutely loved the shrimp and grits, and I have to agree. The grits were the perfect texture. Just perfect. The crawfish mac and cheese definitely brought a smile to my face. If I lift a fork and it’s full of cheese strands, I know my day is officially made. 🙂 The stuffed redfish and BBQ Shrimp Linguine were also deilicious dishes…don’t get me wrong!

It was crazy how much leftovers we got to bring home…lunch the next day was absolutely awesome. I’m pretty sure my husband and I made a couple of coworkers jealous in the break room. 🙂

From left: Waffle Hot Cake with strawberry topping, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

The waffle hot cake is something I’ve never seen in a restaurant before. They basically put cake batter in a waffle iron and allow it to bake. Genius! This was pretty tasty, and after talking to the chef about how they make these, I’m totally trying this some time in the near future. The cheesecake was definitely delicious too.. Their cheesecake is unique since it has a pecan crust, which usually freaks me out (pecans are yucky to me), but it’s ground so finely that it’s almost like graham cracker crust. Just not as crispy, though, but still very tasty.

All in all, I would highly recommend Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro if you ever find yourself in Baton Rouge. There’s a wonderful variety available, and the atmosphere is pretty awesome. I know my husband and I will be doing a date night there in the very near future. Thanks so much to Jenny and the staff at Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro for inviting us out there to sample the new menu.

FTC disclosure: Our meal was covered by the restaurant, in exchange for an honest review. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.