19$ Blackened alligator appetizer Bland hollandaise— just tasted like warm butter sauce no real depth of flavor Blackening seasoning just tasted like a bunch of salt and Smoke. Not much character or flavor variety. I found it too salty. Some people who enjoy Salt will prefer it though. I prefer more subtlety in flavors. Gator meat was an excellent texture though. Sadly, some pieces were just big chunks of fat and gristle more than meat. $23 Decent fried steak meal, breading was flavorful and fried well! The pork tenderloin chunks were cold so I think they were added as a garnish as an afterthought and not heated with the main dish. Strange decision there. I have ordered the fried steak dish many times in the past and it’s a safe bet. Meat and potatoes. Pretty safe choice if you want to avoid some exotic dish that will likely let down. The potatoes were fluffy and hot and the sauce is a nice addition to them— reminiscent of a white gravy but I think it’s an andouille cream(?) $38 red fish plate. Too spicy for my party and when told to Ethan, our server, he offered zero help. No replacement dish. No offer to take the item back. He just asked, “OK, well how is everything else?”, blowing off the issue at hand. This was a terribly expensive fail, but what can you expect from a 19yo server. He was also clueless when it came to questions we had about the menu. Management should ensure their staff know their menu backward and forward. Last I checked wait staff do this at even mid-level dining establishments. And Tope La is supposed to be/considered one of Hammond’s upper end dining destinations— but there we are. A manager, I guess, who didn’t introduce herself, came after that and asked how our meal was. I said, “decent”. This caught her attention. So she asked why “decent”?, and I explained the meal was too spicy, my party, as are most folks, was too terrified to tell the truth when asked by a manager how the meal was. (I must brag on Tope La in that regard though, most places don’t seem to do this anymore— sending management to each table to see how the meal was.) The manager(?) also did nothing to assist in the complaint except to say she would, ‘look into it’ and never came back to us the rest of the night. More of that ‘zero’ help. Feeling more and more like Nope La I don’t necessarily expect a total refund for a dish because it was my party’s decision to choose this dish. But the manager explained it’s an artichoke topping that shouldnt have been spicy. However, I like spicy and even I thought the red fish topping had a decent kick to it. The issue was neither a replacement dish was offered or a refund. There was not even an apology just a conversation how it wasn’t a spicy dish and explanation on why we shouldn’t have thought it was spicy. There was $40+ down the drain. $100 total with a tip was rather costly for a 1.25 dishes consumed. Lesson learned. I think instead of telling customers they are tasting incorrectly, offer a replacement or have the item stricken from the check. And if you can’t bear to offer one of those logical choices to your customer at what is supposed to be finer dining option in Hammond, apologize for the inconvenience of wasted money. Just some thoughts for future usage and consideration.
Tope La Restaurant | Cajun
Excerpts
19$ Blackened alligator appetizer Bland hollandaise— just tasted like warm butter sauce no real depth of flavor Blackening seasoning just tasted like a bunch of salt and Smoke. Not much character or flavor variety. I found it too salty. Some people who enjoy Salt will prefer it though. I prefer more subtlety in flavors. Gator meat was an excellent texture though. Sadly, some pieces were just big chunks of fat and gristle more than meat. $23 Decent fried steak meal, breading was flavorful and fried well! The pork tenderloin chunks were cold so I think they were added as a garnish as an afterthought and not heated with the main dish. Strange decision there. I have ordered the fried steak dish many times in the past and it’s a safe bet. Meat and potatoes. Pretty safe choice if you want to avoid some exotic dish that will likely let down. The potatoes were fluffy and hot and the sauce is a nice addition to them— reminiscent of a white gravy but I think it’s an andouille cream(?) $38 red fish plate. Too spicy for my party and when told to Ethan, our server, he offered zero help. No replacement dish. No offer to take the item back. He just asked, “OK, well how is everything else?”, blowing off the issue at hand. This was a terribly expensive fail, but what can you expect from a 19yo server. He was also clueless when it came to questions we had about the menu. Management should ensure their staff know their menu backward and forward. Last I checked wait staff do this at even mid-level dining establishments. And Tope La is supposed to be/considered one of Hammond’s upper end dining destinations— but there we are. A manager, I guess, who didn’t introduce herself, came after that and asked how our meal was. I said, “decent”. This caught her attention. So she asked why “decent”?, and I explained the meal was too spicy, my party, as are most folks, was too terrified to tell the truth when asked by a manager how the meal was. (I must brag on Tope La in that regard though, most places don’t seem to do this anymore— sending management to each table to see how the meal was.) The manager(?) also did nothing to assist in the complaint except to say she would, ‘look into it’ and never came back to us the rest of the night. More of that ‘zero’ help. Feeling more and more like Nope La I don’t necessarily expect a total refund for a dish because it was my party’s decision to choose this dish. But the manager explained it’s an artichoke topping that shouldnt have been spicy. However, I like spicy and even I thought the red fish topping had a decent kick to it. The issue was neither a replacement dish was offered or a refund. There was not even an apology just a conversation how it wasn’t a spicy dish and explanation on why we shouldn’t have thought it was spicy. There was $40+ down the drain. $100 total with a tip was rather costly for a 1.25 dishes consumed. Lesson learned. I think instead of telling customers they are tasting incorrectly, offer a replacement or have the item stricken from the check. And if you can’t bear to offer one of those logical choices to your customer at what is supposed to be finer dining option in Hammond, apologize for the inconvenience of wasted money. Just some thoughts for future usage and consideration.
Love this place Every. Single. Time I. Go. First, the atmosphere and staff are excellent and kind. The price for the portion is extraordinary in this economy. The attention to effort and detail when preparing every dish is unmatched. We shared almost every dish cause there was literally that much food on each plate. My SO has gluten sensitivity, and they were very helpful in dish selection. They were unable to find their gluten-free menu, so after ordering, the staff literally created more gluten-free for menu for future diners. My parents own a hood soul food restaurant in New Orleans, and my entire family thinks this place is legit.
Love this place Every. Single. Time I. Go. First, the atmosphere and staff are excellent and kind. The price for the portion is extraordinary in this economy. The attention to effort and detail when preparing every dish is unmatched. We shared almost every dish cause there was literally that much food on each plate. My SO has gluten sensitivity, and they were very helpful in dish selection. They were unable to find their gluten-free menu, so after ordering, the staff literally created more gluten-free for menu for future diners. My parents own a hood soul food restaurant in New Orleans, and my entire family thinks this place is legit.
Tried for the first time recently. Atmosphere was nice aside from the years old Covid barriers now well worn with scratches and scrapes. Really cheapens the mood. Wouldn't hurt to replace them if they are going to stay. Food was great, but fell just a little short of outstanding. Not at all bad, but in this price range I believe we have other favorites in the area still. Drinks were great and service was excellent as well. If you haven't been I think it's a great spot to try.