Hi I was visiting Winnsboro Louisiana on January 10, 2026 and the food was amazing. The fried…read moregreen tomatoes were the best. Our waitress was extremely friendly and made sure that we had what we needed. The restaurant was very clean and organized. Even the cook checked to see how we were doing. The food was definitely worth the price and customer service was great. I would give 10 stars if I could. Shays will be my restaurant whenever I am in Louisiana.

I just wasted $15 dollars Food was horrible " Never Again…read moreEven If I'm Starving " False Advertisement

When we first walked up to the counter, the worker made us wait while she finished texting someone…read morebefore she'd take our order. I ordered a chicken poboy and fries. What I received were soggy, cold fries and room temperature chicken tenders on a literal hotdog bun. My wife, who's from the area and had raved about how good Mel's was when she was younger was equally disappointed at her room temperature chicken tenders and soggy, cold fries. When we visit Winnsbori, we'll stay far away from Mel's.

Thought I'd give mels another try after not eating here for over a year because of these same…read moreproblems! Everytime I order I get the same thing, chicken strips with fries and gravy,and everytime I seem to only get over cooked tiny fried pieces of chicken with barely any fries.

Awesome stir fry!! The veggies were fresh and cooked just right.just wanted to say the orders I had…read morewere always generous portions, and very tasty

Very freindly staff and they sang me happy birthday their honey stuck chicken was good and fry rice…read more.

My son reached out and asked me to leave a review! He is a lineman from out of state! He said the…read morefood was great! He and his crew stopped in during a storm restoration for a home cooked, hot meal! They got a chance to relax and truly enjoy from what he says, "Some Amazing Food" When they were ready to head out, they were told that the food was on the house, and thanks for helping out! These acts of kindness are never overlooked! So Thankful for your generosity!!! I hope you are blessed beyond, as you blessed this crew with and amazing meal, and amazing hospitality!!

Went for the Sunday lunch buffet. Food like Mama used to cook. Oh my, there wasn't a bad dish in…read morethe whole buffet. The fried chicken and pot roast were beyond delicious. As was the mac and cheese, Lima beans and fried squash. This is NOT the place to go if you are dieting. Just saying. Tea is included, but salad bar and dessert are extra.

Had the best meal and service today at lunch! Kendhl was very sweet and attentive and our crawfish…read morewas 10/10! Best flavor, peeled easily, perfect texture, came out fast and HOT! Our seafood potato was excellent. A Clawdaddy's favorite. Burgers and chargrilled oysters are great too!! We eat here often.

I had heard about this place red fish étouffée. So I was excited to try it out unfortunately they…read morewere out of it when I got there. So I started with a water that didn't have a great taste to it. I ordered the raw oysters as an appetizer. They were OK, but I felt like something was off a little bit. For my meal, I decided to go with the fillet they came with a salad with three shrimps on it and a seafood potato. I noticed the seafood potato was out first and just sat there for about 15 minutes, but the time I got to it, it was a little bit cold. Not many options of dressing it did come with three shrimp on top. Those shrimp were probably the best part of my deal. The steak came cooked right I was not a fan of the sauce underneath it and the flavor was a little too peppery for me. I am usually a salt and pepper guy, but this was a bit much with the Pepper. So overall, the food was just OK until I left and get back to my hotel where I got sick. If I had to guess I would say it was the oysters I knew something was off. I will say the waitress was extremely nice

The buffet and staff were fabulous. My server Dani asked why I would only get one plate, but I…read morecouldn't eat any more of their meat selections than I did! I will dine there every time I pass though.

Great food and great service. Also you can have take out. The ladies are really nice.read more

I ate here on a Sunday afternoon. The place was packed. They needed more servers. My gumbo was…read moretasteless and watery. My crawfish etoufee was ok but the fried catfish was great. Server was nice but service was slow.

I was so excited to finally be in Louisiana and try some authentic Cajun food, and this place did…read morenot disappoint! I ordered the gumbo and alligator, and both were absolutely delicious. They didn't have cornbread (a little disappointing), but the hush puppies made a great substitute and soaked everything up perfectly. I also tried the boudin balls, which were flavorful and tasty, though I felt they leaned a little too heavy on the rice and could've used more meat. Still, very enjoyable overall. The staff was friendly and kind. Service was straightforward--no extra chatter or banter, which I do think is something missing from today's dining experience, especially with younger staff. If you leave here hungry, that's on you! I'd definitely come back the next time we're on this side of town.

My husband and I were traveling through Monroe to another destination but decided to spend the…read morenight and catch some dinner. We decided to eat here on a recommendation from a family member who use to live in the area. The food did not disappoint. They brought us out some jalapeño hush puppies to munch on with our chicken sausage gumbo. I am not a fan of jalapeños but my husband can't get enough. We both had the chicken sausage gumbo because who comes to Louisiana and doesn't eat gumbo. The roux was dark brown and just the right amount of creamy thickness, chunks of tender chicken and sausage. This gumbo had some okra in it, which I was happy to see because we love okra in our gumbo. I had the fried catfish and the breading nice and crispy and not too thick. I decided to have a baked potato with mine and it was loaded with all the goodies. My husband had the blackened catfish and he said it was as good as any he has ever had and he has had plenty. He ordered the asparagus which was crunchy and crisp. We both split the bread pudding on a recommendation from our server. It was a little too sweet for me but husband really enjoyed his. If you are ever in the area, stop in, you will not be disappointed. Ask for Kaylee as your server. She will take care of you.

I've been going to this restaurant for over 40 years and I have never been disappointed in the food…read moreor the service. Today they had a new lunch special, mahi tacos and they were amazing! We had a new waitress, Jessica, and she was amazing as well!