Just reopened after an eight-month hiatus, Mr. Lester’s Steakhouse is new and improved with a revamped menu. The elegant restaurant and cigar bar is more glamorous than ever with new floors and carpeting, making it the perfect place for a fine dining experience.

Named after Lester Darden, the oldest member of the Chitamacha Tribe at the time Cypress Bayou Casino opened, Mr. Lester’s honors its namesake with an elegant atmosphere outshining the finest steakhouses in Las Vegas. The World War II veteran and Tribal Government member would surely be proud of this stellar gem, unexpectedly housed in a simple Native American casino nestled in the cane fields of tiny Charenton, La.

Post-pandemic, Mr. Lester’s changed its hours to 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. With these streamlined hours, the restaurant also refined its menu to focus on customer favorites and chef specials. Helmed by Executive Chef Willie Gaspard and Chef Derek Weisz, the new menu features Mr. Lester’s famed steaks, as well as creative additions by these talented culinary-trained cooks.

To fully enjoy your experience at this renowned restaurant, start with a cocktail or glass of wine at the clubby cigar bar. Select a fine cigar, served with a shot of cognac for dipping. You can savor your cigar at the sleek bar, or at your table in the cozy cigar room.

Once seated, you’ll start off your meal with Mr. Lester’s famous bread basket, featuring a bacon-cheddar pinwheel, grilled focaccia, zucchini nut muffin, garlic French pull-apart, bread of the day (recently olive cheese bread) and a new addition – croissants. These delicious breads are served with three butters – tomato shallot, sweet almond and salted whipped. Try not to fill up, because there are more delicious items to come.

New to the appetizer side are Chef Willie’s Tenderloin Sliders – seared beef tenderloin, foie gras and white sharp cheddar with truffle mayonnaise and crispy shallots, and Duck Eggrolls – duck confit with sautéed cabbage, carrots and ginger served with sweet and spicy chili dipping sauce. Don’t worry – you’ll still find the ever-popular Crab Cakes, offered as an appetizer and main course.

For the soup course, Mr. Lester’s offers Corn & Crab bisque and Chef Derek’s soup du jour. His winter offerings include seafood gumbo and vegetable, broccoli and cheese and potato soups. Another special is his crabmeat au gratin appetizer served with toasted French bread.

Brand new to the entrée specialties are Chef Willie’s Root Beer Pork Chop – a French cut pork chop served atop garlic whipped potatoes with an Abita Root Beer demi-glace. Of course, you can expect Mr. Lester’s famous filet, seasoned with sea salt and four types of peppercorns. On the seafood side is the fresh fish of the day, including Chilean sea bass, Hawaiian Ono and local red snapper, amberjack or flounder.

Save room for a treat from the dessert cart, showcasing Pastry Chef Amanda Wildblood’s special bread pudding with pecan, rum praline sauce served with vanilla ice cream, crème brulee, black bottom pie (Oreo crust, chocolate custard and chocolate mousse) and fan favorite praline tart – meringue layers intertwined with white chocolate mousse, raspberries, raspberry mousse marmalade and white chocolate mousse. If it’s your birthday, you’ll get the beautiful birthday cheesecake complete with a chocolate plaque announcing the occasion.

Mr. Lester’s is definitely the ultimate dining experience in South Louisiana. Chef Willie confides that during the pandemic shutdown, several customers approached him and begged him to tell them when the restaurant was reopening. When it resumed business on November 5, the restaurant was filled with regulars. And it’s no wonder – this place is truly worth revisiting.

MUST TRY ITEMS

Colossal Crab

Customers crave the Crab Cakes, creamy cakes filled with sweet jumbo lump crabmeat served over Sauce Beurre Blanc. Choose from a one-cake appetizer or two-cake entrée, served with three grilled jumbo bacon-wrapped shrimp. There’s a reason why these cakes made the cut on the new menu.

Fabulous Filet

Most popular on the menu is the topping-selling Filet, offered in eight or 12-ounce portions. This tender cut is dusted with sea salt and a four-pepper mélange – green, white, pink and black, then seared to perfection. Order it with fan-favorite Twice Baked Potato and the One Pound Grilled Asparagus Hollandaise and you’ll have the perfect meal.

Divine Dessert

It’s your birthday! Try the Birthday Cheesecake – birthday cake batter melded with creamy cheesecake and topped with chocolate mousse. Accented with an artistic chocolate topper and a solid chocolate Happy Birthday plaque, this festive dessert is worth celebrating.