Quote: At the Horseshoe Casino, there are four restaurants. All of them seemed great, but everyone spoke of the fabulous steaks at the Oak Creek Café. Wanting to stick to my Atkins diet, I thought I’d try it out.

The restaurant was wide open, with a lot of tables and a few booths. You could watch people walking to and from the casino wherever you sat. The lounge next door offers entertainment in the evening that you can enjoy while dining. It was very cold in there, so I was glad that I had a sweater.

They serve American cuisine. I saw an assortment of beef, sandwiches, and countrystyle chicken-fried steak. The menu is similar to what you’d find at a Bennigan’s restaurant. It's open 24 hours a day, and for those late-night gamblers, they offer a steak-and-potato dinner at 11pm for $7.95.

My meal began with a salad, which was accompanied by a basket of rolls. The salad had iceberg lettuce with a good .5-inch of water in the bottom. One of the cucumbers was bad. I believe the rolls had a bit of honey on the top. I couldn’t tell exactly, as they were so hard, it was difficult to bite into them. Next I had a rib-eye steak with grilled shrimp. The steak was a perfect medium, but was way too salty. The shrimp was a special request, as they usually serve fried shrimp with this meal. However, my broiled shrimp were also way too salty. It was covered with spices with a slight kick, similar to Lawry’s Seasoning Salt. Usually, I add salt to my food; however, this time, I didn’t need to. I could barely put any of the food in my mouth. I even tried to remove some of the salt with a napkin, but that didn’t make much of a difference.

With a disappointing meal thus far and still an empty stomach, I decided to forget the Atkins diet and ordered carrot cake. Fortunately, that was good. I filled my stomach with half of this large piece of cake. I hear their strawberry shortcake is also a favorite.

I know you're thinking I should have sent the food back, but my meal was being comped by the casino, and I figured for a free meal, I really shouldn’t complain. I did however speak to the manager before leaving and told him my complaints. He was very courteous and offered to accommodate me with another meal. I was pleased that they were willing to make things right, and that he thanked me for speaking up. I was also satisfied with the server I had. Perhaps my experience was a fluke, because I spoke with many happy customers. Next time I’m in town, I’m going to give them another shot.

From journals Gambling in Shreveport-Bossier City