We had heard rave reviews of Shucks from the work campers parked
next to us at the RV park and the reviews on all of the major web sites that we use for guidance (trip advisor. com, urban spoon.com, yelp.com) were over the top. So I have to think that my less than enthusiastic response to this restaurant may be the outlier. You walk through the doors and find yourself in a large square room.
There are no low walls, no dividers, and no plants to relieve the Spartan look of this space. One end of the room is dominated by a large bar and flat screen TV. 
What passes for decorations were the multiple neon signs advertising Tabasco and brands of beer hung on a corrugated metal wall. As a salute to the local heroes, one beer sign read “Go Saints.” 
Since we arrived at just past 4:00 p.m., only two tables were occupied—one by two quite elderly men enjoying raw oysters and another by a couple eating… well, I don’t know what they were eating.Shucks, as the name suggests, is all about oysters. In addition to the traditional oysters on the half shell, there is a list of char-broiled oysters that included: Traditional with garlic butter, grated Romano and parmesan cheeses; Oysters Rockefeller with a creamed spinach topping and Italian cheeses; Oysters Shuck-a-fella with a cream-based topping with crumbled bacon and chopped mushrooms; Candied Oysters with feta and bleu cheeses and topped with a sugar cane pepper glaze; and Oyster Supreme topped with shrimp and crabmeat in a roasted red bell pepper and sherry cream sauce.
From the appetizer list, the Sassy Shrimp (deep fried and drizzled with the sugar cane pepper glaze) and the Strips & Claws (fried catfish and fried crab fingers) had some appeal. Some, but not enough. Neither of use wanted a full meal, so we both decided to look at the sandwich menu. After rejecting the shrimp patty burger, the grilled chicken breast, and the hamburger, we both settled on po-boys. It would be the catfish for Chuck and the oyster for me.
These weren’t the largest po-boys we have seen but
were reasonable for the price. Of the two, Chuck’s was clearly the superior with good-sized moist and flakey catfish filets in a light cornmeal coating.
For an oyster house, the oysters in my po-boy were a disappoint-ment. They were definitely on the small side, and because they were so small, many were definitely overcooked and tough. I had expected more.Both sandwiches came with a small side of decent, but not extraordinary, coated fries.
Maybe it was my attitude, but I was not impressed and only confer Shucks 2.5 Addies.
**************
Lagniappe…
or a little something extra.
If we leave Duson needing to purchase new wardrobes, part of the blame goes to the great restaurant food we have eaten. But a majority of the blame
goes to donuts. Yes, donuts. And not just any old donuts, but the finest donuts you will find anywhere. Meche’s Donuts.
“Jane and Ewell Meche opened the popular donut shop in 1970 and now their children each operate one of the three locations, Guilbeau Road, Willow Street and Rue Louis, to serve all of Lafayette. Not only does the business appeal to families, it operates much like a big family itself…Not only are the 
co-workers like a big family, but also their customers. Olita Cormier, a Meche’s employee for 21 years, recalled a young man who first came in as a high school student at St. Thomas Moore, served in Iraq, and returned to Lafayette and continues to eat breakfast at Meche’s” (www.lafayettetravel.com).
Our addiction began with Mardi Gras. We wanted a King Cake and learned that Meche’s had been voted the best in Lafayette. 
So we walked into the Guilbeau Road store and left with a delicious cake—and donuts.That day we tried the devil’s food cake glazed and the traditional cake donut with chocolate icing and peanuts.
We have also tried the blueberry cake glazed donuts and the apple fritters. All were good, but we keep coming back to the devil’s food glazed. In fact, we bought a dozen today and half of that dozen will be gone by tomorrow morning.
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