Mohawk Tavern

EAT WHERE THE LOCALS EAT AND BECOME PART OF MONROE’S FAMILY HISTORY

BY VANELIS RIVERA | PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRAD ARENDER

Joan Norman may have retired from her mother’s old stomping grounds, but on occasion, you’ll find her behind the bar attending to patrons of Mohawk Tavern Seafood Restaurant. Founders Alline and Tom Fontana originally opened the business as a place for friends to converse and find refuge with a little booze. Upon requests from friends, the business quickly began to serve boiled shrimp and oysters on the half shell. As the years kept rolling, Mohawk Tavern has grown into a full service restaurant. A full sixty-six years later, the restaurant is imperishable, maintaining its heyday vigor and unwavering notable dishes.

The restaurant, passed down through family, is now owned and managed by Ms. Joan and children (Ms. Alline’s grandchildren), Richard Jr. and Ann Norman. Their grandfather, Tom Fontana, was a full-blooded Italian, whose mother didn’t speak English. It was from her that Ms. Alline learned what would be Mohawk’s third original menu dish—also a request from friends—spaghetti and meatballs. Born from Mr. Tom’s mother’s rich and tasty culture, it was brought into a new life with Ms. Alline’s unique touches. “She had the hotplate in the storeroom. She stayed back there in the kitchen and trained all the cooks later,” says Ms. Joan, only fourteen-years-old when her parents opened the place. She watched her mom, Ms. Alline, work hard and share her passion of the food with the cooks. Ms. Joan not only saw, but also felt, the love her mom held for both the tavern and cooking itself.

Ms. Alline’s side of the family (surname Henry) was from Buckhorn Bend, an expanse of mostly cotton fields during her upbringing. Ms. Joan says the sisters would pick cotton. It was there where the joy of cooking was fully shared with them: “Mother had two sisters and they grew up knowing the country with the regular fried chicken and peas and rice and gravy.” One of those sisters ended up opening Hendrick’s Cafe in West Monroe, where they served traditional home-cooked, Southern meals like barbeque. “But my mother didn’t cook that for some reason,” says Ms. Joan. Instead, she cooked quiche, fish coubion, stuffed bell peppers and dirty rice. Ms. Alline preferred the homestyle, Southern, and Cajun flavors that brought her extraordinary dishes to life. Though Ms. Joan didn’t venture into cooking like her mother did, her son followed in their grandmother’s footsteps, voluntarily and happily cooking meals for his family five nights a week, experimenting and carrying on his grandmother’s passion.

“The place is just about the same since I was a kid,” says Richard. When the establishment opened, it took up only half of the present building; the far-reaching bar area got extended to the rest of the building, formerly a barbershop and radio repair shop. The extension allows the place to breathe and enables the patrons to fully relax: It feels like a tavern should. Dimmed lighting creates an ambient setting anyone can effortlessly melt into. Wood-panelled walls and scattered frames backdrop black leather booths. The benchmark of the restaurant, the bar, is back lined by stacked liquor shelves and decorated with deer heads and antlers. Relics from the late 1950s stand out, like the vintage cigarette vending machine, “Clydesdale Team” rotating illuminated bar sign and Jack Dempsey’s boxing gloves. The place holds a certain “mystique,” says Kirk “Bubba” Marshall, who began working as a waiter in 1986. Alongside Bubba, the restaurant also has longtime staff Marie, Lee and Latricia, who have also been a part of the Mohawk for twenty-five plus years. Bubba also echoes the sentiment of sturdiness when adding, “The only thing that’s changed are those neon lights.” He nods in the direction of the bar, referring to three bright beer signs. “We still wear the white jackets and take orders on the pads.” Don’t misunderstand, this pause in time is not stagnant, it’s a breath of fresh air to the ever noisy construction of the world. At the end of the day, you can go to Mohawk Tavern, have a delicious meal and a cold beer and leave knowing everything’s alright.

The character and history of the place is unmistakable and undeniable, but the soul of it resides in longtime restaurant residents, customers and staff alike. Cooking for over thirty years, Marie, Mohawk’s main cook, is the talent behind mostly all the dishes that patrons keep returning for. “It’s family at this point. Feels like home,” says Bubba, speaking to the kindness he’s received from the Fontanas and Normans. He remembers when he applied for the job that he was handed a ticket order pad almost immediately. He was so nervous he couldn’t even spell gumbo in the moment. Nervousness quickly turned into love for Bubba, though. He greets the older customers fondly, with a hug and a kiss, and he has received memorabilia from visitors from all parts of the country. “It’s not a fancy place, but it has all kinds of history,” he says. He mentions a couple of famous visitors like Pat Summit, former women’s college basketball head coach, and Terry Bradshaw, former LA Tech and Steelers football quarterback.

A local landmark in its own right, this “treasure” (as a reviewer calls it) has been a coveted destination for those all over the country. Some travel from up to six hours away, praising their dining experience as a “down home place for some fresh seafood.” The experience simply cannot be replicated, because the skeleton of the restaurant which emboldens its honest and comfortable atmosphere is the family and the history. Regardless of the reason though, Bubba has found the customer-food-server relationship to be the most gratifying experience. The wait-staff are an essential part of the restaurant’s rapport. Life-long relationships fostered with patrons function as an important overall experience of Mohawk. “I wouldn’t change this for the world,” Bubba says. It seems that Ms. Alline absolutely achieved her goal of a relaxed tavern where camaraderie can flourish.

As one of the best choices for seafood in the area, the simple food preparation is what distinguishes the restaurant’s dishes from typical to special. “We don’t have chefs here. We have cooks here. We put a lot of love in our food,” testifies Bubba. Dinner specials are frequent and written on a medium-sized chalkboard-easel. You should expect enticing listings, such as grilled halibut, shrimp or crawfish alfredo, and fried quail—usually served with salad and toast. One of their most popular dishes is the shrimp platter: “Hand battered and fried to perfection,” says Ann. If you ask for the Shrimp Delight salad, a customer favorite, ask for the Delight Sauce, a top secret recipe handed down from Ms. Alline. And make sure to break pieces of Lance crackers over the salad. “If you don’t have Lance crackers that salad won’t taste right,” jokes Bubba. Hand-cut Angus ribeye steaks, seafood platters, fried catfish and soft shell crab are among other popular menu items. Mohawk Tavern sources its seafood from a few companies, but their main supplier is Bayou State Wholesale Seafood, based in Ball, Louisiana. Aside from the fresh shrimp, a seafood dish you won’t want to skip is their award-winning gumbo, an original Ms. Alline recipe. “It’s second to none in the area,” enthuses Ann. Even guests from New Orleans have attested that the seafood brings them “back home.”

“Never change!” Writes an online reviewer, reminiscing about the many memories gathered while eating there since she could “stand up under the table,” adding a description of the food as “delicious uncomplicated perfection.” Clearly, Mohawk Tavern Seafood Restaurant has rocked their ambiance and goal since their opening in 1952. A combination of steadfast fellowship, four generations of dedication and love harnessed by their staff has created a warm intimacy reflective of what some consider simpler, warmer times. For younger patrons, Mohawk Tavern promises a sweet reprieve from their ever stressful and changing lives with a cheerful, down-to-earth space. Eat where the locals eat and become a part of a Monroe family’s history and camaraderie.

Mohawk is located on 704 Louisville Ave, Monroe, LA. Contact them at 318-322-9275. You can view their menus ahead on their website: https://www.mohawktavern.net. “To go” orders are always welcome. They are open Tuesday through Thursday from 11a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Their lunch specials are served Tuesday through Friday between 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.