The Filling Station in Lafayette The Wife and I recently went to The Filling Station in Lafayette, Louisiana with a group of friends to enjoy the beautiful (and slightly balmy) weather on their patio and grab some dinner.

With a nice mix of Tex-Mex inspired dishes punctuated with the occasional dish named after a loyal customer who first asked for something just a little bit different (ex. the Colleen McDaniel “Potaco” is a loaded baked potato with a taco crumbled on top), the Filling Station’s menu covers a nice range of items that in my experience have all been done well.

While I am usually a fan of their salads topped with pulled pork or grilled tenderloin, on this occasion I decided to go with the quesadilla, picking out the “Ben Roth” version: ground beef, shrimp and chicken all combined on one quesadilla.

I know you’re thinking “why even write about a quesadilla, you can’t mess that up,” and to an extent I agree with you.  You have to be pretty inept in the kitchen to crank out a bad quesadilla as it is generally meat and cheese pressed between a tortilla.  However, a great quesadilla can rise above the ranks of average by taking a few key steps:

  1. Season and properly cook the meat, relying on a fleck of salsa to season cubes of chicken breast is just a mistake.
  2. Use good cheese, and lots of it.  The cheese is the glue that holds the quesadilla together and tossing half a handful of grated “government cheese” does not count.
  3. Include a side of aforementioned salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream.  In my book, condiments make all things better.

So how did The Filling Station’s version rank? It was one of the best.   I must have a kindred spirit in that kitchen because it is clear that the “rules for quesadillas” are followed to a tee.  While slightly thicker than most quesadillas, the proper cheese/meat/tortilla ratio was maintained and resulted in something spectacular.

So here’s to you Ben Roth for the inspiration for this combination and here’s to The Filling Station for pulling off rather nicely!

By the way, sorry for the slightly blurry pic, my iPhone got glazed over just like my eyes when seeing this beauty of a quesadilla!

biglink The Filling Station in Lafayette

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