Friday night I wasn’t in such a hurry to go home, especially after hanging out “volunteering” since 7 am, so I enlisted some friends to go eat dinner and have a drink. They suggested a little place over off Earhart, and, being one to try anything once, I said yes.
I have to say, though, Rendon Inn wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but just not … great. The appetizers were tasty. Definitely tasty. The sauces were good, too … spicy and horseradishy. But the chicken sammich, which they purport to have the best of (hence, its name — The Best Chicken Sammich Ever!) … not so much. And here’s where the comparisons come in for me. The best grilled chicken sammich out there? Winston’s Pub and Patio — hands down. The best fried chicken sammich out there? Phil’s Grill in Metairie — no contest. Period. So, being a chicken sammich lover, I said, hey, why not? I’m sad to say … I was totally disappointed. I’ll go back, of course, but I just won’t get this.
I started off with a NOLA Brewing Flambeau Red Ale. Now that … that was TASTY! 🙂
Then, came the appetizers (above) … and then my chicken sammich. The sammich was on La Boulangerie‘s Ciabatta bread. The bread was great, certainly. It was the rest of the sammich that I was not so fond of — soggy panko encrusted chicken breast, wilted alleged romaine, a squishy too-ripe tomato, not enough feta and a Caesar dressing that was much to be desired. Now, I like these in and of themselves (without the modifiers, of course, but fresh and crisp), but this was just too much all at once. I expected the sammich to have more of a kick (trust me, there will be more on Phil’s Grill!) but alas …
I struggled for two days about writing the not-so-good-things about Rendon Inn. I even enlisted the advice of another avid blogger and friend whom I trust in the expression of thoughts. What I took from her advice was this: tell how you felt, be constructive and it will speak for itself. I don’t want this to be a blog about all the great things out there with no constructive criticism at all, or even without a “negative” experience, so here it is. A not so great meal, though fun and enjoyable with the right company.
It is all about the company anyway, right?
HumidFoodie 
Sorry you were disappointed and this will be addressed with kitchen staff. But we appreciate you coming in and look forward to your return. Hopefully you’ll have a better experience. We take reviews seriously — and most lately have been excellent.
One note, however — the chicken is not crusted in panko or anything. It is sauteed.
Again — thanks for coming in.
Hi, Craig!
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate any and all feedback. I actually loved the apps. It was just the chicken sammich that I wasn’t pleased with. Don’t worry, I’ll be going back, I just won’t have the chicken sammich next time.
Duly noted on the chicken breast. It was breaded, and I thought the menu indicated it was panko, but I appreciate your correcting me! I can always admit when I am wrong! 🙂
~ nolafoodie
how were the shrimp,crab and sausage wontons? they sound and look interesting. cant wait to try fried chicken sandwich from phil’s grill
Laura, actually, they were pretty tasty. The dough was crispy on the outside and only slightly soft on the inside. Easy to tear/bite into, which is a biggie for me when eating finger foods. So often we get things we can’t really eat the way they were meant to be eaten. There was even a fair amount of meat in them, surprisingly enough. The sauces were perfect on them, too — added that extra kick. Next post will be on Phil’s Grill. Put us in your reader so you get it as it happens. Happy Monday! 🙂
Hi, Laura!
Just wanted to follow up and link you to the Phil’s Grill post:
https://nolafoodie.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/phils-grill-mmmm/
~ nolafoodie