Lei’s Bar & Grill (formerly The Catfish Grill)
1035 West Shore Road
Warwick
by Bob Mariani
Probably most of the regulars at what was once called The Catfish Grill already know it is now called Lei’s Bar & Grill, even though the new sign won’t be up until next week. Not a whole lot has changed décor-wise since S. Lei Louangxay has taken over the Grill from his ex-partner. The bar room is still a pretty bare-bones, neighborhood kind of joint with low ceilings, dim lighting, wobbly tables, a pool table, and three TV’s all showing different programs.
The fact is, this place has always been mostly about the music. There are live bands here almost every weekend. Bands like Room Full of Blues, The Rockin’ Soul Horns, Eight to the Bar, Fat City, and The Senders, to name a few. There is a separate room for the music with tables and a good size dance floor, and the commitment to a good sound system seemed evident. On a freezing cold Friday night there was a convivial group of regulars at the bar as the band was just starting to set up in the other room.
The menu, Lei assured me, had undergone a few modifications. Lei, born in Laos and raised in the Conimmicut area, does the cooking. He learned from working in various local kitchens and his mix of offerings refer a number of different styles. There’s chili and nachos, calamari, a Thai spring roll, fried catfish strips with a remoulade sauce, wings or tenders, fried Louisiana crawfish tails, and even a Pu Pu Platter on the appetizer list. Prices for starters range from $2.95 to $8.95 and the portions are more than ample.
I ordered Lei’s spicy Cajun Calamari ($6.95), which came with hot pepper rings and a tangy remoulade dipping sauce. In a state where calamari is practically the official dish, these held up pretty well, although I prefer mine a bit crispier.
There are about eight entrées ranging in price from about $8 to $15— things like Chicken Marsala; a 12 oz. N.Y Sirloin strip with curly fried onions; eggplant parm’; grilled pork chops; blackened catfish; "Crawfish Monica;" and Shrimp Creole.
I went for the Cajun Jambalaya. I’ve never had this dish in any restaurant that could be considered "authentic," but I’ve had some pretty good versions of it. Lei’s take on it was fairly standard— a deep dish of rice with a large dollop of chicken and Andouille sausage tidbits, mixed in with baby crawfish in a spicy but not-too-hot brown sauce that tasted good on a cold winter’s night.
In general, as bar food goes, Lei’s is as good as most you’ll find at these prices in the area. As I said, this place is mainly about the music and Lei is to be commended for offering a regular, welcoming venue for local and regional bands. There’s even Bluegrass every third Sunday with no cover charge and swing dance lessons by Swing ’88 during the week.
The Grand Opening of Lei’s Bar & Grill is Friday, January 28th, at which time the guest band will be Eight to the Bar and Lei will officially unveil his new menu. You can call 401-739-4564 or go to their
website for information about upcoming shows and events.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
