By Donna Price

dprice@americanpress.com

Story, photos by Donna Price

dprice@americanpress.com

My first thought upon walking up to the new Panorama Music House at 331 Broad St. was, “What a win for Lake Charles.”

First off, there’s the classic sign out front. The old, iconic Panorama Burger House sign, which long outlasted the actual burger house itself at Bilbo and Mill streets, has been refurbished and repurposed for this new restaurant and music venue. The word “burger” in the sign has been replaced by the word “music,” although one can still find an excellent burger here.

The interior of the Panorama has a spacious, retro warehouse vibe. Diners can’t miss seeing the bold, fully padded, robins-egg-blue vintage bar stools, the display of lava lamps out front, the pool tables in the side room or the carpeted stage that lets you know there will be music when the sun goes down.

The Panorama Music House is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve been bumped up a few notches on the coolness meter just by walking in, even at 11:30 in the morning — which is probably long before any of the really cool people show up.

My daughter and I took a table by the empty stage for our early lunch Tuesday. We had no idea what to order. I wavered between the strawberry and grilled chicken salad for $12.99 and the Goldband burger with goat cheese and portabellinis for $11.99. In the end I went with the Goldband burger, simply because its name gives a nod to the old Goldband Record Company founded in Lake Charles in 1945 by Eddie Shuler Sr.

I did not regret it. The Goldband is a quite hearty beef and mushroom burger— big, juicy and delicious. By the way, if you come here to eat, go ahead and bring your biggest appetite because this place can handle it.

The Goldband comes with your choice of a side, and my choice was the fried green beans because Devin, our food server, spoke highly of them.

“I think our fried green beans are the best in town,” is the way he put it. After trying them, I have to agree.

My daughter Katie made a selection from the “Grown Up Grilled Cheese” section of the menu, going with the candied bacon fontina and goat cheese sandwich with tomato basil soup for $9.99. She enjoyed it immensely.

This was all in addition to the excellent appetizer of fried cheese curds we shared. We were both stuffed from our generous meals and happily left with a to-go box to enjoy later.

Panorama Music House is open 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. every day. Happy hour takes place from 2 – 6 p.m. every day.

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Online: thepanoramamusichouse.com