McDonald's has good chicken sandwiches.

RESTAURANT:McDonald's

LOCATION: 6205 Youree Dr Shreveport, LA 71105

PRICE RANGE: Low to moderate

FAVORITE FOOD:Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich. This is a delicious meal with only 360 calories.

OTHER GREAT FOOD: Premium Grilled Chicken Bacon Clubhouse Sandwich. Wow, this one makes my tastebuds sing, but with 610 calories it's a bit much for the heart.

FOOD WE LIKED LEAST:Salads. I bought a salad here with brown lettuce. I took it back, and the second one was almost as inedible as the first.

MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE:Location.

SPECIALS:Keep an eye out for the little papers that come in the mail. Sometimes it's possible to get two sandwiches for the price of one.

APPEARANCE: The playground needs remodeling.

SERVICE: The servers are pleasant and efficient.

UNIQUE FEATURES: It's surprising that this McDonald's hasn't been remodeled. Read these reviews.

Tex Mex Near I-20 in East Texas

RESTAURANT:Carbona's Tex Mex and Cantina
Carbona's online
LOCATION:311 Tanger Drive, Terrell, TX 75160
LOCATION: 972-563-9511
PRICE RANGE: Moderate
FAVORITE FOOD:Tasty Salsa
OTHER GREAT FOODS: A plethora of Tex Mex dishes. The salads are good.
APPEARANCE: Clean, but a little dark.
SERVICE:Good.
UNIQUE FEATURES:A sit-down restaurant in a convenient location. It is possible to eat here and get back on the road in a reasonable amount of time.
COMMENTS:Between Dallas and Shreveport, the restaurants visible from I-20 are surprisingly few. This one, which is on the east front corner of the Tanger Outlet Mall, is in clear view with an easy exit from the Interstate.

Your tastebuds will thank you for eating at LaBamba Mexican Restaurant in Ruston.

RESTAURANT:La Bamba Mexican Restaurant
LOCATION:207 North Service Rd. E. Ruston, LA 71270 Tel: 318-255-4219
PRICE RANGE: Low.
FAVORITE FOOD: Shrimp taco salad.
OTHER GREAT FOODS: White queso sauce.
MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE:Flavor.
SPECIALS: Lunch menu is inexpensive.
APPEARANCE: Clean, spacious.
SERVICE: Outstanding.
UNIQUE FEATURES: A happy Tex-Mex restaurant with a down-home atmosphere.
COMMENTS: Yum!

RESTAURANT:Schlotsky's
LOCATION:Austin, TX (Austin has about a dozen Schlotsky's!)
PRICE RANGE: Low to moderate
FAVORITE FOOD: Cranberry, Apple, Pecan & Chicken Salad
OTHER GREAT FOODS: Memorable Sandwiches
APPEARANCE: Clean
SERVICE:Excellent. Tasty, fresh food served promptly.
UNIQUE FEATURES:Schlotsky's website has an allergen scorecard.
COMMENTS: Schlotsky's started in Austin in 1971. Go here for a brief history.

Logan's Roadhouse in Ruston, LA

RESTAURANT:Logan's Roadhouse
LOCATION:931 N Service Rd E, Ruston, LA
PRICE RANGE: Low to moderate
FAVORITE FOOD:Steak tips from the children's menu with broccoli
OTHER GREAT FOODS: The Healthy and Hearty menu section has six meals with fewer than 550 calories.
APPEARANCE: Clean. I'm glad they've started providing containers for the peanut shells.
SERVICE:Whereas service can vary from one time to another, I've been amazed at the excellent waiters here. One day we were blessed with one of the best waitresses ever. I asked her how long she had worked serving tables. It was her first day!
UNIQUE FEATURES:Peanuts
COMMENTS:The food is usually good.

We love Applebee's. It's always good.

RESTAURANT:Applebee's
LOCATION: I haven't found an Applebee's I didn't like. Here are some Applebee's Grills we visited:
Applebee's, Bossier City, LA
Applebee's, Covington, GA
Applebee's, Ruston, LA
PRICE RANGE: Low to moderate
FAVORITE FOOD: Steak. The menu includes meals that have fewer than 600 calories. Weight Watchers' points are listed for some foods.
OTHER GREAT FOODS: The 2 for $20 is a great deal. It includes an appetizer--we love the spinach and artichoke dip. We have difficulty choosing a main dish. Sirloin, Fiesta Lime Chicken, Three Cheese Chicken Penne?
CAUTION: Applebee's Riblets Platter w/Honey BBQ Sauce has 1540 calories per serving. See Applebee's Menu Nutritional Information.
MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE: Service. Once in Ruston my food took too long to prepare. The manager adjusted my bill.
APPEARANCE: Hometownish, neighborly, with interesting pictures on the wall.

Panera Bread . . . Maybe you need to check the nutritional values listed at the website.

RESTAURANT:Panera Bread
LOCATION: Panera Bread is sprinkled throughout the Arkla-Tex. We've visited this one twice:
#203943
1705 East 70th Street, Shreveport LA
Phone: 318-797-3644
Hours: 6:00am to 9:00pm
PRICE RANGE: Low to moderate
FAVORITE FOOD: The apple scone was as delicious as anything I've ever crunched into. It is not listed currently on the website, but the Cinnamon Crunch Scone looks irresistible. The only problem is that it has 650 calories.
OTHER GREAT FOOD: We liked the Turkey Cranberry Flatbread Sandwich, although it was rather bland. Here's the description quoted from the website: "Tender strips of all-natural, slow-roasted turkey raised without antibiotics, layered with a garlic and herb cheese spread, zesty cranberry mostarda and fresh spinach. Served grilled on our freshly-baked flatbread."
IMPRESSION OF FOOD:Perhaps it is the fault of my overly stimulated taste buds, but I found most selections seasoned less than interesting.
MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE:There's always a crowd at Panera Bread. It is a place where people like to go.
APPEARANCE: Interesting atmosphere
SERVICE: Adequate
UNIQUE FEATURES: Drive through
COMMENTS: Some foods have low calorie counts. Others are surprisingly rich. Go to PaneraBread.com Check those calories.