Buffalo is now home to a lasagna restaurant called Lloyal’s Famous Lasagna… with a touch of soul. As the name implies, the menu is built around one of the planet’s greatest comfort foods – lasagna. But that’s not it. While lasagna dishes are king, restaurant owner Shawntorrian Travis says that there’s a special place in his heart for soul food as well.
“My mother owns Park Vue soul food on Schiller Park,” said Shawntorrian. “I was cooking there, but when I realized how great the business was I thought to myself that it was time to do something on my own. After cooking at Park Vue for 1+ years, I decided to open my own place, built around my favorite food – lasagna.”
As for Shawntorrian’s cooking abilities, he told me that he learned most of what he knows today when he was incarcerated when he was younger. At the time, he didn’t know how to cook, but he quickly realized that if he was going to eat good food, he had to learn how to cook. That’s how much he missed his mother’s home-cooked food. Being crafty (and being in the position of porter), he figured out ways to experiment with different lasagna recipes and other dishes. Before long, his pod began to ask him for some of the food that smelled so good.
“No one really knew how to cook,” said Shawntorrian [laughing]. “For me, it came naturally. I guess it runs in my blood. I loved experimenting with different seasonings… every little taste of basil and garlic. It was up to me to make sure that there was good food. When I wasn’t there, because I was playing basketball or something, they would get mad. When I was cooking, they would want to jump in and help me make the meals. They wanted to eat good too. But they got spoiled when I was cooking – they began depending on me all the time.”
Later on, when Shawntorrian was living back in Buffalo, he would cook the meals when there was family visiting town. In 2009, at a Christmastime meal, his cousin asked who cooked the lasagna?
“When I told him that it was me, has said that he would pay me $100 for the last tray [laughing]. That’s when he said, ‘You should open a restaurant.’ I learned some tricks from my mom at Park Vue, but I have mostly my own tricks. It’s all about the consistency of the lasagna and the top secret seasonings. I take my time to prepare everything. It’s all cooked separately before coming together in the end.”
Eventually, Shawntorrian decided that it was time to open his own place with his girlfriend Jazzmon Truett (co-owner). “When her family would come to town, I would cook. It was always silent because everyone was eating. At the restaurant, she helps me prep and do some cooking. She also brought a couple of dishes to the table. On Fridays and Saturdays she makes ‘A Polish Boy and A Polish Girl.’ It’s a sausage dish served on a bun, with coleslaw, fries, and a special barbecue sauce. It’s really awesome.”
When I asked Shawntorrian, why lasagna? he answered, It’s my favorite meal. “It’s also like artwork for me… the meat and the veggies… and the sauce – they all have their own unique (signature) tastes. I make a meat lasagna, and a turkey lasagna, and one with chicken, broccoli, and shrimp with a special Alfredo sauce. I’m in the process of adding a vegetarian lasagna to the menu for my vegan friends. I also have an amazing crab and lobster ravioli… and a special cheese ravioli for kids. These are the perfect meals for families. We have limited seating, but concentrate on take-out. The guy from Uber Eats said that we already have a 4.0 star rating… and now I’m going for 5.0 stars.”
As for the restaurant itself, Shawntorrian told me that it was a mess when they first got hold of it, but that he and Jazzmon did all of the remodeling work themselves. They want people to enjoy the food and a quality atmosphere.
While it might be “all about” the lasagna, the plan is to incorporate more soul food dishes into the menu. Every Sunday, customers can stop in for “Church Sundays,” which will be dedicated to soul food like candied yam, fried haddock and chicken, cornbread, and other Southern favorites.
As for the name Lloyal’s Famous Lasagna… it’s named after his son. That’s how special this place is. And according to Shawntorrian, there are not many lasagna spots around town. That, my friend, is very true.
Shawntorrian is counting on attracting a “Lloyal” following at his new establishment, who will come to love his home style comfort food, first for dinner, and then for lunch (next up).
Things are just starting to heat up at Lloyal’s Famous Lasagna… with a touch of soul. I, for one, plan on stopping in to try the wings (BBQ, garlic parm, honey mustard, lemon pepper), and couple of other tasty creations. I’m especially happy to be supporting someone who took some of life’s lemons, and carved out a living by making great comfort food for all of us to enjoy.
Pick up your next dinner at…
Lloyal’s Famous Lasagna (with a touch of soul)
1122 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo NY
(716) 931-5264
Menu offerings range from okra bites to vegetable manicotti
Main dishes are served with Romain or garden salad, and buttery garlic breadsticks (included in price)