Monday, April 20, 2015

Cajun Country in East Texas

Think of Texas cuisine and you may get a taste for barbecue, Tex-Mex and catfish, but you probably don't get your mouth watering for the taste of Cajun food.  But, in Tyler, Texas, of all places that is just what we came across while driving the main drag looking for a place to eat lunch.

This sign stood out among all the others along the main drag

Not sure what to expect, we decided to give it a try.  After all, one of the benefits of uprooting my whole life and living in a 300 square foot confined space with another person is the opportunity to try new food and restaurants that you don't have at home!

Part of the charm?

Being greeted by a dead opossum hanging on the wall didn't give me a great sense of ease about what we might be eating, but we pushed on.

Texas hog on the menu?
Front of the menu

Back of the menu

Lots more odd decor, but it didn't stop there.  Menu choices included rat toes, fried cat, pickle puckers and rabbit food ("as close as we get to "health"").  Imagine how pleasantly surprised we were with our orders.

Cajun Combo Skillet with grilled andouille sausage, shrimp creole, crawfish etoufee and red beans and rice

Tchoupitoulas (Chopa - 2- las) "Tasty grilled chicken breast over smoked ham, rite nice mushrooms and taters topped with a special sauce"

Can I just say OMG?  This food was AMAZING!!  It certainly rivaled anything I ever tasted in New Orleans or Lafayette.   Turns out, this chain restaurant began in Dallas and has 17 others in the Austin, Waco and Houston areas (and one in Concord, North Carolina.  Hope that's in our path when we get to that part of the country!)  Our waitress told us that the chain is growing slowly because its owners wants to be sure each and every restaurant is running smoothly and maintains the high quality of food presented before opening another.  The only problem with that is you will have to travel to Texas to get a taste!


Excellent food, original decor and a place that definitely merits a visit!

Until next time...






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