A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"The Real Deal In Cajun Country" is from the September 2007 issue of Southern Living.
Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all
information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
Top-Rated: T-Coons
Pull in the parking lot, and stroll into this casual restaurant for a
laid-back lunch. T-Coons is the kind of place where you can fill up on
dishes from a giant steam buffet featuring Cajun classics such as spicy
étouffée and red beans and rice with huge chunks of fiery sausage,
delicious rolls, and creamy potato salad. A "small" of just about any
dish could feed the 86th Airborne. End your lunch here with the bread
pudding. Sure, it's served on a plastic foam plate, but don't dismiss
it. The moist and smooth concoction is the best in town, beating out
other fancier versions that cost three times as much.
1900 West Pinhook
Road; www.tcoons.com or (337) 233-0422. Entrées: $4-$11.95.
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R & M's Boiling Point
Located next to a cement plant in nearby New Iberia, this small white
house serves up huge flavors. Sinks in the middle of the dining room
will be your first clue that your lunch will be messy. But oh! Few
messes taste this good. The menu features delights such as onion rings,
stuffed crabs, fried catfish, fried oysters, boiled crawfish, and frog's
legs, but begin with the fried alligator. Cut into nuggets and fried to
a deep brown, it's served with an excellent tartar sauce and fresh
lemon. Then move on to the crawfish--the mound of deep scarlet
crustaceans will burn your lips and leave your eyes watering (and I mean
that in the best of ways). Finish with a hot jalapeño, stuffed with
shrimp or crab and deep fried for $1.10.
7413 U.S. 90 West, New Iberia;
(337) 365-7596. Dinner entrées: $5.45-$14.95.
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Olde Tyme Grocery
If you still yearn for an authentic Louisiana culinary adventure, get
thee to this sandwich shop. It's clean, it's happening, it's campy. They
really serve only one main thing here: po'boys. Among your choices are
ham, barbecue ham, turkey, sausage, fried shrimp, fried oyster, and, on
Fridays, catfish. Prices range $4.25-$4.95 for a half sub or $5.75-$7.25
for the full roll. Polish the sandwich off with two more local
traditions: Barq's in a bottle and a Hubig's fried pie.
218 West St.
Mary Blvd.; www.oldetymegrocery.com or (337) 235-8165. Entrées: $4.25-$7.95.
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Local Favorite: Sonja's Cajun Deli
You're going to think I'm crazy when you see where this restaurant,
formerly named Comeaux's, is located. It's in an Exxon station, and a
crummy-looking one at that. This humble spot makes some killer boudin (a
special Louisiana sausage) for only $3.29 a pound. The menu changes
often, but it's all good. Grab a Diet Coke out of the case, and top off
your tank with premium unleaded to round out the adventure.
2807 Kaliste
Saloom; (337) 988-0516. Most items less than $6.95.
