Bringing Cajun to McNabb

MCNABB — It’s more than 850 miles from McNabb to Lake Catherine, La., on the east end of New Orleans — just a touch more than 14 hours. It sits on the eastern edge of Louisiana where Acadian-Creole (Cajun) culture is strong. You can make the trip in a day and a half, but don’t expect to see much along the way ... and you’ll only have time for a quick meal before getting back on the road to come back.

Instead, it’s a lot easier to drive a couple miles south of McNabb on Route 89 to the Rajun Cajun which just opened at the Edgewood Golf Course and serves up great Cajun food with southern hospitality. Manager and former Lake Catherine resident Racheal Michel is ready to serve you gumbo and po’ boys without making you spend a couple days on the highway.

“I’ve been in the bar and restaurant business my whole life,” Michel said. “I love feeding people; I love talking to people. This is the first full-service restaurant I’ve run, and I’m having a great time. The people out here are wonderful.”

The Rajun Cajun has only been open for a three weeks, but it has already seen several returning customers. The restaurant’s open house on Aug. 10 was successful, to say the least.

“They were four deep in the bar on Sunday,” Michel said. “We had live music. It was awesome.”

The menu is constantly expanding as Michel debuts a few new Cajun dishes at a time to see what the response will be. The offerings are everything you’d expect from a Southern restaurant with gumbo and fried green tomatoes on the appetizer list and po’ boys, jambalaya and alligator on the regular menu. Michel plans on starting desserts with homemade bread pudding soon.

With very few exceptions, the food is completely homemade with Michel doing most of the kitchen work with some assistance from her sister Jennifer McCourt, who handles the alfredo and sauce dishes.

“I kidnapped her,” Michel said. “She’s never going home.”

“I worked at Club LaCon for a couple years, and everyone was asking me, ‘When are you going to make some Cajun dishes?’ so I thought it would go over well, and it has,” Michel said. “People want something different.”

Lunch and dinner specials are available daily, usually Cajun specialties. One of the newest items — not yet on the official menu — is the Rajun Cajun po’ boy — fried breaded oyster, crawfish and shrimp on a baguette. Flavorful without being too spicy, it’s a tasty treat. Be warned ... it’s big and you will be taking half of it home.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and is open for parties. Carry-outs are available and the bar closes “whenever.” The Rajun Cajun is located at 3289 Route 89, phone 815-882-2323.