Louisiana is, of course, a haven for those who love Cajun cooking. That’s a great thing if you’re visiting, because you’ll be greeted by the savory scent of Cajun cuisine while you’re walking down the streets and into restaurants. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? The Culture Trip has done the dirty work for you and picked out 10 of the best places in the state to get Cajun chicken.
Perhaps it’s hard to believe that what started as a one-woman operation, selling shrimp to the locals of the coastal town of Lake Charles, would eventually blossom into the top restaurant in all of southwestern Louisiana, but that’s exactly how it happened with Steamboat Bill’s. The seafood may have brought it fame, but that’s not all it has to offer. The chicken is also excellent, either grilled – with rice and beans, because you wouldn’t want to leave anything less than stuffed – or as a tasty chicken wing appetizer.
When you get to Jacques-Imo’s, you’ll quickly pick up on the fact that it considers a sense of humor to be quite important in running a restaurant. As advertised on the website, Jacques-Imo’s has got ‘warm beer’ and ‘lousy food,’ and it has been ‘not famous since 1996.’ Kidding aside, it’s made a name for itself by serving some of the best New Orleans-style food in the city, and there’s all sorts of delicious chicken that you can get, Cajun and otherwise. While you’re waiting for your entrée, try one of the bizarre and amazing appetizers like shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake or fried grits.
At Bellue’s Fine Cajun Cuisine in Baton Rouge, you’ll find the best of everything Cajun – which includes some excellent chicken. With Bellue’s, you’ve got the choice of eating in or taking the meal to go, and it has great deals for holiday meals especially. Feel like a Cajun Christmas, anyone? If you choose to eat in, you can get chicken in several forms, like fried chicken tenders, chicken salad, or if you’re feeling a little gusty, TurDucken. Why not go for something new? You’ll be in the hands of the experts, so this is exactly the place to try it.
If you’re in the market for Cajun chicken, The Blind Tiger in Shreveport is a true paradise. The menu is packed to the gills with tasty chicken options, from a whole menu of salads to the signature blackened chicken entrée to creative dishes like pecan-crusted chicken and the Atchafalaya chicken, which comes with sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and Swiss cheese. The restaurant is located in a hip and happening area of the city, so it’s a great place to start a fun night out.
Coop’s Place is where to go if you’re looking for the ultimate in relaxed atmosphere and unerringly high quality food. It can be difficult to find proper Cajun-style food in New Orleans, but locals and visitors agree that Coop’s Place is one of the best restaurants you can possibly go to for it. The Cajun fried chicken is a perfect example of that dish, but it’s got several other chicken options if you’re looking to push your boundaries a little. You’ll also notice that thanks to the focus on informality, Coop’s has managed to keep its prices very low.
Even if it didn’t have such great food, Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro would be worth a stop just to see the premises. The restaurant is decorated with beautiful lighting and ceilings, and it’s walls are decorated with paintings by the world-renowned artist George Rodrigue. Jolie’s Bistro is expert in the business of taking traditional recipes and running with them, so the roasted chicken entrée or fried chicken sandwich aren’t exactly what your Cajun grandmother would have eaten, but they’re delicious nonetheless. For a real treat, come for brunch and try the fried chicken & gravy.
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Landry’s will feel like a home away from home when you’re in New Iberia, Louisiana. The restaurant is located in a big, old style Southern home, with a beautiful gazebo. The menu is exactly what you would want out of a place that looks like that. It’s got all the classics, cooked with recipes that go back generations. As for Cajun chicken, you’ll love the grilled chicken breast, which you can also get in salad form. For a warm-up, you can always try the chicken and sausage gumbo, which is hearty, spicy, and absolutely delicious.
Baton Rouge’s Capital City Grill will make you feel like you’re enjoying the classiest of dinners without making you pay the big bucks. The menu is a mash-up of southern, Cajun, and southwestern, so it’s a great place to go with a group that can’t quite agree on one place. The grilled chicken is spiced to perfection and comes with rice and veggies, but you can also get pecan chicken salad or chicken and Andouille sausage gumbo if the weather is a little chilly, and you want to warm up.
We all know it can be easy to get caught in the fun energy of the French Quarter of New Orleans and not want to leave, and when that’s the case, Olde N’awlins Cookery is where you can go to get your Cajun and Creole food fix. If chicken is what you want, try the blackened chicken po’ boy sandwich or the chicken Alfredo pasta, both of which use an enticing blend of Cajun spices to thrill your palate. You can have a lot of fun with the drinks menu, too – how about a Rajun Cajun Bloody Mary that comes with pepper vodka, sundried tomatoes, cocktail onions, and spicy green beans?
You’ll find blackened chicken all over the menu of Belle’s Ole South Diner, and it’s delicious in whatever form you try it. Belle’s is a very small, roadside diner sort of a place, but what that comes with is experienced chefs and the friendliest of waiters and food that might as well come straight from your grandmother’s kitchen, if she happened to be from Louisiana. The lunch special is a particularly good deal, because it gives you the chance to get one of the normal entrées with two sides. You can try the blackened chicken or you can get it fried or grilled – and then there’s always the southern classic that is chicken-fried steak.
