Cajuns Cafe and Catering
7900 US Highway 36
Avon, IN 46123
http://sites.google.com/a/cajunscafe.com/www/

If you have followed this blog for the last year or so, you have obviously seen more of a focus on local places.  Anymore, I almost search out the diamonds in the rough (very rough at times).

Avon, IN has about every fast food restaurant you can imagine.  I was not in the mood for fast  food and found Cajuns Cafe in a strip mall behind and Arby’s.  It is no secret that I am a huge fan of cajun food and I have spent a good amount of time this last year refining my cajun palate.  The ambiance was a touch of mismatch here and there…the floor was from a previous restaurant, but there was a hand painted-bayou-mural that you can see on the website.  On a Saturday night, I was the only customer, which usually means one of two things: 1. The food is going to be horrible 2. No one knows about this place.

What I Ate: Cajun Sampler: $12.95

The sampler consisted of five small dishes of a few tastes of a few of their most popular offerings.  The Red Beans and Rice was pedestrian and I didn’t find it to be all that creamy as it should be.    However, there were a few nice pieces of andouille sausage mixed in.  I also found the Jambalaya to be a little dry, but a few drops of Louisiana Hot brought it back to my liking.  The Shrimp Creole was pretty tasty.  Very strong tomato tomato base and lightly seasoned. The Corn and Shrimp Bisque was also a winner.  I found it to be very thin for a bisque, but nonetheless, really tasty.  So much so that I examined the bowl for every last drop.  The “best of plate” was the Crawfish Etouffee.  The balance of spices was quite impressive, the first tastes were onion and garlic heavy, but then came a little heat.

Overall, I was pleased and my hearty appetite was satisfied.  I was able to chat with the owner for a while as I was dining by myself.  I found him to be characteristically New Orleans, very welcoming and a great story teller.  He is a first time restaurant owner and Cajuns Cafe started when his backyard gatherings started at ten people and then were one hundred strong knocking down his door for the food…and showing up on Wednesday “asking for tupperware.”  Ha ha.

I think that he was digging my story telling as well, so he brought me out a piece of the ribs that he was making.  Yum.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  Why, because the owner actually gives a shit and his food shows it.  For instance, the Andouille is brought in from New Orleans and the catfish looks really good.

However, I have to mention that I would really like to see Cajuns Cafe succeed, but I felt like the menu needs a little refinement.  People in Indy are used to $6.50 at Yats!, so when you see $15.95 Crawfish Etouffee, there might be a little sticker shock.  Seafood is not cheap though, so whatever.  Also, I can’t say that I found the server necessary.  I would almost prefer it to be a order at the counter type of setting.

Overall, the food was enjoyable and I found a few items that left a lasting impression.

-wibia

Tags: cajuns cafe, corn and shrimp bisque, crawfish etouffee, Food, jambalaya, red beans and rice, shrimp creole

This entry was posted on Monday, June 14th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Food Reviews, Location: Indianapolis, IN. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.