Cajun Done Right

Boutin’s Old Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve or Maker’s Mark, muddled maraschino cherry and orange, simple syrup, a dash of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters, served with a sugar stick.

Food lovers interested in traditional South Louisiana culinary flavors and stories of the Cajun food renaissance rooted in the 1970s must add a visit to Boutin’s in Carencro to their dining destinations list.

Owner Lynn Boutin, 60, has spent most of his adult life working in Louisiana’s restaurant scene. Along the way, he learned recipes and developed relationships with the owners, cooks, waitstaff and bartenders representing the fabric of the region’s foodways.

While growing up St. Martin Parish, Boutin had a bird’s-eye view of the meteoric rise of the original Pat’s of Henderson and other eateries featuring Cajun dishes.

“As a young kid I was fascinated with how well those restaurants near the Atchafalaya did back then,” he said. “People still love going to eat near the Atchafalaya because the water and the view detoxes you. It sucks the poison out of you and you walk away happy.”

When he was a teenager, Boutin started working at the original Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge eventually becoming a general manager. The Mulate’s ownership opened restaurants in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. At each place, Boutin was part of the executive management team.
Boutin was involved in other restaurant ventures, but opened Boutin’s on Oct. 1, 2001 in Baton Rouge. Over a decade later, he closed the eatery.

While leading successful food businesses, Boutin realized it was imperative to pay homage to the kitchen personalities he worked with and taught him how good food tasted like Garland “Junior” Savoie who worked at Don’s Seafood in downtown Lafayette.

In 2019, Boutin decided to get back into the food world and opened Boutin’s in Carencro.

“I want people to know a great meal is right here north of Interstate 10,” he said. “I strive to make sure to always cook food that Cajuns love to eat when dining out.”

The seafood platter — inspired by the offering at Mulate’s — is the foundation of Boutin’s menu and features stuffed crab, stuffed bell pepper, fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish and fried crawfish.

The Pepper Jack shrimp is one of the entrées that Boutin is passionate about. Reading the menu description is enough to make a foodie crave this deliciously decadent dish consisting of a “large bacon-wrapped shrimp, stuffed with tasso and pepper jack cheese, lightly battered in breadcrumbs, fried to golden perfection and served on a bed of crawfish cream sauce.”

Boutin said patrons also get giddy about the Bayou Rouge which is catfish stuffed with crab meat stuffing and topped with crawfish étouffée.

There is one offering on the Boutin’s menu that will grab an epicurean’s attention — the crawfish enchiladas. Basically, this dish is a spicy blend of cheeses, crawfish, onions and peppers which are topped with a cumin mornay sauce.

“I watched a chef prepare that dish years ago and wanted to make sure it was our menu,” Boutin said.

Such is the way Boutin works. He is a master at melding cooking traditions with stories which make eating at his restaurant a satisfying experience.

Try This

1
Boudin Queso
Boutin gets excited talking about queso cheese mixed with boudin, cream and spices, topped with shredded pepper jack cheese. Who can blame him?

2
Shrimp or Crawfish and Tasso Alfredo
They are both delicious. Pick one and return to Boutin’s to try the other. You will not be disappointed.

3
T-Boutin Filet Special
Sometimes a great piece of beef is what the body craves. This dinner can be described with one word — astounding.

Boutin’s Seafood, Steakhouse and Oyster Bar
114 Derek Plaza
Carencro
337-886-6888
boutinscajun.com