Cajun / Creole food in DC?

Question

Hey everyone, 

I recently moved from New Orleans and have been craving the food!. I've been to the place in Adam's Morgan (ok) and Acadiana, which I liked. Any other restaraunts that fit the description?

Thanks for all the help!

Also: does anyone know where to get tasso ham? I tried whole foods georgetown, harris teeter, but no luck...

Answer

oh, how i wish there were some good, authentic cajun/creole places around here! but, in the meantime, this thread may give you some ideas of places that may at least tickle your memories of the "real deal": http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/451897

Answer

RT's is decent in Virginia...I think they have a half price wine bottles night- went there a long time ago but I remember enjoying it. 

http://www.rtsrestaurant.net/about_us.html

Answer

You want Johnny's Half Shell. I can recommend the ettouffe, the oyster po boy, and the gumbo. The po boys are only served at lunch, however. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. RT's also carries the usual classics, but I've found their gumbo to be a bit too spicy for me. Everything else is excellent, but not upscale white-tablecloth like Johnny's.

http://www.johnnyshalfshell.net/Pages/menu-dinner.aspx

You can find tasso ham and real andouille sausage at Eastern Market, Canales Meats I'm pretty sure carries both.

Answer

Southside 815 in Alexandria has some of the classics-even red beans and rice. The prices can't be beat.... with daily specials (half-price po boys Mondays) and Happy Hour deals to boot.
www.houndstoothgourmet.com

Answer

i've been on a similar search...

tasso is hard to find around here, but monkeyrotica's advice is right, check out eastern market.

the place in adam's morgan is cute but terribly inauthentic, as i'm sure you found.

avoid the red and the black's food at all costs. their 'chicken gumbo' is so bland and tastesless. the roux is see-through. their red beans are pathetic. they just pretty much dropped some red beans in a pot, no mashing, no trinity, no spices. just rice and beans. 

the best gumbo i've had (i think they do a good muffaletta too) is at the SBC cafe in herndon. dark roux, spicy, full of goodness.

Answer

I can confirm that Eastern Market has andouille, tasso, and boudin.

Answer

I'd second RT's - the food is decent and it's the closest thing I've found to a traditional New Orleans cajun/creole restaurant around here. They have shrimp and crawfish beneigts that are quite tasty. I know some people like the Lousiana Kitchen in Bethesda, but it's never been a favorite of mine.

I can also confirm that Canale's at Eastern Market sells tasso. I've bought it from them before.

Answer

I've been ordering tasso, andouille, etc, from cajungrocer.com. In my experience, New Orleans food is really just never nowhere near as good outside of Louisiana--and I LOVE the stuff. Better off making it at home!

Answer

Bayou Bakery is new to the Louisiana cooking scene. The beignets are solid. Haven't tried the gumbos or muffalettas though.

http://www.bayoubakeryva.com/who.html

Answer

It's out of the way, but anyone have any experiences with this place in Germantown, MD? http://thefrenchquartercafe.com/

Answer

I've had good luck at the Acadiana downtown - good BBQ shrimp (cajun style), gumbo, blackened redfish and fired green tomatoes. Not strictly authentic cajun by any stretch of the imagination, but they do seem to provide very good dishes with a cajun or creole flair. Somewhat expensive, though.

-----
Acadiana
901 New York Ave NW Ste 200A, Washington, DC 20001

Answer

Just for completeness, I'd add in Johnny's Half Shell, they have a few traditional dishes including gumbo and bbq shrimp. I had their gumbo and can report it is hot and that's it, no complexity of flavor whatsoever, very disappointing.

-----
Johnny's Half Shell
400 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Answer

Has no one been to Louisiana Kitchen in Bethesda. It's not quite DC, but not that far either. It is the step child of the old Louisiana Express. Great Gumbo and Jambalaya, hot andouille sausage, beignets that should only be eaten naked (powder sugar explosions sort of total your clothes) and other yummies. Roasted chicken for the spice challenged is pretty good too.

Answer

Bonjour Cgs32. For makings, there is no place up here to consistently find the goods. Restaurants are uneven because they must import which most don't. or won't . Acceptance depends upon your taste and cravings. I've tried Cure 81 but it ain't tasso. And tasso is just dry cured and seasoned and really nothing special till you don't have it. I have good taste memory. This causes me to import much to cook and chat with the head cook before I will eat there. Just introduce yourself, tell him how much you miss NO and ask him will you be happy eating at his place. You'll be surprised how many will say, "not tonight".

Answer

Later in the spring, both the LSU Alumni Assoc and the Lousiana State Society will have a crawfish boil. These are major events, catered by outfits from Northern Louisiana. At about the same time, Acadiana will most likely start up their Friday happy hour crawfish boil.

-----
Acadiana
901 New York Ave NW Ste 200A, Washington, DC 20001

Answer

Don't know why this hasn't been mentioned yet (probably because it's not in DC proper) but Clarence's Taste of New Orleans up in Edgewood (near Aberdeen) is owned and operated by a former NOLA cook (former chef at Coop's in the French Quarter). It's got some really fine NOLA and cajun food. And it's a loose, casual place in an old house, so it carries a little bit of that NOLA vibe.

Answer

The Po Boy at Cajun Experience on 18th St. has now completely gone downhill. The bread is now supermarket quality - and not the good kind. The blackened shrimp is now reddened shrimp, slightly embarrassed. And the price in the restaurant is a dollar higher than the price posted on the menu outside. 

Less for more.

Answer

I was driving down H street this past weekend and saw TruOrleans. Anyone know anything about it?
http://www.truorleans.com/

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

Cajun / Creole food in DC?

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Favorite Chowhound Memories

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

January–April 2022 Baking COTM: DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content