Growing up in Louisiana, I’ve learned to basically avoid Louisiana food when I leave the state. I just know it’s not going to be the same. Plenty of people have told me that there are places that get it right—and I’m sure there are. But writing this article was truly eye opening; what some people are calling Louisiana food just isn’t right. Here are some of the worst offenders:
- Shrimp Po-Boy, The Cajun Stop, Houston
Yelp.com / Vik P. Maybe if this was being served in Maine, I could forgive, but these people are right over in Houston. How can you have a shrimp po-boy with the tails on? I just don’t get it. You would have to take apart the sandwich to eat it.
- Crawfish Etoufee, A Cajun Life, Portland
Yelp.com / Jin K. We get a lot of Portland transplants here in New Orleans, which made me wonder if it goes both ways. There seems to be some good Louisiana food in Oregon, but this just doesn’t cut it. First red flag with étouffée: when there is more rice than anything else. And why is the sauce white?
- Shrimp and Oyster Po-boy, The Gumbo Pot, Los Angeles
Yelp.com / John S. So apparently in Los Angeles this is what passes for a po-boy. More lettuce than anything else. (It’s California, so can I be so surprised? Clearly they don’t have the good kind of bread either.)
- Red Beans and Rice, Shoal Creek Saloon, Austin
Yelp.com / Dan B. Alright so again, these people are in Texas, I’m holding them to a higher standard. Why would you separate the beans from the rice? And where are the veggies in those beans? It looks more like cooked kidney beans with a bowl of rice. Smh.
- Gumbo, Crawstation, San Francisco
Yelp.com / Nerissa D. Gumbo is a little hard to judge because it can always look different wherever you go…and looks don’t always equal taste…but this gumbo just doesn’t cut it. If I can’t visually see the chicken, sausage, or seafood in there, that’s a red flag to me.
- Fried Oyster Po-boy, Howe’s Bayou, Ferndale, MI
Yelp.com / Grace L. Over in Michigan, I’m not sure what kind of oysters they are using but I do know down here, we don’t bread our oysters like that. And where is the dressing on that po-boy?? I just want to get them a real po-boy ASAP.
- Crawfish Etouffee, Nicos Cajun Island, Reynoldsburg, OH
Yelp.com / Mike B. This one really blew my mind. In what universe is this Crawfish Etouffee? The universe of Ohio apparently…
- Crawfish Etouffee, Baby Kays Cajun Kitchen, Mesa, AZ
Yelp.com / Egypt S. And here’s another version of our beloved dish, again with the white sauce and way too much rice. This is not what etouffee is!
- Beignets, Roux, Louisville, KY
Yelp.com / Shaheedra J. I’m sure these still taste pretty good since they are fried dough covered in sugar and all…but they are just too dense and perfectly round to really be beignets. I didn’t realize how lucky we were in Louisiana to access these in their true form all the time.
- Shrimp Etouffee, The Oyster Bar, Little Rock, AR
Yelp.com / JoAnn W. And finally, once again, etouffee has been totally transformed. Can someone explain to me why it looks like alfredo sauce? And where are the shrimp?
Well what can I say? I guess these places tried. But they did not quite succeed. And this is why I’m always wary of eating Louisiana food outside of the state. They just don’t get it quite right. Do you have a story or have had an experience like this before? Let us know in the comments below! We love to hear from you.
Yelp.com / Vik P.
Maybe if this was being served in Maine, I could forgive, but these people are right over in Houston. How can you have a shrimp po-boy with the tails on? I just don’t get it. You would have to take apart the sandwich to eat it.
Yelp.com / Jin K.
We get a lot of Portland transplants here in New Orleans, which made me wonder if it goes both ways. There seems to be some good Louisiana food in Oregon, but this just doesn’t cut it. First red flag with étouffée: when there is more rice than anything else. And why is the sauce white?
Yelp.com / John S.
So apparently in Los Angeles this is what passes for a po-boy. More lettuce than anything else. (It’s California, so can I be so surprised? Clearly they don’t have the good kind of bread either.)
Yelp.com / Dan B.
Alright so again, these people are in Texas, I’m holding them to a higher standard. Why would you separate the beans from the rice? And where are the veggies in those beans? It looks more like cooked kidney beans with a bowl of rice. Smh.
Yelp.com / Nerissa D.
Gumbo is a little hard to judge because it can always look different wherever you go…and looks don’t always equal taste…but this gumbo just doesn’t cut it. If I can’t visually see the chicken, sausage, or seafood in there, that’s a red flag to me.
Yelp.com / Grace L.
Over in Michigan, I’m not sure what kind of oysters they are using but I do know down here, we don’t bread our oysters like that. And where is the dressing on that po-boy?? I just want to get them a real po-boy ASAP.
Yelp.com / Mike B.
This one really blew my mind. In what universe is this Crawfish Etouffee? The universe of Ohio apparently…
Yelp.com / Egypt S.
And here’s another version of our beloved dish, again with the white sauce and way too much rice. This is not what etouffee is!
Yelp.com / Shaheedra J.
I’m sure these still taste pretty good since they are fried dough covered in sugar and all…but they are just too dense and perfectly round to really be beignets. I didn’t realize how lucky we were in Louisiana to access these in their true form all the time.
Yelp.com / JoAnn W.
And finally, once again, etouffee has been totally transformed. Can someone explain to me why it looks like alfredo sauce? And where are the shrimp?
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