Spend time in Louisiana’s Cajun Country to discover the best food, people, animal life, and culture. Read on for what you must do when you visit Cajun Country.
Everyone knows New Orleans is one of the culinary and cultural capitals of the United States. But you may not know that only 35 miles South is Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, a place you can get lost in the Cajun culture of South Louisiana. I recently visited the area of Lafourche Parish, which includes towns like Thibodaux, Lockport, Galliano, Raceland, and Port Fourchon. I planned to eat great food, meet incredible people, and learn about Cajun culture. My trip was fabulous! I can honestly say that the folks in Cajun Country are among the nicest people I’ve met during my travels. They’re welcoming and desire to share their customs and heritage with visitors.
A Quick Cajun History
Cajuns are the descendants of Roman Catholic French Canadians, who, in the 1700s, were displaced from the French Canadian colony of Acadia by the British. Longing for familiarity, many of these Acadians eventually made their way to the French-speaking lands of southern Louisiana. “Cajun” is an anglicized version of the word “Acadian.”
According to Louisiana Cajun Bayou president Cody Gray, today, the entire area is a cultural gumbo, influenced by the French, Creole, Cajun, Black, German, Italian, and American Indians. This area is a melting pot of different peoples and cultures, and their various influences can be seen in everything from food to music to cultural celebrations.
Cajun Bayou Food Trail
One of the most important things to me while traveling is to eat dishes the area is known for, and I always eat local foods. The folks at Louisiana Cajun Bayou are on the same wavelength and created the Cajun Bayou Food Trail to encourage people to try some of the local restaurants that serve Cajun fare or local seafood. Every restaurant on the Cajun Bayou Food Trail is a small, local business serving homemade, regional foods. With almost 20 restaurants on the trail, you can decide where to try. Going to at least five restaurants on the trail will get you a Cajun Bayou Food Trail t-shirt. How fun is that? Plus, of course, you’ll enjoy food prepared by expert chefs.
Homemade Southern Crawfish Boil is one example of the food you’ll discover on the Cajun Bayou Food Trail. Photo by bhofack2 via iStock by Getty Images
Bourgeois Meat Market—Four Generations Strong
At our first stop on the trail, Bourgeois Meat Market, we saw sausage and jerky carefully prepared and hung out back in the smokehouses, just like they’ve been doing for generations. The family meat market that has existed since the late 1800s is still going strong today, with more than 30 employees. They make all kinds of traditional Louisiana delicacies and do whole carcass butchering in the tradition of a Boucherie. Back in the day, communities would come together for animal butchering, in which each family got a portion of the meat and took care to ensure that none of the animal would go to waste.
We sampled their made-in-house specialties at the market, including that Louisiana favorite, boudin. The spicy boudin sausage is a Louisiana staple and is traditionally made with pork and rice but can be made with shrimp, crawfish, or other meats. The boudin burritos here are fantastic. Also, try the famous jerky, beef stix, and the hard-to-find homemade boudin rouge.
Two Days in Cajun Country Bourgeois Meat Market. Photo by SJ Morgensen
Kajun Twist & Grill Down the Bayou in Lockwood, LA
We stopped at the Kajun Twist & Grill down the bayou in Lockport. Offering delicious Cajun specialties and other favorites from chef Anthony Goldsmith, this is where we dug into excellent gumbo and incredible onion rings! Trust me—it’s a great combination. Anthony comes from a long line of chefs. His great-grandmother was the award-winning chef Alzina Toups, known far and wide for her exquisite Cajun cooking. Anthony told us he did not need to go to formal culinary school. He learned from the best teachers right at home. We were lucky to get our hands on one of Alzina’s popular hard-to-find cookbooks. I already made her bread pudding with bourbon sauce, which was fabulous.
Gumbo at Kajun Twist. Photo by SJ Morgensen
Cajun Food Trail Highlights in Thibodaux, LA
Our other stops on the food trail were back in Thibodaux. With a population of almost 100,000 and the seat of Lafourche Parish, Thibodaux has its share of good restaurants. In downtown Thibodaux, we had tastings at several of them.
Downtown Thibodaux, Louisiana, in Cajun Country. Photo by SJ Morgensen
At Spahr’s Downtown, along with our tasty desserts, we debated whether potato salad belongs in gumbo, on the side, or nowhere near gumbo! Folks around here like potato salad in their gumbo. Bread pudding is a southern delight, and they do it right at Spahr’s.
Bread Pudding at Spahr’s. Photo by SJ Morgensen
We enjoyed a decadent appetizer at Cinclare Southern Bistro. The rich, creamy alligator and andouille cheesecake Chef Logan Boudreaux serves unlike any cheesecake I’ve ever had and is simply divine. Another favorite is the roasted Brussels sprouts. These aren’t the mushy, boiled sprouts we remember from grade school. The roasting process brings out the natural sugar, which carmelizes the sprouts and turns them into delicious little treats. Chef Boudreaux attended the Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University and the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. Most chefs at the restaurants we visited are native Louisianians, and many are graduates of the 4-year culinary program at local Nicholls State.
Cinclare Southern Bistro. Photo by SJ Morgensen
Another mainstay in town, Fremin’s, is known for steaks and seafood. This upscale restaurant is housed in a gorgeous, historic building that’s been lovingly restored. It’s worth a stop.
Cajun Swamp Tour
When you’re in south Louisiana, a swamp tour is a must. But not just any swamp tour. You need to do a Cajun bayou swamp tour with Zam’s Swamp Tours for an authentic trip through the backwaters of the bayou. You won’t meet a more down-to-earth tour guide than Z, whose colorful personality will keep you entertained the whole afternoon.
Me With A Nutria at Zam’s Swamp Tours. Photo by SJ Morgensen
After a scenic, leisurely 30-minute drive from Thibodaux, we found Zam’s property way off the beaten path in tiny Kraemer, Louisiana. Zam’s place is an interesting mix of old cars, wooden buildings, live animals, and pontoon boats in the bayou. We started things off with a tour of the animal menagerie. We followed along as Z showed us his collection of alligators, nutria (similar to a swamp rat), giant turtles, snakes, goats, and raccoons. I even got to hold a 3-week old baby gator! Z is super knowledgeable. Having grown up in the area, this land is almost a part of him, and he knows it well.
We then jumped on the pontoon boat for a leisurely cruise down the bayou. The bayou is bordered by untouched land in its natural state. If your timing is right, you can see alligators, deer, plenty of snakes, including copperheads, water moccasins, coral, and other animals native to the swamplands along the bayou. But even if you don’t see any of the animals, you’ll get an authentic Cajun experience from a local born and raised here. You can’t do any better than Zam’s Swamp Tours. We had a blast! Touring the swamp with Z was indeed a wow moment!
Zam’s Swamp Tours. Photo by SJ Morgensen
Jean Lafitte Historical Park & Preserve Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center
While a visit to the Jean Lafitte Historical Park & Preserve was on our list, the facility was closed for remodeling when we were there but is now reopened. I was so disappointed because I’ve heard from numerous people how fabulous this place is. If you want to learn all about Acadian heritage and culture, this is the place. From the early days of the Cajun culture in the 1600s to the present day, the Lafourche Parish has a fascinating history that you’ll discover through photos, exhibits, and ranger-led programs. You’ll have the chance to go on a narrated boat tour down the bayou. The center also has weekly cultural programs to immerse you in Cajun culture. Tuesday nights, you can learn the Cajun French language, then relax to the music of south Louisiana, including zydeco, gospel, blues, jazz, and Cajun.
Bayou Country Children’s Museum Is A Treasure
At the Bayou Country Children’s Museum, we saw fun and educational things for kids. The museum is full of activities, including a gigantic, full-size sugarcane harvester, a cool shrimp boat, a 2-story oil platform, and more. Kids will love to explore and learn about what their parents do for a living as they go off to work on the oil rig or the shrimp boat. The museum also collaborates with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office to provide child safety programs on various topics, including fire and severe weather safety. The onsite sheriff runs puppet shows highlighting safety, and their smokey fire simulation room is a brilliant way to teach kids fire safety.
Bayou Country Children’s Museum. Photo by SJ Morgensen
South Louisiana Festivals
Although we didn’t visit during Mardi Gras, we did learn that you don’t have to be in New Orleans to celebrate the holiday. Lafourche Parish has many Mardi Gras celebrations where the whole crew can join in for a relaxed, family-friendly celebration. They throw a lot of parties and festivals in Thibodaux. If you want to get a sense of Cajun culture, great food, music, and the Mardi Gras festivities, try the Louisiana Gumbo Festival in October and the Cajun Heritage Festival in June, or come every weekend—you’re bound to find a celebration around here!
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Visiting Cajun Country
If you want to escape it all and enjoy fantastic regional food, pristine nature, and friendly people, head South to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. You’ll learn about the Cajun customs and traditions and meet great people. I’ll be back in Lafourche Parish because there’s so much more to see and do here—a long weekend isn’t enough time to do it all. We hope you’ll let Wander With Wonder be your guide when you’re planning your trip to Louisiana or exploring other great culinary destinations.
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