Where should we lunch between Houston and New Orleans?
October 3, 2019 10:30 PM Subscribe
We’ll be driving out of Houston about 8 or 9 am on a Saturday morning, mostly driving along highway 90, getting to New Orleans maybe 4:00, allowing for a few brief stops plus lunch. Should we just eat a boring burger at a fast food place along the way? Or is there some place with good food that is not way far away from the highway, not excruciatingly slow, and clean?
We like lots of different food: seafood, salads, Cajun food, Creole food, soul food, burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, vegetables, regular homemade food.
Caveats: We don’t eat cheese or pizza or in Chinese restaurants because they usually give me a migraine for whatever reason, and we avoid Subway because their food is so full of additives that don’t taste good to us. We loath big chains like Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s and will go to McDonalds if we have to go to a national chain.
(It’d be great if you could also say something about other things we might be able to see along that route! Or even advice on a superior route.)
Thanks.
We like lots of different food: seafood, salads, Cajun food, Creole food, soul food, burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, vegetables, regular homemade food.
Caveats: We don’t eat cheese or pizza or in Chinese restaurants because they usually give me a migraine for whatever reason, and we avoid Subway because their food is so full of additives that don’t taste good to us. We loath big chains like Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s and will go to McDonalds if we have to go to a national chain.
(It’d be great if you could also say something about other things we might be able to see along that route! Or even advice on a superior route.)
Thanks.
If you're taking 90, you'll pass right by Lake Charles, LA (about three hours away from New Orleans, so maybe right about lunch time). I was just there for work, and we had dinner at a tasty sandwich place called Luna Bar & Grille and lunch the next day at a place called Pat's of Henderson, which had an AMAZING selection of Cajun and creole dishes. I got the crawfish etouffee and it was SO good.
I was also recommended (but didn't get to try) a po' boy place called Darrell's. It's supposed to be the gold standard of po' boys, but they were closed when we were in town. Warning: they're rumored to be incredibly messy by design.
posted by helloimjennsco at 7:34 AM on October 4, 2019
I was also recommended (but didn't get to try) a po' boy place called Darrell's. It's supposed to be the gold standard of po' boys, but they were closed when we were in town. Warning: they're rumored to be incredibly messy by design.
posted by helloimjennsco at 7:34 AM on October 4, 2019
I really like Johnson's Boucaniere in Lafayette, particularly their boudin-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich. Nice folks, and they have a big freezer of vacuum-packed meats and sausages to take with you. There's a lovely cathedral and cemetery just down the street if you want to stretch your legs a little more.
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 8:24 AM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 8:24 AM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm confused by your route choice. Taking 90 from Houston takes you out of your way unless you're starting far north. Picking 90 up at Lafayette makes a little more sense, if you're looking for a rural-byway kind of approach to New Orleans, but I-10 is probably faster.
Anyway, Don's is great. Don't miss the boudin. Seriously. It's clean, right by the highway, and fairly fast.
OTOH, there's no much ELSE to do on this route. The Achafalaya Basin (on I-10, so you will miss it if you take 90 from Lafayette) is pretty, but it's also long & boring with nowhere to stop. The river crossing at Baton Rouge on 10 is pretty great, but doing that means dealing with BR traffic, so it's a tradeoff you may want to skip.
posted by uberchet at 8:25 AM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
Anyway, Don's is great. Don't miss the boudin. Seriously. It's clean, right by the highway, and fairly fast.
OTOH, there's no much ELSE to do on this route. The Achafalaya Basin (on I-10, so you will miss it if you take 90 from Lafayette) is pretty, but it's also long & boring with nowhere to stop. The river crossing at Baton Rouge on 10 is pretty great, but doing that means dealing with BR traffic, so it's a tradeoff you may want to skip.
incredibly messy by design.As a regional native, I can confirm this. If your hands aren't a mess when you finish your poboy, well, you haven't had a very good poboy.
posted by uberchet at 8:25 AM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
You can go to the Zydeco Breakfast in Breaux Bridge, which is a scene. It’s a little east of Lafayette.
posted by carmicha at 9:48 AM on October 4, 2019
posted by carmicha at 9:48 AM on October 4, 2019
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Don's Specialty Meats just before Lafayette for cracklins and boudin.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:59 AM on October 4, 2019