BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Rice & Roux is the place to go if you want a taste of authentic Louisiana food served up quickly.
That’s not saying the food is made in a hurry. The restaurant’s staff starts preparing early in the morning, using the same techniques any good south Louisiana cook would use.
That means stirring up a roux for the gumbo and getting the rice for the jambalaya just right.
Those are the menu favorites at Rice & Roux, which has locations at 2158 O’Neal Lane and 320 Lee Drive.
The Lee Drive store opened in May 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Owners John and Kara Baquet and Dustin and Shasta Felton knew their venture would be risky.
But their first restaurant, opened on O’Neal in 2006, has a loyal following, and the Lee Drive location has something the one at O’Neal doesn’t — a drive-thru window.
And that proved a blessing.
When the state ordered restaurant dining rooms to close, customers lined up at the drive-thru for some quick, warm Cajun food.
“Our concept is fast, casual,” Kara Baquet said. “You can come here and get some Cajun food, and you can get it quickly.”
“That’s the whole idea behind our name, Rice & Roux,” John Baquet added. “This is something that is ready for them.”
