(May 27, 2005)

As many of you know, I frequently like to write about Mom and Pop kinds of restaurants; you know, places where the owner's passion and personality is infused into the restaurant. The Louisiana Longhorn Café at 200-B East Main Street in Round Rock is such a restaurant. Proprietor Ray Overstreet is 100% Cajun, from Louisiana and he's assembled a menu that borrows heavily from his heritage. And on top of that, as you can see, the place has kitsch. It just resonates with my two favorite words: food and fun.

The appetizers are what you'd expect to see if you hunkered down for the weekend in the great Atchafayala basin in Louisiana. The Onion and Jalapeno Strips are paper thin, flash fried, and served with a ranch dressing. This is a fun and very tasty dish. And the Smoked Boudin Sausage is a purist's dream come true. Boudin is an acquired taste and may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy it. It has a strong but pleasing flavor. The Shrimp Acadiana is a rich dish that features shrimp sautéed in an ethereal garlic butter and served with new potatoes. I found myself dipping the accompanying French bread into what remained of the butter. I like it that much. Chef Boudreaux (I know, but did you expect his name to be Smith?) has also whipped up some Fried Crab Fingers with a remoulade that are also certainly worth a try. And make a point to sample the Cajun Crab Cakes. No way are they giving out this recipe but let me assure you that they certainly work for me, especially with the unique and lively pineapple sauce.

Every time I review a Cajun restaurant, the first thing people ask me is "how's the etouffee?" Well, rest assured, the Crawfish Etouffee is the bomb. This is the real deal. The crawfish are huge, the sauce is terrific and the flavors are, as they should be, most comforting. Love the sauce. The Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya also simmers with wonderful flavors. It's on the spicy side with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. And the andoulie sausage has that characteristic taste that blends well with the milder chicken.

Another big tasting entrée is the Seafood Napolean. It begins with fried eggplant piled high, shrimp and crawfish, and then a creamy seafood sauce served over fettuccini. This is rich and fulsome and highly caloric, but what the hell. Try it. There are neat sandwiches here as well. The Muffaletta , the quintessential N'Awlins sandwich is well represented here with that teasing combination of ham, turkey, and salami covered with the classic olive salad. Another good choice is the Pulled Pig which consists of tender morsels of pulled pork on one of Ray's really neat homemade buns. And it's hard to leave this place without having at least one PoBoy. It would be the Shrimp for me on the Gambino's French loaf. Simple, timeless, and delicious.

The desserts are hard to resist at Louisiana Longhorn Café as well. The Coconut Cream Pie, the Key Lime, and the rich and luxurious Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce will complete your descent into culinary decadence.

Again, the address of the Louisiana Longhorn Cafe is 200-B East Main St. in Round Rock. Take exit 252B (Highway 620) off IH 35 and transport yourself to coonass paradise. Don't worry, be happy, should be the theme song for this restaurant. Because every time I dine here, I don't worry one bit, and I'm usually quite happy.

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