Cajun Royalty at Cajun Queen

Welcome back fellow foodies!  This week's adventure takes us to a Charlotte favorite.  It's Mardi Gras everyday at Cajun Queen!

If you are feeling like you need a little spice in your life, head on over to Cajun Queen.  It's a New Orleans Style Cajun  restaurant with a lot of charm.  The restaurant is an old historic house that has been converted into a restaurant.  They have live music upstairs by the bar and if the weather is nice, you can sit outside on the porch and enjoy the scenery.  It's a pretty small restaurant, so it can get crowded fast so make sure to use Open Table to make a reservation before you go!

Today, I started my meal with the Cajun Popcorn.  It's battered and fried crawfish tails served with a sherry remoulade.  I'm a fan of this appetizer since it was easy to eat (no cracking or peeling necessary!), and it was easy to share.  The remoulade had the right amount of spice to it so it wasn't your boring popcorn shrimp.

And if that wasn't enough flavor for you, you could always add in Cajun Queen's own hot sauces.  So far, I've tasted a jalapeno, cayenne, and a habenero sauce.  I personally like the jalapeno best since it had the most flavor.  The habenero had the least amount of flavor, but the most amount of heat.  It had a slight sweet taste to it.    

For my entree, I ordered the chicken etouffee.  The etouffee, the creole, and the Diane come with your choice of meat over white rice so if you weren't in the mood for chicken, you could also order shrimp or craw fish or even all three.  I had plenty of craw fish already so I figured chicken would be best for me.  

This etoffee is not for the faint of heart.  It is so full of flavor and spices that you almost have to stop eating it before you are finished because your mouth needs a break. If you have never had an etouffee before, the sauce is roux-based and tastes like a very spicy and savory gravy.  It's not rich or creamy, and oh so yummy.  If I'm really feeling adventurous, I'll even add in some of the house hot sauces into the mix.

After this dish, I couldn't even think of ordering dessert.  My taste buds just needed a break, though the Oreo cheesecake did sound amazing.  Maybe next time? :)

Overall, How Nuts Are We about Cajun Queen?
Food: 5 coconuts. Great Cajun and Creole.
Service: 3.5 coconuts. It's really hit or miss but mostly good. 
Repeatability: 4 coconuts. The menu is not too big, but there are a variety of specials and the atmosphere is great.  This would be a great place to take your friends or celebrate a special event.