BB's Cajun Cafe - Give it a Try

The Skinny: There's just something about the bread that I love. It's light and crusty for the Po-Boys and surprisingly delicious as dessert.

The Fat: It’s game time from the moment a new restaurant opens their doors if it’s located anywhere near Montrose’s restaurant row. Diners are hard to attract when local favorites like Niko Niko’s, Katz’s deli and a host of nearby spots are slinging “no frills” fare from sunrise to sunset without skipping a beat. So when I finally noticed BB’s was even there, it took a while to drag myself away from my chicken gyro and give it a try.

I have to say that I’m not all that fond of BB's set up. When you first walk in there are tables to the left, tables to the right and what looks like a self serve condiment area pretty much straight ahead. When I see a self serve area I think: “order at the counter,” but there is no counter. There’s only a window between the dining area and the kitchen.

While the place is cute, we weren’t sure if we were supposed to order at the window or just sit down. We sort of stood there for a few seconds, and looked over at a guy talking to a table. After a moderate amount of uneasiness had accumulated within our group, the guy let us know we could have a seat where ever we’d like.

It’s a small place, so there’s usually only one person running the front of the house and while it may seem rude for a person to greet guests when he’s already talking to another table, the restaurant is small enough and casual enough that a brief break in his conversation shouldn’t cause much of a stir. Alternatively, this would be a great opportunity to employ a helpful sign near the entrance. “Please seat yourselves and we’ll be right with you” has a nice ring to it.

Once in, the service is prompt and adequate. I wouldn’t call it friendly because “friendly” reminds me of a 17year old waitress with an apron and a striped shirt serving mozzarella sticks at a chain restaurant. Both of the times I’ve visited BB’s the servers were pretty nice and that’s all I need from a little sandwich shop.

The menu consists of all of your Louisiana favorites like Po-Boys, Boudin, fried pickles, and gumbo. I love the Bedtime in the Bayou; it’s a shrimp Po-Boy with all the fixings. Their delicious crusty bread reminds me of the Cuban bread I grew up with in Tampa. It’s a perfectly flaky and subtle addition to a sandwich when the insides deserve center stage.

They make Po-boys with all the faves like catfish, fried oysters, soft shell crab and sausage. They even serve two egg sandwiches, fried and scrambled, with a bevy of meats, cheeses and savory sauces. All their Po-boys come with a mound of, my personal favorite, shoe string French fries.

For breakfast lovers, late sleepers and late-night snackers this place is open late and serves a full menu, including breakfast items, all day long. For dessert, they have beignets, pecan pie and the fail safe brownie sundae. They also serve bread pudding.

Now there are some of us who love bread pudding and some of us who simply don’t. I liken the opposing positions to the ones people hold for fruitcake; you either love it or use it as a doorstop. I don’t even like it enough to use it as a doorstop.

When my friend decided to order the bread pudding I balked at the thought of having to watch him eat it and proudly declared that I was not a fan. I’ll tell you something, when it comes to food, I’m never too proud to admit when I’m wrong.

When this dessert arrived, I was mostly impressed by the size. A 5x5x3 inch cut of warm bread pudding with a moist meringue and a creamy, caramelly sauce had been placed on the table for all to see. THANK GOD the waiter included three spoons or my words would have been the only thing I would’ve eaten for dessert.

I’d never been so happy to share a dessert with anyone in my life. Sure I took my time eating it, respecting the fact that I was just a guest at this bread pudding party, but boy was it hard not to claim it for my own. If you’re like me and you typically can’t stand bread pudding, this would be the place to give it another try.

When I visited BB’s a while back, the new place was still in its honeymoon phase and, therefore, impeccably tidy. This time, however, the bathroom standards had dropped a notch or two. Forgivable? Maybe. While a restaurant that has closing times anywhere from midnight to 3am should be given a little slack, the fact that they don’t open until 11am most days makes that argument less impressive.

Location: 2710 Montrose 713.524.4499