Street signs in Breaux Bridge
On our way to Texas, we spent an overnight in Breaux Bridge, just off I-10 east of Lafayette. I’ve been to Breaux Bridge a few times. It’s a nice small town near the highway with and some good places for sampling Cajun food and music. I really like the Cajun culture and would not pass up an opportunity to eat some tasty food and do some two stepping. And, you don’t have to go to the big tourist cities to find it. Its right in the small towns like Breaux Bridge.
We stayed at the Pioneer Acadian Village RV Park. This place is very convenient, has full hook up sites, and the nicest bath and laundry facility I’ve seen in a campground. The owner is an engaging Cajun who puts a lot of effort into making you feel welcome and running a nice place to stay. Its a good deal at $28 per night.
Our first stop near Breaux Bridge was to get some boudin to munch on. Boudin is a popular Cajun staple that you’ll only find in Louisiana. It’s spicy sausage made with rice and smoked pork. It’s eaten warm and is best on saltine crackers. It makes a good lunch or appetizer. I prefer the smoked boudin versus just regular boudin. While buying my boudin, I got to sample some Cracklins. Cracklins are small cubes of deep fried pork fat. Its good but a sample was just enough for me.
Boudin sausage
Next was getting ourselves a good Cajun meal. When in Breaux Bridge, I like eating at Pont Breaux’s. It’s a local favorite with great food. I had pan fried catfish with a topping of etouffee, jambalaya, and a stuffed baked potato. It was delicious. Anne had a seafood salad with craw fish, shrimp, and crab meat. Desert was warm pecan pie with ice cream. Tres Bien!!
Lee Benoit Family Band
Like many restaurants on the Cajun prairie, Pont Breaux’s has live music and dancing every night. After dinner we got to listen to and dance to Lee Benoit. He’s a popular local Cajun musician and songwriter. In Louisiana, dancing is very popular and it seems like everyone knows how to waltz and two-step. It had been awhile since I did some dancing, but it’s like riding a bike. We had a lot of fun. Here’s a short video I shot last year of line dancing at Pont Breaux’s with Lee Benoit singing a Cajun version of “Boogey Shoes”.
It was a short stay. We didn’t get to dance on the tables at Fred’s Lounge on Saturday morning or hit any other dance halls. But it was a nice stop and we got a good dose of Cajun food and music. It’s so different and so good.
The next day we headed west again, tuned into some local radio, and listened to some great Cajun and Zydeco music all the way to Texas. Laissez les bon temps roulez!!!
