15 FEBRUARY 19-25, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Let the Good Times Roll! WHERE TO GET A TASTE OF LOUISIANA IN DENVER. BY CYNTHIA BARNES Laissez les bons temps rouler! This year, Fat Tuesday fell on February 17, and in places where the cultural tradition is strong, the streets have been alive with parties, parades and delicious feasts ahead of the (alleged) abstinence of Lent. The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is the most famous, although the fi rst offi cial American observation was held in Mobile, Alabama, in 1703. While there are no fl oats and beads on 16th Street to mark the occasion — RIP Bayou Bob’s — there are still plenty of places in the metro area where you can get your fi ll of boudin, beignet po’boys and other dishes and drinks bursting with fl avors from the Bayou State all year long. While the terms “Cajun” and “Creole” are often used interchangeably to describe food from Louisiana, they are not the same (though there is some overlap). Cajun and Creole are two distinct cultures, and the food refl ects that. “Creole” was initially used to describe French and Spanish settlers in New Orleans, but grew to include African descendants and free peo- ple of color, blending fl avors from all around the globe. “Cajuns” were French colonists who settled in the Acadia region of Canada. Cajun cuisine is rustic and resourceful, heavily seasoned and reliant on pork, crawfi sh and game, along with the “holy trinity” of green bell pepper, onion and celery. Traditional Cajun recipes often skip the tomatoes that you’ll fi nd in classic Creole dishes. Whether Creole or Cajun, Louisiana brings the fl avor, and we like it all. Here are some Mile High favorites where you can let the good times roll. Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar 1539 17th Street jaxfi shhouse.com This longtime seafood staple may have re- cently closed its Glendale outpost, but its downtown location remains a favorite. While it’s not a Cajun-focused spot, we love the chargrilled oysters with Creole butter, and Louisiana crawfi sh gumbo loaded with Gulf shrimp and smoked andouille sausage. Not near Union Station? Jax also has locations in Boulder, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. Jessie’s Smokin’ NOLA 11061 South Parker Road, Parker smokinnola.com New Orleans chef Jessie Rayford started serv- ing his hometown delicacies from a food truck before opening and then moving his brick-and-mortar business a few times over the years. In 2024, he set up shop in Parker, where he’s now operating what he swears will be the restaurant’s last iteration before he retires. Until that happens, head to Jes- sie’s Smokin’ NOLA for étouffée, crawfi sh bread, bourbon pecan pie, mint juleps and more. Lincoln’s Roadhouse 1201 South Pearl Street lincolnsroadhouse.com This blues bar and Cajun cafe has been around since 1999, offering good times and good food. The no-frills Wash Park spot has live music every Fri- day and Saturday, and serves Cajun popcorn (fried crawfi sh tails with remoulade), King Cake daiquiris, red beans and rice, and a mean meatloaf sandwich, plus much more. Lucille’s Creole Cafe Multiple locations luciles.com This beloved brunch institution (the Boulder OG opened in 1980) is known for its beignets, pillowy square doughnuts dusted with a bliz- zard of powdered sugar and paired perfectly with a cup of chicory coffee. But save room for specialties like Eggs New Orleans, fried eggplant slices with Creole sauce, poached eggs and hollandaise; and Pain Perdu, a New Orleans-style French toast drenched in but- tery praline pecan syrup. Nola Jane Restaurant & Bar 1435 Market Street nolajanedenver.com Hurricanes on draft? Well, throw us some beads and then call us an Uber, because these storm-strength drinks defi nitely don’t mix with driving, though you can also soak up the spirit with eats like softshell crab po’boys, shrimp and grits, blackened alligator tacos and classic Cajun crawfi sh cakes. Nola Voodoo Tavern 2222 Bruce Randolph Avenue noladenver.com Another New Orleans native, chef Henry Batiste has been treating Denverites to family recipes that bring the spirit of the Crescent City to the Cole neighborhood since 2015. In this exuberantly decorated space, you’ll fi nd made-from-scratch Louisiana favorites, including boudin balls, red beans and rice, crispy fried alligator bites and plenty of Abita beers. Batiste also honors the rich Italian heritage of New Orleans with Crawfish Monica, a toothsome plate of rotini smoth- ered in a crawfi sh-laden cream sauce. NoNo’s Cafe 3005 West County Line Road, Littleton nonoscafe.com Kiss your calorie counting goodbye: This Southern-fare spot in the south suburbs goes big on portion sizes — and on fl avor. The menu updates frequently, but you’ll always fi nd fi nger-licking New Orleans-style bar- becue shrimp, catfi sh smothered in crawfi sh cream sauce, bourbon-sauced bread pudding and much more. If that’s not enough, every Saturday from March through June, NoNo’s rolls out a Louisiana-style crawfi sh boil with all the fi xin’s. Pier 8 Cajun Seafood & Bar 7490 West 52nd Avenue, Arvada pier8arvada.com How much can you eat? Test your mettle at this Cajun-styled seafood emporium where everyone at the table, including kids, must order the AYCE option -- or just go to town on the à la carte menu. Cajun choices include po’ boys, gumbo, raw and steamed oysters, and catfi sh, to name a few. You can also opt for a choose-your-own-adventure seafood boil, picking from a variety of seafood and sauces. People who don’t care for seafood (who are these people?!?) have options like chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, Caesar salad and wings. Poboys Creole Cafe 5505 West 20th Avenue, Edgewater instagram.com/poboyscolorado Longtime friends Jeremy Bentham Smith and CJ Davidson just celebrated the grand opening of their new po’boy joint inside Edgewater Public Market on Fat Tuesday. Along with a variety of po’boy options, in- cluding fried gator, blackened shrimp and locally-made andouille sausages, it’s serving Creole staples such as crawfi sh étouffée, gumbo and jambalaya. Toby’s Po’Boys Food truck instagram.com/ tobyspoboys Husband-and-wife team Damon and Maria Tobias serve po’boys, red beans and rice, gumbo and beig- nets with a side of Southern hospitality from their food truck, a used wedding bus that Damon transformed into a New Orleans streetcar named Kayla. It’s been oper- ating on Denver roads since 2018 and get in line if you spot it at an event, because this mobile food business serves eats made with care. Spots for Seafood Boils Seafood boils are a longstand- ing Mardi Gras tradition and a favorite way to feast with a group year-round. We love Craw- fi sh Market at 1175 South Federal Boulevard, where you can buy crawfi sh and other seafood to use for a boil at home, or choose your mix and have the staff cook it up for you on-site. If you’d prefer a place where you can put on a bib and get your hands dirty while din- ing in, these local spots make it easy to show up; pick your protein, sauces, spice level and sides; and then open a bag of pure bliss: Asian Cajun 2400 West Alameda 2841 West 120th Avenue, Westminster theasiancajun-crabshack.com Crab & Shell 2819 East Colfax Avenue crabandshell.com Crawling Crab 781 South Federal Boulevard 3215 South Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood thecrawlingcrab.us Hook & Reel 7407 East 36th Avenue hookreel.com Reel Cajun 3820 River Point Parkway, Sheridan reelcajunseafood.co The Crab House 3299 South Broadway, Englewood thecrabhouseco.com The Yabby Hut 6735 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood 3355 South Yarrow Street, Lakewood yabbyhut.com Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Nola Voodoo Tavern is one of our favorite local spots for Cajun fare. NOL A VOODOO TAVERN
