Bayou Jack's Cajun Grill

Downtown McKinney is one of my favorite places to dine in the DFW area.  The Square in downtown is really becoming a legit foodie destination.  New restaurants seem to be popping up weekly on the Square and Bayou Jack's Cajun Grill recently opened next door to Mellow Mushroom.  The small chain also has locations in Sulphur Springs and Roanoke.

Dining area at Bayou Jack's

I dined at Bayou Jack's with my wife, kids, and in-laws.  We really didn't know what to expect, because it is hard to find good Cajun fare in the DFW area.  Our group arrived shorty after they opened for lunch, but we were warmly greeted by the staff and received good service right from the start.  I was very hungry due to skipping breakfast, so I decided to start with a cup of red beans and rice.  The red beans and rice was flavorful, but the cup was somewhat on the small side.  I also had a side of the onion hushpuppies served with remoulade.  The hush puppies were of good quality, had a perfectly crunch exterior, and the remoulade was a very good one.

Red Beans and Rice

Onion Hush Puppies

For my entree, I ordered the crawfish étouffée    The plate arrived with the best looking servings of étouffée I have seen in some time.  It even was even topped with a very large crawfish on tope.  Luckily for me, it tasted as good as it looked.  The dish had a large quantity of crawfish compared to ones I have had at other restaurants.  The dark roux was very spicy, which was perfect as far as I was concerned.  This was one of the best plates of étouffée I have had in quite some time.

Crawfish Étouffée 

Other members of my group got the gumbo and the blackened catfish topped with crawfish étouffée.  Both my kids got the chicken bites with "bayou fries".  There was not a member of our party that was not pleased with their meal.  

Gumbo

Blackened Catfish topped with Crawfish Étouffée 

We were all pleased with our first visit to Bayou Jack's Cajun Grill.  The food was delicious and the service was outstanding.  The restaurant is very casual and kid friendly as well.  If anyone is looking for authentic Cajun food at a reasonable price, then you need to take a trip to the McKinney Square and give Bayou Jack's a try.

Kid's Chicken Bites and Fries

Bayou Jack's Cajun Grill
http://www.bayoujackscajungrill.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3