The Cajun Beach

5545 A1A (Where Red Frog and McToads used to be) 904-481-8849

The Cajun Beach – “Where the bayou meets the beach”

By Irene Merenda (returning by great demand!)

On a recent Thursday evening, Frank and I decided to try The Cajun Beach, a restaurant that opened in the old “Red Frog” space.  When we arrived at 7:00, the parking lot and restaurant were essentially empty.  Only a couple of people sat at the bar, and no one was at any of the many tables.  We wondered if we had made a bad decision to go there.

If you have ever been to Red Frog and McToad’s, you know it was a rather dark, unappealing, somewhat “grubby” ambiance.  It now looks like a completely different restaurant.   The dining room and bar area are decorated in white and beige, and both are now very bright, inviting, and most importantly, clean looking.  We were greeted by Eilene, our server who invited us to “sit wherever you want.”  She was extremely friendly and seemed so happy to have a customer.  Once again, looking at the empty restaurant at dinnertime, we questioned our decision to come in.

It turns out, our decision was a very good one!

1 of 4

We started with a shared appetizer of fried green tomatoes with a delicious spicy sauce on the side. $16 (Note: there were 4 slices, but one of us, I won’t say who, ate one before I took the picture.)  The breading was perfect; not too thick and perfectly and uniformly fried.  I ordered a side salad, ($7) which was large, fresh and included sweet tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, celery and croutons.

Frank and I also ordered a cup of Cajun Gumbo ($12) to share.  It had plenty of seafood and andouille sausage with rice.  The okra was pureed. I prefer chunks of okra, but Frank, who has been to New Orleans many times, said this version of gumbo was truly authentic.  We both love spicy food, so if you don’t, this is not a soup you should order.

Eileen was very chatty and came to our table many times to check on us and tell us about the opening and redecorating of this restaurant approximately 2 months prior to our visit.  The owners also have a restaurant, of the same name, in Flagler Beach.

Our shared entrée was a half rack of barbecue ribs with sauteed mixed vegetables (peppers mushrooms and onions) and a side order of Cajun green beans.  ($17) The rib meat, which fell off the bone, was “melt-in-your mouth” delicious.  The sauce was slightly spicy (we added extra hot sauce) but very flavorful.

As we waited for our entrée to arrive, the restaurant and bar started to fill up.  By time we left, there was only one table unoccupied.  Eileen’s visits became rare, and this was understandable, as it appeared that she was the only server.  Apparently, this place appeals to later diners and bar-goers, although surprisingly for the later hour, the tables were filled with families, including young children.

If the strong spices of Cajun food scare you off, you should know that the menu is large and varied.  In addition to the many Cajun selections (ex. Po’boys, jambalaya, seafood boils, shrimp and grits, etc.) they offer more typical beach fares as well. (burgers, sandwiches, salads, seafood etc.)  In fact, the menu is SO large, I recommend you bring your reading glasses along, as the print is very small.  The Cajun Beach also offers a breakfast menu that, in addition to more typical breakfast foods, includes Bayou Benedicts, Bayou Surfer sandwiches, breakfast Po’boys and a basket of beignets.

4 ½ spoonbills

The restaurant is not fancy.  (Eileen asked Frank if he wanted a glass with his bottle of beer.) I suspect Cajun Beach will soon become a very popular restaurant.  We will definitely return, probably trying their breakfast selections next time.  The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday, 9am-9 pm, and Friday and Saturday 9am-10pm.