Just so you know, we may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. We have a full affiliate disclosure that you can find under here.
We visited many places on on our trip to New Orleans, but our favorite hands down was Suire’s Grocery & Restaurant. After watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown (Cajun Mardi Gras), I knew we had to make the almost three hour trek to visit this little place in the middle of almost nowhere. We had planned to rent a car, so the drive was reasonable. We also had a couple of days prior to boarding our cruise so it was perfect for a days drive. Call us crazy, but yes, we will drive just about any distance if the food is good enough. Suire’s Grocery was worth the drive and then some. It’s easy to see why this was the locals favorite.
History of Suire’s
Suire’s has been part of the Kaplan, LA landscape for over 42 years (October 4) and is run by two sisters. Lisa and Joan have run the business since their parents purchased the building. Although the building has had some improvements, it is as much original as the food that comes out of the kitchen. Originally purchased as a grocery store, the family felt a calling to convert a portion of it to a restaurant, sharing the family recipes with the locals. It’s not fancy, so no need to get dressed up. Joan will gladly share with you the history of the grocery store. She’ll also tell you that Lisa doesn’t work weekends. But Joan works every day and knows just about every person that walks in, unless they aren’t a local. Even then they treat you as if they’ve known you forever.
…and we ate
So. Much. Food. The menu is written on the front of the building, so you kind of know what you want when you walk through the doors. Don’t worry though; you can see the menu inside when you order. We went with Po Boys and Gumbo; Louisiana staples. Jacob was on a Po Boy kick this trip so he had the shrimp. I chose the catfish po boy and like normal fashion, we shared. He also ordered the gumbo with shrimp, chicken and sausage. The food was simply delicious. The shrimp and catfish were deep fried with the perfect amount of crunchiness and on a bun that was squishy but strong enough to hold everything together without getting soggy. The ingredients were fresh and I was pretty sure the shrimp and catfish were caught that day. The gumbo was flavorful, spicy and full of shrimp, chicken and sausage. E
verything is made to order and many in small batches. Your food may come out in increments, but we didn’t mind. It gave us more time to chat with Joan.
Next time you go
We didn’t leave much time for us to explore Kaplan, LA. If you’re the outdoors type, hunting, fishing, shrimping and crabbing are popular in the area. Kaplan and the surrounding cities that make up Vermillion Parish often celebrate something every month of the year so make sure you check out the Vermillion Parrish website for some fun events while you’re there! If you visit like we did and happen to make New Orleans a stop as well, make sure you check out our review of Café du Monde in the French Quarter! To see more about our fun adventure in Louisiana, make sure you follow us on Instagram!
Till next time friends!
Leave a Reply