Bayou Bakery
I had lunch at @BayouBakery in Courthouse yesterday. It was my first time there, and definitely not my last. As a matter of fact, I liked it so much that I even suggested to my hubby having dinner there last night.
You realize pretty quickly that you’re in for a unique cultural experience.. pickled eggs on the counter, alligator head on the walls, a sign telling you to clean up your own mess - not your typical northern Virginia establishment. One thing I loved about the interior was the incorporation of reclaimed/repurposed decor, such as mason jar light fixtures.
The back section of the restaurant is lounge with a comfy leather couch, a wall-mounted flat screen TV, a selection of books (which you can borrow and/or contribute to), and a large communal coffee table. New Orleans jazz music is piped in throughout the restaurant. It’s colorful, upbeat, and being there is the next best thing to actually booking a trip to New Orleans.
For my lunch, I ordered the Muffaletta and an order of beignets. For those who don’t know, the muffaletta is a sandwich that originated in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It’s filled with salami, mortadella, smoked ham, provolone, and a chopped olive spread. I don’t think there’s anything about this sandwich not to love.
The beignets were served so fresh that you might as well go back to the kitchen, pull up a chair at the fryer, and eat them as soon as they’re pulled out. As soon as you break into them, a cloud of steam quickly escapes. They are not as hollow as I remembered beignets to be at New Orleans’ famous Cafe du Monde, but that only means there’s more to love.
Bayou has a great menu, and several weekly specials that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the area. Some of the specials include Shrimp Creole, Crawfish Etouffee, Crawfish Pot Pies, Pressed Cubano Sandwich (the owner of Bayou is part Cuban), Shrimp & Andouille Jambalaya, and many others. When I was in there, I bumped into Justin from Bakeshop, who told me his mom loves Bayou’s Shrimp Po-boy. If you’re not in the mood for beignets, you can select a dessert from their dessert case, but I personally don’t know how anybody can forego those beignets.
Bayou is located at 1515 North Courthouse Rd in Arlington. Follow Bayou on Facebook for more photos and specials.
