The former Taqueria El Camino, 9120 N MacArthur Blvd., recently got a facelift, a new menu and a new name.
When chefs Chris McKenna and Richard Ly purchased the restaurant last year, they knew they had plans to transition away from the Mexican concept to something else. However, at the time, the duo was already deep in the process of opening another restaurant, Kaizume.
Still, part of the way through the build-out of that space, Ly and McKenna decided to push ahead with their overhaul of Taqueria El Camino. The pair had been brainstorming for a while about what the concept might become and eventually landed on McKenna returning to his passion and culinary roots with Cajun food.
Bayou & Barrel was born, bringing to the city one of few locally-owned restaurants cranking out authentic Cajun and Creole recipes.
Bayou & Barrel is open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, and from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The restaurant also offers a “social pour/ Lagniappe hour” from 4 to 6 p.m. nightly with select $3 beers, $4 shots and $7 glasses of wine, plus $2 off cocktails and a selection of reduced-price appetizers.
What’s on the menu at Bayou & Barrel?
The Bayou & Barrel menu features favorites you’d find coming straight out of kitchens in Louisiana, with classic options like chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more.
The fried seafood items like oysters and gator are battered in cornmeal, an obvious nod to Louisiana inspiration, and a feature that also makes them gluten-friendly.
McKenna has crafted entrees that balance the comfort of homestyle cooking with the excitement and flair of Cajun and Creole classics.
Seafood is one of the predominant menu offerings at Bayou & Barrel, as with any true Cajun kitchen, and options like the captain’s combo, which lets diners choose two or three seafood proteins – grilled, fried or blackened – and Po’ Boys can be customized with choices like shrimp, catfish, oysters and more.
Creations like the blackened red fish, which come served atop buttery mashed potatoes with crawfish etouffee in lieu of gravy, take the flavors of the South and blend them with the spice of the bayous for a menu full of plate options that make choosing hard.
But seafood lovers aren’t the only ones who will find favor on the menu.
The voodoo fries are an appetizer, technically, but they could easily be a meal and many would find no complaints after finishing these fries topped with cheese, roast beef debris, pepperoncini peppers, and green onions, served with a side of ranch.
Equally impressive are the boudin egg rolls, whose crispy wrappers give the best crunch you can imagine in perfect foil to their gooey pork, rice and cheese blend filling.
The pasta Ya-Ya packs a bowl with ample amounts of chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage, plus fettuccine, peppers, onions and mushrooms in a delicious Cajun cream sauce and dishes like the grilled pork chop, served with smoked gouda grits, green beans and a molasses gastrique bring McKenna’s love for masterful handling of proteins to the table.
Vegetarians need not avoid the menu at Bayou & Barrel either. The restaurant has a selection of salads, appetizers, sides, and a fried eggplant option for the po’ boy that are all vegetarian-friendly. There’s even a vegan stuffed pepper entree.
Be sure to peruse the cocktail and mocktail offerings as well while you’re at the restaurant. The staff has created a list of drinks that include classics and twists on classics, with everything from Hurricanes to prickly pear margaritas and even a “Cajun Sunset” sangria.
Finally, if you’re wondering about dessert options, the root beer float is made with Barq’s root beer, making it an instant winner, and the bread pudding is perfectly warm and gooey with a scoop of deliciously melty vanilla ice cream topping it off. And for those needing further choices, there’s also a creme brulee cheesecake option.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bayou & Barrel, OKC’s newest Cajun restaurant, now open: What to order
Dining and Cooking