The Cajun Bistro franchise has been winning over Birmingham appetites for nearly 5 years, and are now entering a new era that will see their attention shift to their recently renovated prime location right by City Hall and Linn Park. They have closed their other restaurants to focus on making their new location a foodie hub in downtown Birmingham. In addition to Cajun Bistro’s delicious seafood creations is a food court that also features Park Place Hibachi and Lady E’s Chick’n Cafe. It’s safe to say something exciting (and very tasty) is happening at 1905 Park Place.
“Cajun Bistro actually started in Center Point about 5 years ago,” the restaurant shares, “(We) just wanted to provide an eating experience that did not just consist of chicken and fish.” They decided Cajun dishes and seafood classics were the perfect answer, and the city showed their approval with enthusiastic support. Christian Foster recently acquired the business and is working with one of the original owners of the franchise, Omar Rasoul, to ensure that this new venture provides the perfected service and menu items that customers have come to expect.
“We were looking slightly before the pandemic started. With the anticipation of the World Games and everything, that was our reasoning for trying to find a location downtown,” the team shares of their search for a new spot, “The location is prime.” The building is where the Sneaky Pete’s slang hotdogs for decades before a lack of attention to the building resulted in an eventual forced closure. A new landlord would come in and make some repairs, but Cajun Bistro did a lot of the renovations themselves (and created a wonderful experience in the process).
Downtown has enjoyed the restaurant, which has been around for about a year now. While every menu item is worth a taste, the Cajun Crab Leg Boil has been the number one seller so far. The massive order features crab cluster, 10 jumbo shrimp, sausage, boiled eggs, corn, and potatoes. Their brunches (“Crave” on Saturday and “Sunday’s Best Brunch in Birmingham”) are known for tasty dishes like salmon croquettes over rice and peach cobbler french toast. “You can’t forget the world famous shrimp and grits that we have,” the owners share, “Another thing that stands out about Cajun bistro is we make all of our dishes customizable. You choose what meats that you want in there. We want to make our individual customers feel special. You tell us how you want to create it.”
They understand that some people are nervous to try Cajun food due to fear of the dishes being too spicy, but emphasize that “it’s not about the spice level, it’s all about the flavor.” Besides great dishes, they restaurant aims to provide a great time. “We pride ourselves on our customer service. We pride ourselves on the flavor of our food. We just make everybody feel like family when they come in.”
Cajun Bistro sees the growth happening in Birmingham, and is excited to play a part. “The restaurant culture is definitely growing in Birmingham. Birmingham is becoming a foodie town that is being recognized by a lot of out-of-towners,” they share, “At one point, we were just known for the Civil Rights movement and the museums that we have here. But a lot of people are simply coming here for different types of food that they can experience. I think that with the World Games, with the USFL football team that we have coming here. You have the G-League. Birmingham itself as a city is also growing, so it’s creating a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs and I’m looking forward to seeing where it can go in the next 5 to 10 years.”
We agree, and we’re thankful for their contributions. Check them out Monday through Wednesday from 6am to 3pm, Thursday through Saturday 6am to 8pm, and Sunday from 11am to 3pm.
