Pier 17 Cajun Seafood coming to Dixie Highway

Pier 17 Cajun Seafood, which opened about a year ago on Hurstbourne Parkway, is adding a second location at 5362 Dixie Highway, in what used to be a Golden Corral. I don’t know when it will open, but it has started applying for a liquor license. This will be the ninth Cajun seafood restaurant either open or planned in the Louisville area — and that’s not counting Tha Drippin Crab and Seafood Lady, which are a bit different from places like Pier 17.

[Robin Garr]

Did anyone see this trend coming? I'd love to know the back story. Are they immigrant-run by a particular nationality, or random? Interesting stuff.

Did anyone see this trend coming? I'd love to know the back story. Are they immigrant-run by a particular nationality, or random?

The Norfolk newspaper did a good story last fall on the history and popularity of Cajun seafood restaurants. In Virginia, most of these places are run by Chinese Americans; I don’t know if that’s true here. From the story:

The saucy seafood boil is a cross-cultural convergence that arrived just 20 years ago in Houston, when Vietnamese immigrants in Texas began adding their own flavors and sauces to the bayou tradition of boiled crawfish, itself originally learned from Native Americans.

But by the time those Viet-Cajun boils reached Southeastern Virginia and North Carolina, the demographics had changed. Here, the seafood boils are a phenomenon driven almost entirely by enterprising Chinese American restaurateurs — many of whom come from the southeastern province of Fujian — moving into greener restaurant pastures after seeing declines in old-school Chinese-American restaurants and buffets.

https://www.pilotonline.com/food-drink/ ... story.html

[Robin Garr]

Thanks, Rich. Very interesting!

I've noticed the trend as well, along with the explosion of car washes and tire stores. I got the impression that the ownership of the Pier 17 on Hurstbourne was Asian. My wife still can't get over the fact that their gumbo contained carrots.

The Vietnamese link makes sense; there's a pretty strong Vietnamese community in New Orleans. At one point there was quite a bit of animosity between white shrimpers and Vietnamese shrimpers along the Gulf Coast. The white shrimpers treated it as sort of a 9-5 job, whereas the Vietnamese shrimpers would stay out for days. With so many people competing, prices fell. The KKK got involved at some point, which resulted in the Southern Poverty Law Center representing the fishermen in a lawsuit. It's all kind of settled down, and today the best French bread and king cakes in New Orleans come from Dong Fuong bakery.

And on that note, I'm sorry to see that my favorite Jumbo Buffet on Hurstbourne is shuttered. That was our go-to place for family gatherings .

[Robin Garr]

And on that note, I'm sorry to see that my favorite Jumbo Buffet on Hurstbourne is shuttered. That was our go-to place for family gatherings .

I gather the pandemic was particularly rough on buffets. Nobody wanted to be reaching into pans that other people were reacing into, even with sneeze shields. In fact, weren't buffets banned for a long stretch of the pandemic? I know I sure didn't try one.

Hibachi Sushi Buffet in Fern Creek also closed for good a few weeks ago. Yoki Buffet is the only one still open in Louisville as far as i know. They were requiring one-use gloves to pick up food at the bars last time I was there.

I'm frankly getting a bit of Cajun seafood restaurant fatigue. It's not a cuisine I like, and it's kind of disappointing to see a new restaurant coming and then find out it's the same ole same ole. It's like All Restaurants Are Taco Bell. After experiencing some amazing German food up Cinci-way, I would like to see some bier hauses around here.

I'm frankly getting a bit of Cajun seafood restaurant fatigue.

....and another, just opened in the old Dish on Market. https://www.facebook.com/tTheBayou

Hibachi Sushi Buffet in Fern Creek also closed for good a few weeks ago. Yoki Buffet is the only one still open in Louisville as far as i know. They were requiring one-use gloves to pick up food at the bars last time I was there..

I believe the Hibachi Buffet out Dixie Highway around the 5500's is still open (friends went there two weeks ago, and web page and Google list them as still open).. As with Yoki, they stock one-use gloves throughout the restaurant and mandate both gloves and masks for everyone visiting the buffet areas.

Also, Golden Corral across the river is owned by a franchisee, and is still operating. There they serve you from the buffet, or I believe you can use gloves.

Dined at Pier 17 last night. With me were a native of Louisiana and another from Maine. We all had lobster rolls (my first one ever and I must say, wonderful!) and rounded out things with Cajun chicken wings that were breaded but not sauced in any way. They were very tasty but I was surprised they weren’t all that spicy. Also had a dozen raw oysters and frankly, could have eaten a couple dozen more of those - not hugely sized but plump and very flavorful. I love them with just salt and pepper and horseradish, the kind that sends caustic vapors all through your sinuses. Excellent! We drank some well constructed Kentucky Mules from very chilled brass mugs (huge!)
Service was attentive but not oppressive. We had a blast. We’ll do that again I’m sure.