Rabideaux

OUT AND ABOUT

Rabideaux's Sausage Kitchen
105 Hwy 165
Iowa, LA
337-582-3184

Seven days a week 6:00 AM to 7: 00 PM $1 to $15


It has been ages since I have been here. So long ago that is was just a meat counter and little else inside. Now it has frozen boudin, meat prepared for BBQ, sausage, plate lunch, fried food emporium, drinks both alcoholic & non-, and a convenience store with tables to eat at. I was l slightly overwhelmed the first time I went in.

That first time was BBQ Wednesday. I always like to get a combo plate at other BBQ places. I noted they did not have such a thing and I tried to wangle one, my mistake. I was expecting a little of each but instead I got the equivalent of three meals. In the meat box was St Louis style ribs, a pork steak and a white quarter of a chicken. In the sides box the main compartment they filled with dirty rice with the others containing potato salad and pork & beans. I ate what I could and consolidated the rest to take home. The dirty rice made with ground beef and chicken liver was what you would expect, delicious. The beans have a sweet spicy taste to them. The potato salad possessed well-cooked hunks of potato in a dill dressing (not my favorite but it was still good). The meats proved excellent also. The exterior had more a sweet spicy glace than a sauce. All possessed pronounced smoke rings (a plus in my eyes). They had great taste with a little chew.

I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Rings the next time. The onion rings were a medium thin cut but the coating seems to be a premixed product that I have been encountering lately. However they were fresh and hot out of the fryer. The burger was nirvana. On a regular bun slathered with mayonnaise they offered the perfect combo. While the cheese was American (I prefer Cheddar) the in-house cured and smoked bacon and in-house seasoned patty made this sandwich. I was a bit skeptically of the perfectly round patty but one bite of the succulent and seasoned meat set me right. Possibly the best tasting burger that I have ever had.

Now on to fried heaven, it looks like a set up in a gas station/convenience store. That is where it ends. The in-house coating and frying skills come to the forefront. The Boudin Balls with a perfectly fried coating surrounding Rabideaux’s superior boudin hit the spot. I’ve always had a soft spot for Fried Corn and they deliver on that promise. I had probably the most crisp piece of Catfish I have ever put in my mouth, outstanding. I ate a Shrimp Pistolette. The fried piece of bread contained a spicy creamy sauce loaded with shrimp. It seemed to be an old fashion etouffee. Last but not least Fried Chicken Liver done the way I love it. Tossed in flour and not over cooked. The soft texture and liver punch made my day. They also do gizzards. It I would have been thinking I would have asked for a half and half.

I have just covered a few things they sell here. One Saturday morning as I sat enjoying my food I watched as a multitude of people passed through. Some looking for meat to BBQ, some tourists buying both boudin and sausage to take back home, some just picking up something to eat, etc. Kind of like an old general store were every one knows everyone and service was personal. You need to go