Mardi Gras guide: Where to get Creole food at Lexington restaurants for Fat Tuesday
Mardi Gras is coming and do you know where your Cajun food is? If not, we’re here to help you find it with this guide and list of the best Lexington restaurants celebrating Fat Tuesday. And we have King Cake as well.
The pastry is a special treat that is shared before and on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins on March 2. And if you get the baby in your piece, tradition says you bring the next cake.
This year, Mardi Gras looks more like pre-pandemic celebrations, both here in Lexington and in New Orleans, where parades have resumed.
While we don’t have a parade you can get into the spirit with a taste of the Bayou here in the Bluegrass. Here is a list of local Lexington and Central Kentucky restaurants, bakeries and caterers offering King Cakes, gator etouffee and much more:
B’s Bakery
241 W. Main St. in Frankfort, 502-699-2222; B’s Bakery is taking orders for King Cakes. Each serves eight to 10 for $24.99. Mardi Gras-themed cupcakes and cookies also available.
Bayou Bluegrass Catering
861 S. Broadway, Bayoubluegrass.com, 859-523-7915; Bayou Bluegrass will have a shipment of crawfish coming from Louisiana to go with the other offerings including fried alligator, King Cake, beignets and more. Make reservations for dining in Friday or Saturday or Tuesday. Or pre-order for curbside pickup for lunch or dinner.
Bourbon ’n’ Toulouse
829 Euclid Ave., Ilovecajun.com, 859-335-0300; Bourbon ’n’ Toulouse will have no crawfish boil this year but instead will do four days of specials, beginning with alligator etouffee, alligator sausages and Swamp Dogs, gator sausage with crawfish etouffee on top on Friday; shrimp Creole, alligator sausage and Swamp Dogs on Saturday with drink specials; crawfish Creole, alligator sausages and Swamp Dogs on Monday; and alligator etouffee and shrimp Creole on Tuesday. And King Cake daily. Extra seating available daily at Chevy Chase Inn. Live music from The Tallboys and Hurricane specials on Fat Tuesday. Dine in or order online for takeout.
Broussard’s Delta Kitchen
135 E. Main St in Georgetown, Broussardsdelta.com, 502-642-4193; The giant buffet is back this with blackened redfish meunière, duck & andouille gumbo, seafood gumbo, red beans & rice, popcorn shrimp, crawfish etouffee, shrimp Creole, chicken Creole, shrimp & grits, fried catfish & shrimp, chicken andouille jambalaya and desserts for $48 per person. Drink specials including $7 Hurricanes and $25 pitchers. No reservations accepted; opens at 4 p.m.
The Cellar
3256 Lansdowne Dr., cellargrille.com, 859-317-8301; The Cellar will have specials on Tuesday including jambalaya, gumbo, chicken Creole, shrimp Creole, beignets and Hurricane drink specials.
Donut Days
185 Southland Dr., Donutdaysbakery.com, 859-277-9414; Donut Days is taking orders for King Cakes and has them in store now. Available in cinnamon, cream cheese, apple and cherry flavors for $21.99 and comes with beads, coin, and baby in a presentation box.
DV8 Kitchen
867 S. Broadway & 594 E. Third St., dv8kitchen.com, 859-955-0388 & 859-832-0388; DV8 will have special cinnamon rolls, complete with Mardi Gras colored sugar, Feb. 26 through March 1, while supplies last.
Gumbo YaYa
294 E. Brannon Rd., gumboyayaky.com, 859-245-9292; Beginning with “Fat Friday” Feb. 25, the menu will feature alligator sauce piquant, chicken Creole and lobster etouffee, along with many other favorites available for dining in or carryout. Free slices of King Cake, beads, and give-aways for dine in customers on Fat Tuesday. You also can pre-order a whole King Cake for $22.50, Mardi Gras party packs to feed 10 for $40 and quarts or gallons of individual dishes.
J. Render’s
3191 Beaumont Centre Circle, jrendersbbq.com, 859-533-9777; Will offer a four-course Cajun dinner, including gumbo, shrimp etouffee, jambalaya and King Cake for $40 per person. Reservations required; available for curbside pickup or dining in.
Lady Remoulade
900 N. Broadway, facebook.com/ladyremoulade; Will offer crawfish boil, 2 to 8 p.m. March 1, with curbside pickup only. Get 1 pound of boiled Louisiana crawfish, andouille sausage, new potatoes, corn, haricot vert, hard boiled eggs and fresh lemon for $17. Served with Cajun buttered French bread. And an extra pound for crawfish for $12.
Magee’s Bakery
726 E. Main St., Mageesbakery.com, 859-255-9481; Magee’s is taking orders for King Cakes with cinnamon filling, cheese filling and raspberry filling. Magee’s is normally not open on Tuesdays but will be open from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fat Tuesday.
Martine’s Pastries
Martine’s Pastries, 400 East Third St., martinespastries.com, 859-231-9110; is taking orders for King Cakes to pick up either Saturday or Fat Tuesday, available with pistachio or chestnut cream filing.
Midway Bakery
510 S. Winter St. in Midway, themidwaybakery.com, 859-846-4336; Midway will have mini King Cakes and Mardi Gras shaped iced and sugared sugar cookies.
The Mousetrap
3323 Tates Creek Rd., Mousetrapky.com, 859-269-2958; House-made gumbo, plus red beans & rice, jambalaya, Cajun shrimp, muffaletta sandwiches, spicy okra and cauliflower available in the deli.
Proud Mary BBQ
9079 Old Richmond Rd., Proudmarybbq.com, 859-913-5611; Proud Mary will have a heated tent and live music as well as boiled crawfish, Hurricanes, boudin balls, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, fried catfish, barbecue shrimp, corn maque choux, fried catfish, barbecue brisket, smothered cabbage, seasoned green beans, beignets and King Cake.
Ramsey’s
All locations, Ramseysdiners.com; Ramsey’s will have a Mardi Gras special for $21.95 featuring one pan of crawfish, a cup of gumbo, a bowl of red beans & rice and French bread, available for dining in or for carryout. Voodoo Breeze, Hurricanes and Bloody Creole drinks also available. And new this year: a crawfish eating contest. Each location with allow up to 10 contestants, $10 entry fee. At 6:30 p.m. they get the same amount of crawfish by weight. First one to eat it all gets $100 in Ramsey’s gift certificates; best time of all four stores gets $200 more. The contest will be livestreamed on Facebook.
Red State BBQ
4020 Georgetown Rd., redstatebbq.com, 859-233-7898; Red State BBQ will have its own homemade shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo, homemade alligator sausage po’boys, pistolettes filled with your choice of Bourbon ’n’ Toulouse’s chicken or southwest crawfish etouffee.
Selma’s
720 Henry Clay Blvd., selmascatering.com, 859-971-2763; Selma’s will have Mardi Gras specials Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as well as in the Grab and Go case all week, including red beans & rice with sausage, sea bass etouffee, fried fish sandwiches, and mini King Cakes from Bourbon Bakery.
Shamrock Bar and Grille
Both locations (Patchen Drive and Hartland; shamrocksky.com), will have jambalaya, gumbo, chicken Creole, shrimp Creole, beignets and Hurricane drink specials.
Smithtown Seafood
501 W. Sixth St., Smithtownseafood.com, 859-303-4100; For Mardi Gras, Smithtown will have fried shrimp etouffée, bay scallop po-boy & a “Fat Burger” — Stone Cross Farm beef patty with trinity, andouille, hot sauce & a fried egg.
The Thirsty Fox
215 W. Main St., Suite 25, corner of Short & Upper in the Old Courthouse, zimscafe.com/thirsty-fox; Zim’s will feature Sazeracs and Hurricanes.
Wallace Station
3854 Old Frankfort Pike in Versailles, Wallacestation.com, 859-846-5161; Wallace Station is offering gumbo and muffaletta.
Windy Corner Market
4595 Bryan Station Rd., Windycornermarket.com, 859-294-9338; Windy Corner will have chicken and sausage gumbo, shrimp and grits and shrimp or chicken etouffee.
Zim’s Cafe
215 W. Main St., Suite 25 in the Old Courthouse, zimscafe.com, 859-785-3690; Zim’s will have duck gumbo, oysters on the halfshell, muffaletta and crawfish etouffée at dinner.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
