Bourbon n’ Toulouse rolling good times to new location: What’s changing, what isn’t.
Cajun lovers on the west side of Lexington, your wait is over.
The new location of the local popular Creole/Cajun restaurant Bourbon n’ Toulouse is opening Dec. 10 at 11 a.m at 1781 Sharkey Way.
Owners Cameron and Kevin Heathcoat, who also own the location at 829 Euclid Ave., have moved the South Broadway location out to Townley Center just off Leestown Road inside New Circle. The South Broadway restaurant has closed.
The original Euclid location, open for 20 years, isn’t going anywhere.
“We are a local Cajun and Creole ‘dive’ restaurant. We have etouffees, jambalayas, gumbos ... we serve everyone from vegan to heavy meat eaters,” Cameron Heathcoat said.
She said they are very excited to joining the blooming locally owned restaurant scene in the area and grateful to developer Dennis Anderson for the opportunity.
Bourbon n’ Toulouse moving from Broadway to Leestown
In August, Anderson said that his employees decided on Bourbon n’ Toulouse to replace the original location of Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen, which closed in April.
“We’re real excited about Bourbon n’ Toulouse being in Townley,” said developer Dennis Anderson. “We had multiple people interested in getting into that location, the restaurants out there are doing a great business and I’ve always felt that was an underserved part of town. ... We let the Anderson Communities employees choose what they wanted to go in, and they all chose Bourbon n’ Toulouse. It’s great food, at a value price.”
“This area had almost been a local food desert for so many years,” she said. “So we are really really excited to join the local restaurants out here and see who else joins us.”
The area is already home to Drake’s, Ramsey’s Diner and Osaka Sushi, with Bad Wolf Burgers, Thoroughbred Restaurant, Apollo Pizza, Leestown Coffee House, Grounded All Day Cafe and more nearby.
“We have so much parking. We are so excited to be able serve the Masterson Station and Meadowthorpe area. We’ve been looking out here for over 10 years,” she said.
The new location will have a lot of touches from previous locations including artwork and new chairs, which look a lot like the old ones because Cameron has been painting them over the last few weeks.
What the new Bourbon n’ Toulouse restaurant will have
This restaurant will have one thing they haven’t had anywhere else yet: A drive-thru. The window will open in January. Pickup inside and delivery through Door Dash also will be available.
The west side location will have exclusive daily menu specials such as lemon pepper chicken as well as their vegan Thai peanut sauce, served on rice. The menu will continue to have vegetarian and vegan options every day, and they also will have an expanded children’s menu in 2025.
Kevin Heathcoat said their signature dish remains the chicken etouffee.
“It will outsell everything about two to one, it’s a great dish,” he said. “Jambalaya, red beans and gumbo are all extremely popular.”
For the University of Kentucky games against the University of Florida, Bourbon n’ Toulouse will have alligator etouffee and Fat Tuesday is traditionally a big day for crawfish and other Cajun specialties.
The restaurant also has seasonal specials like the turkey etouffee with Cajun stuffing.
“It kind of has a cult following,” Heathcoat said. “We now do it four days before Thanksgiving and four days before Christmas.”
Bourbon n’ Toulouse
Where: 1781 Sharkey Way Suite 115
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Online: ilovecajun.com
This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
