Cajun restaurant with cult following to close one Lexington location
Sad news for lovers of Cajun food, especially on the west side of town.
Creole and Cajun restaurant Bourbon n’ Toulouse announced it is closing its Leestown Road location. The last day of service will be June 26.
The restaurant’s location in Chevy Chase on Euclid Avenue will remain open, co-owners Kevin and Cameron Heathcoat, who have run the business for more than 20 years, said in an email to customers.
The email said the west-side location at 1781 Sharkey Way in Townley Center, just off Leestown Road, was struggling.
“For over two decades our concept has always been to provide a delicious home cooked meal at a very fair price with a low profit margin on each plate sold,” the email said. “Unfortunately, the current state of our food system has caused prices to increase on the products we use so much that this location has not been making a profit.”
Known for its cult following of Cajun and Creole dishes like gumbo and étouffée, the restaurant joins other local dining spots that have closed recently including Nat’s, Lockbox and The Sage Rabbit.
The owners asked local diners to help find new jobs for staff as the restaurant prepares to close.
“Lexington, we really need your help! Cameron and I will have to deal with the financial ramifications of this, but that’s not our concern right now,” the owners said in the email. “What we need help with immediately is finding new jobs for the incredible people that make our Leestown location the fun place that it is.”
The email asked any local businesses hiring to email them at kevin@ilovecajun.com.
Bourbon n’ Toulouse opened the Leestown and Meadowthorpe area location in December 2024 with a drive-thru, a first for the restaurant.
As part of the move, the local Cajun restaurant closed its South Broadway location (formerly Gumbo Ya Ya) at the end of 2024.
