Thanks to the timing of The University of Alabama’s fall break, I was finally granted an opportunity to return to my hometown of Vestavia Hills, AL., to visit with my, family whom I had not seen in months. While the time home was well spent, that Friday night a friend and I went to the Cajun Seafood House located near my home.

I have been to this restaurant a few times with my family in the past. We’ve come and enjoyed nights out together, have a couple of beers, talk about our days, and whatever else may come up during our dinner. Often there is live music being played in the front room where the bar is located; other times parties are being held for special occasions. Whatever the case, a night out at the Cajun Seafood House is always a fun time.

The menu at the Cajun Seafood House offers a variety of entrees and appetizers that appeals to all. They have grouper, chicken, catfish, crawfish, oysters, gator, and crab all cooked with traditional Cajun spices and, occasionally, flavors related to Creole. From po’boys to alfredo and salads to shrimp and grits, the vastness of the menu can quench anyone’s taste buds.

The last time I entered this restaurant was the night of the pre-wedding party for my older brother and his wife. There were crab claws, oysters, juicy snapper and grouper and more all prepared for the event. That night was the first night I had ever seen the place empty of large crowds. It was a great time, and I remember the food was spectacular, I couldn’t get enough.

On the night of my visit to the Cajun Seafood House, it was around seven in the afternoon when I arrived. There was live music being played in the front room, as always, and also people sitting at the bar enjoying themselves with a beer and appetizers. I asked for a table for two at the host desk, and they led me into the dining room and placed me in a booth. I was meeting a friend of mine for dinner. She’s an old friend of mine from high school, and we keep in touch from time-to-time to see how each other are doing. She wished to remain anonymous in this article so I will refer to her as “B.”

After being seated, I was quickly aided by my server asking what I’d like to drink. I answered by asking for a Stella Artois, and he told me he’d be back shortly with my beverage. The server was friendly and left with a smile as he quickly walked to the front of the house to retrieve my beer. I received a message from my friend who told me she was five minutes out. I had arrived early to make sure we got a seat.

The décor of the restaurant was decorated with seafood oriented art. The walls were painted white but gave off a shade of dark yellow due to the soft lighting of the restaurant. I never felt blinded by the lighting or uncomfortable as the servers bustled in and out of the kitchen with orders and food. The pictures on the wall were of the different kinds of sea life most likely being served at the restaurant. There also was a fleur-de-lis painted on the back wall of the dining room, symbolizing the culture that the restaurant partakes in.

It wasn’t long until my friend arrived and waved to me as she entered the restaurant. We hug and take our seats, and it wasn’t long when the server approached asking her what she’d like to drink; she got water. I also ordered a glass of water then we delved into the menu to decide what we’d have to eat.

“It all looks so good!” She said. This was her first time coming to this restaurant. I laughed as I looked over the menu.

“I hardly ever know what to get when I come here,” I told her. We talked for a while then decided on our meals. She decided to get the Cajun Alfredo dish with crawfish. The menu describes the dish as “creamy, made from scratch alfredo with a creole twist.” I decided to get a grilled grouper po’boy with lettuce, tomato, onion, and the “made from scratch remoulade.”

When our order arrived, we were captivated by the meal. B’s meal looked ravishing from the sight. There were loads of crawfish, and the noodles were covered in the creamy alfredo sauce that had my mouth watering. My meal didn’t look half as appetizing, but the grouper seemed delicious.

My po’boy was juicy to the tongue. The grouper fell to pieces my mouth. The juices soaked my tongue. Each bite, to me, was a piece of happiness. B enjoyed every taste of her alfredo. She let me have a bite of her meal, and the creaminess of the alfredo sauce was sweet on my tongue. It reminded me of my mother’s shrimp alfredo, but the tastes were completely different. The crawfish were small yet very juicy. Along with the noodles, the crawfish only added to the flavor of the alfredo.

Overall, the meal was delicious. We each finished our meals in their entirety, no box needed to take home. The experience at Cajun Seafood House was a great experience, as always. The service is still excellent. The servers are always friendly, if there are any issues, then they get resolved quickly. The atmosphere is family friendly, and it’s always a right place to bring your friends to have a nice dinner with conversation. If you ever get the opportunity to come to this restaurant while in Birmingham then I recommend it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.