Tooloulou’s

Hubby had a conference in Banff last month. We arrived on a Thursday night, hungry and looking for dinner. Looking for something completely different, we decided to try Tooloulou’s, a Cajun and Creole restaurant. It was nice to go to a place in Banff and avoid the crazy weekend crowds.

We shared the Boudin balls to start, which was a tasty mixture of meat, veg and rice deep fried.  I ordered the seafood and sausage gumbo. It was flavorful with a medium spicy heat. The cornbread was pretty good too. It was a good sized portion. Hubby had the Creole jambalaya which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was nice that the chilies were served on the side, so you could control the additional heat.

We shared an ice cream sundae for dessert which hit the spot as it served to cool down our spiced taste buds.

Their menu is quite extensive, including many breakfast options. I will have to come back and try their breakfast someday.

Boudin Balls Blend of beef, pork, onion, rice, peppers and seasonings served with Creole mustard
Boudin Balls
Blend of beef, pork, onion, rice, peppers and seasonings served with Creole mustard
Seafood and Sausage Gumbo
Seafood and Sausage Gumbo
Creole Jambalaya
Creole Jambalaya

Tooloulou's Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Ragin Cajun

My first meal in Texas; we decided on Cajun. I’ve never had real Cajun food before. Admittedly, this is a chain, but that’s ok. I’m not a discriminating foodie. I’ve always wondered what crawfish tasted like. They taste less of shrimp and slightly like lobster. There’s a lot of shell so great if you like fiddling with your food. The broth they were cooked in had kick. I also had a small bowl of shrimp and crab gumbo. I must be a wimp because the spice really kicked. I dumped a few packages of saltines just so I could eat it. No wonder, they have a large pot prominently on display where they must stew this stuff all day. The flavors were bold and concentrated.

I love Houston restaurants. This would be the first of a few restaurants where counter service and serve yourself condiments are the norm. All the tableware is disposable too.

Boiled crawfish served with corn and potato
Boiled crawfish served with corn and potato
Deep fried shrimp
Deep fried shrimp

Ragin' Cajun on Urbanspoon