Henry's Louisiana Grill, 4835 N. Main St., Acworth, 1 of 5 stars
Acworth, Small Town USA, chosen for the filming of the recent remake of the movie “Footloose,” houses an unlikely celebrity: Louisiana native Henry Chandler.
Chef Henry, as he is affectionately known by the locals, is the recent winner of the Peopleʼs Platelist Award, a contest held by ABCʼs "Nightline." This popularity award celebrates chefs with a distinctive approach and a loyal following. With his Southern twang, shaggy hair and brightly patterned chef's pants, Chandler holds court at Henry's Louisiana Grill. He works his dining room, pronounces first-timers “virgins” and bestows Mardi Gras beads upon all the ladies.
Henryʼs re-creates the feel-good vibe of the Big Easy -- clearly a draw for the regulars who crowd into church pew benches beneath Mardi Gras posters, drink Louisiana craft beer and strain to hear helpful advice from the eager waitstaff over the loud, excited din. They may also like the heavy, deep-fried and abundantly sauced food, but I'll admit that it didn't always translate into the best examples of Cajun dining for me.
While perusing the menu, I munch on ultra-sweet cakelike cornbread, which a waiter confessed led to his 16-pound weight gain over two years. More to my taste are the hush puppies ($2.95) -- fried to a crisp in a coating of Zatarainʼs Fish Fry that leaves no trace of grease and masks the marginally gummy interior.
The menu reads like your corner Mexican restaurantʼs with its endless combinations of the same few ingredients. Many of the house specialties, including the jambalaya, gumbo, and étouffée (each $4.95 per cup, also available in entree portions), slap you with the expected Cajun-style heat. But they fall flat. Where's any dimension beyond the forefront taste of spice?
Missing are the layered flavors needed to give these classics their soul-satisfying richness. Fortunately I found them in the shrimp creole ($4.95 per cup). Stewed onions, garlic, celery and peppers enrich the tangy, acidic, tomato-based broth; the shrimp are firm and tender, with a nice initial snap. Chef Henry does know how to cook his seafood.
Henryʼs signature dish is the “Ooh La La” -- a seemingly hard-to-go-wrong-with mixture of flash-fried seafood, spinach and tasso ham. Alas, one extra component spoils the party. A Cajun cream sauce dominates the flavor, conquers the crispiness of the delicately fried seafood and sits like a lump in your belly. Ooh No No.
On a lighter note, the Bayou Cakes ($12.95-$17.95) exhibit a bit more finesse. They contain sizable chunks of shrimp and crawfish, use little filler and sport a gorgeous crisp breading. The spicy remoulade and creole sauces complement, rather than overwhelm, the seafood in this dish.
If youʼre hoping to end the party on a high note, skip the “world famous” bread pudding ($3.95 per cup), which has a gluey, off-putting texture that gums your mouth. This mistake likely could have been avoided by first toasting the bread used in it.
Though Chef Henry may not deliver the finest representations of his home stateʼs cuisine, the experience is unmistakably Louisiana. So, if youʼre in Acworth and are yearning for a night in the bayou, stop by and get your beads.
Henry’s Louisiana Grill
Overall rating: 1 of 5 stars
Food: Cajun
Service: Friendly and enthusiastic, knowledgeable about dishes, eager to make recommendations
Best dishes: Bayou Cakes, Henry's Hush Puppies
Vegetarian selections: Sauteed Vegetable Penne Pasta, several salads
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Price range: $$-$$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays
Children: Yes
Parking: On street or in community lot across the street
Reservations: Yes
Wheelchair access: Ramp put out upon request
Smoking: No
Noise level: Loud
Patio: No
Takeout: Yes
Address, phone: 4835 N. Main St., Acworth, 770-966-1515
Website: www.chefhenrys.com
If You Like Cajun ...
If you like Cajun food, you might also consider trying some of these restaurants:
Boudreaux’s Cajun Market and Cafe
Both a retail market and restaurant, Boudreaux’s serves fresh seafood and meats, which they purchase themselves from southern Louisiana on a weekly basis. The restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet Wednesdays through Fridays. The market sells hand-selected, authentic Cajun products. Boudreaux’s also specializes in catering Cajun fare.
Address, phone: 3067A Main St., Duluth, 770-814-8388
Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Price Range: $
Website: www.boudreauxscajun.com
Gumbeaux’s Cajun Cafe
Boasting seafood fresh from the Louisiana bayou and southeast Georgia coast, Gumbeaux’s has been open since 1994. Enjoy one of their value nights: On Tuesdays, they sell boiled, fried, buffalo, and French Quarter shrimp for 50 cents each, and on Thursdays, they offer Apalachicola oysters on the half shell for 50 cents each. Gumbeaux’s also provides catering services.
Address, phone: 6712 E. Broad St., Douglasville
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays
Price Range: $$
Website: www.gumbeauxs.com
McKinnon’s Louisiane Restaurant
A Buckhead institution since 1972, McKinnon’s Louisiane, a fine dining restaurant, serves upscale Cajun food. Open nightly for dinner, the restaurant has specialties including Grouper Louisiane, BBQ Hot Peppered Shrimp, and Snapper Oscar. Expectant mothers may delight in the restaurant’s guarantee that if they are full term, consuming McKinnon’s crab and shrimp stuffed eggplant will cause labor within 48 hours. See the restaurant’s website for nightly promotional offers.
Address, phone: 3209 Maple Drive, Buckhead, 404-237-1313
Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. daily
Price Range: $$$
Website: www.mckinnons.com
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