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Blue's Bayou Cafe

Address

899 Marchant Rd.
Brentwood Bay , BC V8M 1B5
250-544-1194

Review

"I'm goin' back some day, come what may, to Blue Bayou Where you sleep all day and the catfish play..."

Thankfully for gourmands, Blue Bayou refers to more than a 1960s Roy Orbison tune. Blue's Bayou Cafe, located northwest of Victoria on Brentwood Bay in Central Saanich, offers a taste of the Big Easy. Here, a generous helping of joie de vivre is served up in the form of credible Creole cuisine. It's just about the last sort of food you'd expect to find around Victoria, a city better known for tea and crumpets, its affection more River Thames than Mississippi Delta.

Blue's Bayou opened in June of 1999 and its reputation has been built one customer at a time on superlative N'Orleans cooking, scenic location and exceptional service. The restaurant resembles a fisherman's shack, tiny and wood-shingled at the bottom of a steep hill that leads to the Angler's Anchorage Marina on Saanich Inlet. One needn't venture to the City That Care Forgot to find the origins of Cajun culture; instead, its rollicking French/Spanish/African roots are captured right here in Po’ boy sandwiches, jumping jambalaya, local Fanny Bay oysters, Cajun catfish, crawfish too.

If none of these dishes packs heat enough, "Blue's Blistering Hot Sauce"(not Heinz) can be found on every table. Lunchtime choices include the Caribbean Cruiser sandwich with tequila lime chicken, the tasty Big Easy Shrimp Melt packed with seafood, and hearty Gator Gumbo- Louisiana-style chicken, okra, and rice in a rich broth, finished with... alligator. Yes it really is alligator! the menu assures us. It appears these gators are imported direct from Louisiana where alligator farms are as common as their poultry cousins are in other parts of the world.

Summer visitors can lounge all afternoon on the impressive oceanfront deck which is bigger than the restaurant's interior. Canal Street Jazz sets the tone and suddenly the day stretches out, languid as life on the bayou. Lights adorn the patio and on Saturday nights you can sit outside to watch the sunset and the fireworks that follow launched from nearby Butchart Gardens. In winter, diners can huddle inside to track the rain and fog as it settles over the bay. A whimsical touch is that the bad news (the bill) is tucked into a kind of diner's guest book where you can delight in gustatory commentary that reflects Blue's diverse clientele.
Written By: Sarah Pollard
On: 7/24/2001

Directions

From Victoria, head north on the Patricia Bay Highway. Turn left at Keating X Road. Take a right at West Saanich Road (sign for Butchart Gardens). Turn left at Marchant Road and follow it to the end. Blue's Bayou Cafe parking is on your left.

Features

Kid Friendly | Beer and Wine | Dinner | Lunch | Outdoor seating | Smoke-free | Takes Reservations

Map

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