Most states in the US are defined by a landmark, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York or Arizona’s Grand Canyon. But Louisiana’s personality revolves around food, so the one thing you must pack when visiting is a hearty appetite.
Although New Orleans is one of the best places to enjoy the southern state’s famed cuisine, we decided to travel west along its newest food trail, Gas Station Eats.
As the name suggests, this food tour doesn’t involve fancy restaurants – it celebrates great meals served in simple roadside service stations.
Stretching for 450 miles, the Gas Station Eats trail winds its way through an area once known as No Man’s Land, taking advantage of cut-price petrol from 70p a litre (compared with about £1.35 back home).
The region, on the border with Texas, was once disputed territory between Spanish Texas and the United States’ newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. Today it is firmly part of Louisiana, but its pioneering and rebellious spirit remains.
Mighty fine dining: Katja Gaskell sets off on Louisiana’s ‘Gas Station Eats’ road trip. Above, Strother’s Country Store in Vernon Parish, which features on the trail
Louisiana’s capital, New Orleans, ‘is one of the best places to enjoy the southern state’s famed cuisine’, says Katja
Heading west on the highway from New Orleans, we eventually reached the swampy, southern parish of Calcasieu. Our first stop was the Cajun Fast Mart in Sulphur, a small town on the edge of the Creole Nature Trail.
Known as Louisiana’s Outback, the marshes and bayous of this 180-mile byway teem with birdlife – and the odd alligator.
Like every featured gas station, Cajun Fast Mart is at the centre of its community – a place where you can do a weekly shop, stock up on fishing and hunting gear and catch up on gossip. Every gas station on the trail also has a signature dish, and here it’s egg sandwiches with jalapeno mayonnaise.
Foodie fuel: At Chadeaux’s Cajun Kitchen in Allen Parish, Katja learns about its famous boudin sausage (left), and when she stops at 3 J’s Fourways Gas Station in Natchitoches, she is tempted by the burgers (right), but plumps for Renee’s Famous Fried Ribs
Stretching for 450 miles, the ‘Gas Station Eats’ trail winds its way through an area of Louisiana once known as No Man’s Land
Travelling north, we headed to Chadeaux’s Cajun Kitchen in Allen Parish (the parishes are a legacy of when the state was ruled by Roman Catholic France). Rodney, the owner, said his bestseller was home-made boudin sausage seasoned with a secret spice mixture that’s been passed down through generations. He added: ‘We can sell a ton a month. Sometimes folk buy a pound of boudin and a six-pack of beer – we call that a seven-course meal.’
Further on, in Beauregard Parish, lies the town of DeRidder. Founded in the 1890s, the historic main street looks like something out of a John Wayne western. Its featured gas station, Big Thicket BBQ, is famous for its Bourbon peach ribs. Nearby is the town’s spooky-looking Gothic Jail, reputedly haunted by ghosts of a double hanging that took place in 1928.
There are less grisly sights along the trail, too. We passed a couple of days in Sabine Parish, staying at Wildwood Resort overlooking Toledo Lake, the largest man-made body of water in the South. A short drive away is the Fort Jesup State Historic Site, once the westernmost fort on the frontier.
Sabine Parish is also known for its Native American tamales. At Bub T’s Tamale House, the charming Sepulvado family wrap, steam and fry hundreds every day.
Louisiana’s bayous, as seen above, ‘teem with birdlife – and the odd alligator’, says Katja
In the town of DeRidder, Katja dines at Big Thicket BBQ, revealing that it’s famous for its Bourbon peach ribs
Heading north we stopped at De Soto Parish to fill up at DB’s Station, which serves ‘meat and threes’ which is beef, turnip leaves, veg and cornbread.
Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tish) was the last town on the trail. Founded in 1714 by French explorers, it is also the official Meat Pie Capital of Louisiana, and the French Market Express gas station does a roaring trade in crawfish meat pies, alongside some heavenly yam cakes.
Our final stop was 3 J’s Fourways Gas Station, on the outskirts, where we were tempted by the burgers but plumped for Renee’s Famous Fried Ribs – they deserve to be even more famous.
