Patrick L.
Yelp
Small little restaurant and store that screams southern hospitality in both the interior decor and the people that work there. Upon finding out that I was trying Bellue's for the first time, the owner(s) ended up offering me several free samples which I ended up buying after trying. I guess that's a really good strategy because I ended up buying more than I could eat in one sitting.
I ordered the shrimp creole, which was loaded with bits of chicken and shrimp in like a brown gravy with bits of tomato. It was pretty good, and some solid southern cooking. It was about $10 and comes with two sides.
I also got the crawfish étouffée supreme with the cornbread stuffing and fried shrimp on top. Oh man, that combination is amazing and I don't think it can be beat. This was $13, and also comes with two sides but it's definitely worth it! Highly recommend. The regular crawfish étouffée (without the stuffing and shrimp) was alright, but for $10, it's a good price.
I got to try the tuna sub, so I ended up buying it too because it was also pretty good and only $8-9. A nice sweet, more mellow rendition of tuna salad that elevated the taste even further with the fresh vegetables that come fully dressed on the sandwich. Very different from most tuna I've had. It's a messy eating experience though, because they cut the bread in two, so everything falls out after a few bites.
Aside from that, I also ordered a couple appetizers like the fried boudin link, fried cheddar jalapeños, and cornbread. I didn't plan on buying the boudin and cornbread either, because I don't typically like eating those but after trying their samples I was convinced. Old school southern cornbread is typically a lot dryer and harder, but Bellue's was very soft, with a more subdued taste, and had a cake-like texture. It was absolutely delicious and it's only $1. Probably would be even better with a little more sweetness and corn flavor, because both were more subtle.
The fried boudin link was good ($2), and it definitely needs to be eaten hot (could also use a little more seasoning and maybe add some kick to it).
You really taste the jalapeños in the fried jalapeño cheddar peppers instead of it just being a vessel to deliver cheesy goodness to your digestive system. But I am personally not a big fan of the type of cheddar that was used, so take that into consideration (plus it was only $2 for 3 pieces).
For sides, I had macaroni and cheese, and a rice and broccoli casserole. The macaroni and cheese was pretty standard, and not my favorite of the things I ordered but I would definitely eat it again if it was offered (not saying it was bad, but I've had a lot of better mac and cheeses in my life). The rice and broccoli casserole was a little cheesy, and paired well when combined with the gravy from the creole shrimp and the crawfish étouffée, but by itself it was alright as well.