Blue Bayou

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚. (𝟏) 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 (𝟏.𝟓/𝟐.𝟓): 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞-𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚—𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐟. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨’𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐲. (𝟐) 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝟐.𝟓/𝟐.𝟓): 𝐈𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫—𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦. (𝟑) 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝟐.𝟓/𝟐.𝟓): 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝: 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐀 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩 (𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞) 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝—𝐤𝐮𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦. (𝟒) 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝟏.𝟓/𝟐.𝟓): 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭.

The vibes are chill, the service is incredible, and the hurricanes are delicious. They really know how to make cocktails here! If you're a member at The Music Box, there's no reason to NOT make this your go-to spot. If you're looking for classy Cajun food at a fair price, you should also check this place out. It's fantastic!

Came in on a Friday night around 6:30– no problem getting a seat at the bar. Enjoyed their selection of New Orleans inspired cocktails. We got the Cajun chips with cheese to start. Really liked the fresh chips and seasoning, the cheese sauce was just ok. Personally, I prefer a beer cheese. Then for dinner, I got the shrimp and grits which I was happy they were able to accommodate for me with no sausage (I am pescatarian). Loved the dry rub on the shrimp. The grits were the cheesiest I’ve had. In addition to the cheese in the grits, they did a toasted white cheese on top which was amazing. Finally, the fresh chopped green and red peppers added texture and extra flavor pops. My guy got alligator po-boy which he said was fantastic.

Popped in there about 1 or so on July 10, 25. GREAT place. We're spending the month on Kenmore and a local friend told us Southport was a great place for lunch. This was absolutely incredible. We were in there by ourselves and one guy was running the front of the house on his own. We had a chopped salad and chicken and waffles and they were both amazing! I'm a southerner and my standard for fried chicken is pretty high. They hit the mark dead on. And, incredibly, did it with boneless and skinless chicken breast. That's HARD to do. Only regret that I wasn't really ready for a drink, yet. We'll be back over there before we head home to North Georgia (not really Atlanta). Should have known we could trust a Cajun place! Thanks, y'all!

Visited Blue Bayou Bar & Grill in Chicago — a fantastic sports bar with amazing food! Their jambalaya soup is a masterpiece: spicy, rich, and incredibly flavorful. The perfect balance of spices and fresh ingredients makes every spoonful a delight. The atmosphere is lively and cozy, perfect for catching a game with friends. A great spot to relax, enjoy good food, and soak in the Southern vibes. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable experience!

I ordered the shrimp poboy. Presentation was phenomenal! The shrimp were incredible. Super crispy and juicy. Love the creole inspired sauce and fresh herb topping. Veggies were extremely fresh as well. Bun was little dry. I’d recommend toasting it to provide some texture contrast (it is a lot of bread). Great beer selection and a super friendly staff!

They're baaaaaaack. After being closed for 10+ years, Blue Bayou has returned to Southport in the same space, recently revamped by Last Call Tavern Group. The space itself has two levels, downstairs a plethora of tables and long bar with plenty of seats and TVs. Upstairs is slightly smaller, but the balcony over Southport remains and the facade has a garage-style window that looks to open up to overlook the street in warmer weather, ala Bourbon Streen in NoLa. Food was excellent, and service was great though you need to come with patience as they're clearly working out some kinks. On weekends they offer a $25 bloody/mimosa option, and you can switch back & forth (tho mentioning the kinks above, they ran out of OJ during our visit and a manager had to run to a store to replenish - guess they underestimated how many mimosas we can drink haha). Glad to see them back, and look forward to returning soon!

The atmosphere reminds of the old Blue Bayou which is great. Our server was very nice and attentive. We got the jambalaya soup which was not very good or authentic to say the least. We had the cheeseburger which was very average. The wings were pretty good and the shrimp Poboy was pretty good as well. The shrimp and grits was average nothing to write home about, if anyone says that phrase anymore, lol. Overall, we wish that there was more Cajun, New Orleans style cuisine. They have the usual burgers nachos, mini burgers, yada yada. Hope they become more New Orleans authentic. I realize they just opened so I'm not gonna give them a hard time. I think three stars is a good review.

I was SO excited Blue Bayou finally reopened and knew I had to check it out pretty quickly. Scoping the menu beforehand, I was a bit surprised that there were several classic NOLA dishes missing (no real jambalaya or gumbo, just something called jambalaya soup?, no beignets?!) but there are po'boys and shrimp and grits so I knew what I'd be ordering. It's seat yourself (which wasn't clear and had us hanging around the entrance for a beat until a server saw us and told us), and the decor felt a little...forced. It's barely NOLA themed--it's more general country sports bar themed with tons of TVs, license plates on the wall, and empty liquor bottles used as decor. Not even a single beaded necklace in sight! I wasn't hoping for tons of cheesy New Orleans decor, but did expect a bit more theming than there was. They have a solid beer menu, and we stuck with that instead of trying any of the cocktails. My husband ordered the gator po'boy and I got the shrimp and grits, with the cheese curds as a starter, and a bonus side of fries. The cheese curds were the same ones served down the street at Butchers Tap (from the same restaurant group) and were quite good, but less than a minute after they came out, our main dishes came out so everything felt a bit rushed. The husband said his po'boy tasted fine. The shrimp, sausage and vegetables were solid but the grits were quite bland and it almost tasted like they forgot to add cheese to them? Not sure but it was a bit disappointing for $22. The fries, though, were awesome! We'll give it another shot after they've had a chance to work out some kinks. We were served quickly, but noticed some tables waiting a long time for someone to take their orders (the server said they were unexpectedly short staffed). I'd be curious to try the brunch, but the menu is very basic brunch food so nothing special (and no mimosa or Bloody Mary deals according to the website).

Great bartender. Fine server. My issue? The oil used tasted ancient! I ordered shrimp and wings. Honestly, the putrid oil was just stomach-churning. The shrimp was spoiled. I stopped eating immediately. The shrimp was bad. That's it. Anyone that's ever gotten shellfish sick knows you never forget "eat through it" again. Bombed. Like Pearl Harbor. So I stopped. I paid and went to The Music Box. The staff was very nice and I feel badly leaving this review. I hope they change their oil because of this review though. My guess would be - i would not enjoy SEEING that kitchen.

They're baaaaaaack. After being closed for 10+ years, Blue Bayou has returned to Southport in the same space, recently revamped by Last Call Tavern Group. The space itself has two levels, downstairs a plethora of tables and long bar with plenty of seats and TVs. Upstairs is slightly smaller, but the balcony over Southport remains and the facade has a garage-style window that looks to open up to overlook the street in warmer weather, ala Bourbon Streen in NoLa. Food was excellent, and service was great though you need to come with patience as they're clearly working out some kinks. On weekends they offer a $25 bloody/mimosa option, and you can switch back & forth (tho mentioning the kinks above, they ran out of OJ during our visit and a manager had to run to a store to replenish - guess they underestimated how many mimosas we can drink haha). Glad to see them back, and look forward to returning soon!

Blue Bayou is a classy sports bar and grill that has the flavours and spirit of New Orleans right in Chicago's North Side. The food was the best. It was my first time trying Cajun cuisine. And staff was friendly and helpful. They always made sure the customers are having a great time. I'll look forward to visiting the Blue Bayou in the future.

Whoever redesigned this space did it dirty. The Blue Bayou of yesteryear had a moody ambiance that made you want to linger over another round of drinks: dark wood paneling, dimly-lit elaborate chandeliers, classic tin paneling, cozy booths tucked under arches, an oversized mirror behind the bar that made the cozy space feel more expansive. Tragically, it's all been replaced with: - plywood paneling across all walls that are painted in a poorly executed faux woodgrain - an overload of faux vintage license plates and other memorabilia that I can only assume came from a clearance sale after a Louisiana TGI Friday's went out of business - BRIGHT overhead lighting that flatters nobody - a sea of tables crammed in the back that are impossible to navigate around if a single other person is in the act of trying to get through them - SO many TVs. I get that being able to show a variety of games at once drives traffic to bars, but they could have better thought out their placement I'm sure the interior needed a LOT of work after sitting vacant for so long, but these cheap solutions don't create an inviting space. If you were left cold when nearby D'Agostino's stripped all of the character from their interior, you'll enjoy hanging here equally as much. I enjoyed what we ordered -- the Sazerac was really nice, shrimp and grits were fine but nothing to write home about, same for the fries -- but the extra "meh" atmosphere sends it to the very bottom of the list of places I'd like hang out with friends over drinks on Southport. What a bummer! This was a favorite spot when I first moved to the neighborhood many years ago.

Having lived in the neighborhood for more than 13 years, it was exciting to have Blue Bayou reopen. Unfortunately, it lost all charm and gained only corporate cheese in the 10+ years since the original closed. Last Call is no doubt a successful hospitality group, but anyone who has been in one of their properties know they are not catering to a neighborhood clientele, but more 20-somethings and Cubs fans. That's very apparent in the new Blue Bayou. I've now been three times and have been disappointed each time. The first time, even though there are cocktails listed on the menu, the server and the bartender couldn't comprehend a simple manhattan or gin martini, let alone know what Tanqueray is. Both were undrinkable, not even resembling the classic cocktail they should be and were sent back. The second time we tried the food. The quesadilla literally had one whole section empty of filling. So it was 3/4 of a quesadilla. The jambalaya was decent, but nothing special or authentic. The third time our server didn't even know what Four Roses is, despite the highlighted section of special bourbons and liquors on the menu (of which Four Roses isn't even one - just a very common bourbon). While I don't blame the individual servers, I do blame management for hiring 23 year olds that don't know anything about a proper bar that serves cocktails, high-end liquors or, really, anything beyond Miller Lite. They're clearly going for a vibe by only hiring female servers, but this is a neighborhood joint. We want friendly, knowledgeable service not "sexy" style. Finally the decor. It looks like an Applebees trying to disguise itself as a New Orleans-themed bar. There is almost no empty space anywhere on the walls, with some New Orleans pictures and, oddly, endless license plates from all over the country. It's just bad. While there is time to right this ship, until they do, I think I'll stick to the true neighborhood joints like Toons, Port & Park and Guthries. But please, Last Call, take the time to hire professionals and train them properly, lose the cheesy decor, and bring back the heart of what the neighborhood wants and remembers. Until you do, places like Toons will remain packed and you will get the stragglers.

First time back here. Very lively on a Saturday night. Great vibe and addition as Southport needs some bars like this. We all enjoyed the food- the burger, the surf and turf and the po boys. Will def be back.

The food is pretty decent, but missing some important New Orleans classics in favor of basic American bar food. The beer menu is pretty great, I have yet to try the cocktails however. My major issue is with the interior design. It feels super tacky, as if someone just bought a collection of "American Country" wall decorations from Urban Outfitters. So far the service has been hit or miss. We have been twice, once with a so-so waitress and the other time with very friendly one. I am mostly disappointed because this bar has so much potential. Alas, it is painfully generic.

this place treats their workers like trash I worked there a week and they refuse to pay me for my labor smh

It seems like they are still working some things out. Service was slow on a relatively slow night. Jambalaya soup was ok, smash burger pretty good, but cat fish po'boy was very subpar. Toon's down the street has way better catfish and feels just as "Nola" or Cajun as this place. Toon's also has a way better hot sauce selection. Didn't experience the first iteration so don't know what to compare it too but felt sort of stale and inauthentic. If this is what it was like before, no wonder it took so long to come back? Will give it a while before I return.