Don’s Bayou has long been known for its tasty Cajun offerings; its étouffées, gumbos, jambalayas and gator bites.
Now, the eastside restaurant is earning a reputation for its take on the sweeter side of Louisiana cuisine.
For the past year, owner Don Garrot has opened early on Saturdays and Sundays to serve his own brand of New Orleans-style beignets and coffee.
The doughy treats, presented as puffed squares with a heaping helping of powdered sugar sprinkled on top, come in orders of three for $5.25.
Garrot said he makes about 100 beignets each weekend for newcomers and restaurant regulars from across the city.
“People will come in just for the beignets,” he said. “But everything else is available. They can have beignets and coffee, or get them with a Bloody Mary and a side of gator bites. Some people graduate all the way up to Hurricanes.”
Garrot said that beignets were a regular part of his diet growing up in Baton Rouge, especially when he would take trips to visit relatives in New Orleans.
His family would often eat their way through the French Quarter.
“The local places, not the tourist traps,” he said.
A visit would almost always include a stop at New Orleans’ famed Café du Monde, an institution internationally known for its beignets and coffee.
“We have something close to what Café du Monde serves, but it is more of a family recipe,” Garrot said.
Garrot makes up to five batches of beignets at a time, but tries not to cook them until they are ordered in an effort to guarantee freshness.
“I don’t have a spot where I fry them up and then throw them underneath a heat lamp,” Garrot said. “They are best when they are hot. Otherwise, they are just cold donuts.”
The same goes for the coffee, a Café du Monde blend with chicory that isn’t prepared until requested.
“My daddy wouldn’t drink coffee that was more than half-an-hour old,” Garrot said.
Garrot hasn’t ruled out offering beignets during the week.
“It has definitely helped business,” he said.
