The Best Cajun Food In Alabama Is Hiding Down An Old Country Road, But It's So Worth The Effort
By Lisa Battles|Published September 26, 2023
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Lisa Battles
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Lisa has traveled the U.S. for over a decade, seeking out and sharing the stories of its most interesting places, people, and experiences. A journalism graduate of Auburn University, she has been a content strategist, editor, and writer for more than 25 years. Lisa has worked in community news, PR, and marketing with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and economic development. Besides following her curiosity around every corner, she's a devoted dog mom of two and advocate for animal welfare.
If you’ve been looking for a hot spot for Cajun food in Alabama, grab your crawfish boil wet wipes and blaze a path to LJz Backyard Bayou. The family-owned restaurant is tucked away on Old Railroad Bed Road in the unincorporated community of Harvest, which is located in the northeastern part of Madison County, roughly halfway between Athens and Huntsville.
Louisiana native and Retired Chief Warrant Officer Larry P. Johnson and his wife, Wendy, a veteran, opened the weekends-only restaurant in 2021. They had already been running an events and catering company when they saw that North Alabama's appetite for authentic Cajun and Creole food merited a restaurant.
The Johnsons brought their military, educational, and family experiences into the roux of forming the business. Larry's ancestry includes a long line of cooks in Louisiana. He's used their recipes and traditions over the years as a touchpoint for togetherness among friends, soldiers, and family.
Naturally, you can expect fresh-from-the-pot crawfish during the season each year, which reaches its peak from February to May.
If crawfish isn't in season (or just isn't your thing), there's plenty more to choose from on the menu, including several plate options from the seafood boils that begin Friday afternoons and run through the weekend.
A solid choice for samplers is the "Kountry Girl Platter," which includes sausage, potato, shrimp, corn, a seasoned boiled egg, and one deep-fried boudin ball.
The boudin balls are a customer favorite. Their batter creates a crispy enclosure around a warm mixture of seasoned pork, herbs, vegetables, rice, and gooey pepper jack cheese. They are sold individually or in two-piece orders with the signature BYB sauce as an optional add-on.
You can choose to get the traditional-style po'boy with mayo, pickles, lettuce, and tomato, or go for the deluxe, which includes everything just listed plus signature BYB sauce, hot sauce, red onion, banana pepper and provolone cheese.
Another specialty at LJz is the "Swamp Potato," which is a massive baked potato overflowing with a creamy sauce, crab meat, crawfish, sausage, and shrimp.
A few more notes about the menu options: The restaurant features weekly specials that enhance the usual favorites and also offers hearty shrimp-and-grits "Sunday Dinner Worship Plates" for the after-church crowd. With at least a 48-hour notice, you can order pan-sized meals, too. Last, there are several options for kids - or what the LJz menu calls "Your Broke Little Friends." They may choose among shrimp, fish, or chicken tenders with fries. I admit I giggled at that one.
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While the indoor dining area is cozy, the front deck feels the most festive for relaxing and digging into your dish of choice when weather permits.
You can see a full menu and get details about hours on the LJz Backyard Bayou website, and stay tuned to weekly specials on the LJz Backyard Bayou Facebook page.
If LJz Backyard Bayou is already your go-to for Cajun food in Alabama, let us know your favorite dish. If you’re making plans to give it a try, consider tacking on a leisurely nature hike at the Harvest Square Nature Preserve, which is five miles to the northeast of LJz. The Dry Creek Trail at the preserve is an easy .8-mile loop.
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