Mudbugs brings Cajun to Carmel

In the arts district of downtown Carmel, the smell of spicy rice and sausage rises from a little café snuggled cozily underneath an overhang on the busy strip of restaurants and stores. Mudbugs Cajun Café, located at 20 West Main Street, is a food establishment unlike most others; it is dedicated to the Cajun French culture of Louisiana.

The inside decor of the restaurant isn’t too fancy, but it works. The colorful floors and walls incorporate the Mardi Gras color scheme of purple, green, and yellow, and crazy mirrors line one side. You place your order up at the front much like you would at a McDonald’s, but the food is brought out to you personally.

The food, on the other hand, tastes like it came straight from the heart of New Orleans. The jambalaya (a spicy rice, usually served with chicken and/or sausage) has a kick, but it definitely doesn’t burn the tongue. My favorite appetizer was the hush puppies, which came with a horseradish dip on the side. They were cooked to perfection: breaded on the outside, slightly mushy on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also had corn inside, which was a nice twist to the typical lump of fried dough. Other offered dishes included po’boys (a sandwich with a choice of pork, shrimp, or catfish inside), chicken and sausage gumbo, and a couple different types of rice.

Although I did come at a slow time of day, the restaurant itself seemed to maintain a pretty quiet atmosphere, which was nice for eating with my friends. To be honest, I didn’t feel very welcomed by the women working at the time, but they brought our food out very fast, quickly making up for the lack of hospitality. Overall, the Mudbugs experience is a unique and lovely one, and it’s definitely worth a sample if you happen to be traveling through the arts district.