battiste & dupree cajun grill

the little 'big easy'.battisteand dupree cajun grill is an unassuming, quaint place located in a small retail strip plaza. the key to the place is the owner, junior battiste. although he has varying amounts of help depending on the time/day, junior functions as greeter, host, waiter, and head chef. while the closest i've been to new orleans is baton rouge, i can only imagine that this is a little slice of the 'big easy' transplanted here in greater cleveland. when you step into b & d, you need to be ready to check your time piece (i.e. watch, cell phone, etc.) at the door, because when you're in b & d, you're on 'junior time' and that's nice and easy. i don't mean to infer that service is slow, it's just different - - and in a very good way. junior takes is time to chat with guests, share an anecdote, and generally make you feel like you're a welcome guest (which you are).

my favorite items are the cajun buffalo wings and the po' boy sandwiches: when considering the cajun buffalo wings, i would suggest you take the 'buffalo' out of the equation, because these are very different from traditional buffalo wings. (they're actually closer to barbeque wings than they are buffalo wings.) - these wings are a little sweet, a little savory, and a little spicy, all wrapped into one. they're not at all too hot and can be easily handled by all but those who can't handle any spicness at all. - these wings are to die for and will become a craving that you'll have to sate with some frequency. the po' boy sandwiches are huge and delicious. - 'nuff said. i have only tried one of junior's entrees (the chicken remoulade, if i recall.) while it is purportedly not nearly one of the hottest items on the menu, i found it to be quite spicy.....i don't know if this level of heat was a fluke or the norm. i like hot food and frequently use a variety of hot sauces, but this meal was largely too spicy for me. (when i eat spicy food, i need the spicy heat to be accompanined by an additional tanginess which - for me - balances out the spicy heat. that apparently isn't as prevalent in cajun cooking.) but don't let that deter you. - there are plenty of items on the menu (including the aforementioned wings and po boys) that can satisfy any taste.

btw, junior also mixes a mean cocktail. - be sure to try the houma houma, but make sure you have 'rooma rooma' in your schedule, because this tasty drink might just have you settling in for the long haul.

so come on down tobattiste& dupree cajun grill, y'all......you'll come (and come back) for the food, but you'll stay for the atmosphere.

best cajun in cleveland. the title says it all, but if you like spicy food in particular, this is the place for you. the general jackson chicken is tasty and one of the spiciest things i've ever eaten. i've never had a meal from this place that i didn't love, but it's hard for me to pick anything on the menu other than that. the gumbo served here is a must-try as well.

this place might not have the pristinely manicured look of fat fish fry, but if you value food quality over looks,battisteand dupree wins every time.

like 2 eat!. i met a friend after work who wanted to talk over their problems...they decided to meet atbattiste& dupree---living in clevelandhts., i appreciated the consideration of it being close to home..small quaint,cozy---ok, let's sit and take a look at the menu....what can this place offer?....are u kidding? the best gumbo since i was south last...the service was excellent..the owner catered to us in his southern hospitality--- music was great!!!! can't wait to surprise my husband and daughter with this great find!.also to see whatz next on the menu!!!

gumbo with junior battiste. i think it's hard to get authentic gumbo around cleveland; commonly it's ingredients thrown together just before serving - or worse. i went tobattisteand dupree's just to test their gumbo. on a tuesday i was the only person in the place for early dinner, got immediate attention and good new orleans beer in a bright little dining area. i first tried their seafood gumbo, which also contains chicken and beef sausage. it was served quickly and was very good , but with a thin roux and little okra. some folks might say it barely met the thicker consistency of a typical long-simmered gumbo found along the gulf coast. junior and i shared gumbo experiences. i showed him my favorite shrimp gumbo recipe; he showed me his roux recipe. then he came out with a second bowl, a very spicy shrimp and beef gumbo with a thicker consistency (more roux) and more okra. this one required another beer. while i'm addicted to seafood gumbo with just enough meat for seasoning, this second bowl met my standards and i'll certainly go back for more. junior put on wynton marsalis, brought me good rum cake and cafe au lait - and threw in a praline. this is a good place for gumbo.

farmer rob

b&dcg rocks!!. if you are in the mood for authentic, cooked to order, tasty beyond belief food with the atmosphere of a genuine southern neighborhood eatery, thenbattiste& dupree cajun grill is the place for you. every visit for us is a special occasion and as soon as we leave we can't wait to go back. juniorbattisteis a skilled and gifted artist in the world of culinary delight. thank you junior for sharing your wonderful creations with us. we'll see you new years eve!
john reese

loving it!. i've dinned atbattiste& dupree cajun grill 3 or 4 times, and i've never been disappointed. the chef-owner is a very friendly, intentive man. i suggest the crabcakes and pralines or even the rum cake. they are all wonderful. the place may be small, but the soulful jazz music playing, and the melt in your mouth authentic cajun food is worth the visit.

what is all the buzz about?. so after a friend of my husbands said thebattiste& dupree cajun grill had some really good fish we decided to stop in. i don't know if we caught them on a bad day, but the fried perch dinner was terrible. the fish had a old taste to it, and the collard greens were not done, they were dry as a sahara desert and that is bad because i have never said that about greens. but i promise glory canned greans ran circles around these greens,lol. sorry folks, the name and the food don't match.

the once and future sandwich. that’s what i like to call the sandwich i’m currently dreaming of, even if connecting the sandwich to the legend of king arthur is a little difficult.battisteis definitely the merlin of this story, because he is going to ma

last night we were in the mood for something hearty and warm but did not want soup. after tossing around some ideas we settled onbattisteand dupree. we've read a number of reviews about it and were interested in trying it out. i didn't feel like braving