Ferndale, MI — After a string of some pretty great restaurant recommendations, I found myself in a break period where I didn’t have any eateries or interviews lined up or planned. During these gaps, I’ll occasionally stumble upon some remarkable restaurants or hidden gems within a community, which is why I’ll always enjoy a freestyle foodie adventure!

I’ve dined at a few tasty places around Ferndale in the past, so on Saturday, one of my best friends and I decided to treat ourselves to some Cajun and Creole cuisine at Howe’s Bayou for lunch. My longtime pal Vince and I share an affinity for Cajun food; one of our most beloved establishments for Cajun cuisine in Michigan is Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen in Elk Rapids. Whenever my gang of bros and I are Up North for a weekend getaway or golf trip, it’s tradition for us to stop into Pearl’s for some gator and Louisiana-inspired dishes.

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While there are a few Southern/Cajun-inspired places in downtown Detroit that I’m eager to get to, having a spot just down the street from me is even more convenient! Howe’s Bayou is located on the East side of Woodward Avenue, just north of 9 Mile in Ferndale. Vince and I took advantage of the above-average warm weather and walked over from his apartment about a mile away on 9 Mile.

We walked into the quaint little eatery along the busy Woodward and were quickly greeted by a staff member who was working behind the bar. He swiftly cleaned off a table along the front window for us, and we sat down and started looking at the food and drink menus. It only took me a matter of seconds until I had my meal path planned out. I ordered a cup of the Gumbo Ya Ya and the Shrimp Po Boy sandwich with an upgraded side of French fries. I went with Red Stripe, a crisp, pale lager brewed in Jamaica, for my beverage. Vince and I also decided to split an order of the Voodoo Shrimp for an appetizer. Since we were having a late lunch (2 p.m.), we were mighty hungry!

The Gumbo Ya Ya was whisked to our table within minutes of us placing our lunch order. And within seconds, a spicy and savory aroma wafted into my immediate space. Several chunks of Andouille sausage protruded from the top like icebergs, hiding thick, savory meat below the surface of the brown roux.

Roux is the key to any gumbo recipe and usually consists of flour and oil being cooked together and stirred. Howe’s Bayou’s roux is middle-of-the-pack in terms of its darkness; typically, the darker the roux, the richer in flavor and thickness. However, the consistency was surprisingly thicker than the color led on, and the roux benefitted from the infused savory flavors of the chicken and Andouille sausage chunks.

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There was a perfect portioning of rice and okra, along with the hearty hunks of meat within the gumbo mixture. The okra was cooked well and was very soft. Once I annihilated most of the meat, the rice and okra were going down the hatch by the spoonful with the roux. This was downright delicious, and I had it all gone within minutes. My only regret was not getting the bowl over the cup for my order!

The cornbread deserves a mention as well. The bread had a noticeably sweeter profile, but it had the perfect ratio of fluffy to crumble. It held together well when I broke off small pieces to eat, with limited crumble but enough to showcase its buttery moistness. Of all the cornbread variations I’ve tried, this rendition easily found a home within the top five best that I’ve tried in my travels.

This appetizer is served precisely as expected: six pieces of marinated shrimp smothered in the restaurant’s New Orleans Voodoo sauce. Even without the sauce, the shrimp was very tasty. The marinade and seasonings left behind distinct and vibrant Cajun flavors after getting a little pan-fry action. Several spices and unique seasonings were present in the dish, making your tastebuds take notice.

The New Orleans Voodoo sauce was unlike anything I’ve had before and in a great way! Not only did the shrimp come drenched in it, but there was plenty of extra sauce to scoop onto your shrimp for emphasis. The sauce had this intriguing blend between a cocktail sauce and a vinaigrette dressing. It might be hard to imagine something like those two sauces combined in your mind, but the folks at Howe’s Bayou are on to something with this signature sauce because let me tell you, if you visit Howe’s Bayou, you HAVE to try this sauce in some capacity.

For example, while I went with the Shrimp Po Boy for this visit, I got my sights set on the Voodoo Chicken Po Boy for next time so I can enjoy more of this sauce!

Speaking of Po Boy sandwiches, my shrimp rendition arrived shortly after Vince and I finished our shared appetizer. Vince also got a Po Boy but went with the Andouille Sausage for his sandwich. This Shrimp Po Boy hit the spot, from the soft bread to the Southern slaw made in-house. The Southern slaw was lined along the bottom of the French roll beneath the jumbo shrimp and had a sweet and refreshing bite.

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The slaw complemented the breaded, seasoned shrimp very well. After meticulously pouring the Cajun remoulade over the shrimp, I took a few sizeable bites to really immerse myself into this sandwich. All the flavors worked together in foodie harmony, with the remoulade providing a nice creamy Cajun zest that wasn’t too intense or overwhelming. I enjoyed this sandwich down to the very last bite until only my fries were left. The fries were also seasoned very well and had a nice little crunch factor (you can see the light browning/crisping in the above photo).

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There aren’t too many places specializing in Cajun and Creole cuisine around Detroit’s suburbs, so having a place like Howe’s Bayou in my backyard is a relief for my stomach if I’m craving Cajun! The service was excellent and attentive, with the food quality scoring slightly above my expectations. But that’s all the more reason to go back or check out Howe’s Bayou in Ferndale if you haven’t yet! It’s got great reviews on Google, coming in at 4.4 stars out of 5 as of this publishing, with over 1,300 reviews.

Stay tuned for some of my upcoming adventures! I hope to finally check out Green Dot Stables this Friday, with tentative plans to meet some friends for lunch. I also have Joe Louis Southern Kitchen in Midtown in my sights for an upcoming feature and a few places in Dearborn.

For more information on Howe’s Bayou in Ferndale, click here.