Food, Friendly Folks and Fun Times

We walked into Downtown Jeaux at about 10 a.m. comin’ in hot and hungry from our drive into Houma from New Orleans. I claimed the last open table while Mark staked a spot in the growing line. It was a sunny Saturday and locals — from parents and their brood to uniformed members of the nearby Vanderbilt High School girls’ volleyball team — were fueling up and catching up in the former pharmacy. Owner Tommy Guarisco worked the room greeting patrons, asking those he knew (nearly everyone) about their mom, bussing tables and doing whatever else needed doing. While sipping Community Coffee in paper cups with the Louisiana coffee company’s logo and awaiting our biscuits and gravy, pancakes and eggs, we plotted out our game plan for the day. Per usual, my priorities were food and nature, whereas Mark was angling to score books and vinyl. Either way we were ready for adventure.

After breakfast (which Mark declared the best biscuits and gravy he’s had outside of our home), we took a much-needed walk around the historic downtown area. Our walk began at the tree-shaded Courthouse Square in front of the circa1930’s Classical Revival-style Terrebone Parish Courthouse. From there, we aimlessly wandered up and down nearby streets noting the mix of red brick turn-of-the-20th-century architecture and white stone midcentury buildings. The long and narrow red brick Smoky Row building at Main and Church streets which is home to Mahony’s Irish Pub caught my eye and Mark’s too, albeit for him it was less about the design and more about the potential for finding his favorite Irish beers. It was of course noon somewhere, but alas, the closed sign dangling on the door made a good decision for us. I’m trying not to read too much into the fact that the next most interesting building on our self-guided walking tour was the imposing French Gothic-style Saint Francis de Sales Cathedral, dedicated in 1938. A funeral was in progress so rather than go make confession we crossed ourselves, sent up a little silent prayer for the deceased and their family and took a brief pass through the cemetery behind the cathedral.

It would be quite some time before either of us were hungry for lunch, so we hopped in the car and took the 15-ish minute drive to the Bayou Country Sports Park, having heard a rumor about its scenic walking trails. The park also has facilities for disc golf, baseball and soccer, plus a large playground, picnic areas, a fishing pond and a beach. Every inch of the park is well-maintained and it seems like it’s a lot further away from downtown than it is in reality. We enjoyed the trails and the scenery for a while before heading back into civilization to dip into 2nd & Charles booksellers. I usually try to stick to locally owned businesses, but we are book lovers with no shame, happily buying from chains and indies alike. Mark was pleased with the vinyl section so it was worth the trip to the strip mall and big box store area of town. To balance things out, we bopped back downtown to visit Bent Pages & Co. bookstore, owned by Angele LeBoeuf and her aunt Racquelle LaCoste Ford. It is housed in the circa 1927 Bethlehem Steel building, making it seem as if it has been there for decades. (Which in a way it has, because LeBoeuf and Ford purchased it from the former owner who opened the bookstore there in the ‘90s.) There was a book signing in progress, a vendor selling her baked goods on the porch and books, books and more books nearly stacked to the rafters. It is a certain type of heaven for bookish types.

There is no way to do the restaurant scene in Houma justice because there are just so many good places to fill your belly. On this trip, we opted for breakfast at Downtown Jeaux, which gives you the opportunity to walk it off while enjoying the sites in the charming downtown. We ambled through the oak-lined greenspace at Courthouse Square and took in the wealth of midcentury and turn of the 20th- century architecture.

It became apparent that we could easily make it a weekend in Houma. Various chain hotels abound, as well as whole-house vacation rentals, but family-owned Grand Bayou Noir bed and breakfast on Bayou Black is where I’d book a stay. Dinner reservations at Ember Kitchen + Cocktails (and most likely a filet mignon) and a meal at 531 Liberty would also be on our itinerary. There would have to be a couple of hours set aside for Greenwood Gator Farm, which is only about 20 minutes from downtown and (depending on when you visit) has baby alligators, so enough said. A swamp tour with Cajun Man’s Swamp Tours & Adventures also sounds like a lot of fun. Add some history into your trip with visits to Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Terrebonne Folklife Culture Center and the Regional Military Museum, which are all downtown. And no trip Down the Bayou would be complete without live music. The Waterlife Museum and Folklife Center each host regular music events featuring local bands, Friday nights at A-Bear’s Cafe is happening and various bars host musicians as well, so it won’t be too hard to find — and pass — a good time. You can also catch a show of a different sort at Le Petit Theatre De Terrebonne, which has a robust calendar of plays (comedies and dramas) throughout the year. We might have to plan our full weekend in October so we can catch Rougarou Fest.

All of that being said, we were on a day trip so finally, after having spent our mad money on books and records, we worked up an appetite. It was time to split a plate lunch with fixins at Big Mike’s BBQ Smokehouse downtown. (Note: There’s also a location in Thibodaux.) The brisket was as tender and flavorful as anything I had when we lived in Texas, and I’d drive an hour again just for the macaroni and cheese. Fortified once again, we set out to take a little country drive around Bayou Black. Folks were fishing and otherwise enjoying the afternoon. It was about time for us to head back to New Orleans, but not before grabbing an ice cream cone at Scarlet Scoop. This charming ice cream parlor has been in business since 1969 and feels like stepping back in time. It doesn’t hurt that there is a restored vintage (and open for business) Conoco gas station, Downtown Full Service, next door. Overall, Houma — especially the historic downtown — has that irresistible blend of nostalgia, small town charm and neighborly friendliness. So much so that the next time we daytrip there, we assume the owner of Downtown Jeaux will recognize us and ask about our moms.

Location
Houma

1682
The city of Houma takes its name from the Houma Indians who settled the area. Houma, or “ouma,” in the tribe’s language, means “red.” A French explorer is credited with the earliest written account of the Houma Indians in 1682. .

1822
On March 22, 1822, Terrebonne Parish was established when it was annexed from Lafourche Parish. Terrebonne is the most southern parish in Louisiana.

33,406
Houma is the largest city in Terrebonne Parish. The 2020 census reports a population of approximately 33,406 people.