Photo by Erin Nelson
Cajun Steamer will open a new location in the former Blackwell’s space on Green Valley Road in Cahaba Heights.
Cajun Steamer, an authentic Louisiana Cajun and Creole cuisine restaurant, plans to open a location in the Market Square shopping center in Cahaba Heights early next year.
Market Square, located at 3155 Green Valley Road, also will be the new home of Basecamp Fitness, though the timeline for the opening of that business is unknown.
Cajun Steamer, based out of Birmingham, has three Alabama locations and two in Tennessee, and is locally owned and operated by CEO Gaston Lanaux and Vice President of Operations Shay Shirley, who both live in the Birmingham area, along with Branding Manager Jenna Hassett.
Hassett said the Cahaba Heights restaurant will be an “updated and refreshed take” on the chain’s existing locations.
“While it will still have that French Quarter meets Rustic Louisiana feel, it definitely will be exciting and new,” Hassett said.
The leadership group chose Cahaba Heights for a location due to its friendly neighborhood feel.
“We love the Cahaba Heights neighborhood and feel that the friendly, ‘all are welcome’ vibe of the community fits our brand perfectly,” Hassett said. “It’s right in our own backyard, and based on what we can tell so far, we already have a fan base in the neighborhood.”
Classic Cajun dishes such as red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, shrimp po’boys and chargrilled oysters will all be served at the restaurant, and specialty dishes also will be included, such as “Redfish Rockefeller” and Caribbean blackened mahi mahi.
“Of course, we are always boiling up spicy hot Louisiana crawfish when they are in season and offer some killer non-seafood dishes like Voodoo chicken, and Bourbon Street fettucine featuring Alabama Conecuh sausage,” Hassett said. “We’re here to bring the flavor of the bayou and New Orleans to Cahaba Heights.”
The restaurant will also feature freshly-baked bread pudding and signature beignets, Hassett said.
The restaurant expects to hire about 50 to 75 team members, including servers, bartenders, sauté cooks, dishwashers and managers, she said.
For more information, visit cajunsteamer.com.
