4.5/5

PERRY — Orleans on Carroll is described by the owners as a blend of Cajun and southern cuisine at their flagship restaurant. Starting out as a food truck, the restaurant opened its doors in November 2022, and has been a staple in Downtown Perry ever since.

Ever since then, I have been dying to try their food. I had a taste of it when they catered an event I attended, and I was hooked, so I had to share it with someone. That someone was my husband when we chose to hit up this local eatery for a date night.

Our first order of business was making a reservation. We decided to go on a whim, so when I went to reserve a table online, there were no slots available. 

I was disappointed in my lack of planning and thought we would have to go somewhere else. But as a last ditch effort, I called the restaurant. I was informed that we could come in anyways, so my husband and I headed over after work as walk-ins.

At first, we were told there would be a 45-minute wait for a table; we agreed, although a bit apprehensive. A text message service told us when our table was ready. What we thought was going to be 45 minutes was actually closer to 10.

The host led us to our table in a glass-encased space called the “voodoo room,” brightly indicated by a neon sign. We instantly noticed the upscale and modern atmosphere. This place screamed “fancy,” and we were in a trance.

I immediately perused the drink menu, and chose their Purple Lady: a mixed drink served with Empress gin, champagne, lavender and a lemon wedge. I wasn’t too sure how to feel about lavender flavor, but I’m glad I picked this drink. Every flavor came together wonderfully and the champagne gave it the right amount of fizzy feeling.

For starters, we chose to split an order of their Cajun seafood dip, with crawfish tails, shrimp, and cheeses, served with toasted crostini. I found it interesting that the bread was seasoned, but the seasonings in the bread and flavors in the dip worked together perfectly. It had a nice texture with the crunch of the bread and the creaminess of the dip. I really enjoyed it, and my husband agreed.

There was a huge selection of entrees to choose from: a variety of soups and salads, po’ boys, burgers, sandwiches and signature dishes. I ordered the Cajun pasta with blackened chicken and shrimp: fettuccine tossed in Cajun cream sauce. My husband chose the Jambalaya, which came with stewed chicken, andouille sausage and blackened shrimp.

I’m definitely not an expert in Cajun cuisine, but I heard it can be spicy. I’ll be honest, I’m not too fond of spicy food. My absolute limit is eating jalapenos.

Luckily for me, choosing a cream based sauce balanced the flavors. My food had a kick, but not nearly as severe as I was expecting. It wasn’t spicy for the sake of being spicy. My dish was absolutely delicious and the bite I had of my husband’s was also delicious. 

Finally, we ended the night on the sweet side with their bourbon caramel topped bread pudding, served with ice cream and whipped cream. My husband ordered it for himself and was over the moon. I took a bite —it’s the wife tax, of course — and I thought it was divine.

Our entrees were more on the pricey side: $35 and $28, respectively. This was a good cross-section of the signature entrees, which range from $25 to $45. Po’ boys, sandwiches and burgers are also kind of steep for sandwiches, but less of a strain on the wallet, with prices in the high-teens.

Overall, with an appetizer, cocktails, our entrees, a dessert, and tip, our total came out to around $160. Typically with our date nights, we aim to spend less than $100. With the price alone, I can’t forsee myself making the restaurant a recurring place for me and my husband, but it is nice for times when we have extra spending money.

But honestly, the sticker shock when we received the bill is the only complaint I have. If you have the means, I would certainly give this place a shot.