Roanoke prides itself on being a restaurant town.
But while you're chowing down on Babe's chicken or Hard Eight barbecue, don't miss the little fish shop nearby: Bayou Jack's Cajun Grill.
Former Southlake restaurateur Jack Layman brought all his Louisiana seafood skill and corporate management experience to Bayou Jack's, serving the usual grilled and fried seafood but also surprises such as grilled oysters.
If you've gone to New Orleans and didn't have Drago's chargrilled oysters, you missed out. (Yes, Felix or Acme oyster bars serve them, too, but not like Drago's.)
Bayou Jack's oysters aren't as big as Drago's, but they have a similar butter-Parmesan flavor.
The restaurant also serves above-average seafood gumbo in a thick brown roux, shrimp-and-grits or spicy shrimp in a fra diavolo sauce.
Layman shook Southlake Town Square when he left a loyal following as manager of the Roc kfish there, and he clearly could rebuild a seafood dynasty.
Other diners report rumors of a West Seventh Street location in Fort Worth. Layman did not return calls this week.
Bayou Jack's is open daily for lunch and dinner at 210 U.S. 377 S.; 817-490-7800.
Mother's Day is a week away, but it's never too early to book Mom's lunch reservation.
The Omni Fort Worth Hotel's brunch in Cast Iron is mostly booked, and steakhouses such as Bailey's, Café Modern, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana and Silver Fox were already filling up by midweek.
Grace in downtown Fort Worth is never open on Sunday except for Mother's Day, and will serve a combination of its regular menu and brunch specials; 777 Main St., 817-877-3388, gracefortworth.com.
The newly expanded Chef Point Cafe in Watauga, now more of a family restaurant and less of a gas station cafe, will feature lobster tail, prime rib, roast duck, stuffed swordfish or lamb chops in mint sauce, plus its popular lobster bisque and escargots. Dessert is bread pudding in cognac sauce; 5901 Watauga Road, 817-656-0080, chefpointcafe.org.
Cafe 1187, amid wildflowers on a horse ranch between Benbrook and Cresson, will offer a choice of beef tenderloin, salmon, grilled chicken or a three-cheese quiche. All the lunches include sweet potato-jalapeño soup and desserts; 8780 Farm Road 1187 at Ben Day Murrin Road, 817-443-1473, cafe1187.com.
If all else fails, the Blue Mesa Grill locations will start the regular Sunday brunch buffet at 8 a.m.
Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat appears Wednesdays in Your Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com Weekend. 817-390-7538
Facebook: Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat
Twitter: @eatsbeat
