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ST.ROSE — Frenier Landing’s Chef Joe Boudreaux is returning to his old stomping grounds in St. Charles Parish with the opening of Boudreaux’s River Road Restaurant at 11760 River Road in St. Rose, the former site of Truck Farm Tavern.

The restaurant opened April 11, on Boudreaux’s 31st birthday. After 15 years learning from experienced chefs in the culinary world, Boudreaux now has an opportunity to show off his creativity in the kitchen. He’s cultivated a menu where comfort meets cuisine, pairing Louisiana seafood favorites with sizzling barbecue dishes.

Boudreaux will continue to serve the community at Frenier Landing while embarking on this new adventure. Frenier Landing manager Crystal Bird is a partner in the new restaurant, and she looks forward to giving the River Parishes community another unique venue to enjoy top-notch food and live entertainment.
Boudreaux felt the anticipation of the community in the weeks leading up to the opening. With few dine-in options lining River Road on the East Bank, Boudreaux’s is bringing something new to St. Charles Parish in a familiar atmosphere. The public can continue to view the Model T cars in the restaurant’s courtyard, where a wooden stage lit with string lights will host local musicians.

“People are excited for a new place to come eat. People missed this place because there was so much charm,” Boudreaux said. “This place is amazing. It’s got such a homey feel to it.”

Boudreaux’s interest in cooking traces back to his childhood. While the men in the family would gather out back, Boudreaux could be found in the kitchen, watching his mother and grandmother prepare meals.

By the time he got to Destrehan High School, Boudreaux was torn between pursuing architecture and culinary arts. His experiences learning from Chef Pat at the newly built Satellite Center kept him firmly in the culinary world. Boudreaux went on to attend Delgado and soaked up knowledge from seasoned area chefs, including Chef Nathan Richard.

Boudreaux was 18 years old when he joined the team at Frenier Landing. For the past 13 years, he has been the chef behind the seafood dishes the community has come to know and love.

“I’ve worked my way up from a salad person to a food runner, fry cook, grill cook, to now being able to do everything. When Ms. Crystal came to me about this opportunity, I was most excited to finally show off my creativity,” Boudreaux said. “At Frenier Landing, I was able to come in and fine tune things here and there to kind of make it my own. With this place, I am able to have my own ideas and menu items to where I can be creative but not over the top. I want to keep it simple so we can accommodate everybody.”

The menu, which can be viewed online at boudreauxsrrrestaurant.com, offers a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, poboys, barbecue, and seafood entrees. Some of the unique items on the menu include Boudreaux’s take on a pork belly wedge salad, lobster mac and cheese, pulled pork nachos, and a Southern style brunswick stew.

Boudreaux and Bird have listened to feedback from the community. According to Bird, keeping prices reasonable will allow Boudreaux’s to become a popular venue for birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations.

“That’s what this business is all about, bringing people together,” she said. “We have something for everybody. We want everyone to be able to eat here, from the parish president to your everyday person.”

Boudreaux’s River Road Restaurant will be open for dine-in or take-out from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 504-800-4484.