I tried a New Orleans-style brunch spot in SLO. What I got on a $25 budget
At the southern end of Osos Street in San Luis Obispo, an unassuming restaurant with Mardi Gras beads hanging in the window transports diners to the Deep South.
Inside, cheery, mustard-colored walls are lined with paintings of Fat Tuesday partygoers. Crawfish claws poke out of picture frames and green, purple and gold beads dangle from the counters.
For 31 years, Bon Temps Creole Cafe has transported local breakfast and lunch patrons to New Orleans’ French Quarter, offering a menu brimming with hearty, Cajun-style fare.
Local seventh grade student Zachary Guise recommended I visit the authentic Creole eatery for On a Budget, a monthly series where Tribune reporters try reader-suggested eats and activities around the area on a $25 budget.
He and his mom have a weekly tradition where they try a new breakfast spot every Sunday. After 28 weeks of sampling Central Coast restaurants, Guise said Bon Temps was still in first place.
“I’ve been trying hash browns at every breakfast spot, and Bon Temps were the best because of their seasoning and good flavor,” he told The Tribune.
Bon Temps is only a short walk away from where I live, and yet I had somehow managed to overlook it since I moved to San Luis Obispo 18 months ago.
I was more than ready to rectify that mistake and taste some of the Cajun creations being whipped up at the longtime local breakfast and lunch joint.
Here’s how it went:
What it’s like to visit Bon Temps Creole Cafe
Location: 1819 Osos St., San Luis Obispo
Several staff members welcomed my partner and I when we walked in the door of Bon Temps Creole Cafe around 9:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday, offering us the choice of sitting indoors or outdoors on the back patio.
The day was already growing unseasonably warm, so we opted for outside.
We were seated under a colorful umbrella at a two-person table.
Bon Temps’ cozy patio sits between a metal fence covered in lush, leafy greenery and an exterior wall adorned with large blue shutters. I felt like I was brunching in the backyard of a century-old Southern home.
A staffer quickly brought large cups of icy water to our table. I browsed the menu, which had a paunchy alligator chef on its cover, scanning through dozens of breakfast and lunch options.
When a server came to take our order, she graciously walked me through three of her favorite meals, including the Faitdodo — or “all day party.” I promptly followed her suggestion and ordered a meal featuring Creole red beans and two poached eggs covered in homemade hollandaise sauce, plus grits, grilled andouille sausage and a buttermilk biscuit.
My partner got the Cajun Pain Perdu, a New Orleans-style French toast with roasted pecans, whipped cream and a dash of sprinkles paired with a special syrup made from honey, rum and spices.
A few minutes after we ordered, a server plopped a warm biscuit with whipped butter down on the table.
I lacked the self-control to save it for the main meal and began tearing off large chunks of the fluffy bread. It was a tasty appetizer, and staved off my hunger until the main meal arrived.
By 10 a.m., the back patio had filled with friends, families and a few pups. That meant lively chatter, clinking glasses and lots of mimosas.
Soon after, a server stopped by with a steaming skillet packed with a generous portion of red beans, sausage, grits and poached eggs.
Everything on my Faitdodo skillet was delicious. The grits were creamy, the sausage was crisp, salty and spicy and the eggs were perfectly poached with still-runny yolks.
I added two types of homemade hot sauce and Cajun seasoning to the meal, which only heightened its deliciousness.
I grabbed a few bites of my partner’s French toast, and it was the perfect sweet complement to my skillet feast. The honey syrup was unlike any I’d ever had before, with warm spices and a boozy undertone that balanced the sugar hit.
After our meal, we relaxed on the back patio enjoying the spring heat and light music playing in the background.
Bon Temps means “good time” in French, and I can definitely say now that the restaurant lives up to its name.
Is SLO Creole cafe affordable?
My meal, the Faitdodo, cost $18.45. With tax and tip, my total came out to $24.06.
I went for one of the most popular items on the menu, though it’s certainly not the cheapest option available.
However, I got a huge portion that I couldn’t finish myself. My meal also left me full until dinnertime.
If you’re looking for more affordable options at Bon Temps, try the Cajun Pain Perdu for $14.75 or two eggs with Creole-spiced hash browns and a choice of bread for $16.25.
At lunch, you can order a grilled cheese sandwich for $12.95 or a skillet of red rice and beans with cornbread and butter for $14.25.
Drink options include bottomless coffee and soda or a small juice, lemonade or tea for $3.95. A mimosa costs $5.50.
George Parsons, a longtime Bon Temps employee and the new owner of the restaurant, told The Tribune that “food costs are up across the board,” but he tries to keep prices around $25 per meal.
He said he wants to strike a balance between quality food, good sized-portions and decent prices that allow the business to remain financially stable.
Parsons took over Bon Temps from previous owner Phil Lange in November. He said nothing will change under his leadership, although a couple of specials have now moved over to the main menu.
Parsons said the Creole spot is a “little piece of home” to him. It’s the place where he met his wife and where they had their baby shower.
“It would have felt weird if SLO didn’t have this, so we took over and are keeping everything the same — all the staff the same, all the employees the same,” he said. “Just trying to keep a SLO staple around.”
How to visit Bon Temps in SLO
Bon Temps Creole Cafe, 1819 Osos St. in San Luis Obispo, is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Where should I go next?
Have any ideas on where I should visit next in SLO County on a budget?
Send me recommendations at hpoukish@thetribunenews.com or by filling out the form below.
