Courtesy Of Crawdaddys
When Crawdaddy’s closed in 2013 after 18 years in business, many Milwaukeeans bemoaned the loss. It was the most popular Cajun and Creole restaurant in the area, and diners were clamoring for chef and owner Jonathan Klug to continue his restaurant's legacy. He reopened the restaurant in 2016 but closed once again two years later. (That location on 94th and Greenfield was purchased by a group unaffiliated with the original restaurant, and they recently reopened it under the Crawdaddy's name.)
But now, Klug is back, again, with the original Crawdaddy’s Roadhouse, a name meant to distinguish it from its competitor just down the street. Fans of the original restaurant will find much of the new iteration very familiar, from the energetic atmosphere to the menu, which hasn't changed a whole lot since the ’90s.
The list of starters is long, and most are great for sharing at the restaurant's large bar. Stuffed bread ($9) are large deep-fried balls of bread dough filled with a generous amount of ground andouille sausage and white cheddar. You get four to an order, and each one is substantial with a gooey, slightly spicy interior and crisp crust. The pats of garlic herb butter on the side are potent, so have breath mints handy if you're concerned. Craw tails ($10) take all the work out of eating crawfish with tail meat swimming in butter, fried green tomatoes ($6) have a thick cornmeal breading, and red beans and rice ($6) include tasso, andouille and smoked ham.
Gumbo ($5.50-$8.50), made with chicken, andouille, smoked ham and okra, comes in cups or bowls as a starter, while jambalaya ($19) is offered as an entrée only. It’s served as a tomato-based stew with andouille, chicken, shrimp and crawfish over rice, instead of cooking the rice in the same pot. Logistically, it keeps the rice from becoming mushy as it sits in the kitchen, but it's hard not to be disappointed by plain rice covered in a loose sauce.
Stuffed eggplant ($25) includes an entire half eggplant that's been hollowed out, breaded and deep fried. It’s filled with crawfish tails and five large shrimp that have been sautéed in a red Cajun gravy. The eggplant is supple, but eat fast because it’s best when it’s still crunchy from the fryer. You'll want to use the creamy mashed potatoes served on the side to scoop up all the rich, lightly sweet gravy.
Blackened scallops ($25) are large and topped with fresh pico de gallo. They're coated with blackening seasoning that's full of spices but only a little heat. The thin, 10-ounce black angus ribeye ($25) also was ordered blackened but needed a whole lot of salt and pepper from the table to coax some flavor out of it. The addition of 3 plump grilled shrimp ($3) to the steak was a smart one.
Seafood is pretty pervasive on the menu, with other options like étouffée ($23) made with shrimp, fish, bay scallops and crawfish, cornmeal fried Mississippi catfish ($20) smothered with étouffée, as well as macadamia nut crusted tuna ($27). There's also a number of nightly specials whose descriptions also include the prices, a thoughtful touch.
Most entrées include Crawdaddy's signature sides: glazed carrots and a garlic herb angel hair pasta. Both are tired, dated and need some serious overhauling. The carrots are cut haphazardly into huge, sloppy chunks and have no discernible seasoning, while the angel hair tastes strongly of garlic and nothing else. Luckily, you can swap them out for a number of other side choices, like seasoned green beans, crispy fried okra with jalapeño mayo, mashed potatoes with roasted garlic that wasn't overpowering, or a great individually baked ramekin of mac and cheese.
Desserts ($7) include key lime pie, pecan pie, crème brulée and warm bread pudding topped with a thick bourbon sauce. The bread pudding was not memorable and served in a small portion, contrary to the generous portions of the rest of the meal.
Milwaukeeans are creatures of habit, and judging by the crowds already at Crawdaddy's Roadhouse, most love this blast from the past. While the foundation of a great Cajun restaurant is still there, the menu needs updating, or I wonder how long people will be excited about the same things they ate 20 years ago. Hopefully, the third time's the charm, and this go-around will have more staying power than the last.
