Jambalaya Junction (St. Louis, Springfield, Joplin: live, restaurants, move to)

[NOLA2SGF]

I saw this article on the News-Leader website, about a Springfield restaurant called Jambalaya Junction that serves New Orleans style food.

News-Leader.com | Restaurant Reviews (broken link)

This is really exciting to me! We are planning to move to Springfield from New Orleans in a couple of years, and one of the main things we might miss would be the food. Even though I wouldn't expect the food there to be as good as food down here, necessarily, if it was even vaguely reminiscent of New Orleans style food that would be wonderful for us.

Does anybody know the address of Jambalaya Junction? The article says it is in a strip mall, but it doesn't say where it is. I'd like to put the address in my "Springfield Notebook" so that the next time we can visit, we could go there.

As long as I am asking, I have heard of another restaurant in Springfield called the Big Easy or some such thing that also serves New Orleans style food. Anybody know where that one is?

[CellarBelle]

I don't live near Springfield and have never eaten at any of the restaurants you mention. But, after spending 11 years in the Houston area and close to 5 years in the St. Louis Metro area, I can tell ya... you're gonna want to bring your best cajun recipes with ya and get used to making Crawfish Etouffee with the frozen tail meat. . There are many, many, many wonderful things about Missouri and its people, and there are some fabulous cooks in these parts, and some awesome restaurants... but when I'm hankering from some good Cajun cooking, I break out my recipe book and get to cookin'!!! I understand there is a place in St. Louis that has crawfish every now and again, but I haven't ventured over to find it. Every now and then, the family and I head south under the guise of visiting old friends just so we can sit down at a boil and gorge ourselves on those tasty little critters! Good luck and go ahead and stuff yourself until you are sick with Cajun food - maybe by the time you move up here, you won't care if you ever see Cajun food again (doubtful, but it will be fun trying)!

[NOLA2SGF]

Originally Posted by CellarBelle

I don't live near Springfield and have never eaten at any of the restaurants you mention. But, after spending 11 years in the Houston area and close to 5 years in the St. Louis Metro area, I can tell ya... you're gonna want to bring your best cajun recipes with ya and get used to making Crawfish Etouffee with the frozen tail meat. . There are many, many, many wonderful things about Missouri and its people, and there are some fabulous cooks in these parts, and some awesome restaurants... but when I'm hankering from some good Cajun cooking, I break out my recipe book and get to cookin'!!! I understand there is a place in St. Louis that has crawfish every now and again, but I haven't ventured over to find it. Every now and then, the family and I head south under the guise of visiting old friends just so we can sit down at a boil and gorge ourselves on those tasty little critters! Good luck and go ahead and stuff yourself until you are sick with Cajun food - maybe by the time you move up here, you won't care if you ever see Cajun food again (doubtful, but it will be fun trying)!

LOL!!! Well, we have definitely been doing our best with that task. We eat out as much as possible here, which comes to about 1/3 of our meals, and try to be virtuous the rest of the time in order to not gain weight. If I ate out any more, I would weigh 6 tons! (hee hee!)

I was really hoping that somebody would know the addresses of these two restaurants in Springfield so we could find out the "bad news" (or "good news"?) for ourselves... According to the article, Jambalaya Junction orders fresh French bread daily from New Orleans, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if they didn't order other items sent to them as needed.

I know there's a Copelands offering a full menu a couple of hours away in Rogers, Arkansas, so we won't be completely lacking in Cajun cuisine. The world is getting smaller every year.

[firebll31]

Here's the Big Easy link:
The Big Easy Grill (broken link)

Turtleheads Bar and Grill in Joplin on Main Street serves some good Cajun style food. Including boiled crawdads, heads & all! Some people around here catch their own to cook at home.

[NOLA2SGF]

Thanks!!! I'll add this information to my notebook.

Ah! And I googled and found Jambalaya Junction. It's at 1360 E Republic, Springfield. Don't know why I didn't think to do that before posting. Thanks, all.

[Lake Junkie]

I'm glad you found it...I googled it and it didn't come up!
Our local cajun grocery/deli just closed, so I'm having withdrawls...thanks for this great lead!

[NOLA2SGF]

Originally Posted by Lake Junkie

I'm glad you found it...I googled it and it didn't come up!
Our local cajun grocery/deli just closed, so I'm having withdrawls...thanks for this great lead!

You're welcome! I actually "altavista'd it" instead of using Google, since old habits die hard. But Google is now part of our vocabulary.

I hope it's a good one. Let me know what you think! The next time we can take some vacation time and get up there, we'll check it out ourselves.

[casperaustin]

Hello, My name is Casper Austin I built the website for this establishment... The food there is GREAT they get their bread shipped from New Orleans. They are located at 1360 e republic road... If you are from New Orleans, and want authentic food go there... the other restaurant is called Easys I don't recommend it... to say the least

[Lake Junkie]

Nola...I got up Springfield way recently and stopped in the Jambalaya Junction an' took along a cajun type from Baton Rouge area...we tried 4 things off the menu: Oyster po'boy, andioulle sausage po'boy, jambalaya & gumbo.

Don't mean to disagree with casperaustin...btw I googled them & can't find the website...

Now understand, I've been spoiled by a little cajun deli that recently closed down in Kimberling City...

The people at Jambalaya Junction were really nice...the place sparkling clean.
Good music, great cute atmosphere.
The jambalaya was tasty but a little shy of meat...the po'boys were too much bread, but the bread was great!
The gumbo was real strong of file.
Our joint review of JJ would be that it's a good attempt for the midwest at Cajun food...but not nearly authentic according to my cajun friend.

One (two) person's opinion...you might love it.

[G4inMO]

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

As long as I am asking, I have heard of another restaurant in Springfield called the Big Easy or some such thing that also serves New Orleans style food. Anybody know where that one is?

This is a great place to eat. My family and I just love it. Great food and wonderful people who own it. I see Fireball set the link. It's on Sunshine, just west of 65 Hwy. You will enjoy it.