Hear ye, hear ye -- Fridays are fish days during this Lenten Season - several weeks before Easter-- drive to Cajun Belle in Johnston for Louisiana Style Catfish with a spicy kick. There is no dine in seating, but a friendly staff of two will take your order and deliver it to where you park and wait. The wait is somewhat long due to the staffing of this small business, but once you get your entree you either drive to your quiet space or sit where you are, and smile as you taste the delicious crunchiness of your catfish or hush puppies. This is a small family locally owned business we should support as we wait for "Good Friday," or those other opportunities to say we wish you much success into the future. read more

Cajun Belle - Full Catfish Basket - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

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Tucked into an unremarkable strip off Merle Hay Road, in that no-man's-land between a gas station car wash and a triumvirate of sandwich chains slinging the same elongated, meat-stuffed mediocrity -- sits Cajun Belle. You could blink and miss it. Most probably do. But for those paying attention, there's a faint promise here -- a whiff of something soulful and Southern cutting through the beige hum of suburbia. This is a drive-thru only operation, the sort of setup that usually spells disaster for fried food. We all know the routine: your hot, crispy prize entombed in a plastic clamshell, slowly suffocating under its own steam until it becomes a sad, soggy relic. But Cajun Belle has been on my radar for a while -- ever since I stumbled upon it months ago by accident. I remember pulling up, eyes bright with hope, only to find it closed for catering. That kind of heartbreak sticks with you. Fast-forward a few months and fate (or maybe hunger) brought me back. I was surrounded by the usual suspects -- Subway, Jimmy John's, Cheba Hut -- each hawking their own version of the same tubular monotony. I didn't want that. I wanted something with character. Something cooked by someone who actually gave a damn. Cajun food in Iowa is always a gamble -- fried shrimp filtered through the lens of the Midwest. But I was in the mood to roll the dice. I debated the gumbo but landed on the shrimp po' boy, mostly because I wanted to see if anyone up here could pull off a fried shrimp sandwich that didn't taste like regret. I added hush puppies to the order, because you can't not. Everything's cooked to order here -- no heat lamps, no reheated sadness. I sat in the drive-thru line for eight minutes, watching exhaust curl into the autumn air, waiting for something worth the time. When the bag finally hit my hands, it was hot, fragrant, and alive with promise. I parked across the street, in the quiet anonymity of a half-empty lot. This was not a meal to eat in front of anyone else. Some food demands privacy -- the kind of honest, slightly shameful pleasure best enjoyed alone. The shrimp po' boy was a beast. Overstuffed, the kind of sandwich that dares you to get through it without a mess. The shrimp were perfect -- golden, crisp, tender, actual flavor -- which is more than you can say for most fried seafood this far north of the Gulf. The breading had bite, even after the short steam bath of transport. The drizzle of sauce -- something like honey mustard -- didn't quite land. It was sweet where it should've been sharp, indecisive where Cajun should be bold. Still, the shrimp carried the day. The hush puppies, though -- those were the moment. Hot, perfectly fried, full of cornmeal bite and savory depth. You could make a meal out of them alone. The dipping sauce they came with was a miss -- thin, sour, lifeless -- but it didn't matter. A squeeze of lemon or a dash of malt vinegar and a cold beer would've made them transcendent. Cajun Belle has a perfect 5/5 on Yelp, and while I can't quite stretch that far, I get it. There's something about finding a little piece of Louisiana soul food hidden in the land of pork tenderloins and ranch dressing that feels like a secret worth keeping. For me, it's a solid 3, maybe a 4 if you hit it on a good day. Give me a shrimp basket, fries, and that vinegar I keep dreaming about, and we're easily talking 4.5 -- maybe perfection in a Styrofoam box. In a stretch of road dominated by fast-food sameness, Cajun Belle is a rare thing -- a place with identity, with pride, with the audacity to serve real food through a drive-thru window. It's not fancy. It's not polished. But it's good. And sometimes, that's all you need. read more

Cajun Belle - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Edit: he read my review and updated the website to match available foods! Can't wait to try the others read more

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Food was amazing, southern hospitality for sure. Great service also very helpful with the menu. I appreciate the advice given. read more

Cajun Belle - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

I had the shrimp and Boudin Balls. Food was amazing. Owner was also very friendly. I'd highly recommend this place for authentic Cajun food.

The owner truly makes this restaurant great, and I could leave it at that. The owner, Zach, is extremely kind and courteous and strives to help make sure people are happy, well fed, and feel safe and welcomed. Not to mention, everything he and his staff make are absolutely incredible with so much flavor and are well seasoned to my liking. Bring your family and friends, they're bound to have a great time! read more

First of all i'm happy to see another southern food place in iowa after fat tuesdays shut down, and second im so happy i decided to come by after seeing pictures of this place on uber eats. The guy who im sure is the owner is super nice he's a great southern guy who makes great convo and food. read more

I spent most of my life living near the Louisiana border and have really missed the cajun food. Really happy to have a quality place with great pig n a blanket and other cajun food. Also whoever was working gave us a ton of extra food for having to wait a little longer for our order (15 minutes. Which was no problem at all! Great place will be back read more

Wow ... I could leave it at that ... wow! But I love the sound of myself typing. I had a Pine Island Po' Boy which is andouille sausage, boudin, which is a pork and rice dish, and a wonderfully spicy remoulade. The bread may be the best bread in town. Heavy, crusty and it tastes marvelous. The sandwich was astounding. Very spicy with a fair amount of heat to it, but oh so good. My wife had the Shrimp Po' Boy, and loved it just as much as I did mine. I also had a Cajun Belle Kolache. A kolache is a sweet bread that gets wrapped around a wide range of fillings. In this case it was boudin and cheese. The mild sweetness of the bread worked perfectly with the bit of spice from the boudin. I want to try several of their breakfast kolaches. They are just doing drive through at the moment, but it is well worth taking a couple of sandwiches home. We will go again soon. read more

I come here every Friday for lunch. 10/10 food! I highly recommend the catfish po boy. Everything on the menu is good if you like Cajun style food. I'd recommend this place to anyone. read more

Flavors textures n plenty! Couldn't stop eating it. Was very pleased to have found a restaurant where it didn't have shrimp or crab in it...allergic. read more

This is some of the best food I've had since moving to the Des Moines area over 6 years ago. The head chef and owner, Zack, hooked me up with some amazing gumbo and the best de-constructed cheesecake I have ever had. Zack is very nice and a genuinely good guy. His customer service was fantastic. We are lucky to get a chance to try some of this authentic Cajun food here in Iowa. I can't recommend Cajun Belle more highly, and I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. read more

my boyfriend got some jambalaya while making a delivery here and I was lucky enough to have it brought honey to me. Absolutely fantastic!! you can feel the goodness through your system as you eat it and the goat l flavor makes you want one more bite, again and again and again lol. Soooo delicious read more

Great food, had the chicken Po Boy. Their house sauce is the perfect level of spice. Very friendly experience as well.

Popped by for a grab and go b-fast and we're delighted that we had a Cajun choice in Johnston, or in Iowa for that matter!! I wished for grilled shrimp and grits but they are starting out with a few items - smart - then expanding. I chose Kolachi with bacon and cheese and John chose andouille sausage and cheese. They were both excellent! The andouille sausage and cheese was the best! The dough was perfectly baked and had a wonderful fresh just baked taste. Definitely a real winner! The sneak peak sauce - needs balance - cut the salt add a Cajun spice twist to it and you might have something there. I'll be in line during RAGBRAI for these!! read more

Great service and food! REAL Cajun! The menu is limited unless you preorder which I highly recommend doing.

You're in for a treat when you order from Cajun Belle! Not only is the staff amazing - the Kolaches are beyond delicious!!! Their sweet and savory Kolaches satisfy every palate - be ready to come back for more! Cajun Belle is such a welcome addition to Iowa cuisine! You can order through Door Dash, too, for a quick delivery option read more

Laissez les bons temps rouler! I've always loved New Orleans and Mardi Gras, so when it's get to be that time of year I look for Cajun food in my area of the Midwest. It's hard to find, and thank goodness for Cajun Belle! The owner is friendly and at the window ready to take your order. I got the jambalaya and it was so great. Since the owner is from Texas, with a large Czech population, they also sell kolaches as both sweet or savory. I ordered the apple kolache and it was still warm! It was like a little hand held apple pie. I will be back soon! read more

I don't think you can find better boudin in the Bayou! This place is the real deal! Owner knows what he's doing. Get over there and get you some!! read more

10 out of 10 . This has been some of the best gumbo I've had since moving from Texas, it took me back home.Yall have to give it a try.

Food was not freshly prepared. The food was obviously left over from a day or two prior. I will not be going back. Service is slow, they can only serve one costumer at a time as all orders are taken and served through one drive up window. read more

You gotta stop here!!! I LOVE IT! It's a new place just starting up, but what they serve is fantastic and VERY reasonably priced especially compared to competitors! Cajun Belle is not only convenient for me, but really go the extra mile to please ... They make both savory breakfast kolaches, with bacon sausage or ham , with egg n cheese inside the pastry, but a specialty called the Cajun belle which has herbs n sauce and sausage , which is fantastic! They also have traditional fruit kolaches which are served WARM , long with offering various coffee flavors juices and bottled water... This guy who's the owner is operating it part time, in addition to his full time job, and has customer service down Pat, unlike the other offerings in the area... you can get a coffee a savory kolaches and even a fruit one for around $10-12 depending on what you order.... I'm hoping that will later add AE chocolate and skim milk as beverage offerings,& later some lunchtime items later on... DO GO HERE ... he's open long before sonic is, and even Panera or Scooters.... This guy deserves our business!! read more

This guy knows his Cajun. Owner is a pro and a genuine bona fide southerner. You MUST get the seafood gumbo at minimum and if you have room, the Andouille is fire. read more

My family is from Texas and we always have kolaches when I travel down to see them. Cajun Belle's savory kolaches are the best! My favorite kolache is the andouille sausage with cheddar cheese & jalapeños! Two of those and I am set for a big day on the road. Kolaches sure beat the same old, same old donut thing! Thank you Cajun Belle! read more

This place is amazing! I've had the opportunity to try everything on the menu and the food is to die for, you absolutely cannot go wrong. As if the amazing food isn't enough, the staff is extremely friendly, and from what I can see from the drive through window, the place is immaculately clean. You would be doing yourself a huge disservice if you didn't try Cajun Belle as soon as possible! read more

Delicious and fresh!! The service was great and Zack was awesome!! I highly recommend the boudin kolache and the freshly made gumbo.

Metro area has needed a Cajun eatery and this place is good. We first came across it at the DSM farms market and tried there Johnston location also. read more