Lake Charles is about to get a new neighborhood café where pancakes, burgers and shrimp étouffée can all share the same table. Em J’s Cafe is preparing to open in early August with an all-day breakfast menu, Cajun comfort food and a family-run atmosphere.
The 38-seat restaurant is a partnership between Lake Charles hospitality veterans Emmeline Richard and John Tullis, who are branching out with a concept of their own, according to What Now New Orleans. The café will be built around classic diner fare with a distinctly down-the-bayou twist.
Richard and Tullis have spent years working in the local hospitality industry, and they are staffing the new business with family members exclusively. The result is intended to feel more like a welcoming neighborhood hangout than a polished, overly serious dining room.
Breakfast All Day And Cajun Favorites At Lunch
Em J’s will serve breakfast throughout the day, with pancakes, omelets and biscuits and gravy among the planned staples. At lunch, diners can expect burgers, fresh salads and rotating plate lunch specials.
The more Cajun-minded dishes are where the restaurant starts showing off. The menu will include Bayous Boats, made with two pistolettes stuffed with cheese and shrimp étouffée, along with boudin dip served with club crackers, as detailed by What Now New Orleans.
A Family Restaurant With Room To Keep Things Casual
The owners have described the café as a homey place that reflects the lighthearted personality of its staff. That means the food may be classic, but the atmosphere is expected to be decidedly less buttoned-up than a typical diner.
The restaurant is moving into a former food-service space that already had a dining-room layout and commercial kitchen infrastructure, according to a recent Homes.com listing. Em J’s is expected to open in early August, giving Lake Charles another place to make a meal out of both breakfast cravings and Cajun comfort food.
