Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop

OVERATED.  I couldn't be more disappointed in this restaurant.  What really makes me mad is that I went here instead of Maple Tree Inn that was a huge mistake.  While the service was friendly it was slow and inattentively aggravating.  The food was just below average and there was nothing to get happy about.  I guess its my fault for ordering the jerk chicken but it had less spice than the rotisserie chicken you get at your local grocery store.  The hurricane I started with was the highlight of the meal and the bread pudding was the worst I have ever had.  Never again.

I was a regular visitor to the Dixie Kitchen location in Hyde Park. If you go to this location expecting the same level of service and food quality then you're in for a disappointing experience. While the two locations share the same name and similar decor, that is where the similarities end.

First off, the service is S.L.O.W. Not just slow but forrest gump SLOW. It's awful!!! Our waiter was nice but he had to be the worst server ever!  He had to be reminded 2-3 times before he brought out our drinks and openly stated that the number of tables and the "order of them" were throwing him off. Huh? You serve tables for a living, dude!! It's not like you're running a fortune 500 company!!! Give me a break.

I ordered the gumbo as an appetizer and it was pretty good. Not really like I recalled it being at the hyde park location but it was still very enjoyable.

For my main course I ordered the blackened catfish with red beans and rice along with collared greens. First off, the red beans tasted like they came out of a can. Not good. They were okay but much better at the HP location. The greens were good and just as I recalled. The fish was also okay but nothing like the blackened version I was used to eating at the HP location.

I also the Louisiana Lemonade which is vodka mixed with lemonade and fruit punch. It was good but was't frozen like it typically was served at the Hyde Park location.

Long and short of it is that I won't make any special trips to visit Dixie again. I don't live in the area and rarely have reason to be over there. If you happen to be there and have a craving for cajun then go for it otherwise SKIP it. It's definitely not a desired destination.

If you've never been to New Orleans before, and have always wanted to, then this is the place for you. If you've been there and get that urge for some cajun food, come on up to Dixie Kitchen! They have the actual Pat O'Brien's Hurricane mix and their Swamp Water drink tastes just like a Grenade.

Now to the food. Everything I've tried there has been delicious. If you do make it out, you HAVE to get their jumbalaya.

It would be a 5-star review if it weren't for the slow service we've received on a couple occasions.  There have been times when we're practically the only table in the place is the employees were chumming in the bar. Other than that, it's a must-try.