Cain Gang Chicken & Waffles — Restaurant in Ruston

Our group recently had the opportunity to dine at Cain Gang as part of a coordinated stop during our group’s travels. Prior to our visit, I spoke directly with the owner to arrange a group dining experience. At the time, we anticipated approximately 40 guests, though our final count was closer to 30.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted at the entrance by three young ladies. Two of them appeared to be in high school, and while they were aware of our group’s reservation, their initial reaction was far from welcoming. After confirming that we would be dining in, the two younger girls exchanged glances and commented—rather loudly—that it was “a lot of dishes to wash,” followed by a joking question of, “Who’s going to do that?” Their demeanor set an unfortunate tone, and I politely asked if they would prefer that we leave. Thankfully, the third young lady—who carried herself with far more professionalism—stepped in, assured us we were welcome, and began seating our group. She later introduced herself as the owner's daughter and proceeded to take our orders with grace and attentiveness, even apologizing for the earlier interaction. Her service was a bright spot in our experience, though regrettably, her shift ended before our food arrived.

To help expedite our service and make things smoother for the kitchen, I ordered six servings of Rotel fries for the group as appetizers. While I understand large group orders can take extra time, the overall wait was still longer than expected, particularly since only one other table was occupied in the restaurant at the time. The food itself was average. While some dishes met expectations, others fell a bit short. In my case, the wings I ordered were not as crispy as requested.

When I went to settle the bill, I had a brief interaction with the owner, Mr. Cain. He asked about our experience, and I shared my concern about the wings. His response—“They probably had too many in the basket at one time”—lacked the accountability I would hope for in a hospitality setting. I also mentioned the unprofessional behavior of the two young ladies at the hostess station. Instead of acknowledging the concern, he quickly dismissed it by stating that they were “just 14-year-old children.”

While I understand that family-run businesses often involve younger family members, professionalism and basic hospitality should never be optional—especially when accommodating a large, pre-arranged group. Our group always strives to support local businesses, and we appreciate the effort that goes into running a small restaurant. However, the experience at Cain Gang felt uneven—moments of warmth and good service were unfortunately overshadowed by a lack of readiness, delayed food, and poor first impressions.

I hope that with a bit more training and attention to guest experience, Cain Gang can rise to meet the level of service its...

The young lady at the kiosk when you first enter was nice. Saw the owner and he didn't speak, but that doesn't bother me as much. The prices on doordash are vastly different than prices when you dine-in.

Ok for the food. The Rotel was very good but it's not really hard to make. The chicken wings were severely under seasoned. I could only taste the oil it was fried in. My bf had the chicken thighs and they did sprinkle a bit of season salt on top which was all the flavor you could get. He liked it. I, on the other hand, felt the food was overpriced for what we got. The waffle isn't even anything special. Thick and hard to swallow. No flavor. No nutmeg. No cinnamon. Just batter. For a place that focuses on chicken and waffles, I thought it would be stellar. Some locals did say it tasted better when he was cooking out his kitchen. Oh and the fish ........absolutely terrible. We're from out of town and the fish was a disgrace to LA. Not sure if it was because it was a child's meal that no love and care was put into it or what, but after driving 15 mins, the fish should still be flaky with tender flesh at least. Gave it to my son and the breading was so hard to tear through. Really disappointed....

JUST GO! I haven't had a bad meal yet. My favorite is the burgers, the Philly, the chicken, the fries....who am I kidding. 😆 we LOVE THIS PLACE...something for everyone...the waffles are AMAZING too...I Kid you not, from my husband to my eldest to my 5 year old and my picky eaters...we enjoy every bit of Cain Gangs Menu. Yall just JUST GO TRY IT. LOOK there is a wait...but it's worth it, it's always made fresh. Their servers are doing their best and learning, so be kind...we have only had good experiences. This is a Restaurant that was built on a passion for food and feeding people. Trust me you're in...