Shay's Creole Smokehouse (Hosted by The Millstream) — Restaurant in Saint Charles

Long post warning....but for a good reason. First off....Happy Father's day to all the dads. Enjoy your day however you wish. My daughter Cat took me to lunch today. I've been wanting to try my fellow hs alumni place, Shays Creole smokehouse. All I can say is...if you haven't been yet....you must go. I think Shay Landry has a voodoo queen in his kitchen because the magic i experienced today is nothing short of insane deliciousness to the infinite power. We started with a special appetizer....Shayquitos. Three smoked meats and caramelized veggies wrapped in a tortilla then deep fried. Served with creole spiced cheese sauce. Shay this needs to be on the regular menu. I had the burnt ends with creole corn and the pit beans. Cat had the shrimp and brisket étouffé with fried okra. The barbecue showed off his over a decade in the stl BBQ scene. Perfect combo of seasoning, bark, smoke ring, and tenderness. The corn was a phenomenal accoutrement and the pit beans.......DAYUM!!!! I need a quart of those. Even if you don't like baked beans.....you'll love these. Sweet, smoky, with very rich dark undertones. The étouffé would make Justin Wilson proud. My first experience with cajun/creole food was crayfish étouffé from Broussards in Soulard. His use of a beautiful roux, the trinity, the brisket and shrimp was nothing short of superb. We had a game plan after the waitress (who was phenomenal btw) mentioned a smoked cheesecake with an amaretto cherry compote. Holy diabetes batman....smoking the cheesecake adds a complexity that rounded out the dessert like nothing I've tried before. A perfect way to top off an absolutely fabulous lunch.

I say this, if you don't give Shay's Creole Smokehouse a try you are doing yourself a disservice. The atmosphere is eclectic and quaint. The service was impeccable. The food....well I think I've covered that aspect throughly. They're only open Thursday through Sunday (lunch only on Sunday) so I suggest going early. They sellout quite often. Shay you've got lightning in a bottle here. Keep up the great work, and yes we...

F A N T A S T I C. We found this spot by chance and couldn’t have been anymore pleased! It’s of course nestled in one of the most beautiful settings on Main Street in St Charles! The building itself is gorgeous, very well decorated with vintage mugs and a taste of Nee Orleans all around. You seat yourself upon entering, indoor and outdoor seating to choose from. Our server was a gem, I wish I could remember her name! She was so helpful and accommodating walking us through the menu options, specials, drinks and desserts. A lot of the items we ordered were out for the day (we went around 6pm), but we’d long forgotten about it once our food came out. WOW. Everything had a fantastic taste, look and smell to it. We got the Brisket, which was more thinly sliced than expected, but delicious! The Cuban was the best sandwich I’ve had in years! The Gumbo had the most perfect taste and consistency, the Pit Beans were delicious, the Creole Corn was great and the BBQ sauce was incredible as well. I just cannot rave more about this place! Their drink menu is even extensive and they have a full bar. We cannot...

I'll start this review off by saying: I will judge an establishment's food by how good the leftovers are the next day... Shay's food was delicious the next day STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FRIDGE!!! It was so good that I could not wait for the microwave to warm it up... I woke up and had to put it back in my face immediately!!

I got a variety of Shay's offerings for mine & my sister's birthday party. We got the brisket, chicken, pit beans, beans & rice, mac'n'cheese, creole corn, potato salad and some extra bbq sauce. Every bit of it was AMAZING!! The love Shay puts into his food was undeniable and there is a taste of it in every bite. I can not recommend visiting Shay's Smokehouse enough!! 🥰🥰🥰

(And if you are wondering how spicy it is, being that it's creole/cajun.. no worries... Shay puts the yum in without buring your face off!! But be sure to ask about certain dishes if you are spicy-challenged)

Sorry I don't have photos... the moment we opened all the containers the smell hit us and there was simply no time for doing the Instagram...