Down by the Bayou!

Cajun cuisine has arrived in the Roanoke Valley and it appears it's here to stay. The Quarter is owned and was started by Chip Moore, who has already had great success with two of south Roanoke's most popular restaurants, Annie Moore's Irish Pub and the Brambleton Deli. Now, Moore is introducing a New Orleans-style menu and atmosphere to downtown Roanoke and it seems to be a big hit. The Quarter was recently voted as the winner of the best new restaurant in town in The Roanoker magazine's 2011 Readers' Choice Dining Awards.

I've been to The Quarter a couple times over the past month, and I like the addition it brings to the downtown dining scene. The atmosphere, while a bit cliche, is really cool. Lots of hardwood, an impressive chandelier over the bar, and a beautiful outdoor courtyard provide an enjoyable environment whether you choose to dine in-or-outside. The service has been good both times I've been there, once for lunch and once for dinner, and the servers were friendly and prompt.

The Courtyard

When I went for dinner, I was very impressed with the food. I ordered sweet tea to drink and thought it was great - sweeter than most people like but perfect for my tastes. For an appetizer, we tried the crawfish tails, which are fried and served with a remoulade sauce. The crawfish were nicely breaded and had a good salty taste, which paired well with the creamy remoulade sauce. I had the jambalaya as my entree, which had good spice (both heat and flavor) and a very generous portion. The jambalaya had shrimp (which were rather small), sausage, chicken, rice, and a variety of vegetables. The flavors mixed well together and I ended up taking half of it home. I scaled it back when I went for lunch and ordered a shrimp po'boy. The sandwich was decent but rather skimpy on the shrimp and the bread overpowered everything else. A few more shrimp on the sandwich and it would have been a winner.

The value for The Quarter isn't bad. For lunch, they have a good selection of entrees in the $6-$10 price range and dinner entrees fit more in the $10-$15 range. They also have a nice looking brunch menu, which is available on the weekend. The menu has a number of things I look forward to trying, whether it's for brunch, lunch, or dinner. After receiving a few less than favorable reviews when they first opened, I think The Quarter has been able to iron out most of the kinks and are now well on their way to becoming a downtown staple.