Bringing together music and Louisiana cuisine, Cajun Girls Bistro opened Aug. 7 in Bogalusa.

Electing to go with a soft opening to give the staff of approximately 15 a chance to become familiar with the menu and operations, owner/ manager Debbie Maddox said a grand opening is in the works for a later date.

Maddox describes the bistro as “kind of a cross between Cajun and jazz.” She said she periodically enters the restaurant with guitar in hand, to sing and play music for her customers.

A Slidell native and the former co-owner of another restaurant, Maddox selected Bogalusa as the location for Cajun Girls Bistro because she already knew many of the residents, finding them to be friendly and receptive to new businesses, she said.

“It seems like everybody wants you to make it here, so they give you a lot of support,” she said. “And that helps when you’re starting out in business, to get that support from your community.”

Maddox said the customer response so far has “been awesome” and that the diners are enjoying trying out all the new recipes.

Cajun Girls Bistro offers specialty dishes such as stuffed fish with seafood sauce and traditional Cajun dishes including crawfish etouffee, shrimp Creole, smothered Cajun chicken and crawfish pie, along with other favorites.

“We have steaks that will melt in your mouth. They are so good,” she said, adding that “anything over 16 ounces is cut to order.”

The menu also includes a variety of seafood options, numerous types of poboys and hamburgers.

An all-day operation, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“I don’t close in between any of it,” Maddox said. “We’re still here, so if you want a late breakfast or a late lunch, you can have it.”

Beginning at lunch time, a salad bar is available, Maddox said. The restaurant also features a seasonal oyster bar and Boudreaux’s Pub, where happy hour is offered each Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., she said.

The hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday hours are 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., with the “Country Sunday” pick five special offered, giving customers their choice of several meat, vegetable and starch options and including a drink and desert, Maddox said. Only Boudreaux’s Pub is open on Mondays — as a destination for enjoying Monday Night Football — from 3 p.m., till, she said.

The restaurant can also be booked for special occasions, Maddox said.

Cajun Girls Bistro is located at 63304 Louisiana Highway 10 and can be reached by calling 732-7222. A website is in development at cajungirlsbistro.com, and the restaurant also has a page on Facebook, Maddox said.