Head to the East side of Indianapolis, pull up to local Cajun restaurant Papa Roux and be prepared to have the best Cajun meal of your life.

Don’t underestimate this restaurant.  From the outside, it looks small and a little underwhelming.  The meals, however, are not.

For those who have never had the pleasure of experiencing Cajun food, it is a distinct taste.

Cajun is a type of cooking that originated in Louisiana and is a mix of African, Canadian, French and Native American influences.

A typical Cajun meal is cooked in three different pots.  One pot is reserved for the rice and cornbread, another is for vegetables and the third and final pot is used for the main dish.  Onions, celery and bell peppers are basic ingredients of the cuisine that can be found in many Cajun dishes.

Bayleaf, cayenne pepper, parsley and scallions are some of the main seasonings that are incorporated in a multitude of Cajun dishes.

The primary foods found in the main dishes include chicken, fish, pork, shrimp or turkey.

If you want your food to be hot and spicy, there are also dishes for that. One such dish is the chili, a vegetarian and is very spicy. Various peppers are added for flavor, not heat.

The favorite dish at Papa Roux is the restaurant’s Chicken Po-Boy.  This sub-like sandwich is made with tender chicken, a secret Cajun mayonnaise called Vouxdoux and coleslaw.

While dining in, visitors can receive their choice of unlimited sides, including cornbread, bread pudding, white rice, applesauce, red beans and rice and etouffee. Sweet tea is available free of charge.

Generally, there’s a sandwich, stew or soup for any taste, and you can add or subtract anything to or from a sandwich.

The environment inside  Papa Roux is friendly and fun.

Upon ordering food and drink, customers make their way to one of the inside or outside tables and raise the flag attached to the napkin holder. can order their sides at the table while waiting for the main dish.

Customers should be sure to enter Papa Roux with a voracious appetite and an empty stomach as the food will keep you full for hours on end. With so many options and unlimited sides to choose from, one thing is impossible to ignore: the proprietors at Papa Roux do not want their patrons walking away hungy.

Papa Roux is located at 8950 E. 10th St.