Cajun King opening a restaurant in Norman

[flintysooner]

I paid at the cashier's stand and was told to sit anywhere I liked. So I just grabbed a plate and looked over all the buffet tables first and then picked a few things to try before proceeding to an empty booth. I was a little disappointed because several of the selections were nearly empty including the gumbo.

But the blackened chicken and blackened pork chops were outstanding as were several other choices and my attitude began to adjust.

Then the server brought a basket of Beignets and they adjusted my attitude even more to the positive.

That was followed by a plate of catfish and sauce. But it wasn't just any catfish. I think it was probably the best catfish I've ever eaten.

I shared this sentiment with the owner who was right out there amongst us when he wasn't in the kitchen.

My attitude was so far positive by this time that I couldn't imagine it being any more favorable.

But then I finished up with some bread pudding.

Eager to return now.

PS - the gumbo tray was filled and it was an excellent spicy gumbo.

[Corndog1]

They going to have crawfish this season?

[soonerfan_in_okc]

it looks like they may have closed. Either that, or they were completely empty during the middle of the day. the building looks like it is in bad shape.

[Roger S]

They closed that location several weeks ago.... Someone needs to demolish that business before it kills another restaurant.

[kevinpate]

Next place that opens in that cursed spot needs to be Vinnie's Vegan Valley. That way I won't really care when yet another one bites the dust.

[rjstone208]

Spot is definitely cursed. But it also seems if places have gone in there that just didn't seem to fit. If I remember right Bellini's was first. Food was good but way overpriced for what you got (still is as far as I'm concerned). Don't remember all the other places. We did eat at Cajun King once, well tried to anyhow. Catfish was pretty good but rest was awful. Should just tear it down and return it to a parking lot.

[Video Expert]

Spot is definitely cursed. But it also seems if places have gone in there that just didn't seem to fit. If I remember right Bellini's was first. Food was good but way overpriced for what you got (still is as far as I'm concerned). Don't remember all the other places. We did eat at Cajun King once, well tried to anyhow. Catfish was pretty good but rest was awful. Should just tear it down and return it to a parking lot.

It was Pearl's for awhile after it was Bellini's. Can't remember what went in after Pearl's and before Cajun King. I agree the place is cursed.

[Roger S]

It was Pearl's for awhile after it was Bellini's. Can't remember what went in after Pearl's and before Cajun King. I agree the place is cursed.

It was a Chinese buffet but I forget the name.

[kevinpate]

B's, Pearl's, Othello's, China East, CK. There may have been others as well.

[MikeLucky]

After Pearl's it was The Islands... I still can't figure out why the Pearl's didn't make it. It was always good when I went.

[Mydalmationis8]

That location is definitely NOT cursed. Bellini's was overpriced and you couldn't get in and out of there for lunch in less than 90 minutes. Pearl's was there for 10 years and thrived in that building. I heard the reason it folded was that it was so successful, the franchise fee was jacked up to $50,000/year. The owner could not afford that, so he closed it as Pearl's and re-opened it as Island's. That seemed a half-hearted effort and without direction. It was Red River Ranch steakhouse for a while, then Othello's West. It failed as Othello's for he same reason Al Eschbach's place (which is now O'Connell's) folded - the owners got the crazy idea to pick up stakes and move to Bricktown to compete with the big boys. Both ventures failed quickly. The Chinese place was just nasty. The cajun place had potential, but the food was overcooked and overseasoned. In sum: the restaurants that actually failed at that location failed because the food & service were sub-par. The restaurants that voluntarily moved away to bigger markets were foolish.
The place can be a great restaurant; plenty of parking, decent sized building, etc. It just needs a new owner and a new concept. A decent seafood place would thrive in Norman.

[Roger S]

That location is definitely NOT cursed. ... In sum: the restaurants that actually failed at that location failed because the food & service were sub-par. The restaurants that voluntarily moved away to bigger markets were foolish.

Sounds like a sub-par/foolish curse to me.

[Video Expert]

That location is definitely NOT cursed. Bellini's was overpriced and you couldn't get in and out of there for lunch in less than 90 minutes. Pearl's was there for 10 years and thrived in that building. I heard the reason it folded was that it was so successful, the franchise fee was jacked up to $50,000/year. The owner could not afford that, so he closed it as Pearl's and re-opened it as Island's. That seemed a half-hearted effort and without direction. It was Red River Ranch steakhouse for a while, then Othello's West. It failed as Othello's for he same reason Al Eschbach's place (which is now O'Connell's) folded - the owners got the crazy idea to pick up stakes and move to Bricktown to compete with the big boys. Both ventures failed quickly. The Chinese place was just nasty. The cajun place had potential, but the food was overcooked and overseasoned. In sum: the restaurants that actually failed at that location failed because the food & service were sub-par. The restaurants that voluntarily moved away to bigger markets were foolish.
The place can be a great restaurant; plenty of parking, decent sized building, etc. It just needs a new owner and a new concept. A decent seafood place would thrive in Norman.

I agree 100% a decent seafood place would thrive in Norman. Pappadeaux would just kill it here. I thought the Pearl's did well too as I ate there quite often in the early 00's when it was in that building. It was definitely the most successful of the lot. I don't really and truly believe in "curses" necessarily, but it sure seems like one considering all of restaurants that have tried to make it in that building.


(I respectfully disagree about Pearl's thriving in that location for 10 years. That building was only constructed in 1999, and it was Bellini's for the first year or so. That means Pearl's would have had to have been there until 2010, and that's not possible considering all of the other restaurants you correctly listed that place has been since. I'm not 100%, but I recall Pearl's lasting only until about 2005 because I ate there all the time and was upset when it became The Islands.)