Dat Cajun Guy just opened a restaurant in Haleiwa

Hip, hip, beign-YAY! Po' boys, BBQ and biscuit-and-gravy breakfasts

Dat Cajun Guy is known for his beignets, po’ boy sandwiches, gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice and other Cajun and Creole dishes. His food truck could always be spotted in a crowded food truck lot in Haleiwa — until last November. That’s when Dat Cajun Guy announced he was closing the truck to open up a restaurant. The projected opening was mid-December, but it was delayed.

Until yesterday! Dat Cajun Guy’s new restaurant opened in Opal Thai’s old space in Haleiwa early Monday morning. Besides being in a brick-and-mortar, there’s one other big change — they’re serving breakfast for the first time. While the lunch menu still features the famous fried shrimp po’ boys, New Orleans barbecue shrimp and other customer favorites, the breakfast menu is separate and only available from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Or until the homemade biscuits run out.

The breakfast selection is small, but I can guarantee you’ll still be stuck on what to order … just because everything sounds so dang good.

You can add a meat for an extra charge. Just do it — and go for the smoked sausage ($2.50) or bacon ($2.50). The sausage is especially great if you want a super umami sandwich with smoky flavor. The biscuit is on the crumbly side and falls apart easily, so I recommend using a fork and knife. But if you want to just dig in, there’s no judgment here.

You can add cheese, smoked sausage, bacon or veggie patties for an additional charge. Sausage gravy comes highly recommended, and it doesn’t disappoint — I think there’s almost more sausage chunks than gravy. The sausage is hearty and flavorful and the billowy, moist biscuits are perfect for mopping up the thick gravy. I inhale it all and fall into a food coma immediately after. This is comfort food at its finest; next time, I’m going to add cheese. 

The breakfast plate ($10) is the only menu item that I don’t order, but I feel like I tasted its elements in the first two dishes. If you’re curious it’s a good sampler, with two eggs, a homemade biscuit and your choice of smoked sausage, bacon or veggie patties.

Dat Cajun Guy is known for his signature sweet tea ($2.50), but if you’re there for breakfast, get the hot coffee ($3). It’s a new addition, a chicory coffee that makes the dark roast less bitter while giving it a more robust taste. And there’s free refills.

Whether you’re dining in or taking your breakfast to-go, be sure to get some beignet bites ($5). Anyone who’s visited Dat Cajun Guy truck knows about his signature puffy, powdered, sugar-laden beignets. The restaurant version is a little different — same recipe and addictiveness, but bite-size and easier to down.

Beignets are made to order, and words are almost insufficient to describe how amazing these piping hot, miniature pillows of fried goodness are. They’re puffy and light on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and wonderfully sugary all over.

Though the morning service is a little slow — granted, it’s their opening day — the breakfast menu is full of promise. It’s simple but well executed, with savory, comforting flavors and hefty portions.  

It’s more than enough to make me start planning my next trek out to Haleiwa for lunch. 

Dat Cajun Guy
66-197 Kam. Hwy.
Haleiwa
861-5567
Mon-Sat, closed Sunday
Breakfast 7-10:30 a.m. (or until biscuits run out)
Lunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.