(Port Allen, Louisiana)
Bergeron's in 2006 and then again in November, 2009. There is now a large dining room.
This is a Re-review/Update to the
original review. Above: The link in 20006; Below: The link in 2009. Yes, it is actually darker! Still a huge link of moist boudin.   This close-up on the interior reveals the smooth gravy-laden interior of this large link.  The boudin balls didn't fair as well. Notice how the filling has pulled away from the fried shell. Not ideal.
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Ambiance: Make sure you get
here before 2:00 (on Saturdays) or you'll only be able to enjoy the
ambiance from the parking lot. Inside you'll find a fine meat market
with stuffed and season meats galore. They have delicious sounding
plate lunches and fine selection of meat and crawfish pies. Overall
it is a great stop in Port Allen.
They also now have a large dining area with a large array of
plate lunches, poboys, sandwiches, and hamburgers. Location: 760 Highway 415, Port Allen, LA 70767
The Boudin
Price: $2.99 lb.
($3.19 as of November 2009)Presentation: Pulled from a refrigerator case and heated in the microwave then wrapped in white butcher paper. The second time I got it in the restaurant where it was piping hot in a warmer at the front counter. The boudin, ball sat in a warming zone. Casing: Kind of tough. Good for squeezing. Not so good for biting. Rice/Meat Ratio: More rice than meat. Texture: A dryish mash of rice surrounds small pieces of slow-cooked pork. The pork pieces are whole (intact) while the rice is roughly minced. The greens are hardly noticeable. This time I notice that there are some medium sized chunks of pork and many small pieces of shredded pork. The pork is tender and juicy as you would expect your pork to come out if you'd braised it for a while. Spice: Mild/Medium Overall Taste: Slightly bland and a little too dark. I thought that it might be red boudin when I first opened it up. There is a dark and quite delicious gravy that is, essentially, the defining component of this link. Comments: Bergeron's hours are not conducive to an "anytime" link fix. On Saturday they are only open til 2:00 (even on LSU game days!). Still, if you do find yourself in Port Allen, on your way to or from Baton Rouge, you might want to give them a shot. Heck the meat pies alone looked and smelled fantastic and they have a whole range of plate lunches. They're certainly a better option than a flimsy fast-food burger. The cracklin were good, if a touch bland. This really is a delicious link. The unique gravy and braised style pork almost make it a link in a class by itself.   This is the new dining room section where you can get a whole meal or plate lunch. They do quite a lunch business. So much so that they have to pre-plate the lunches and have them lined up and ready to go.  |