Papa Roux Serves Bayou Creole-Inspired Cuisine in Muskegon

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI — A new restaurant is heating up the Lake Michigan shoreline, offering foodies a classic take on Creole cuisine straight from the bayou.

Owner Rey Peña opened Papa Roux in late May in one of 17 Western Market Chalets in downtown Muskegon, 307 West Western Ave., Unit F, to bring Creole cuisine and Hawaiian ice cream to West Michigan residents.

“I’m in a one-man army,” Peña said. “I just wanted to bring something unique to the area that wasn’t your typical taco shop or sandwich shop, something unusual. But I felt, based on the demographic, that they were going to appreciate that type of cuisine, and it worked.”

He told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that the inspiration to open Papa Roux came from his love of cooking and exposure to diverse cultures and cuisines.

Eventually, Peña said he wants to use his business name and brand to generate profits for a local membership-based food club.

“It’s unique in that I want to combine a for-profit business with a nonprofit mission,” he said. “I’m growing my business very intentionally and slowly, because if I open stores really fast, they’re going to grow really fast, and that’s what I anticipate. I’ve sold out of my product multiple times since I opened, and I’m still selling out of my product. “It’s a really good sign that the word is getting out and I need to keep expanding.”

The best-selling item on the current summer menu, which continues to sell out, is the classic and spicy Cheeto Boudin Balls.

The dish consists of boudin, a pork sausage made with rice and seasonings, stuffed into a casing. Each order comes with three balls of boudin: $4.44 for the original and $5.55 for the Hot Cheeto.

For a refreshing finishing touch, guests can also enjoy Papa’s authentic Hawaiian ice cream flavors with premium imported fruit syrup. Starting at $1.99 for a kids shaved ice, guests can choose from three options including strawberry, cotton candy, blue raspberry, green apple or sugar-free fruit punch.

Papa Roux’s Cajun Bouillie Yellow Cake will also soon be available at the Muskegon Farmers Market, alongside a fully established DoorDash menu including Gator Po’ Boys, shrimp and grits, Cajun smothered oxtail and more.

Peña said there is no one in the area serving dishes like alligator or crawfish po’boys while seeking to end food waste and food shortages. He said he plans to carry out this mission by forming a board of directors made up of local residents interested in his vision and partnering with local supermarkets to “rescue” their food waste and offer $400 worth of food for just $11 to $17 a month to those in need.

“I want to create a unique restaurant for the city of Muskegon where we will offer Cajun specialties, po’boys, boudin balls and shaved ice, but also get to a point where I can expand my mission of fighting food shortages and provide access to food to more people in the area,” he added. “I want to be able to fight food shortages and still have a restaurant.”

Papa Roux’s hours of operation are 11am to 4pm, Thursday through Saturday. Stay up to date on other opening dates by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigan’s Best Local Restaurants? Send details, including business name, address and top menu item, to Skyla Jewell-Hammie at [email protected].

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