Downtown Round Rock restaurant celebrates 10th anniversary of business

Ray and Melinda Overstreet never had formal restaurant training before they decided to open Lousiana Longhorn Cafe in 2003.

What they did possess, however, was an intricate knowledge of authentic Louisiana home-style cooking. The Overstreets are natives of Shreveport, La., where they say meals were a communal experience meant to be shared.

"We always liked to cook for people," Melinda said. "Back home you never knew who was going to show up, so you just cooked all day."

After graduating from Louisiana State University, Ray began a career in the oil industry that took the couple to stops in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama. As Ray neared retirement and the couple found a permanent home in Round Rock, the idea to start their own restaurant was hatched.

"[Ray] had a wild hair on his head one day and said, 'I am going to open a restaurant,'" Melinda said.

Prior to opening the restaurant, however, the chosen location had to undergo a complete renovation. The vacant building at 200 E. Main St. had been damaged by fire and required more than two years' worth of repairs and remodeling before the Overstreets could open Louisiana Longhorn Cafe.

"We never knew we were beat, so we never stopped [working on the restaurant]," Ray said.

Ten years later, it appears the Overstreets have created a staple of downtown Round Rock. The restaurant now enjoys strong support from a loyal clientele.

The Overstreets take pride in the authentic Louisiana taste and cooking methods offered on their menu. The dishes are borrowed from family recipes passed down through generations. The ingredients the Overstreets offer are sourced to duplicate or exceed what patrons would find in Louisiana, such as Texas brown shrimp, and bread delivered from Gambino's Bakery in New Orleans.

"This is the stuff that we would want to eat," Melinda said. "This is the stuff we grew up with, and that is what we serve."

Besides the chance to bring authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine to the residents of Round Rock, the Overstreets say they value the friendships they have developed.

"My perk in this job is all of the kids I get to play with," Ray said. "Since we opened, I have seen babies that came in when they were weeks old, and now they are 10 [years old]. I have seen children grow up to where now they bring their own kids in."

Melinda said she and Ray have attended customers' weddings, visited them at home when they are sick and celebrated their lives when they have died.

"Our customers have become like family," she said.

Cajun or Creole: geaux with what you know

Louisiana Longhorn Cafe serves both Cajun and Creole dishes. According to co-owners Ray and Melinda Overstreet, the cuisines represent two distinctly diverse cultural and ethnic groups within Louisiana.

Cajun

Cajun cuisine forms its roots from the Acadian immigrants who were deported from the French-speaking regions of Canada in the 18th century because of their refusal to swear allegiance to the king of England. Cajun dishes rely on a "holy trinity" of ingredients—onions, bell peppers and celery. Dishes commonly include rice, shrimp, crawfish and pork.

The smoked boudin ($10) is a traditional Cajun dish. The appetizer is made of smoked sausage and rice and is traditionally spread over crackers.

Creole

Creole cooking in Louisiana is a combination of the French, Spanish, Portuguese, Native American and African cultures who congregated in and around New Orleans. Creole dishes commonly include the same base ingredients as Cajun food, such as rice and shellfish, with the addition of rich sauces with spicy tomato bases.

An example of Creole cooking at Louisiana Longhorn Cafe is the shrimp Creole ($14.50). The dish is served in a large bowl with garlic-sauteed shrimp and rice served under a traditional spicy tomato-based sauce.

200 E. Main St., Round Rock, 512-248-2900, www.llcafe.com

• Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
• Fri. 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
• Sat. 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
• Sun. 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.