“Who is the Diabolical Genius…

that came up with this?” I asked. But more on that later.

No trip to Lafayette (LA) would be complete without one or two, and in this case three, visits to 2Pauls Radically Urban BBQ. How much do we like their food? Well, we spent almost two months in Texas, a state that some consider to be the BBQ capitol of the US, and were never tempted. We knew that soon we would be back home in Louisiana.

Some years ago, I quoted from the restaurant’s web site: “The two Paul's, Gary PAUL Roy from Oklahoma City, and Marilynn PAULE Fournet Adams from Lafayette, share a middle name. (That's right, her middle name is PAULE.) They also share a restaurant. Together they saw that BBQ was missing in Lafayette and pulled together a bright new concept that blended traditional Texas-Oklahoma-style smoke with authentic, homemade Cajun sides and seasonings.”

“2Paul’s BBQ has quickly become a staple in Lafayette when it comes to dining out and when it comes to getting your hands on some delicious BBQ…I had the pleasure of sampling a few of their entrees and was pleasantly surprised… I must admit from the start, I am a regular at 2Paul’s BBQ and the RIBS there are by far my favorite!! Sprinkle a little of 2Paul’s BBQ Sauce over the stack (The Pepper Jelly Sauce) and you will be BLOWN AWAY!! I have never tried 2Paul’s hamburgers, but for this Eat Lafayette visit I did, and I was IMPRESSED!! The bread, the meat, the condiments and more has me convinced that the burgers at 2Paul’s BBQ are one of Lafayette’s best kept secrets. Speaking of secrets, you will be taken back by the onion rings at 2Paul’s BBQ. They are lightly battered and they are NOT greasy!!!” (Chris Reed at 1079ishot.com).

Soon after arriving in Lafayette we visited the Johnston Street store and had a good long talk with Marilyn and got to see their expanded digs. They have taken over the storefront adjacent to the existing restaurant, and this gives them the option of having a private room for events and meetings. It was good to see Marilyn again.

And then came the food. Of course this included an order of their beer battered onion rings that Chuck and I consider to be the best anywhere.

And they are even better with the horseradish remoulade for dipping.

We ordered one pulled pork plate and one smoked sausage plate with fries and green beans as sides.

2Pauls smokes their meats with pecan wood and I think that this provides a softer and less intrusive smoky flavor. And they do their diners the courtesy of not saucing everything in sight. Rather, they leave that to the diner.

And then it was time for dessert which elicited the question that started this blog. They have added to the dessert menu of chocolate sheetcake, white chocolate bread pudding, and giant cookies a Blueberry-Jalepeno Short Cake.

The cake is like a very light cornbread, and it is chock full of blueberries with small slivers of jalapeno peppers. This is covered with blueberry topping and whipped cream. And who is that diabolical genius? It’s our man Josh shown in this photo.

The following week we traveled down to Broussard (Actually, only a seven-mile trip. It’s not like we were going to the end of the world.) to see Gary at their new (second) location. Just as we pulled up, Gary comes along in his vehicle with a vanity license plate reading 2Pauls.

As with Marilyn, we had the chance for a good talk, and when we commented on the onion rings, he admitted that he was very proud of them and had worked a long time on perfecting them.

So did Gary and Marilyn have a background in the food industry? No. Gary was a head hunter and Marilyn and interior designer. In fact, Marilyn is responsible for the bright and clean appearance of their restaurants.

Of course, we ordered the onion rings along with their coated fries.

And then we shared the three meat platter with double pulled pork and smoked sausage along with green beans and

potato salad.

And we finished with the blueberry-jalapeno shortcake.

When our time in Lafayette was nearing an end, I wanted to purchase some bulk pulled pork for the freezer. So another visit was in order. And there was another new menu item that I wanted to try.

Chuck ordered the sausage plate with potato salad and green beans.

Have I mentioned that the sausage at 2Pauls is made to their specifications at the well know (in these parts) Richards Cajun Foods in Church Point, LA.

And of course there were onion rings.

I tried the new menu item—the Shrimp Sammy with smoked Gulf shrimp, Vidalia onions, lettuce, and tomato and dressed with housemade remoulade.

They hit this one out of the park. You would think that smoking would overpower the natural flavor of the shrimp, but in the hands of a master (or masters), such was not the case.

We were too full on this trip to indulge in the shortcake. But I am already regretting not ordering it.

This is still our favorite place for BBQ and has been, and still is, a 5.0 Addie restaurant.

To review the role of Adler, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.