Getty Chef Robert Irvine onstage during a culinary demonstration.
Robert Irvine and the Restaurant: Impossible crew visited Lil G’s Restaurant in Belle Chasse, Louisiana for the newest episode of the show.
The episode, which is titled “Lost in the Bayou,” will show Irvine’s meeting with Therese, who bought Lil G’s Kajun Restaurant 12 years ago.
She had no experience in the restaurant industry prior to the purchase, but she has relied on her daughter’s help to keep the restaurant afloat. They needed Restaurant: Impossible after losing more than $100,000 a year for a few consecutive years.
Brooke, the owner’s daughter, learned how to run the books and systems in the restaurant, but her take-home pay was only $14,000 a year at the time of Irvine’s visit.
The makeover happened in December 2019 and they are still in business. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Restaurant Got One of the Most Dramatic Renovations
According to a teaser for the episode, Lil G’s Kajun Restaraunt received one of the most dramatic renovations ever attempted on the show.
Lil G’s thanked the community and the Restaurant: Impossible crew for the transformation in a Facebook post.
“WOW! What a whirlwind weekend at Lil G’s! It is truly amazing the transformation that has taken place in the last 48 hours,” the post says. “So many thank yous where to start? OUR STAFF!!! Y’all are so great, it’s exciting. Robert Irvine and his entire team, literally some of the nicest, and most knowledgeable people you could meet. We cannot thank you enough. Our community, all the volunteers. Thank you.”
They asked that the community not post pictures on social media and also said they would be serving a limited menu for the time being.
According to the Lil G’s Kajun Restaurant website, the menu features two types of Louisiana oysters. They come raw or chargrilled. The raw oysters are served with lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish, and the chargrilled are served with garlic sauce, parmesan and romano.
The menu also features seafood-heavy options like shrimp, oyster and crab Po-Boys and sandwiches. Pasta options include Jambalaya pasta, and house specialties include fried catfish, stuffed crab, catfish, crawfish and crab. There’s also a create your own combination platter where the customer can choose from catfish, butterfly shrimp, oysters, crab and crawfish.
Reviews are Mixed
The reviews for Lil G’s Kajun restaurant range from positive to neutral depending on which review site is referenced. On Google reviews, Lil G’s has a 4.0 out of 5-star rating based on 355 reviews.
On Yelp, the restaurant has 3 out of 5 stars based on 85 total reviews. Of the five reviews left since the Restaurant: Impossible renovation, four are three stars or less. Those reviews mention slow service but also mention the food is good. the positive review mentions a sweet waitress and urges people to try the restaurant.
TripAdvisor has 49 reviews for Lil G’s Kajun Restaurant for a total of 3.5 stars. Only two of those reviews have been left since the renovation, however. One of the reviewers mentions that the interior has been completely remodeled.
“The food is mixed. The crab ball appetizer was very good with a tasty remoulade sauce … in summary, they do a good job with fried seafood. It is crisp and not oily. It might be best to stick with that,” the reviewer wrote.
Tune in to Restaurant: Impossible at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Food Network to see the renovation for yourself.
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