Yellow Bowl Restaurant

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The Yellow Bowl was established in 1927 by a local woman, known as Mrs. Scanton, “as a bus stop for the Greyhound bus line” , formally known as Teche bus lines. However, this information is rivaled with the details found in Dennis Covington’s article in Southern Living. Covington states that, the Yellow Bowl was “’Originally a tea house for sugarcane planters who lived in area mansions,’” providing visitors an atmosphere similar to a country retreat. It is also up for debate on how Mrs. Scanton developed the name “Yellow Bowl”. According to the Franklin Banner, “One story is that during the initial excavation, the builders came across one of the huge kettles used in making a boucherie or jambalaya [and it] was painted a bright yellow.” On another hand, it is believed that “the word ‘Bowl’ was used as a code word for places that served alcohol during prohibition.” Places throughout the south were known as “green bowls” and “red bowls”, and it is possible that this one location was considered a “yellow bowl”. After being open for ninety-five years, we still don’t have a definitive answer to many of these statements. One undisputed claim is that the restaurant is situated in its original location between Franklin and Jeanerette, LA on the old Highway 90 “which is today known as Highway 182.” In 1953, Tony and Margaret Roberts purchased the Yellow Bowl to “move the lowly crawfish onto restaurant tables of Louisiana.” Since then, the Yellow Bowl has been a family owned and operated business serving up the finest Cajun cuisine in Jeanerette. Their recipes date back to 1953 when Tony and Margaret became the owners of the Yellow Bowl, and everything is made daily from scratch to provide a “truly authentic Cajun fare.” Some of the featured dishes are crawfish etouffee, seafood platters, chicken dinners, baked spaghetti, and chicken and oyster gumbo. Even though Tony and Margaret Roberts’ goal was to specialize in crawfish, their most popular dish is their seafood gumbo which was recognized in the winter issue of Southern Living in 1992. Dennis Covington notes that the Yellow Bowl’s seafood gumbo was a top contender after the different ones he tasted throughout Southern Louisiana. He stated that “The ingredients were fresh, the stock smooth and rich. The color was amber, the taste not too hot. No one seasoning dominated. The normally strong flavors of shrimp and okra had melted into the whole. And the gumbo was served right out of the pot --- not reconstituted, as in many restaurants.” While enjoying their delicious seafood options, guests can also spend time dancing the night away to the music playing on the dance floor that was added in. If you are looking to enjoy some delicious seafood in a historic and fun location, the Yellow Bowl may the right place for you!