Charlotte Elite Event: Cajun Invasion at Cajun Queen

Another great Charlotte Unilocal event — props to Nicole, the hostess with the mostest!
Bullet points:
Cajun Queen — cool building, cool location, cool vibe
Free beer — loved the Mother Earth Brew (especially the Belgium) and they are local to NC — double thumbs up!
Free wine — 3 Girls Wine was tasty and went down too easy
Free food — the craw fish étouffée was spicy and deeelish! loved the oysters, loved the bread pudding!
House Band — they have been playing for over 20 years here and I have been coming here for about that long. They rock, well in a jazz way and they always know my requests.
Yeah Unilocal!!!and I love meeting and talking to my new Unilocal friends!

This was an awesome event! Lots of new faces.
Thank you distributors for Mother Earth Brewery and 3 Sisters wine. Lots of tasty samples! I’m definitely going to be hunting down the Mother Earth IPA this summer.
And Cajun Queen. Thank you for taking the time to make the odd vegan some veggies and a vegan creole sauce! I’ve never had Cajun and I definitely was a fan.

Nicole… Todd… Thanks for another wonderful event! This was my first time to Queen Cajun and it is safe to say that it won’t be my last.
Food: Fried Oysters were nice and crispy on the outside and delightfully gooey on the inside. The perfect spice for both the oysters and the shrimp. On the main course… Lay down a bed of rice, throw some «jerk like» chicken and two different kinds of red bean delicousness and BAM… You are set! Now, I like my food to have a KICK but this was, what I would call, a controlled KICK. Just enough spice to get the tongue and mouth salivating and begging for more. You could always add some more Louisiana hot sauce if you wanted. Then, to top it off… bread pudding. Oh Lordy Lord Lord, the bread pudding. SOOOOOooo good. I went back for thirds. I would go back just for the bread pudding.
Atmosphere/​Staff: Bo, the bartender made a mean Hurricane and had extensive knowledge of the shrimp apps that proved to be very helpful. Everything about the two story restaurant was uniquely decorated and made you feel comfortable and relaxed. The upstairs outdoor patio was quaint and cozy with a classy touch. Overall, simply wonderful.
Please give it a try. You wont regret it.
Enjoy
–Ian M.

I am always so impressed with the Charlotte Unilocal events. Thank you so much Nicole and Todd, you are truly lovely.
The food and drinks were amazing and the staff at Cajun Queen were delightful. Until then, I had no idea Cajun Queen had one of the best patio spots in the neighborhood! Will definitely be going back again.

I can’t believe this was my first time to Cajun Queen! Shame on you Todd… what a great place. The «comfort feel» when you walk in is great. They’ve got multiple rooms to sit in downstairs and upstairs leads you to the open bar area and outdoor deck!
Food was fantastic and Bo made a killer Hurricane! I especially liked the Etoufee & bread pudding, though it all was great! Fried oysters… com’on man… so good! And the BBQ shrimp… that sauce… DAMN…so good! This was also my first experience with Mother Earth Brewing and 3 Girls winery… both great! The Pinot Noir & Dunkel were my favorites!
What was cool about this event (for me) was that it was during the mid-​afternoon and the weather cooperated. Props to Nicole for switching up the timing it up on us and turning a casual holiday weekend into an event-​filled afternoon with old friends and new Unilocalers!
See you all soon!

Another fabulous event! I was a bit hesitant about going since I’ve only been to Cajun Queen once before and had a less than stellar experience. However, any opportunity for a place to sway my vote is welcome. I felt very special getting access to the Cajun Queen since they open at 5P daily but it was a perfect opportunity to check out their top level and patio area – who knew they even have that? Hello, new spot for afternoon drinking!
Let’s talk booze. Mother Earth Brewing now holds a special place in my heart. The Weeping Willow Wilt was a refreshing, Belgian style and immediately won me over. I eventually tried out the Sisters of The Moon IPA, which I couldn’t remember it’s name so I kept calling it Sons of Jupiter or Father of Mars. Equally awesome as well. Mother Earth Brewing is also from the eastern part of NC – hooray for drinking to support local biz! As for 3 Girls Wine, I didn’t get to try any but feel compelled to purchase a bottle since I am one of three girls.
Let’s talk grub. I want to live in a world where I can eat fried oysters each day. That and the bbq shrimp appetizer were rich and delightful-​an ideal appetizer that brought us to the meal. I didn’t expect there to be an actual meal, just finger foods, so when I saw the buffet style set up, I was on it like white on rice. Literally. I could have had a plate of their white rice alone but didn’t want to be rude and not try anything else. The Crawfish Étouffée knocked my socks off and I could have gone back for seconds, thirds or fourths of the peach bread pudding.
Big props to the house band that’s been there for 24 years coming in to play for us, Cajun Queen for changing my mind about their food, Mother Earth Brewing and 3 Girls for providing libations and Nicole for organizing – such a fun way to spend a Saturday!

I cannot honestly think of a better way to spend a beautiful afternoon than sitting on the balcony and drinking one of those amazing hurricanes… or Sisters of the Moon IPA… or some great Chardonnay from 3 girls wine !
The food was delicious — my favorite was definitely the bread pudding… peachy sweet deliciousness!
Music and staff at Cajun Queen were great and overall the event had a really fun vibe!
Thanks NIcole, Todd, the Photog, Cajun Queen Staff and libations staff!
You guys rock !

Thanks to Unilocal for another fantastic elite event! Great food, great drinks, great company, and great (grandfathers) playing in the jazz band… seriously enjoyed ourselves!
I’m a fan of Cajun Queen — have been twice before and enjoyed every morsel. The stars of this particular experience for me were the shrimp appetizer, the blackened chicken, and the peach bread pudding. I have yet to try something that I haven’t enjoyed at the CQ.
The jazz band (who have played there for over 24 years) kept the chill vibe going while we imbibed in some delicious 3 Girls wine (sold at Harris Teeter for under $ 12 a bottle; the pinot noir and the cabernet were both fantastic) and Mother Earth Brewery beers. Be sure to check out the outdoor seating on the second floor on nice afternoons/​evenings.
Job well done, Nicole. Job well done!

Awesome event, food, beer, and wine! The Cajun Queen band was excellent as well. We loved the shrimp and fried oyster appetizers along with the 3 Girls vino. The Chardonny, Pinot Noir, and the Cab all were very enjoyable. Since they are available at local HTs, we will certainly be quaffing them again! We enjoyed all of the food, but my favs were definitely the Blackened Chicken and Crawfish Étouffée. I also have to give a shout-​out to the Weeping Willow Wit provided by Mother Earth Brewing.

The mudbugs were swimming in a delicious étouffée. Down the table, the red beans were ready to be poured out on the rice (those crawfish would hear nothing of it, however). And not to take away from the peach bread pudding, the cajun fried oysters or the barbecue shrimp, but the blackened chicken was the star of the show — though the band really gave them a run for their money.
Awesome seeing the Unilocal crew, but especially the lovely mom and dad of our own Danielle P. I hope they make it back to The First State safely, and that we did not scare them too badly!
Special thanks to 3 Girls Wine and Mother Earth Brewing, and a huge thanks to our host Cajun Queen — the service was top-​notch. My glass was never empty. Of course a big shout out to our own CM for putting on another great event. Best. Feast. Yet.