The stretch of River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge runs past sugar cane fields, plantation houses, and industrial corridors, and it has been producing some of the most serious smoked meat in Louisiana for longer than most people realize. These three operations represent the tradition at different stages of its evolution, from a family smokehouse open since 1950 to a backyard obsession turned River Road destination.
Gonzo’s Smokehouse
Jason Gonzalez spent years working in the oil and gas industry before a round of layoffs sent him back to the offset smoker he’d been running as a weekend hobby since 2016. What started as a backyard cook-off habit grew into a storefront on River Road in Luling, then into one of the most talked-about BBQ operations in the River Parishes. The approach is Central Texas in method: white oak and pecan timber, long, low-temperature smokes, bark-forward brisket, and house-made sausages that don’t cut corners on fat or seasoning.
The smoked brisket boudin is the menu item that turns first-timers into regulars, the kind of dish that takes an established Louisiana tradition and runs it through a Texas smokehouse sensibility without losing what made the original worth eating. Gonzalez recently moved the operation to a larger space at 13899 River Road, next to German Coast Beer Co., which now gives customers outdoor seating with a view of the offset smokers running in the yard.
Gonzo’s operates a Friday BBQ window from 11:30 am to 3 pm or until sellout, with pre-orders available at gonzosmokehouse.com. Call (504) 858-6241 to confirm current service days before making the trip.
Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse
LaPlace calls itself the Andouille Capital of the World, and the claim runs through Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse on West 5th Street, where the business has been operating since 1950. The founder built his reputation on hand-butchered natural pork, coarsely ground and stuffed into casings, then smoked for hours over real wood using techniques brought to Louisiana from France in the 1700s. Each link runs one to one-and-a-half pounds. The smokehouse has passed through generations of the family with the same attention to the original standards, and the andouille that comes off those racks is the kind used by the city’s best restaurant kitchens in their gumbo and jambalaya.
The restaurant side serves traditional Cajun and Creole plates built around the in-house smoked products, with daily lunch specials, a brisket sandwich that regulars make the drive specifically for, and a New Orleans-style brunch on Sundays. The Travel Channel filmed here for Food Paradise’s Food on Fire episode, which brought outside attention without changing anything about how the place operates.
Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse is at 769 W. 5th Street in LaPlace, open daily from 9 am to 2 pm. Call (985) 652-9990 or order smoked andouille and tasso for shipping at wjsmokehouse.com.
Boudreaux’s River Road Restaurant
Chef Joe Boudreaux grew up in Destrehan and spent thirteen years cooking at Frenier Landing Restaurant in LaPlace before co-owner Crystal Bird spotted the old Truck Farm Tavern building on River Road in St. Rose and convinced him to take the leap. The building is beautiful in the way old River Road buildings tend to be, and the menu Boudreaux built around it reflects both his Cajun roots and his years cooking local seafood and proteins at a serious level.
The smoked BBQ anchor is the mixed platter, which runs pulled pork, hot sausage, and brisket together on one plate with sides that read like a Louisiana comfort food checklist. The jalapeño biscuits with seasoned butter have earned their own reputation, as has the chocolate chip milk cake. The menu runs wider than pure smokehouse, with redfish tacos, pastas, and seafood adding enough range to make it a full dinner destination rather than a lunch-only stop.
Boudreaux’s River Road Restaurant is at 11760 River Road in St. Rose, open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Call (504) 800-4484 or check current specials at boudreauxsrrrestaurant.com.
