Louisiana Rub Down rolled into Oxford about six weeks ago offering boudin balls and other Cajun eats, burgers, and ribs as Oxford’s newest restaurant.
“We can’t keep enough of the boudin balls,” said Mike Thompson, who is the co-owner with his wife, Regarner. Located on Highway 30, just across from Stout’s carpets, the restaurant is thriving as word spreads of the good eats.
Unique to Oxford, boudin balls contain rice and crawfish, fried with dough that comes out of the pot looking like a hushpuppy.
The Oxford couple moved to Baton Rouge for 25 years and returned home with a collection of black, cast iron pots, which now provide the flavor for red beans and rice, jambalaya, and other Cajun fair.
“We offer what I have fed my family and friends over many years of cookouts,” Mike said.
“It’s all about fellowship, food, and friends,” said Regarner. “In Louisiana, Monday was wash day and red beans and rice was slow cooked. So, we serve red beans and rice and grilled pork chops on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday we offer healthy food. Baked foods, like fish or pork chops, no heavy oils. We are all about health.”
“But we throw it all out the window on Friday and serve fried catfish, shrimp, and catfish po-boys,” Mike added. “Of course we have gumbo everyday and serve jambalaya and handmade burger that is spiced up with my own recipe.”
Louisiana Rub Down gets its name from Mike’s own recipe for a dry rub for ribs.
“We started collecting black pots long ago for good Cajun cooking, but Mike’s ribs have become a staple,” Regarner said.
Regarner, who is a nurse practitioner during the week and restauranteur on the weekends, said they received the permit for Louisiana Rub Down on Valentine’s Day and decided to open that weekend. She said that they’ve been amazed by and grateful for the amount of traffic the small restaurant gets regularly.
To get the business started, the Thompsons served free food at some events and sold food at festivals on campus and in Oxford before returning to Oxford to open the business.
Open only six weeks, the couple is already thinking of a larger operation as the building constructed by Mike and friends seems small for the growing business.
Louisiana Rub Down is currently takeout only, but Mike and Regarner are already thinking of a ”large pavilion with fireplace, and TV’s for watching ballgames,’ said Regarner, who points out the couple is politically correct continuing their ties with LSU, where Regarner attended the Health Sciences Center, and Ole Miss and Oxford which is home and where they have a lot of friends.
“We are good friends with Jeremy Liggins who just signed with Ole Miss and D.C. Shakelford showed up at the house yesterday, hungry of course,” said Regarner pointing out “is politically correct showing Ole Miss red and blue and LSU purple and gold”. “We will cheer for the Rebels, too,” Regarner said.
Mike was raised on River’s Hill while Regarner grew up at College Hill. They have twin sons, Marcus and Makinzie, and a daughter, Rashanda, who is working on her Ph.D. at LSU.
Louisiana Rub Down is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday reserved for church, family, and friends.
Daily menu offers these entrees:
Monday: Red beans/rice and Grilled Pork Chop with cornbread
Tuesday: boneless grilled chicken breast with roll
Wednesday: Jambalaya, white beans/rice with cornbread
Thursday: baked Tilapia, two sides and roll
Friday: shrimp fettuccine, two sides, fried catfish or shrimp po-boy, fries or side.
Meals Monday through Thursday are $7, while the Friday meal is $8.
Louisiana Rub Down also offers grilled burgers, pulled pork for $5.50, pecan wood smoked rib plate $7.99, with a half slab for $10, and slab for $18.99
Sides are coleslaw, baked beans, fries and potato
The popular boudin balls are offered everyday as well.
Visit Louisiana Rub Down on Facebook, the Web, and the restaurant located at 78 Highway 30 in Oxford.
