Best-Kept Biscuit Recipe in South Louisiana Was Born at a Bus Station

Crowley, LA (KPEL News) - The best places to eat in Louisiana are often the best-kept secret in town. You may find great grub in a gas station, a country club, a small space in between two boutiques, in a wood-frame building on a Cajun back road, or even a bus station. Chances are, someone's Maw Maw shared their kitchen recipes to create some of the best food you could get. Through the years, some of these small, locally owned eateries have disappeared for a variety of reasons.

We are fortunate in Lafayette and the surrounding parishes to have some fabulous restaurants, but we also remember the ones from years-gone-by that we visited as children and young adults. Whether it was to stop in for a plate lunch, a batch of biscuits, or a fancy meal with friends and families, we all have memories of those places that hold a special place in our hearts and stomachs!

Restaurants like Jacob's and Toby's Oak Grove that sat at Lafayette's Four Corners were popular establishments until they fell victim to the oil bust of the 1980s. The historic Cafe Vermilionville on Pinhook closed its door in 2023. 2Paul's Radically Urban Barbeque opened in 2008 on Johnston Street in Lafayette and closed in 2016.

The list is long, and you can reminisce with some of the pictures at the end of this article. I would bet you could add several names to the list.

One such place that Crowley residents still pine for is the bus station. A small brick building a couple blocks off downtown housed the Greyhound depot. The building that still stands holds lots of memories for Crowley natives, especially for some of the best biscuits you've ever eaten.

Workers would often treat their fellow employees to a bag of the hot, delicious morning treats. They were fluffy, always hot, and never disappointed. Since it closed in the late 80s or early 90s, people are still trying to recreate at home those wonderful creations.

Fortunately, a member of a Crowley Facebook group shared the recipe. It's surprisingly simple, even for the most amateur baker.

As a slightly experienced baker myself, I'd wager that the secret is the buttermilk. I do appreciate the measurements listed as "heaping" and a "pinch." You know it's old school and likely delicious when you see that!

If you decide to whip up a batch, let us know how they turn out.