Lake Charles Landmark, Hackett’s Cajun Kitchen, Now Closed
It's been a staple for some of the best plate lunches in Lake Charles for over 28 years. The line to eat would be out of the door and into the parking lot most days. It was a place where business suits and work boots would merge for some of the best home-cooked food in the SWLA area.
It was a business that was purchased in 1988 by Charlie Hackett. I have fond memories of seeing Mr. Hackett sitting at his desk in the dining area, taking phone calls and talking to all of his customers, treating each one as if he had known them for years. He bought the business after it had first been opened for only 18 months. The previous owner decided to get out of the business fast, and Mr. Hackett bought it and ran with it.
Charlie and his wife, Karen, grew the business into what it became: amazing food and even more amazing in-house meat products. You could get rabbit, beef, ponce, fresh hens, and even alligator. Let's not forget the cracklins, sausage, tasso, and amazing varieties of boudin they had to offer. Not only did they offer every meat you could want, they would even process deer into whatever your heart desired!
Now, as of today, the legendary gem of Lake Charles is closing their doors. I won't speculate on why this is happening, I just know it's a very sad time for a lot of loyal Hackett's fans. You'd eat there for lunch and be useless for the rest of the day, praying for a nap when you got back to work. The chocolate cake you got for dessert was the best cake your lips could ever experience. Mrs. Hackett once told me her secret ingredient was love. Mr. Hackett told me it was cream cheese and that she was full of it.
It's sad to see it go, but I am very grateful I was able to experience food that I compare everyone else's plate lunches to. There will never be another Hackett's, nor two amazing people such as Mr. and Mrs. Hackett. I wish the staff of Hackett's the best of luck and hope they all know how much they will be missed in the lake area.