Papa Mojo's Roadhouse

How did I not know about this place? It's not like Papa Mojo's Roadhouse is new; it's clearly been around for a while. It's also not like I pay no attention to restaurants; I'm usually on top of the Triangle food scene. For whatever reason, though, I've missed this little strip-mall-based establishment--until today.

After watching the excellent first season of Treme, I've been hankering for New Orleans and its food. Mel Melton, the founder of Papa Mojo's, provides a little of both with live music much of the time, including this afternoon, and an assortment of tasty food.

The beignets, for example, were perfect, hot and sugar-covered and absolutely delicious. The andouille sausage I sampled had just the right amount of bite.

The Web site for Papa Mojo's boasts this quote from Melton:

"When people leave one of our shows or my restaurant, I want them to feel like they've been down in the swamp at a big party and they've had a great time. That's what it's all about."

I need to return for both lunch and dinner, and you can bet I will, but based on just this quick brunch visit, Melton nailed it. Papa Mojo's deserves your attention.