Tasty Tuesday: Bev's Gumbo Shack
Now, I'll never say that I'm the expert on Southern cuisine. I'm a fake Southerner. I went to college there for four years before hunkering down in the Pacific Northwest, spending my days reporting the news.
But I do know one thing- the best Southern food is usually found in a shack on the side of the road. And luckily, we have just that in Springfield. Enter Bev's Gumbo Shack.
The shack is run by married couple Dawn and George Beverly, hence "Bev's Gumbo Shack". George Beverly is from Lake Charles, Louisiana. A veteran, a Southerner and as his wife, Dawn, calls him, "The Boudin King".
"When you mention Cajun, a lot of people think it's just blackened or charred, but it's more to it than just that," George Beverly told me.
Boudin is a type of Cajun sausage, and one of the most popular items on Bev's Gumbo Shack's menu. One day, George had a hankering for some boudin, but he couldn't find any restaurants that served it in the area.
"You can't get it anywhere, and so my wife came up with this idea...she's like you know you can make it yourself. And I'm like, what? Really? I never thought about it like that," George said.
So, with the help of his wife, Dawn, George started making boudin- and Dawn started making other Cajun delicacies. Etouffee, po' boys, jambalaya and much more. One little shack, but lots of flavor.
"It is so cool to watch people take a bite of something and then they go, 'oh my god, this is so good'," Dawn told me.
Bev's Gumbo Shack
38493 McKenzie Hwy. Springfield, OR
Monday through Saturday
11am-7pm
KVAL's Tasty Tuesday brings you what to eat and where to eat it around Lane County and beyond. Tasty Tuesday is hosted by KVAL reporter Ellen Meny. Want to suggest Ellen a restaurant? Contact her at emeny@kval.com or find Tasty Tuesday on Facebook and Twitter.
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