You need more Mardi Gras. Where to celebrate with jambalaya, jazz around Tacoma, Puyallup
As the Crescent City recovers from its Super Bowl hangover and immediately turns to its annual extravaganza in the streets, Pierce County is prepping for Mardi Gras, too.
The aptly named Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen has served downtown Puyallup since 2013 but in 2015 kicked things up a notch for the raucous pre-Lenten affair. Owner Mike de Alwis regularly books live music, but for Mardi Gras the restaurant hosts the Buckshot Brass Band, a 10-piece group based in Lakewood, which always draws a full house.
He recently returned from his usual pilgrimage to New Orleans, where he worked for many years and fell in love with Cajun cuisine, to retrieve boxes of beads, masks and fleur-de-lis decor.
This year, the restaurant will again set up a tent outside for extra fun and will host the brass band on three nights — Friday, Feb. 28, Saturday, March 1, and Tuesday, March 4 — with two seatings, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The special menu features favorites like jambalaya, étouffée and the Louisiana platter. Don’t skip the refreshing cocktails and be sure to wear your dancing shoes: de Alwis has been known to call diners into a traditional line-dance that weaves through the restaurant and the parking lot.
It’s a big year for the de Alwis family, as their second restaurant, Chez Lafayette, will celebrate its first Mardi Gras. The restaurant near downtown Tacoma opened last summer with a similar but slightly more eclectic “Creole brasserie” menu. The setting also whisks you straight to NOLA, with little touches like colorful wooden shutters, peachy-hued walls and a very cool bar that will keep you for just one more.
On March 1 and March 4, Chez will host a jazz trio starting at 6 p.m.
Another new-in-2024 restaurant is also preparing for its first Mardi Gras party. Velvet’s Big Easy in Spanaway serves chef-owner Brenda Miller’s gumbo, jambalaya, po’boys and more. Miller previously operated out of a food truck but moved into her first brick-and-mortar last summer.
The bigger event happens here on Saturday, March 1, with a three-piece zydeco band and a special menu that includes two kinds of beignets: classic powdered sugar and ones with fresh strawberries and a bourbon caramel sauce. There will also be door prizes, masks and “beads for everybody!” said Miller in a phone call.
She expects a slightly smaller crowd on Tuesday but will still offer prizes, beads and masks. Find live music here on most Friday and Saturday nights year-round.
Last but certainly not least, Doyle’s Pub is offering its annual From the Bayou menu, which honors Benjamin Marcus’s chef roots. Try the cheesy crawfish dip and house-stuffed boudin. Like last year, you’ll also find slices of Doberge cake, a New Orleans version of an Alsatian layered cake with pudding and buttercream and fondant, baked by The Cat and Rabbitt in Puyallup. Also for dessert: bread pudding with Jameson-soaked bananas.
If you’re on the quest for king cake, Pasteles Finos del Angel in South Tacoma has become the most reliable source in the area. The sweet dough is swirled with cream cheese, brown sugar and walnuts and sprinkled with a copious amount of purple, green and yellow sprinkles. Of course, there’s a little figurine hidden inside. Special for the holiday, the bakery — known for its gluten-free and vegan treats — is also offering king cake doughnuts.
MARDI GRAS TACOMA 2025
Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen
▪ 401 S. Meridian, Puyallup, 253-604-4404, bourbonstreetpuyallup.com
▪ Standard Hours: Monday and Wednesday-Thursday noon-8 p.m., Tuesday 4-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday noon-9 p.m.
▪ Feb. 28, March 1 and 4: $10 cover, special menu with live brass band and line dancing; seatings at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. — reservations required, call the restaurant or email mihira10@gmail.com
Chez Lafayette
▪ 1101 Tacoma Ave. S., 253-408-7037, instagram.com/chez.lafayette
▪ Standard Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday noon-8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday noon-9 p.m.
▪ March 1 & 4: live music starting at 6 p.m. — reservations recommended by phone
Velvet’s Big Easy
▪ 124 146th St. S., Parkland, 253-503-0357, velvetsbigeasy.com
▪ Standard Hours: Tuesday-Saturday noon-8:30 p.m.
▪ March 1: live music starting at 6 p.m. — reservations recommended by phone
Doyle’s Pub
▪ 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-7468, doylespublichouse.com
▪ Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 a.m., Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m.-2 a.m.
▪ Feb. 7-March 4: special From the Bayou menu, plus regular menu and full bar
Pasteles Finos del Angel
▪ 5102 S. Washington St., Tacoma, 253-448-2649, pastelesfinosdelangel.com
▪ Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
▪ Online pre-orders recommended for king cake and doughnuts
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.