Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse and Restaurant
769 West 5th St.
Laplace, LA
985-652-9990
Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse in LaPlace, Louisiana, has been a cornerstone of River Parish food culture since Nolan “Nat” Jacob opened it in 1950, living above the shop to tend the fires and smoke meats in the traditional way. His son Wayne Jacob later expanded the business to operate year-round, cementing its reputation for artisan andouille, hog’s head cheese, and smoked meats that made LaPlace the “Andouille Capital of the World.” In the 2000s, ownership passed to David and John Rausch, who continued the tradition until the smokehouse was sold in 2015–2016. Since then, Chef Jarred Zeringue and partner Matt Moreland have carried it forward, dedicated to preserving its old-world methods while keeping it vibrant for future generations. (The visit in this post was back in April of 2013.)
At the bitter end of every trip I make back to Louisiana, I always head to LaPlace for a smoked meat care package to take back north. My stop on the last trip (two years ago, I know, bad blogger) was to Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse, not to be confused with Jacob’s Andouille which is also in LaPlace. (See my post on Jacob’s Andouille here).
Upon arriving at Wayne Jacob’s I was pleased to find out that they also run a restaurant with many of the items on the menu made with the smoked products that they produce!I was also pleased to see this sign propped up just off the road in front of the establishment:
Unlike Jacob’s Adouille, Wayne Jacob’s does not ship their products because that would mean that they would have to change the way that they produce their meats, that is, the way it has been produced there since 1950. Admirable.
The restaurant was very busy for the lunch rush when I arrived and a little short staffed to boot, but everyone was super friendly.
I ordered a few appetizers to check out some of the fine Charcuterie work that David Rauch does in the back of the house, and I was super pleased that I got to go into the back and say hello to David and get a few photos of him at work! I also got a few shots of the cracklins that were cooling on the back counter before being bagged up!
David Rauch filling the stuffer:The Hog Cracklin, a thing of southern beauty!
Upon arriving back at my table I found my food waiting for me. Boudin Balls with a Remoulade style dipping sauce (my Boudin Recipe):
Andouille Chips, thinly sliced Andouille which is deep fried and served with Creole Mustard (my Creole Mustard Recipe):
Finally, a wonderfully simple, gelatinous Hogshead Cheese served with Saltine crackers:
After getting my to go package of Andouille and Tasso I went out back to get a shot of the smokehouses:
And of course, as always, a shot of the woodpile:
I stuffed my package into my luggage, and flew back to Detroit. As soon as I got home I tore open that package and sliced off a piece of what is, in my humble opinion, the best Andouille I’ve tasted:
Notice the course grind and the large size of the casing, expertly filled with no air gaps, and lastly perfectly smoked, not overpowering…just perfect.
The Tasso from Wayne Jacob’s (my Tasso Recipe):
I enjoy the Andouille that I produce (my Andouille Recipe) and I also enjoy the one at Jacob’s Andouille. But in my humble opinion, as Andouille goes, the product that David Rauch produces in LaPlace is by far the benchmark.
Be sure and check out my Creole & Cajun Recipe Page as well as my Bibliography of Creole & Cajun Cookbooks!
