Laissez les bons temps rouler with Les Roux! This restaurant mixes Southern Hospitality, New Orleans-style cuisine and culinary creativity.

 The bistro boasts a warm and welcoming staff from the time guests enter the front door, till the time they “roll” out of it.

 Prep Cook Rosie Shields put the delightful atmosphere and aromas into perspective.

 “We put a lot of love into our food—from the red beans, to the gumbo, to everything,” she said with a shy smile. “It's just a down-home taste of New Orleans.”

 Line Cook Joe Holombe agreed.

 “We both make sure everything is top notch, every time it comes out,” he explained.

 And that's exactly how Owner Rod Koberg wants it. He said he put a lot of thought into the at-home feeling of the business.

 “I'm from Baton Rouge and my wife's from southern Louisiana,” he said. “We use recipes from her mother, sisters and sisters-in-law.”

 “We use seafood from Bon Secour and local produce because this is a local and a family place,” he spoke with a hint of satisfaction. “I know what I like and what I don't like—you should have whatever you want, whenever you want it.”

 “You shouldn't have to pay extra if you want one kind of drink with your entree, then coffee with dessert, so we offer it complementary.”

 In keeping with the community “like”-ness feeling, Koberg divulged, “I like Sunday brunch—you don't want a hard, poached egg.” “So, we instituted a New Orleans-style Sunday brunch with Bloody Marys, Mimosas and Milk Punch.”

 Les Roux even offers a customer-suggestion attitude.

 Koberg said one customer offered, “You need to have some sort of an omelet for the brunch,”

 He replied, “You're right—can I name it after you?”

 Another unique quality Koberg offers guests, is a bit of creative freedom.

 “What I like to do, and I invite our guests to do this—I like the blackened catfish fillet, two fried-green tomatoes, crab cake and Creole cream sauce,” he said with wide eyes. “It's not on the menu, but everything's from scratch, so why not?”

 “We'll do anything you ask for.”

 And that leads nicely to the  New Orleans-style cuisine and culinary creativity bit.

 Holcombe divulged Les Roux's secret recipe.

 “We are unique because we try not to do anything like anyone else,” he gestured as he spoke. “We are New Orleans cuisine.”

 His favorite entree is the Aunt Charlotte's Penne, he said.

 “It's got blackened chicken, Andouille sausage with cream sauce and Parmesan cheese,” he explained. “It's different—the color, the textures and the flavors.”

 “It's a whole new flavor than what you think a traditional sauce should be.”

 Shields said one of her creations is the Crawdaddy Balls. She said they use the crab-cake recipe but substitute crawfish for crab meat, and the ball shape for the patty shape.

 “We've had people come in from New Orleans and say it's like what they make at home.”

 While these flavors offer something different for the Baldwin and Mobile-counties area, Creole has simply come back home, according to General Manager Christina D'Angelo.

 “Creole food is actually, originally from Mobile, then it migrated to Louisiana,” she said with a smile. “And, we put our own flavor to it.”

 Koberg agreed.

 “Nobody in this area did that,” he said. “This is the birthplace of Creole, so what better approach than to honor that heritage?”

 “We always win first place at gumbo cookoffs,” she said.

 An important aspect is the restaurant's careful attention to ingredients.

 She explained that they use foods like smoked ham hock, Manda sausage and Camellia beans—because they make a creamier consistency.

 Shields said the beans MAKE their red beans and rice, along with a plethora of other ingredients.

 “I have a list THIS long,” she said, holding one arm high and one arm low.

 D'Angelo chimed in, “Someone not from Louisiana might use three ingredients.” “It's like the closest thing to Louisiana for Alabama.”

 They even offer a homemade pecan pie that's served warm, with a melty, caramel drizzle.

 Les Roux puts attention to detail in the forefront, D'Angelo explained, the main reason behind the spoon-licking.

 “Everything's made from scratch,” she said. “There's nothing out of a can, nothing pre-breaded.”

 “We're back there battering every individual shrimp—it might take a few extra minutes, but you're going to be wowed.”

 One specialty guests enjoy is the Creoleburger with blackened beef, pepperjack cheese, fried-green tomatoes, sauteed onions, lettuce and spicy remoulade sauce. The open-faced presentation made mouths water as cheese dripped down the edges of the blackened patty.

 “That's burger with a bite!” one visitor exclaimed.

 Most agree that their favorite dish is the Fried-green Crab Cake; one customer explained it perfectly—that everyone likes crab cakes and fried-green tomatoes, so putting them together is a hit.

 D'Angelo offered her input.

 “I've had a lot of fried-green tomatoes,” she admitted, “some are too thick, but I think ours are just right.”

 She said they try to offer crowd-pleasing applications, in addition to quality and taste.

 Les Roux has happy hour every day from 4-6 p.m., and half-off well drinks and $1 beer on Thursdays.

 The restaurant boasts specialty cocktails, large- and smaller-portioned salads, daily all-you-can-eats, low country boils and ribeye specials along with bulk-to-go quarts and gallons.

 For more, call 943-8444 or visit lesroux.net; Les Roux is located at 3177 S. McKenzie St.