For us, the best jambalaya brings together tender chicken, spicy sausage, vegetables, rice and tomato sauce to make a hearty meal. We tried four jambalayas from area restaurants. Here are the results.
BEST BITE
>>>Clarence's Taste of New Orleans
2131 Old Edgewood Road, Edgewood -- 410-612-0700
Hours --11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays; 4 p.m.-midnight Saturdays; 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Sundays
Restaurant's estimate --10 minutes
Ready in --5 minutes
Everything clicked with this order, $12.55. Expertly seasoned tomato sauce covered rice and tender chicken and andouille sausage. It was a spicy, delicious rendition of the Cajun dish.
BEST BARGAIN
>>>Mother's Federal Hill Grille
1113 S. Charles St., Baltimore -- 410-244-8686
Hours --11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays
Restaurant's estimate --15 minutes
Ready in --14 minutes
Heavy on meat and light on rice, this jambalaya, $15.70, was by far the most filling. Thin strips of carrot and zucchini added extra color and flavor to the mix. It had plenty of shrimp, chicken and sausage, which formed a ring around an island of rice in the foam container.
ALSO TASTED
>>>Bayou Cafe
8133 Honeygo Blvd., White Marsh -- 410-931-2583
Hours --11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays
Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes
Ready in --10 minutes
Portion-wise, this order, $15.73, beat out the other three. But bigger didn't mean better - the jambalaya tasted dull and barely seasoned.
>>>Nick's Fish House
36 E. Cross St., Baltimore -- 410-347-4123
Hours --11 a.m.--10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Restaurant's estimate --15-20 minutes
Ready in --18 minutes
We were let down by this order, $18.85. It cost the most and had the smallest amount of jambalaya. Bland tomato sauce covered about a dozen shrimp and rice. It came with two sides of sliced, steamed zucchini.
Know of a good carryout place? Let us hear about it. Write to sam.sessa@baltsun.com.