Little Things We Love About Lubbock: Chicken Al a Mer at Jazz!

The fine folks at Jazz-A Louisiana Kitchen have been cooking Cajun delights for the Hub City for more than 38 years and they are a staple of Lubbock cuisine!

There's just something about Jazz that hits different. Maybe it's the eclectic decor with all the customer's dollars on the wall inscribed with patron's names and funny sayings. Maybe it's the attitude of the cooks, bartenders and waitresses and how welcoming everyone is. Maybe it's the crew of retired lawyers who sit in the dining room most days drinking beer and telling lies to each other. Or maybe it's just that the food is THAT good!

Whatever it is, it WORKS! Any time I have someone coming to Lubbock for the first time, my first stop with them is ALWAYS Jazz for an ice-cold Coors Light and a big plate of their famous Chicken Al a Mer. They're blown away every time!

In case you don't speak whatever language 'Al a Mer' is, it means 'of the sea'. Which is a good name for the sauce because it's all the best seafoods thrown in with heavy cream and Cajun spices to make this HEAVENLY concoction!

Here's how Jazz describes the dish: "Here it is: our most popular item and the one that’ll keep y’all comin’ back. This chicken is topped with a shrimp & krab Parmesan cream sauce over a bed of rice with your choice of veggie. Ooo, baby!"

I feel I should add to their description because I've ordered it in every possible combination. A 'full order' is two giant chicken breasts cooked golden and crispy with Al a Mer sauce poured all over the top. It's typically served over dirty rice with their incredible buttered veggies on the side. That's the version I usually get. BUT....

You can also substitute red potatoes or pasta for the rice. Or get double rice no veggies, all veggies and no pasta rice or potatoes or even blackened chicken instead of fried (which is GREAT, by the way!) I'm not trying to confuse the issue here. I just want you to know that Jazz will pretty much make their menu items however you like!

(A 'half order' is just one chicken breast and I promise you it's enough for even my tubby butt.)

I wanted to mention something I brought up a few paragraphs back: the dollar bills.

It's a Texas Tech tradition to write your name or a saying on a bill and stick it on the wall (or the celling, or the bar stools, or anywhere you see an empty spot really)

I have placed several on the wall over the years myself. I have one I did with my wife, two I did in honor of my wife after she passed and another for my friend Zach who passed. I know they would be honored to have me do that because Jazz was my wife's favorite place and same for my late buddy Zach...who was FROM Louisiana and said Jazz was just as good or better than what he got back home!

This has been going on since Jazz opened their doors, so you could imagine that there's a LOT of moolah on them thar walls. And there was!

When Covid hit, Jazz and their staff took a hit too. So, the owner (my great friend Tracee) took all of the bills off the wall and divided them up to the staff. In all, it was something like $6,400! Tracee takes care of the staff who takes care of you!

(That's Tracee on the left)