Possible restaurant names:

Delicious Food Cafe

The Life-Changing Meatball Co.

Like God Gently Massaging Your Feet Doughnuts and Bakery

Sounds pretty grandiose, right? All restaurants strive to make wonderful food, but most leave that intention in the mission statement. Not C’est Si Bon. This Del City and Midwest City favorite (soon expanding to Edmond) slaps it right up on the sign.

C’est Si Bon. Literally “It is so good” in French.

Chef and owner Ken Mills wasn’t bragging when he named his Cajun restaurant. He was just telling the truth.

For the past several years, C’est Si Bon has been creating some of the most delectable dishes around. It’s not an ideal spot for vegans or vegetarians, but if you like fried food (check) and spice (double check), then C’est Si Bon will do you right.

The Food

My favorite thing that happened the day Sara Cowan and I rolled into C’est Si Bon was the cashier warning me that I was getting too much food.

“No no,” he said. “Too much for you.”

I mean...that’s adorable. What’s funny is, my last review of the restaurant was hanging on the wall by the register. So I walked over, pointed to my name and said, “This guy is me. I can handle my food.”

He bounded out from around the counter to hug me. This wasn’t the owner, by the way. Just a guy who appreciated someone who appreciates good food.

I didn’t order everything I wanted, but that’s because I can’t afford to buy every item on the menu all at once. Think I’m kidding? I’m not. Check out the menu at their website.

Crawfish etouffee. Red beans and rice. Fried chicken. Gumbo. Blackened chicken pasta. Fried shrimp. Stuffed shrimp. Fried oysters. Frog legs. And that’s before we even get to the po’boys.

As such, I tried to order smarter.

Rather than get a full pound of catfish ($9.99) and an entire order of southern-fried chicken ($8.99), I got The Combo.

Red beans and rice? Got that as a side. Crawfish etouffee? Small side order for $5.99.

I did splurge on the boudin balls (6 for $3.99).

Boudin is a pork and rice-stuffed sausage that is a perfectly tasty treat on its own. But C’est Si Bon liberates it from its casing, rolls it in seasoned flour and drops it in oil for a quick fry. What you’re left with is a beautiful, tender ball of savory spice. A dusting of the restaurant’s house seasoning gives it a beautiful little kick and the accompanying tiger sauce (kind of like a more aggressive honey mustard) completes the package.

I can eat six of these without taking a breath. Can and have.

Sara got the gumbo ($7.99) and I was immediately jealous. The dark brown roux hid much of the meat, but as she poured it into a cup, it was clear where the flavor was coming from. Big chunks of sausage and shrimp, as well as lots of crab — including some still in the shell. It’s served with rice, but it’s more soup than stew.

The Combo ($10.99) is money well spent. It’s a meal for two, if not more. It’d be a bargain at twice the price, honestly.

The fried chicken had a gorgeous dark gold crust with a liberal dusting of house spice. It gave the skin a sweet heat that was accentuated by the fat. The interior of the chicken was juicy and tender and chicken-y.

The catfish were even better. Cooked in a style similar to Cajun King’s catfish almondine, these catfish strips had an ultra-light, ultra-delicate crust and a clean, mild flavor to the fish. Sarah said she hadn’t had catfish before, which boggled my mind, but she happily ate a few pieces at C’est Si Bon. We may have a convert.

I enjoyed the crawfish etouffee ($5.99 for a small side), but found the sauce just a little too thick. I know, I know: I’m very picky. All I can tell you is what I think. The roux was nice and dark, but it formed almost more of a gravy than a sauce. It swallowed up the texture of the crawfish. Not bad — I ate plenty of it — just not as good as I hoped it would be.

The red beans and rice were definitely more bean than rice. I wanted more heat to them (same with the etouffee), so don’t be shy about grabbing a bottle of hot sauce and cranking it up to your desired level.

Sara got a side of collard greens ($4.99) and they are EXXXXTREEEMLY bacony. Backwards bacon hat, grinding a gnarly rail on a bacon skateboard bacony. Very tender. Very mild bitterness. Just lovely.

I also got a side of macaroni and cheese, because I would make a really terrible Green Lantern. It was incredibly creamy and had a nice cheesy flavor. The perfect level of richness, too. It made me crave one more bite until there were no more bites left without leaving me over-full.  

On weekends, every table gets four complimentary beignets ($1.99) and if I wasn’t about to burst at the seams, I would have bought another 12.

Beignets are a New Orleans staple and often have a light, airy texture. C’est Si Bon’s version is a little heartier. Almost like fried biscuit dough, with lots and lots of layers. They’re doused in powdered sugar, which slowly soaks into the warm, fried exterior.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

While Edmond folks are lucky to have a new C’est Si Bon coming their way, there’s not much keeping OKC and Norman folks from heading over to the Del City or Midwest City locations now. It’s more than worth the drive.