(06/26/23) BATON ROUGE, La. — What happens when a former Mrs. Louisiana USA Ambassador gets together with FOODii, the LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute? History, along with a whole lot of delicious dishes, get made.

“We’re bringing a different vibe of authentic, Creole food to LSU,” said Melissa Thibeaux Anderson, owner of T-Beaux’s Creole Café, the first Black-owned restaurant on campus.

Located in the basement of Foster Hall directly under the LSU Museum of Natural Science, T-Beaux’s menu contains such Southern staples as gumbo, seafood bisque and shrimp and grits. There also are original creations like the red bean po’boy with sausage and occasional specials like Creole stuffed bread and yakamein, also known as New Orleans old sober due to its reputation as a hangover cure.

The name T-Beaux’s is a play on Anderson’s maiden name. She said she thought it would be catchy and add to the flavor of mixed cultures and fun.

In keeping with that, the café’s walls are dedicated to diners’ signatures and favorite quotes. Other walls are dedicated to athletes and coaches, giving the space a sense of revelry and school spirit.

T-Beaux’s is a family affair, with Anderson’s son Shannon serving as operations manager. The younger Anderson comes from an agricultural family on his father’s side, with generations having been sugarcane farmers in the Scott, La. area.

Anderson, in conjunction with the AgCenter’s FOODii, has created Ragin’ Cajun T-Beaux’s Creole Gumbo seasoned roux and gravy base. Anderson said the “Creole Certified” roux is everything a cook needs to kick off a gumbo or stew without the time-consuming effort of making one from scratch.

“You just add water to the seasoned jar of roux, cook it for two hours, add your unseasoned meat and voilà — you have your wonderful, authentic-tasting gumbo,” she said.

Anderson said the “Creole Certified” labeling assures products are made in the state and the methods of production come from a Creole lineage, giving it an authentic Louisiana stamp of approval.

FOODii director Gaye Sandoz praised Anderson’s commitment to keeping Creole culinary traditions alive at LSU and said that when she first approached her for the collaboration, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“Melissa Anderson has been a pleasure to work with, bringing her energy, passion and success to FOODii,” Sandoz said. “The Food Innovation Institute was built on the ideas and work ethic of people like Melissa.”

Sandoz also complimented Anderson’s contributions to producing, promoting and protecting Louisiana’s food for the future. FOODii allowed Anderson to mass produce her seasoned roux to get into local grocery stores like Rouses Market and, recently, Albertsons.

“When researching where to mass produce, I needed to find a commercial kitchen that was local that could meet my product demands,” she said. “The food scientists helped me with development, research and to get into grocery stores, which led to so many opportunities.”

T-Beaux's currently has a second location in Tiger Stadium in Section 103, which Anderson calls a surreal and humbling experience, and plans are to expand to the LSU Student Union in coming months.

“To be one-on-one with the fans and part of the great atmosphere here just makes you want to have fun,” she said. “I’ve had regulars say they can’t wait to come back next season.”

Melissa Thibeaux Anderson is the owner of T-Beaux’s Creole Café, the first Black-owned restaurant on the LSU campus. She has two locations: one in the basement of Foster Hall and a second in Tiger Stadium, Section 103. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

T-Beaux’s Creole Café serves both classic Louisiana fare such as boudin imported from The Best Stop in Scott and gumbo made from Ragin’ Cajun T-Beaux’s Creole Gumbo seasoned roux and gravy base, which was formulated and packaged in conjunction with the LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute, to original creations like the red bean po’boy. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Shannon Anderson, Melissa Thibeaux Anderson’s son, serves patrons at the Foster Hall location of T-Beaux’s Creole Café. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Melissa Thibeaux Anderson, owner of T-Beaux’s Creole Café, the first Black-owned restaurant on the LSU campus, is proud to serve LSU Tiger fans during football season at her location in Section 103 of Tiger Stadium. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter