Creole Cajun Bistro to take over former Cove Grill in south Chandler

Just in time for Mardi Gras, the East Valley is getting a new Creole/Cajun restaurant.

Creole Cajun Bistro is taking over the former Cove Grill space on the southwest corner of Gilbert and Chandler Heights (well-hidden behind the CVS Pharmacy).

The Cove Grill, which started five years ago as The Boatzhouse, closed in November.

Creole Cajun Bistro is the brainchild of Eric Rachal, a longtime real estate appraiser who moved to the East Valley from California about four years ago.

Although his father is Cajun and his mother Creole, the Louisiana native actually learned to cook from his grandmother, a New Orleans chef and caterer known as “Big Red.”

So far, he says, his menu is about “four and a half pages” of traditional dishes like gumbo, étouffée, crawfish boils, and po’ boy sandwiches.

Rachal makes his own sausages in numerous varieties. He also home-brews the beer for his beer-battered menu items.

The bistro will have a full bar, specializing in what Rachal calls “Hurricane-style frozen drinks.”

He and his son, Eric Jr., have been doing all of the renovations to the space themselves, replacing the Cove’s nautical theme with a French Quarter vibe.

Rachal says he’s hoping to book New Orleans-style jazz musicians to perform regularly.

Creole Cajun Bistro is planning a Feb. 14 grand opening.