Perna’s Cajun and Soul

This is the best soul food place I have ever been. I looked on Siri to find a soul food restaurant and this place came up. GREAT HOSPITALITY AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. My first time in Dallas from California. We first met Fred and he welcomed us with open arms and southern hospitality. We ate fried chicken. It was so good we went back a second night. This time we took my cousin from DC and we had fried catfish and Cajun chicken and greens and macaroni and cheese and some good olé corn bread. We love the food so much we went back the third night. We had bar b Que ribs and OMG you talking about good food. But wait Ms. Perna came out of the kitchen to personally greet us and talked to us. She has a specialty desert called Ooeey gooey pie and banana pudding and more. If you are looking for some finger licking booty shaking toe tapping finger snapping Perna’s Cajun and Soul Food is the place. Oh and FREE WIFI.

I have no idea how this place got 5 star ratings. We came in at 1 pm and there were 2 tables seated total. 5 people at the restaurant. Right away the kind gent at the register offered us free beverages to compensate for the upcoming wait. I’m thinking like ok 20 minutes, 30 max. We waited for 52 minutes!!! Our 3 kids were loosing it and starving! Do not go here with hungry children. The chef herself came to explain that it takes this long because she makes everything to order. So does every other restaurant and it doesn’t take an hour. We end up leaving and taking everything to go. But they were still working on the fries and we got in our car to realize they didn’t even pack utensils. Arg! Something better change quick or this place will not make it. As for the food. No one even wanted to eat Bc my kids were so tired. This is unacceptable service.

Can I just say that Perna’s is a diamond in the rough? This is our second visit here, and Perna does not disappoint. The entrée menu changes daily., so you might want to call ahead to see if they have what you want. Everything is cooked to order (be prepared to wait). On my first visit, I had fried chicken, mac-​n-​cheese, and jambalaya. Everything was delicious. I can’t wait to come back!

I waited about 30 minutes for my food, but everything tasted great! Jambalaya was great for «wimps» like me; not too spicy, but smoky and delicious.

I came here for Miguel’s UYE. This is definitely a hole in the wall. All the staff here were so friendly. Perna came out alot and spoke to us. I ended up ordering Catfish with some mac n cheese. Now if you’re in a hurry to eat this may not be the place for you as the meals are freshly made which can take a little bit. I am sure you can order ahead though. My meal came out and there was a ton of catfish. Perna doesn’t skimp on the portions here. The catfish was so good. I added hot sauce to it as I like things spicy. The mac n cheese was fantastic as well. My meal also came with corn bread which was really good. The black cherry lemonade they offer was good and sweet! I found my new place for some Cajun soul food. Oh she can make Beignets too and they were scrumptious.

Pronounced «per’nayz», Perna’s is soon to become my go-​to place for fried chicken.
Put it this way… I’m a Fried Chicken (FC) snob. It is my kryptonite, my weakness, my everlasting love. I’ve had many different interpretations and Perna’s ranks up there in the top 3 for me easily. This is pan-​fried, slow cooked, crispy goodness. It was served piping hot so having it sit there, staring me in the face with all it’s savory allure was absolute torture. The first bite though and I knew it was worth the wait.
Some places bread the everliving crap out of it (babes) so that every bit tastes more like batter (babes) than it does seasoned meat. This is ok to a certain extent but when you can offer a piece of thinly-​coated, crispy skin with the perfect amount of seasoning so-​as not to overpower the meat, you win. Hands-​down
Other bites with my meal were greens that had bits of ham and just a hint of butter (I could have eaten a bowl full) and cornbread that was amazing. Moist to the point of not being dry but a bit crumbly. Sweet enough to bring out the corn flavor but not enough to be a desert. Lovely.
Don’t go in to Perna’s expecting to sit down and be waited on like those robotic casual joints. This visit should take time baby. Enjoy it. Get cozy. They treat you like friends or family so reciprocate.
Menu changes daily. Prices were very reasonable (2 of us ate for under 20).

For me, this is just good olé soul food that I can expect on a Sunday after church when one of my mom is in the kitchen. The additional upside is that I can come here on a non-​Sunday to get some pretty mouthwatering cuisine. I initially came here on a whim to try a new place during Miguel’s UYE, but when I walked through the door, I was immediately hit with delectable flavors coming from Perna’s kitchen.
The décor is simple, but it does show flares of New Orleans charm along with 2 mounted flat screen tvs. One thing that I was a little thrown off by was the food selections. I had browsed Unilocal photos of this restaurant and pre-​selected the wings prior to knowing that the menu alters depending on what’s fresh and in stock. I can respect that… Especially since the very nice cashier asked me if I wanted to try the «Ooey Gooey Cake». Loving all things food, I had a sample (or two) or that deliciously moist cake. I ordered fried pork chops with macaroni and cheese and french fries.
While waiting in the dining area with my fellow Unilocalers, Perna, herself, came out to greet everyone and to thank her patrons for stopping by.
Good things come to those who wait… and that quote is definitely true in this case. The food did take a nice while (25min perhaps** i didn’t put her on a timer or anything), but the food was piping hot when it came out. The pork chops were seasoned perfectly, the french fries were battered, fried and steaming hot. The macaroni and cheese was ok (nothing to write home about).
Overall, I will definitely be back to this place.(probably this week ;)

Great food. Everything is made when you order. Menu changes daily. Extremely friendly staff. Great deserts as well. Will be going back soon!

I found this little hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant on Unilocal and noticed it had 5 stars + 16 reviews. The pictures looked appetizing, so I was excited to go and try it. I was a bit disappointed to see that the menu was daily but its an interesting concept I really haven’t seen anywhere else. Perna told us the menu verbally, as she had just opened & still hadn’t gotten around to writing the menu for the day yet. That was fine. We waited for her to write the menu and then ordered Shrimp étouffée, Fried Chicken, Red beans & Rice, Cajun fries, Jambalaya, Potato salad and for dessert, bread pudding. That seemed like a good amount for two people. After we ordered, a few people came after us. We noticed that she was the one taking orders AND making the food, so we realized it would probably be a while for our food. I understand that she only has two hands to work with, but we ordered at 11:42 and our food didn’t come out UNTIL 12:26! Almost a 40 minute wait for our food. Perna apologized.
Although it was a 40 minute wait for our food, our food came out hot/​warm, so that was good. I had the fried chicken, cajun fries, and potato salad. The fried chicken comes with 3 pieces of chicken and a roll. It seemed really good when I first ate it, because I was hungry. But after eating the second piece, I realized that it was a bit dry and not that flavorful. I still ate it though because I was hungry. The «cajun» fries are just regular fries sprinkled with a bit of cajun seasoning.
I also tried the Shrimp étouffée (and I’ve never had Shrimp etoufee before) and I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like, but it seemed a bit bland to me. I felt like I needed to sprinkle some salt into it. The red beans & rice was also bland, but I’m not a big fan of red beans so that’s probably why I didn’t like it either. The potato salad and Jambalaya were just okay too.
The best part of our meal was probably the dessert. I never had bread pudding before, so I was excited to try it and it was SO GOOD! It was nice and warm and sweet but not too sweet.
Overall, Perna is such a sweet lady and welcomed us with a smile. But I was definitely disappointed because the reviews for this place were so good. It was definitely not worth the 40 minute wait.

Upon entry, we were greeted by a very sweet owner. She is authentic, caring, and works very hard, and had this hole-​in-​the-​wall open since October ’15. I just returned from Alexandria, LA last week, and was craving some Cajun food, so this was an exciting find.
We were introduced to the everyday-​changing menu options, and they have everything from boudin (shipped from a small town in Louisiana who hails the «best») to fried chicken, shrimp and catfish when they have new orders in the beginning of the week. Closed on Mondays, they get new seafood orders on Tues and keep their ingredients as fresh as can be until they just run out. I’d suggest coming in on Tuesday, because I know I will ;)
The meal size is very VERY filling. I mean, this IS soul food, but they are great with to-​gos and all that jazz.
My friend bought ooey gooey cake which was AWESOME. So soft, melt-​in-​your-​mouth sugary goodness, that makes you not want to question what’s in it. Definitely a great treat to share. It doesn’t look like much, but it packs a lot of happiness in each bite. I’m interested to try the other dessert — the bread pudding — when my girls and I return.

Great food and owner. She really cares about her food and the people eating there.
So far I have tried the poboy, fried pork chop and I stole some of my son’s lasagna. Yep she makes that and it rocks. It is all good.
I am looking forward to trying everything. The menu changes daily like Damian’s in Arlington.

Ms. Perna is the real deal! Her food is out of this world. My husband and I went there for the first time tonight and we were not disappointed! I had the fried pork chops… amazing! My husband had the Big Earl po boy… (named after her Father) ½ shrimp ½ catfish also very good. Her sides are just as good as the entrees. Don’t forget the ooey gooey cake it is soooo good. And I also recommend her world famous Black Cherry Lemonade… her words :) Can’t wait to go back. Also everything is cooked to order so there is a bit of a wait… but worth every second!

I don’t even know where to start. I usually don’t eat at «Cajun» restaurants because, being a Cajun, I find them inauthentic and repulsive. This place was… just like home!
We started off with the Crawfish and Shrimp Pasta. The spice level was good but palatable for those not accustomed to eating spicy food. The pasta was creamy, with just the right amount of cheese on top… absolutely delicious.
My wife then ordered the fried chicken, which was cooked home style and was very good.
We then capped it off with some bread pudding and ooey gooey cake, both of which were absolutely fantastic.
Perna also gave us a free sample of boudin, which, well… was absolutely perfect!
And, to top it all off, our bill was less than half of what it would normally be at a restaurant. As an added bonus, they had free Wifi (that actually functioned unlike most of the places I’ve been to) and so I was able to get some work done while I was waiting for my wife to arrive.
A++++++++++++++ Best restaurant that I’ve been to in DFW!!!

This is one the best Cajun/​soul food restaurants that I’ve tried in a long time. Perna was super nice and treated us like we were family. Everything was seasoned right and the taste was on point. I had the grilled pork chops, yams, and potato salad. I also had the Ooey Gooey that was awesome! My wife and I will definitely be back SOON!

Well sometimes I’m in the mood for some Cajun/​soul food but it’s hard to find a good place that is not sold out of food around 2 maybe 3 pm with out driving 45 minutes to an hour to get to it.
The other day around 3pm I was craving some soul food and I was like well I’m out of luck. I looked on Unilocal to see what I was going to eat. I ran into this place and I told my wife let’s do it.
We drove to the restaurant and I was disappointed that it was closed for a private event, So We ended up at DQ down the street. I decided to try again a couple of days later. To my luck it was open and I was finally able to try some food!!!
As I walked in I was welcomed by Perna herself.
Everything I heard about her was on point. Very nice lady and passionate about her restaurant and food. She told us what was on the menu and I went with the fried pork chops, greens and Mac and cheese. My wife went with the fried shrimp and same sides. Just after we finished placing the order my wife ask about the beignets, Perna answer with a smile and said I will make some for you right away.
While cooking our food fresh to order she came out of the back with this basket full of this delicious beignets. They were to die for… Omg these things were good. I’m not much of a dessert guy but since it was there before the food I gave them a try. My wife said it was exactly what she wanted. The the food came out looking super duper delicious and I didn’t wait any longer and went to town on the chops. They were amazing and so juicy and hot just like I like my food. The Mac and cheese was great and the greens were really good. I was very pleased with my meal.
The place had enough room for around 20 people or so, not too big but not a tiny restaurant. The customer service was 6 stars worth and so was the food. I will come back and try more delicious food soon. I sure hope they get enough business to stay open for a long time because this is my new to go place for Soul/​Cajun food.
The price of the food is very reasonable for the quality and love that she puts into her food and yet cheaper then the competition. Great food, great customer service– I see it as a no brainer to stop and try it.

Soulfood is not my favorite– but if it’s Cajun I’m all over it. I usually feel like I’m dragged into spots like this by the man– he could live off it. I oblige because it makes him happy. Once I saw all the NOLA Saints deco I was just as excited.
We drove around the strip malls a bit before we actually found it as the map only gives you a proximity. Its on the same side of the strip as Mad Mikes ice cream. I also saw the sign for Beignets on the door *drool*
We had the place to ourselves– it was around 230 so I assume we missed the lunch rush. Perna was all smiles as we walked in– she just radiates happiness– and it spills over into her food. Its a simple set up– a few 2 and 4 tops scattered in the main room and a smaller seperately area on the right. Just skip up to the counter, order your food, and wait. It takes awhile so don’t be in a time crunch. She makes everything fresh so it’s worth the wait.
She hadn’t changed her chalkboard menu yet so she gave us the menu options verbally. The menu is different everyday but she said she will always have fried pork chops, fried chicken, and fried shrimp.
We got the fried shrimp and the fried pork chops, both with greens and mac and cheese. The shrimp are smaller, but there had to have been 20 or more. They were lightly breaded in cornmeal and perfectly crunchy. The pork chops were seasoned beautifully– and it was still tender and juicy. The greens were great– they had a ton of meaty bits and red pepper flakes swimming around in there. The mac and cheese was Velveeta like to me– but I still destroyed the whole serving. I’m glad it wasn’t all dry like other places.
Eat here.

My husband and I came here for lunch and did not leave disappointed! We both ordered the fried chicken (delicious and crispy!), fried okra, jambalaya, and potato salad. Everything was just perfection! If you choose to order at the restaurant, please be patient. The food comes out fresh & hot, and it is worth the wait. We will be back!

We’ll all I can say is… the food was good. Come by and try it for yourself. The ooey gooey cake was the best I have ever had. When you drive up it looks small from the outside but it is a comfortable cozy restaurant.

We’ve been here twice in two days and have tried literally everything she has to offer on her daily menu. Yes, daily menu. It’s different everyday so call ahead to find out what’s being served or pop in for a surprise. Perna (purh-​nay) is so, so sweet and genuinely happy to serve her food.
On to the food! I fell in love with her shrimp étouffée; which was filled with yummy tender shrimp, rice, and a rich shrimpy roux based gravy. The fried chicken tastes like my mom’s which is uhhh-​mazing and crisp. Grilled pork chops are salty and juicy; and they also come fried! Her fried catfish basket comes in a huge portion so come in hangry. I wasn’t into the red beans and rice but the jambalaya, candied yams, green beans, and buttered sweet corn were all stupid good.

WOW!
Great food priced right! Perna is a doll and great hostess. Real home cooking. Quaint dining room.
To quote Arnold, «I’ll be back!»