NATCHEZ — If the mood strikes them for cracklin, boudin or Cajun stuffed sausage, Miss-Lou residents now have a new option in Cajun Specialty Meats and Seafood.

Owners Greg Poole and Barry Richardson said Cajun meats and seafood are very popular in the Miss-Lou, but until now there has not been a specialty store.

“Everybody that goes south says bring me back some boudin, bring me back some cracklin,” Poole said. “I don’t know how many people since we opened up said ‘I’m so glad you opened because we don’t have to go to south Louisiana anymore.’

“One of the reasons we opened this up is because there is nothing like it in this part of the country,” Richardson said.

Boudin is a mixture of pork, rice, vegetables and seasonings that is usually smoked or grilled, Poole said

“A lot of people associate boudin with a poor cut of meat; but we make it out of Boston butt here, which is a better cut of pork.”

“The cracklin and the boudin are the calling card, but a lot of people come in for the steaks,” Poole said.

While the steaks do not have a Cajun spice to them, Poole said they provide a variety of cuts.

“We try to meet every customers request, large or small,” he said.

The store’s fresh stuffed sausage has also been a big success, he said.

“The fresh stuffed sausage is top on the list for people from south Louisiana,” Poole said.

They also have a large selection of seafood, most of which originates in the Gulf of Mexico and the bays of south Louisiana.

“We try to handle as much local product as we can get our hands on,” Poole said.

The crawfish comes from Richardson’s crawfish farm, and when in season, the store will have live and boiled crawfish.

Poole and Richardson had been close friends for many years before opening the store on July 17.

“He helped me out with a few things and I helped him out with a few things and we got our heads together,” Poole said.

Poole worked for Winn Dixie for 20 years. Richardson worked for Tabasco for 30 years. But both said that opening a specialty meat store has been a big change from what they used to do.

“It’s a new industry for both of us,” Poole said. “We stubbed our toes a few times.”

The store is located at 4321 Carter St. in Vidalia. It is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.