116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cafe Beignets brings New Orleans treats, Cajun eats to Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids
Find new signatures from down South
Oct. 29, 2025 6:00 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Southern treats are finding a new home up north.
New restaurateurs Carl and Tammy Stewart are putting family recipes to use as their namesake signature rises in popularity in Cedar Rapids.
After some instant success with recipes made from scratch, the couple opened its first brick-and-mortar home at Lindale Mall on Oct. 1
If you go:
Address: Food court of Lindale Mall, 4444 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday
Phone: (319) 457-4444
Website: Find Cafe Beignets on Facebook
Details: Find beignets, New Orleans inspired sweets, Cajun cooking and daily specials at budget friendly prices.
How it started
When Carl took Tammy to visit his hometown of New Orleans five years ago, she was smitten by everything during the festivities of Mardi Gras.
But beignets at the world famous Cafe Du Monde left perhaps the most formative impression on her life.
Growing up, Carl remembers his grandmother making them from scratch. So when Tammy wanted another taste of Louisiana, he made them at their home in Cedar Rapids.
Before long, they knew they couldn’t keep the recipe to themselves. In June, they debuted Cafe Beignets at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market.
On their first day, their beignets sold like hot cakes. Before closing, the 800 they prepped were gone.
“From the moment they rang the (opening) bell, our line never stopped,” Tammy said.
What are beignets?
Think of them as funnel cakes with a different shape.
“It’s considered a French doughnut with powdered sugar,” Carl said.
Beignets are fluffy, fried and airy pieces of dough. In contrast to traditional doughnuts, they are hollow inside.
Carl’s family recipe makes them with flour, vanilla extract, butter extract and almond extract.
The Midwestern urge to fill them with jams, jellies or creams continues to tempt Tammy, but Carl stays traditional out of respect for his grandmother’s legacy.
Their first permanent location
The namesake signature of Cafe Beignets that captured Cedar Rapids’ attention several months ago is planting its roots with Cajun flare at Lindale Mall.
Tammy, raised in the south, previously sold Sunday plates to family and friends. Now the couple, who own trucking and day care businesses, are adding one more venture to their plates.
Beignets, buttermilk drops, caramel cake and coffee anchor the café’s menu with new wings of savory eats and rotating specials.
“Our goal is to try to have something (different) in that case every day of the week,” Tammy said.
In true Louisiana fashion, Mondays will feature catfish with red beans and rice — something households down south traditionally cook on a pot as they do their laundry. Fridays will be for Cajun fried rice with a unique spice palate.
“A lot of people think Cajun means hot. That’s not the case — Cajun means seasoning,” she said. “It doesn’t mean heat at all.”
Carl said the seasoning is also a good way to balance out peppery sensations, making it worth the while for those with sensitive tongues.
Starting at $3, lunch friendly specials like chili dogs, fries and VooDoo nachos round out the rest of the straightforward menu.
The cuisine brings something unique to Cedar Rapids. And through Carl’s cooking, New Orleans is the spice of life.
“With us, you get different stuff, different spices. You get the culture of New Orleans,” he said. “A lot of people come from all over the world just to taste something different (there.)”
Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.
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