Macon’s staple Cajun-Creole joint is ‘elevated’ with renovations, new menu

You have to get through swampy moss and a droopy tree to experience the new bites and renovations at Macon’s bayou.

Parish on Cherry, that is.

In its 10th year of business, the local Cajun-Creole restaurant closed for about a week and reopened Monday with a more upscale feel and new menu, according to MaryBrooke Wiggins, a manager.

“It’s not a Mardi Gras feel. It’s not like a traditional French Quarter restaurant, like all white and black and streamlined. It’s more of an elevated bayou feel,” Wiggins told The Telegraph on Friday, while renovations were still underway.

A carpenter, wedding planner and kitchen connoisseurs brought the new vision to life while keeping some favorites like shrimp and grits, and Cajun pasta.

“The whole experience, between the look of it, the menu, the staff, it’s just taking it up a notch,” Wiggins said.

Jarvis Willis, owner of Jarvis Willis Events & Designs, laid out interior plans for the restaurant and also designed Blitzen Bar at Sophia’s on Second, the pop-up holiday bar on Second Street.

“He’s making downtown a more fun place to be,” Wiggins said.

Even the front waiting area near the host stand now has couches and chairs for a homey and relaxed atmosphere.

“I enjoy doing things so when people walk in, they’re like, ‘Wow,’ just creating wow moments,” Willis said.

New items

Liquor bottles are lit up and neatly displayed on the bar wall to brighten up the dining area.

One of a few new drinks is the Sazerac — one of the earliest known cocktails in the United States, created by a Creole apothecary and named the official drink of New Orleans. It has a high alcohol content and mixes well with rye whiskey and bitters.

“We had removed it from the menu, but we brought it back because it’s getting popular again,” Wiggins said.

There’s also the Rainbow Gin Fizz, which uses egg white and colored syrups for a rainbow effect. Or it can be served white, without the coloring, in a Collins glass.

Edible flowers, dried oranges and rainbow sugar are just a few of the new garnishes topping the beverages.

Customers can pair those drinks with fried grouper, oysters, cream cheese grits, rib-eye steak, and end the meal with Bananas Foster or crème brûlée.

The kitchen staff got inspiration for the new items from a recent tasting in Atlanta, inspired by the goals of Chrissy Lynn Brown, the owner of Parish, Fatty’s, and Steve’s Steak and Seafood.

“She really wanted to elevate what we currently had,” Wiggins said. “It’s definitely more moody in there with all the brown and green.”

Affordability

Both employees and customers benefited from Brown’s financial decisions under the new look, according to Wiggins and Brown.

Most workers were paid their usual hourly rates while the restaurant was closed, which helped avoid missing a paycheck.

“Chrissy didn’t want anybody to lose out on money, so everybody had their own part in making it unique,” Wiggins said.

Also, most menu prices stayed the same, and most portions were large enough for leftovers when The Telegraph dined in Tuesday.

Signature entrées range from $16 to around $38, desserts average around $10, the cost of oysters varies, there’s an $8 kids menu and cocktails are $9 to $12.

“My family rarely goes out to eat because prices are so high, so I wanted to make it as affordable as possible,” Brown said. “We kept everything pretty much in the same price range.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.