Howe’s Bayou : Providing Delicious Cajun & Creole Cooking in the Heart of Ferndale!
By Jenn Goeddeke
Situated just North of 9 Mile on Woodward (22848 Woodward Ave), Howe’s Bayou is a popular bar/restaurant with an intimate, low-lit ‘artsy’ vibe which Michael Hennes runs with his partner, Patti Barker. Howe’s Bayou has been serving its patrons with authentic, Southern-style dishes since 1999. During that year, Hennes – who is now the proprietor – began working with Tom Brandel, a local restauranteur (of Tom’s Oysters, in Roy-al Oak). Hennes explained that Brandel was initially looking for management help but, after only a year, Hennes was able to purchase the establishment. Prior to purchasing Howe’s Bayou, Hennes had extensive experience in the food industry, having lived and worked for restaurants in Detroit for 25 years.
The Howe’s Bayou family-friendly menu offers something for everyone at an affordable price including steak, sandwiches, and seafood – along with traditional New Orleans favorites. My personal favorite is the Voodoo Chicken Po’ Boy: “strips of grilled chicken tossed in our savoury New Or-leans BBQ sauce – $7.95” (All Po’ Boys are served with southern slaw and home-baked potato chips).
For adult clientele, there is a wide offering of beverages: craft beers, as-sorted cocktails, and various wines. The wait-staff are always friendly, and able to offer good suggestions regarding food/beverage combinations. For those with a ‘sweet-tooth’ craving, I would strongly suggest trying the bread pudding with a bourbon sauce, or the peach cobbler with whipped cream (at $4.25 each). Tuesday dinner specials are available for just$10/plate, so new customers can find their favorite dish!
Hennes has a definite interest in ‘giving back’ to the community, and in serving others. At one point in his career, Hennes took a break to work with “Focus Hope,” where he managed the café and oversaw the confer-ence center full-time for 18 months. More recently, Howe’s Bayou donated food for over 150 guests at an ‘Awards for Youth’ event, through Peace Action of Michigan; Hennes has been contributing to this charity in a simi-lar way for five years.
I asked Hennes what stood out to him while working over the years at Howe’s Bayou. He responded, “The community here is the greatest experi-ence, my staff are awesome and we have a very loyal base of customers. It’s mostly just word-of-mouth advertising now. Everyone knows each oth-er from the surrounding businesses. We all take a vested interest in what’s going on. This neighborhood really takes pride in itself!” Hennes added that this community spirit has encouraged him to volunteer for different local causes/events including the DDA and FernCare.
Hennes and Barker certainly have a great way of making their customers feel welcome and wanting to come back for more of the Howe’s Bayou Southern-dining experience.
Howe’s Bayou can be reached at: (248) 691.7145, or by email: info@howesbayouferndale.net. Private and Business Catering is available. Street-side dining open in the Spring & Summer months. Visit the website for online ordering/menu information: www.howesbayouferndale.net
