Words: Caitlin Watzke
Photos: Randy Schmidt

Lyle Broussard grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and was surrounded by cooking from a young age. Lyle regularly visited his grandparent’s restaurant, gathering with family for boucheries, and picking okra from his grandfather’s garden after church.

Unsurprisingly, cooking came naturally to Lyle. After a few semesters of college, he got a job washing dishes but was quickly promoted to line cook. He joined Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill at L’Auberge Lake Charles in 2005 and was promoted to executive chef three years later. He earned his Certified Chef de Cuisine through the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

Today, Broussard draws on his upbringing for his southwest Louisiana-inspired menu. “If you go around the average Saturday in southwest Louisiana, you’ll see barbecue and seafood,” he says. “That’s what we are.”