The Midwest is generally not seen as somewhere that hot spices can be found. In fact, we are usually seen as the folk in the country who cannot handle any spice, after all our most famous dishes involve some sort of hot dish or hearty soup. If there is one thing, I have learned in all my years of living in the Midwest though, it is that we have a great variety of restaurants that can cater to just about anyone no matter where they are from, and that does include those who prefer a little spice in their life, in the form of Parrot’s Cay.
I have been to Parrot’s Cay, typically called the Cay, three or four times between the Covid-19 epidemic and now, and I have tried a couple of different items off of their menu. From the onset they seem like a typical local bar, a dark atmosphere, packed with college students, gambling on one side of the bar, and you must be 21 years old to enter. Once you get onto the menu, that is where it differentiates itself. Parrots Cay is one of the only restaurants in town that specializes in Cajun flavors, and while I have never had authentic southern Cajun food, the Cay offers something that is not found in many other places. All of the food is served on paper plates, which is a strange thing to see at a restaurant at first but makes sense when you look at an overall bar scene and the relatively limited space at the restaurant to clean a large number of dishes. One other notable difference from other bars is that there is no hard liquor at all with beer being the primary drink served there.
The biggest draw to the Cay is not necessarily the atmosphere, though some find it a welcome change from other locations but is instead the ability to eradicate your tastebuds with the choose-your-own spice available on many of the dishes. The spice level ranges from 3 to 40 with 12 and up being shaded red and accompanied by a warning that they will make you sweat. I have tried both the 12 and 15 on wings and can confirm that those two will definitely wake you up if you are not already. I have seen friends attempt wings above those levels and they sweat throughout the entire meal. One notable thing regarding the spice is that it is not spice just to be spice. The flavor of the sauce is also great, and the wings melt in your mouth when you get their specialty shark-wings, that is of course if you can focus on the flavor through the tears.
The weekly specials are nothing to be frowned at either, with Wednesday and Thursday being busy days with a pitcher of beer and pound of wings offered at a discount along with other specials offered on Monday and Tuesday. If you are brave enough, there is a challenge listed underneath the specials which promises a $100 gift card to someone who can finish seven wings within five minutes, and afterwards sit for five minutes and “enjoy the burn.” There are pictures adorning the walls of people who have succeeded in the challenge all wearing a yellow T-shirt from it.
Overall, Parrots Cay is a worthwhile place to eat for anyone who can brave a good spicy meal, and for those who cannot, there are other options as well. I can guarantee I will visit the Cay more during my time here in Grand Forks.
Dylan Enerson is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
