Culinary Creators

Your favorite restaurant is only as good as the chef. How to bring out the flavors in food, what ingredients complement each other and cooking times are skills chefs have to know to get the best tasting food to your palette.  

In Louisiana, savory food is a big part of the culture. Only the best food will keep people coming back. Meet three standout chefs in Lake Charles who keep churning out some of the best dishes in SWLA. 

Chef John McGrew: Crying Eagle Brewing Company – University

When Chef John McGrew was in his early 20s, he was hired to work in a kitchen. He discovered his love of cooking while there and enrolled in SOWELA’s culinary arts program. He worked at the old Coyote Blues on Ryan Street before becoming sous chef at The Bekery. He continued his career at the Pioneer Club before settling in at Crying Eagle Brewing Company—University. 

Chef John’s varied experience helped him adapt to cooking the cuisine at Crying Eagle. The Bekery allowed him to be familiar with dough for Crying Eagle’s pizzas, and the Pioneer Club taught him fine dining, which helped when coming up with special menu items. In fact, the first special he worked on, the Crying Eagle Smash Burger, is one of the best-selling items on the menu. 

He’s been at Crying Eagle for three years and says the primary reason he loves to work there is because the company gives back to the community, citing fundraisers for Ball’s Fried Chicken and Area 337 when these locally owned restaurants faced hardship. 

Chef John also enjoys that the job is never predictable. “It’s never stale. You never know what you’re going to do, whether it’s a kid’s event or Oktoberfest.” 

The collaboration between departments is also key to smooth operations. “The bar staff, the brewery . . . we all work together so our food releases complement the beer releases. I love watching the company push boundaries on a gastropub level.” 

Chef Lyle Broussard: Crying Eagle Brewing Company – Lakefront 

Chef Lyle Broussard is a well-known name in the local culinary scene, but that didn’t happen by accident. He is a Lake Charles native and the only jobs he has ever held have been in the culinary arts scene. He worked his way up from dishwasher at age 18 to chef at Crying Eagle’s lakefront location.  

Chef Lyle’s great-grandmother owned a small restaurant named Lewis’ Drive-In and grew up surrounded by great family cooking. He attended SOWELA’s culinary arts program for a little while, before receiving further education at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  

After working at Harrods Casino for a brief time, Chef Lyle switched to L’Auberge Casino shortly before Hurricane Rita struck SWLA in 2005. He became the chef de cuisine in 2009, working at what was then Jack Daniels, continuing as it transformed into Barstool Sportsbook and then ESPN Bet. In total, Chef Lyle worked at L’Auberge for two decades before he made the move to Crying Eagle—Lakefront. 

“I met Eric (Avery) at the Louisiana Winter Beer Fest downtown. Crying Eagle—University wasn’t built yet,” Chef Lyle says. “At the festival we made a menu based on the beers. Eric and I kept in touch, and after Crying Eagle was built, it was the first local brewery, so we pushed the beer out of the restaurant in L’Auberge.” 

Eric Avery would then offer Chef Lyle the top position in the kitchen at Crying Eagle—Lakefront. “It was scary to leave the security of somewhere you’ve worked for 20 years,” Chef Lyle says. “At L’Auberge, I had a lot of freedom, but I was still working for a corporation. At Crying Eagle, my decisions directly affect the outcome of the business. I hired every dishwasher and cook, tested every recipe.” 

The opening menu for Crying Eagle was a collaborative effect between Chef Lyle; Eric Avery, president; Chef John McGrew (at the University location); Fran Avery, vice president; Ryan Ozment, general manager; and Jacob Manceaux, executive director of operations.  

They ate at restaurants in New Orleans and Little Big Cup in Arnaudville to decide what direction the food at Crying Eagle—Lakefront would take. All six people met every other day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to submit their own menus, ideas and work out what would be on the menu or how to tweak a dish they knew would be offered. This process lasted the summer of 2025, and Chef Lyle says dishes were still being perfected up to two weeks before opening. The bestselling Tuna Nachos was altered 10 times before the group knew what direction they were going to take with the dish. 

“I love Louisiana,” Chef Lyle says. “I love Lake Charles. Sometimes Lake Charles gets lost. The first thing people think about Louisiana food is New Orleans. I think we have one of the best cuisines in the country. It’s a little bit Texas, a mix of Creole and Cajun, and a little Caribbean. Being a chef here is competitive because 85% of people already know how to cook.” 

The menu is undergoing some changes. A few items will be discontinued and replaced by new creations. There will also be Valentine’s Day specials. The real test will be how the business does during its first full summer in business. At the end of the day, Chef Lyle encourages, “Find inspiration wherever you can find it. If you put your heart into it, you will be successful.”

Chef  Eric McCree: Augustine

Chef Eric McCree was in the kitchen early. He grew up in a “predominantly female household”, observing his grandmother, mom and nanny experimenting with savory dishes and desserts. The atmosphere during family dinners was warm and played a role in Chef Eric’s future career goals. 

While attending LaGrange High School, Chef Eric attended the College Vocational Center for culinary arts and studied under Cory Aguillard. However, his passion was baking, and to further his knowledge of the trade, he attended Johnson and Wells in Miami for instruction on baking and pastry making. Once he graduated, he came back to Lake Charles to work at 1910 as sous chef.  

The road to becoming a chef wasn’t easy. Chef Eric says, “Cooking was fearful to me. I watched Julia Child on YouTube. She didn’t fear anything. She taught me how to keep trying. Also, baking is very precise. Even if the temperature is a few degrees off, everything can fall apart. That taught me patience.” 

Chef Eric’s next job was at Tia Juanita’s, where he would learn more about running a restaurant as general manager. This job taught him how to handle a new level of stress. However, after a short while, he transferred to Luna Bar & Grill.  

One day, Dave Evans, owner of Luna, asked Chef Eric if he “wanted to go back home?” Andrew Green of 1910 was close friends with Evans and had offered to let him take over the space after 1910 closed. That’s when Evans began brainstorming about what is now Augustine. Giving Chef Eric the title of executive chef, he and Evans composed the menu together. “He is a different type of chef,” Chef Eric says. “He taught me you can have a cool head and still produce good food.” 

At only 26 years old, Chef Eric is leading the kitchen. “At first it was stressful, but I learned stress is what you make it. Now I come in and say, ‘We’re going to have a great day!’ I’m grateful the team accepts me and my authority even though I’m younger than them.” 

Some dishes Chef Eric recommends are the Shrimp Rockefeller, Blue Crab Spaghetti, Augustine Burger, Lobster Roll, and Fish Augustine. As far as desserts go, he recommends the trifle, which changes with the seasons. 

“Stay bold with the flavors and don’t be afraid to experiment” is the advice Chef Eric gives to others interested in the culinary arts. Since pastries are his passion, he says his 10-year plan is to open his own bakery and he would love to bring Creole flavors to the Northeast. In the meantime, he continues to hone his craft and create new masterpieces in Augustine’s kitchen.