Wednesdays are something akin to a carnivorous holiday in Sulphur as meat-eaters make a pilgrimage to Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen for “Big Meat Wednesday.”

The buffet is overflowing with pork chops, barbecue chicken, sausage, ribs, rice dressing and baked beans.

With a packed house every Wednesday, it’s as much a place to hobnob as it is to feast.

While “Big Meat Wednesday” may be Hollier’s signature day, there’s much more to the restaurant.

Because of the variety of food they serve on the buffet, I often don’t even bother to look at the menu.

The buffet is $9.95 on weeknights and $18.95 on weekend evenings when, like many area Cajun buffets, Hollier’s rolls out the seafood.

Hollier’s has a large main dining room and a separate dining room. It’s not uncommon to find both full to capacity — particularly if Sulphur Parks and Recreation is hosting a tournament. The restaurant also serves as a meat processing center.

The restaurant survived a fire a few years back and came back stronger than ever.

I’m particularly fond of Hollier’s different takes on rice and gravy, usually served with beef or pork.

Although they’re not fricassee, they have a fricassee taste to them, which reminds me of dinners at my Grandma Manning’s Big Lake home. Fricassee was her specialty.

Hollier’s bills itself as a cajun kitchen and its menu reflects that, with everything from fried alligator and frog legs to the restaurant staple of a seafood platter.

The weekend seafood buffet includes fish, fried shrimp, etouffee, fried oysters and fried frog legs.

I recently visited Hollier’s on a weeknight with my friends Steve and Annette. We’ve been many times and tried many different menu items, but on this night we all opted for the buffet.

The buffet menu was: fried catfish, shrimp étouffée, steak and gravy, jambalaya, field peas and green beans.

It was, of course, delicious.

When not eating from the buffet, Annette often orders the fried fish and shrimp combo.

I stick to the buffet, unless it’s cold and a bowl of gumbo is in order.

Hollier’s also offers a short-order menu section, which offers several versions of hamburgers — jalapeño, crawfish, shrimp and catfish.

Meals range from $3.75 for a hamburger to the weekend buffet.

The most expensive menu items are the steak and shrimp dinner and the Gerry’s special, which is an 8-ounce ribeye topped with crawfish étouffée. Both cost $16.50.

Most meals at Hollier’s also come with a self-serve salad bar, which offers your usual selection of salad toppings, as well as cole slaw, pea salad and potato salad.

If you’re looking for healthier options, my mom often orders the grilled chicken breast with a sweet potato, which she described as “delicious.”

Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen is located at 1709 Ruth St. in Sulphur. (Michael Cooper)

Fried catfish