It’s the question we get asked more than almost any other: “What does Chicageaux even mean?”
The short answer is Chicago + Geaux. The longer answer is the whole story of how I got here.
My journey started in Chicago, where I learned the value of hard work, bold flavors, and doing things the right way. It continued in New Orleans, where I fell in love with the culture, hospitality, and deep food traditions that make a meal feel like family. Two cities, two different educations, and somewhere between them I picked up everything that goes into a Chicageaux plate today.
So when it came time to name the brand, splitting the difference was never an option. It had to honor both places at once.
Where “Geaux” Comes From
“Geaux” is pronounced exactly like the simple English word “go.” The stylized spelling is a playful nod to Louisiana’s rich Cajun and French heritage — it borrows the French suffix “-eaux,” which makes a long “o” sound, and slaps it onto the front of the word. You’ll see it everywhere in Southern sports fandom, most famously as “Geaux Tigers” for LSU.
Once you’ve spent real time in Louisiana, “geaux” stops being just a spelling trick. It becomes a way of saying something belongs there — that it’s been touched by that culture, that hospitality, that history.
Put Them Together
Chicago gave me the discipline and the bold, no-shortcuts flavor. New Orleans gave me the soul, the hospitality, and the love of turning a meal into an experience. Chicageaux is what happens when neither one wins — when both cities get equal credit on the same plate.
It’s not a gimmick. It’s the most honest name I could have picked, because it’s exactly how I cook.
Real Smoke. Real Flavor. Real People.
— Chef Chi
Founder & Pitmaster, Chicageaux
