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BURLINGTON — Jazebel’s is the latest creation of Burlington restaurateur Dan Doby. The name is derived from his love of jazz, and performers swing Thursday through Sunday starting at 8 p.m. If you don’t want the music to compete with your conversation, ask for a booth in the rear when you make a reservation.

Sections of the bar are constructed from old pianos. A gaslight illuminates the interior. Textured walls, decorated with Lowcountry- or jazz-themed prints, allow faux brick to peek through. This looks a lot a music bar on Bourbon Street, and you can smell the onions cooking as you walk in the door, further solidifying that impression.

Sweet cornbread starts most meals. Two soups, both steamy hot, are outstanding. Fried tomato ($3/cup-$6/bowl) blends crushed, smoked tomatoes, onions and celery in tomato-and-chicken broth. She Crab ($4/cup-$7/bowl) places lots of lump crab meat and finely diced onions in a rich cream base, undergirded with sherry and lemon zest.

The house salad ($3) is based on spring mix with the addition of onions and tomatoes, dressed in very light vinaigrette.

Twenty wines by the glass earn points for quality and value.

Entrees are prepared in a Louisiana style. Slow-cooked brisket ($12) is tender and exudes deep beef flavor, served with Creole rice, which absorbs the natural juices of the meat. Beef Waga Waga ($19), braised tender beef joined by mushrooms, onions and just a little artichoke, combined with red wine gravy, grows out of an African influence.

Shrimp and grits ($14) uses shelled, sauteed medium-size shrimp in Creole-style tomato-onion gravy, ladled over white grits. Chicken and sausage gumbo ($14) incorporates white meat plus smoky andouille sausage, prepared Cajun style from a dark roux (no tomatoes), seasoned with bell pepper, onion and celery. Jazebel’s version is tame rather than spicy-hot.

The cracked pepper tuna ($18) is tender, bearing no gristle, the exterior coated with cracked, black peppercorns and pan-seared. A garlic-lemon sauce lends a tart edge. Crab cakes ($19) contain a generous portion of lump crab meat held together by some New Orleans magic, sautéed crisp. Lobster-tarragon sauce extends the richness.

Braised red and green cabbage with onions join seasoned rice or mashed potatoes to round out each plate. To the kitchen’s credit, nothing was oversalted.

For dessert, rich pecan pie and tart-sweet lemon pie ($3/each) are worth the calories, although the crust did not taste like a scratch preparation.

Food came out of the kitchen at an appropriate pace, but servers did not know which dish went to which position at the table.

Chef Orobosa Uwagbai is from Nigeria. He formerly operated the well-reviewed Orobosa’s in Pawleys Island, S.C. He prepares the dishes that are based on Lowcountry and African influences. Chef Rick Deare handles the Cajun dishes on the menu. He was born in Louisiana, where he learned to cook from his mother in Acadia. He used to own a Cajun restaurant in the French Quarter called Cooyon’s. He just returned from Singapore, where he introduced Cajun to the country by developing the menu at The Smoke House. Quite a team!

Jazebel’s gets a solid recommendation, especially for its ambience and certainly for the food.

John Batchelor is a freelance contributor who has been reviewing restaurants for more than 25 years. You can reach him at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420, or send e-mail to john.e.batchelor@gmail.com. To find his recent columns, visit GoTriad.com..