Whoever says South Durham is nothing but one chain restaurant after another has never been to the Greenwood Commons Shopping Center on N.C. 55. Inside its 1980s architecture a handful of family-owned, niche eateries offer a plethora of food options.

The center, located near the Research Triangle Park, sports everything from empanadas made fresh in the traditional style of Bolivia, to crawfish etouffee straight out of the bayous of Mississippi. Spicy curries and buttery nan await you, as do gyro and slouvaki.

The survival of most of the restaurants at Greenwood Commons depends upon the lunch crowd, as well as catering. Some do not even bother opening for dinner.

But the anchor to the shopping center, Papa Mojo's Roadhouse, goes so far as to offer a night scene. Its live music scene often features musicians from across the Southeast, as well as owner Roy "Mel" Melton playing zydeco on the harmonica, or his washboard, in his house band The Wicked Mojo's. The crowds pile into the ethereal space he's created within a very generic strip mall well after business hours.

Antique fireplace mantles line a two-story wall, strung with Spanish moss and other Cajun influences like voodoo paraphernalia. Old wooden doors make the bench backs, and a rusted tin roof hangs above the bar area.

When asked why he dared open a restaurant with a blues and jazz scene in what was bound to be an abandoned shopping center after 5 p.m., Melton simply says it was the right price, had the right amount of parking, and at least had a lunch crowd.

"This is about as backwater as it gets," Melton said of the location. He admits he was a bit nervous, but the first weekend they were open back in early 2008 they had nearly 20 people from Louisiana who now live in Apex show up to listen to music and eat some grub.

Melton, a North Carolina native whose culinary journey has taken him to Austin, Texas, Louisiana and Chicago, said his strength as a chef lies in soups and sauces. He won "Best Dish in North Carolina" in 2008, and was a finalist this year as well.

"It's a parallel art form," Melton said of food and music. "I get just as excited being in the kitchen as being on the stage."

Dishes include andouille-laced gumbo, crawfish boils (on occasion), fried okra, macque chou, and tasso gravy on rice, cornbread, and maybe anything you ask for. Desserts include buttermilk pie with blackberry sauce and Chantilly cream, and an abita root beer float with a side shot of Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine.

J. Michael Edwards has owned the shopping center for about four years, and says Melton has bolstered what was already a unique food destination. A few tenants are looking to expand into currently empty adjacent spaces, and he is still looking for a tenant in what was a Peak Fitness gym, but generally things are looking up.

"He really created a lot of energy and enthusiasm," Edwards said. "That's been a big boost of the center."

"Our base is RTP," Melton said, and "true Louisiana ex-pats." Melton said many folks in the area appreciate the mix of zydeco, Cajun, blues, and New Orleans funk and jazz that can be found playing live in the unassuming strip mall.

"It's an empty-nester, boomer hang out," he said.