Blue bayou is AMAZING, great owner who stopped by to say hi, unbelievable service with Ally and the crawfish boil was a blast. Perfectly seasoned spicy salty acidic and no bad belly the next day! We drove in from the burbs for their boil and now we will be back a ton more in the future just because it was that great! THIS IS THE SPOT! read more

Blue Bayou - Crawfish plate... all you can eat this was a special event not on regular menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a bar vibe. We went for lunch and it was super empty. I got the shrimp and grits which was yummy. The pretzel was also good. It's good enough creole food but I've had better. read more

We came to watch the NCAA games on a Sunday afternoon. Free parking along the side streets was difficult, but there was paid parking in front. The place had good vibes. There was a DJ at the back. The place was organized and clean. They had 4 staff members circulating and had a couple of drink specials. The food options were typical bar food. Portion size was good. I like it that they have multiple floors, so I do not have to worry about hosting a big group. read more

Blue Bayou - Nachos and Chicken Tender - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I will preface this with the fact that the bartenders and waiters/waitresses are abso fantastic, no fault on them. The management/ownership however is terrible. incredibly rude. have been patronizing them for the Knicks playoff run since the middle of April. he hates NY and only cares about taking money from customers who are only there to support their team and not the "bar" that this guy thinks he runs. Would give them a 0 if possible. The DJ SUCKS too. Bald guy stinks more. read more

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 27/50 Month tried: May Favorite dish: Catfish Po'Boy Really cool bar and ambiance, and the upper level is really nice with the windows open. We've come from trivia and the space works well for it. The food is just decent. There's better Cajun food in Chicago. My husband enjoyed the alligator po'boy which is definitely their most unique option, and my catfish po'boy was good. The second time we came for trivia, I just had chicken tenders. The Nola Salad actually looked really good. So all in all I would and have already come back for Trivia, but I wouldn't seek it out on food alone. read more

Great place for Cajun themed pub food and drinks, located right across the street from the Music Box Theater. Great service and decent food. Good old fashioned cocktail and good selection of alcoholic and N.A. beverages. Would return, would recommend. read more

They're baaaaaaack. After being closed for 10+ years, Blue Bayou has returned to Southport in the same space, recently revamped by Last Call Tavern Group. The space itself has two levels, downstairs a plethora of tables and long bar with plenty of seats and TVs. Upstairs is slightly smaller, but the balcony over Southport remains and the facade has a garage-style window that looks to open up to overlook the street in warmer weather, ala Bourbon Streen in NoLa. Food was excellent, and service was great though you need to come with patience as they're clearly working out some kinks. On weekends they offer a $25 bloody/mimosa option, and you can switch back & forth (tho mentioning the kinks above, they ran out of OJ during our visit and a manager had to run to a store to replenish - guess they underestimated how many mimosas we can drink haha). Glad to see them back, and look forward to returning soon! read more

Good chill bar with great service. Big fan of their chopped salad! Always have games on so it's a nice feel.

Love this place, the upstairs with the windows open was such a good vibe. The chips and good and have a bit of a kick to them but the carrot cake was so good and huge! I don't even think the picture shows how huge the slice was read more

Blue Bayou - Carrot Cake - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So glad this spot reopened! Always nice to have another bar in the neighborhood. It's very homey and welcoming inside, and I thought the menu had a lot of good options. I'm excited to go back soon! read more

Our 47th Valentine's Day celebration at the Blue Bayou! Thank you Ari for helping to make it memorable!! And recommending the "cheese curds" they were amazing!! read more

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I was SO excited Blue Bayou finally reopened and knew I had to check it out pretty quickly. Scoping the menu beforehand, I was a bit surprised that there were several classic NOLA dishes missing (no real jambalaya or gumbo, just something called jambalaya soup?, no beignets?!) but there are po'boys and shrimp and grits so I knew what I'd be ordering. It's seat yourself (which wasn't clear and had us hanging around the entrance for a beat until a server saw us and told us), and the decor felt a little...forced. It's barely NOLA themed--it's more general country sports bar themed with tons of TVs, license plates on the wall, and empty liquor bottles used as decor. Not even a single beaded necklace in sight! I wasn't hoping for tons of cheesy New Orleans decor, but did expect a bit more theming than there was. They have a solid beer menu, and we stuck with that instead of trying any of the cocktails. My husband ordered the gator po'boy and I got the shrimp and grits, with the cheese curds as a starter, and a bonus side of fries. The cheese curds were the same ones served down the street at Butchers Tap (from the same restaurant group) and were quite good, but less than a minute after they came out, our main dishes came out so everything felt a bit rushed. The husband said his po'boy tasted fine. The shrimp, sausage and vegetables were solid but the grits were quite bland and it almost tasted like they forgot to add cheese to them? Not sure but it was a bit disappointing for $22. The fries, though, were awesome! We'll give it another shot after they've had a chance to work out some kinks. We were served quickly, but noticed some tables waiting a long time for someone to take their orders (the server said they were unexpectedly short staffed). I'd be curious to try the brunch, but the menu is very basic brunch food so nothing special (and no mimosa or Bloody Mary deals according to the website). read more

Blue Bayou - Shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Positives: Jambalaya soup and atmosphere (can get crowded though) Negatives: Service is so slow and drinks are quite expensive without a lot of alcohol in them. (And that's coming from someone who rarely drinks!) Burger patties are just frozen It was really busy and I ordered a liquor drink and it just sat on the edge of the bar for at least 5 minutes until server brought to me. I doubt anyone would tamper with, but, in a crowded bar you never know! They should keep made drinks at least away from the bar where customers are near till they are able to bring to tables. I probably won't return Chicago has too many better spots. read more

Great bartender. Fine server. My issue? The oil used tasted ancient! I ordered shrimp and wings. Honestly, the putrid oil was just stomach-churning. The shrimp was spoiled. I stopped eating immediately. The shrimp was bad. That's it. Anyone that's ever gotten shellfish sick knows you never forget "eat through it" again. Bombed. Like Pearl Harbor. So I stopped. I paid and went to The Music Box. The staff was very nice and I feel badly leaving this review. I hope they change their oil because of this review though. My guess would be - i would not enjoy SEEING that kitchen. read more

The staff here is on point every visit. Food is solid too. Highly recommend the Shrimp and Grits and the Sheet Nachos, extra jalapeño. Plenty of TVs. Solid cocktails. read more

Blue Bayou - Spring day, cool breeze, cold beer. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great service and food. Try the Alligator PO Boy. Excellent!!!!!! Really fun atmosphere and very clean

Blue Bayou is a classy sports bar and grill that has the flavours and spirit of New Orleans right in Chicago's North Side. The food was the best. It was my first time trying Cajun cuisine. And staff was friendly and helpful. They always made sure the customers are having a great time. I'll look forward to visiting the Blue Bayou in the future. read more

Blue Bayou - Shrimp Po'Boy Sandwich and Cajun Potato Chips. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Interior of bar is great - plenty of TVs to watch games and interesting decorations on the walls. Food was very good - I personally do not like creole or cajun cuisine - but not all of the menu has this and I was very impressed with the food. Best item I had was the voodoo shrimp...though the sliders and chicken sandwich were also very good. read more

Having lived in the neighborhood for more than 13 years, it was exciting to have Blue Bayou reopen. Unfortunately, it lost all charm and gained only corporate cheese in the 10+ years since the original closed. Last Call is no doubt a successful hospitality group, but anyone who has been in one of their properties know they are not catering to a neighborhood clientele, but more 20-somethings and Cubs fans. That's very apparent in the new Blue Bayou. I've now been three times and have been disappointed each time. The first time, even though there are cocktails listed on the menu, the server and the bartender couldn't comprehend a simple manhattan or gin martini, let alone know what Tanqueray is. Both were undrinkable, not even resembling the classic cocktail they should be and were sent back. The second time we tried the food. The quesadilla literally had one whole section empty of filling. So it was 3/4 of a quesadilla. The jambalaya was decent, but nothing special or authentic. The third time our server didn't even know what Four Roses is, despite the highlighted section of special bourbons and liquors on the menu (of which Four Roses isn't even one - just a very common bourbon). While I don't blame the individual servers, I do blame management for hiring 23 year olds that don't know anything about a proper bar that serves cocktails, high-end liquors or, really, anything beyond Miller Lite. They're clearly going for a vibe by only hiring female servers, but this is a neighborhood joint. We want friendly, knowledgeable service not "sexy" style. Finally the decor. It looks like an Applebees trying to disguise itself as a New Orleans-themed bar. There is almost no empty space anywhere on the walls, with some New Orleans pictures and, oddly, endless license plates from all over the country. It's just bad. While there is time to right this ship, until they do, I think I'll stick to the true neighborhood joints like Toons, Port & Park and Guthries. But please, Last Call, take the time to hire professionals and train them properly, lose the cheesy decor, and bring back the heart of what the neighborhood wants and remembers. Until you do, places like Toons will remain packed and you will get the stragglers. read more

First time back here. Very lively on a Saturday night. Great vibe and addition as Southport needs some bars like this. We all enjoyed the food- the burger, the surf and turf and the po boys. Will def be back. read more

We were at Blue Bayou for a birthday lunch this week. Sam was our waiter and bartender. The place was relatively empty but it was a perfect day for our celebration. Sat at the window table to enjoy the fresh air and our drinks - a really nice beer selection for some and old fashioneds for the others. We skipped appetizers, but boy, did we enjoy our meals. All six of us were very pleased! Jambalaya was great, huge and delicious chicken tenders, a delicious shrimp po'boy. Two of us had the voodoo shrimp as our meal; they were large, fresh and very delicious!! Everyone said, "We don't have room for dessert!" But I insisted since we were there to celebrate a BD. SO glad I did, the bread pudding was excellent, and the gargantuan carrot cake was scrumptious. Thanks Sam for making it a great day! read more

Whoever redesigned this space did it dirty. The Blue Bayou of yesteryear had a moody ambiance that made you want to linger over another round of drinks: dark wood paneling, dimly-lit elaborate chandeliers, classic tin paneling, cozy booths tucked under arches, an oversized mirror behind the bar that made the cozy space feel more expansive. Tragically, it's all been replaced with: - plywood paneling across all walls that are painted in a poorly executed faux woodgrain - an overload of faux vintage license plates and other memorabilia that I can only assume came from a clearance sale after a Louisiana TGI Friday's went out of business - BRIGHT overhead lighting that flatters nobody - a sea of tables crammed in the back that are impossible to navigate around if a single other person is in the act of trying to get through them - SO many TVs. I get that being able to show a variety of games at once drives traffic to bars, but they could have better thought out their placement I'm sure the interior needed a LOT of work after sitting vacant for so long, but these cheap solutions don't create an inviting space. If you were left cold when nearby D'Agostino's stripped all of the character from their interior, you'll enjoy hanging here equally as much. I enjoyed what we ordered -- the Sazerac was really nice, shrimp and grits were fine but nothing to write home about, same for the fries -- but the extra "meh" atmosphere sends it to the very bottom of the list of places I'd like hang out with friends over drinks on Southport. What a bummer! This was a favorite spot when I first moved to the neighborhood many years ago. read more

Severely mid. Server was nice but food so below average. It was an approximation of nachos. Barely adequate burger. These are not difficult foods to make good. read more

The food is pretty decent, but missing some important New Orleans classics in favor of basic American bar food. The beer menu is pretty great, I have yet to try the cocktails however. My major issue is with the interior design. It feels super tacky, as if someone just bought a collection of "American Country" wall decorations from Urban Outfitters. So far the service has been hit or miss. We have been twice, once with a so-so waitress and the other time with very friendly one. I am mostly disappointed because this bar has so much potential. Alas, it is painfully generic. read more

Came in around 5pm on a Sunday and it was not busy. As soon as we ordered our drinks the server warned us that drinks were coming out slow. We waited 20 minutes for two of the three drinks ordered to come out when our server promised the third was coming very soon. We waited 8 more minutes to go up and ask the bartender herself how much longer it would be, stating that it had been almost 30 minutes. Rather than apologizing and getting the drink out quickly, she rudely stated that saying it had been 30 minutes was a stretch (we checked the ticket after the fact and it had been 28 minutes since it was rang in). The drink we were waiting on was sitting on the bar (probably for the last 8 minutes that the other two drinks were on our table) and was just waiting on a garnish. She took about 2 minutes to place the garnish (something which should take 10 seconds) and it became very apparent that this is the quality of service to be expected here. We will not be returning. read more

It seems like they are still working some things out. Service was slow on a relatively slow night. Jambalaya soup was ok, smash burger pretty good, but cat fish po'boy was very subpar. Toon's down the street has way better catfish and feels just as "Nola" or Cajun as this place. Toon's also has a way better hot sauce selection. Didn't experience the first iteration so don't know what to compare it too but felt sort of stale and inauthentic. If this is what it was like before, no wonder it took so long to come back? Will give it a while before I return. read more

this place treats their workers like trash I worked there a week and they refuse to pay me for my labor smh