While visiting family in Freeport we went to Cafe Nola to get a Muffeletta. Wow what a nice place. Love the decor and atmosphere. Waitress was very nice. Not in a big hurry. Just like New Orleans, The Big Easy. We got of course the Muffeletta and their award-winning Gumbo. I can see why it's award winning. It's the real deal. It was the best I've tasted since New Orleans. It's that good. The Muffeletta was absolutely perfect and yummy. With the Muffeletta we got a side of Cheesy Grits. Good stuff. To top it off we got Beignets and I tell you they were the best I've had I do believe. You won't be disappointed with Cafe Nola read more

Cafe Nola - Award Winning Gumbo - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

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Was disappointed in the setting. Could be better all around. No tablecloths or napkins, the service was slow and their "clothing" left much to be desired and left absolutely nothing to one's imagination. Food was decent. Nothing to brag about. At the prices more was expected. read more

Cafe Nola is such a gem in DeFuniak. The building itself is incredibly unique and sets the tone the moment you walk in--so much character and charm. The atmosphere is relaxed but lively. The food was delicious and clearly made with care, and the service was just as great. read more

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Came in for a bite before going to Christmas lights. Annie was our bartender she was sweet and helpful. We never waited for anything. Good music lots of Christmas trees. Clean bathrooms. 3 stars not for service but for the food. It was "ok" nothing amazing about it. read more

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Had a cup of Gumbo, cup of red beans and rice, split a Muffaletta. Delicious. Sweet tea was good. Great ambiance. Decor is fantastic. read more

Cafe Nola - Restaurant area - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

This is yet another trip here and I can't say enough good stuff about Chef Ernie's food! I hand the filet and catfish and had to take it with me because I enjoyed the smoked tuna dip (smoked on the premises ), gumbo (omg) ,and fried green tomatoes appetizers. Wow! Everything was amazing. Everyone in our party was impressed. Chef Ernie came out and met us, suggested the bread pudding, and told us the history of the building. The atmosphere is amazing. Its rich history adds to the mystique. Jackson was a great server and took great care of us. We've been here before, and we will be here again. Best. Place. In. Defuniak Springs! read more

i had wings and fried green tomatoes - both were delicious. Service was excellent. Beer was ice cold!

Our first time here. Service was fabulous! The food did not disappoint. The ambiance was so NOLA with Christmas music playing. Chef Ernie came by to say hello. Would definitely recommend and we will return. read more

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The food and service was full of southern charm. Great experience!!! We were on a road trip and I felt a little underdressed but the waitress said absolutely not you look great. read more

Stopped in for lunch the weekend after New Year's. Granted, it probably wasn't the most ideal time to go in there, but the bartender told us that they had not been particularly busy over the holiday. Extremely limited cocktails available (nearly nothing). The ambiance was OK, it's old and historic. But the feeling of the place just felt tired. We ordered the Gumbo, which turned out to be very good. Just the right amount of smokiness and heat. Because it didn't feel very welcoming, we decided to go elsewhere for the rest of lunch. Maybe we just hit it on an off day, but I don't think I would go back again. read more

Had a great lunch here of Hurricane Shrimp and my husband had the special of the day, catfish. We really enjoyed the ambiance, the service and the vibe of the place. Prices were great. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Stopped in because of previous reviews. Well worth the 20 minutes out of our way. Grew up in NOLA & this place has the right vibe-decor & music. Wait staff was very attentive. I had the muffuletta with brussels as a side & husband had the fried catfish platter with fries. Both were nice portions & left with to go boxes. Central grocery may still be the winner of muffulettas, but this place gives it competition. Worth the stop. read more

Cafe Nola - Muffuletta & Brussel sprouts - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

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waited so long for a table and so long for her food just for them to not have any pasta and they didn't tell us at all and they also didn't have any I had a terrible experience with this restaurant. The beignets were not cooked at all. read more

Really great food and service in downtown Defuniak springs been there 2 twice love the decor and building is historic

We love to travel and stay at Historic hotels. Cafe Nola is adjacent. After Chef Ernie gave us a detailed history he invited us to try his Shrimp Scampi special. The Shrimp scampi was truly the best I'd ever tasted. The shrimp was so fresh and the pasta was piping hot. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly prepared with a smooth, maybe balsamic glaze? All in all, this was a mo fabulous dining experience. read more

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We have ate here several times before and was pleased but it's been a few months. We were very disappointed. Fried shrimp batter was thin and fell off, hush puppies were burnt & couldn't be ate, the Alfredo pasta was just ok. Service was good. We won't be back anytime soon when spending $70 for a less than mediocre meal for 2 people. read more

We passed through town on a weekend road trip. Dined on a Friday afternoon and there were only 2 other patrons. Took a little while before the hostess appeared, but she as friendly. The server took our order promptly. My glass of Moscato was great. The Caesar salad had a sweet taste to it due to the croutons. I didn't care for the taste. The gumbo was just ok. My husband ordered fried crawfish and a side of grits. This combination was delicious. The Louisiana playlist was good and the restaurant cleaner made . We would come here again but I would try something else. read more

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Fried green tomatoes, seafood gumbo, smoked tuna dip, and the catfish Arcadian!!! Absolutely amazing and oh so delicious. Jackson did a great job serving us and how can I leave out Chef Ernie!! And then.... As if my belly could fit more, Chef Ernie's dessert recommendation of the fried bread pudding!! OMG!!! We will make the drive from Pensacola to eat here again. read more

Burnt food & soggy fried shrimp with horrible batter. Hush puppies were so burnt. I couldn't even stick a fork in them and our appetizer was burnt also. Couldn't believe the waitress didn't even care and didn't want to do anything about our food disaster. The place is over priced & reeks of old stale cigarette smoke. read more

Cafe Nola - Nasty soggy shrimp with horrible batter and burnt hush puppies, couldn't even get my fork through them & gross grits! - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

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Somewhere in a tiny town lies a New Orleans restaurant, called Cafe Nola, that sadly only locals know of. Cafe Nola speaks for its self as to the quality and caliber of food it serves. It can copy many of the famous dishes by Mothers, Bussards and Galatoris. Nola cafe is fan-fn'-tastic. Service was exceptional, and the ambience, well it's an old building. read more

Visiting from out of town and made a reservation. Showed up on time and was told "they ran out of food," but that they would honor reservations. We were told to wait, with no estimation of time, with several other parties. Other parties who were seated at tables did not look happy. Since we had a child, we decided we could not wait indefinitely and left. This place came highly recommended and we traveled 40 min. Wasted evening. I wouldn't risk it, this place is evidently not well run. read more

I stopped by this place when I was headed back home from a work trip. I love creole food so I figured I would give this place a try. They might not look like the best restaurant but don't let the looks deceive you, the food is great. I had the shrimp and grits and they were to die for! I'd never had shrimp and grits with a tomato based sauce but it was great. I thought it would be too acidic but it wasn't at all. It actually gave it some more heat. The shrimp were good size and I loved how creamy the grits were. This might be my favorite shrimp and grits dish of all time. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for some good creole food in the Panhandle. read more

Cafe Nola - Shrimp and Grits - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

One if the last fine dinning options in DeFuniak Springs. Staff is friendly and patient which is a bonus when eating out.

The meal made fresh to order and it was delicious! I highly recommend Cafe Nola for the atmosphere, food and beverage.

Hey 30A! Getting out into Defuniak Springs can be a worthy field trip. Cafe Nola is interesting and had great, truly authentic Cajun/New Orleans fare. Especially the gumbo and crawfish etouffee. Nestled beside a little historic hotel, you'll feel like you've escaped the 30A crush and made a worthy venture north. read more

Cafe Nola - Pretty classic old south setting. - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

Cafe Nola You can't miss out on this amazing real deal New Orleans Restaurant located On the Emerald Coast just north of I 10. Killer Gumbo and Shrimp and Grits, so much flavor with Gulf Shrimp. Great Nola Bloody Mary's to Finish off your taste buds. read more

Good roux on the etouffe, blackened catfish over jambalaya (bayou catfish) was excellent. Had great service as well when I stopped in. Definitely worth stopping in if passing through or a drive. read more

I'm a big fan of the great service I receive there. Always a friendly smile! The hurricane shrimp, gumbo and chicken are my favs. I go there for lunch about 3x a month. It's go more if I could afford it! read more

Amazing service, food, and beautiful New Orleans vibe. Owner is amazing and I suggest staying at the hotel too!

Avoid this restaurant! Overpriced, bad food, and long wait. It's a shame that such a beautiful building is wasted on a subpar restaurant. $10 for a "Cajun" Mary (Bloody Mary) that completely lacked any creativity or proper seasoning. One sad green bean and an olive as a garnish. Seriously, for $10 you can fo better. Make an effort. Appetizer 1: Fried green tomatoes. The breading was tasty but the portion was so small. 3 small thing slices of tomato. Just sad, sad appetizer. Appetizer 2: Boudin balls. Inedible. They were small and mashed into a gummy ball. Sticky and gross. The wait was long for the entrees. The waiter apologized and said they are backed up because of a big party but the largest table was only six people. 2 of 3 entrees were brought to the table. Entree 1: shrimp and grits. Shrimp were overcooked and a weird red color. The grits were watery and way too much in proportion to the shrimp and sauce. It's did not taste good. There was a tiny nub of garlic bread. It was the smallest bread I r ever seen. Entree 2: Jambalaya with sausage. Rice was undercooked. At this point we decided just to pay the bill and leave, Avoid!! read more

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What a disappointment. From Yelp. It stated this was a breakfast and Brunch place No. It is not It is a fine dining lunch and dinner place. Nothing on the regular menu is less than $12.00. We ordered 2 bloody Mary's a coffee2 children drinks and 3 adult lunches with 2 children's. Service was slow. Much slower than I anticipated. The children's drinks arrived first, then the bloody Mary's, then after more of a wait, the lone coffee. The bloody Mary's were ok. But not great. Served in plastic glasses packed to the max in ice. One olive was floating in them with a line slice and a single pickles green bean. Weird. The children's pasta arrived a good 15-20 mi ties before our lunches. So of course they were finished before we were ever served Very disappointing. Our lunches are ok. Nothing great. I ordered a chef salad that filled about half the bowl. My spouse ordered the muffuletta which was just ok. It was acceptable, but nothing was great about it. The third order was a chicken pesto pizza. That too was acceptable, but not great. Certainly none of these dishes were with the price tag It is certainly not worth the money. I could have received mediocre food at McDonalds fir 1/4 of the price. I just cannot recommend this place. read more

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First of all, let me say that the service was good, although when I told my waiter that we were disappointed, he didn't even inquire as to why! Whether he could have done anything about it or not, he could have at least acted interested! As did the bartender - she at least was interested in making an old fashioned to our liking. Overall everything else was Very disappointing! We went to Cafe NOLA because of the awesome ratings, but I cannot give the same high ratings. We were very disappointed. The pasta Alfredo was very dry - hardly any sauce or taste! It came with plain white bread and a butter spread - not even real butter! The blackened redfish was ok, but too salty. The stuffing was all stuffing, no hint of crab and the sauce was ok, but the shrimp in the sauce were hard and rubbery! The boudin egg rolls were pretty good. I didn't care for the NOLA Rita with hurricane mix in it! The old fashioned was ok, but not great - no Luxardo cherries. Sorry Chef Ernie, this New Orleans girl just did not like the food. I do wish I would have tried the jambalaya! Inside the restaurant is very nice and the chairs are very comfortable. read more

This is a gem! Fantastic ambiance, fun and friendly staff and exceptional food. We had the crab stuffed redfish and Mardi Gras pasta ( tonight's special) and both were so delicious. Our first visit here was a wow moment. read more

I couldn't get a server the last two times I went in . Once is bad but twice? Plus, the food is just "okay"

Nice service, nice atmosphere - good food. They seemed a little confused but tried hard to make up for short staff . Interesting menu- great drinks. read more

We couldn't even get anyone to acknowledge our existence. Got seated and two different servers walking around and no one even came to our table. Walked out. read more

What a delightful luncheon we had today! This place is delicious The decor is outstanding The chairs are so comfy The jazz music is uplifting and soothing The service was top notch And the food was extra fantastic! I had the best gumbo here reminded me of when I lived in New Orleans My shrimp was perfectly cooked The hurricane shrimp appetizer was very very good and the key lime pie was on point! read more

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This restaurant is located in an interesting and lovely very old hotel. Good menu choices and great food. The gumbo was excellent but a little salty. My husband's andouille po-boy was tasty, HUGE and he ate every bite! Friendly staff. Fair prices. They also have a separate dessert area if you are so inclined too! read more

Had been here once a couple years ago and had a good meal at the bar. Was looking for someplace different for Sunday brunch/lunch and figured it was a good idea to revisit! Called ahead to confirm they were open for lunch and serving mimosas - Sunday staple. When we arrived I immediately noticed the mess on the floor at the host podium. The hostess brought us to a table in The separate bar area on the right, ensuring me that it was the same food and service as the main restaurant. We were seated at a dirty table (I wiped) next to a dirty table (piled with dirty dishes and food) and waited on by the bartender. I noticed the silverware roll ups on the floor by the podium and was taken aback because I already had a bad feeling about the cleanliness of the place. When we ordered mimosas we were told there was no OJ, and then the champagne the bartender brought was warm. When I asked to have some chilled he said simply that none was put in the fridge last night. My companion ordered food which I was wary about. I asked to speak to a manager to try to get a better understanding of what was going on, but one never came. I then noticed the hostess pick up the silverware roll from the floor and replace into the bus tub with the other clean silverware. I went to speak with her and asked her to remove the dirty silverware from the tub and she stared at me. I explained that the napkin used to roll that silverware was on the floor - which was gross. And that would end up on someone's MOUTH. She continued to stare at me and removed one roll up. I was pretty upset because if this is happening out in the open at the FRONT DOOR, then what is happening in the kitchen. Won't be back. read more

Cafe Nola - Tried to get a photo of the silverware on the floor. - Caribbean Near Me - Defuniak Springs, Florida

Accidentally went here ...again. Read the reviews and had forgotten I had been there last year while in town. Ordered Cajun wings and the dressing,blue cheese, was tasteless and the carrots and celery were so old, they were limp. Wings were adequate. Gumbo was so over cooked. The 3 shrimp in the gumbo were so overcooked they were hard. 18.00 is nuts to pay for something that wasn't fresh. Catfish fingers were good. I'm so tired of reading good reviews and paying up for bad food. Gonna stay home for awhile and cook myself. read more