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    Cajun Queen

    4.1 (1.5k reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM

    Order Cajun Queen Takeout or Delivery

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    CAJUN QUEEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Cajun Queen

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    Reviews With Photos - Cajun Queen

    Blackened catfish (foreground) and grilled Mahi-mahi, both with crawfish topping.
    Munro R.

    After nearly a decade living in Charlotte, my wife and I finally visited Cajun Queen. We both can't wait to go again. In fact, I think Cajun Queen might be one of the the haunts we take visitors while they are in town. We started with a half order of fried oysters. Delicious. For our entrees, my wife had the grilled Mahi-Mahi topped with crawfish sautéed with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and scallions in a white wine, lemon butter sauce served over rice. I had the blackened catfish with the same crawfish topping with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. We both greatly enjoyed our dishes. I was almost deterred by recent reviews regarding seasoning of the dishes. My wife and I are accustomed to eating spicy food. I am pleased to report that spices happily danced on my tongue as I savored my catfish. To finish off our meal, we shared a slice of warm pecan piece. Delicious. The wonderful food was coupled with pleasant enough service. Our waitress waited a little too long to return to take our order, but once she did I was surprised by how quickly our food arrived. We enjoyed listening to the three-piece Gator Band (drums, upright bass, and piano) playing jazz tunes while we ate on the second floor of the converted house that is the Cajun Queen's home. We are already looking forward to our next visit.

    Blackened Catfish Farm Raised , Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Andouille Sausage
    Issa S.

    My date and I thought this would be a good seafood spot to try, but honestly, it didn't live up to the hype. The biggest issue for us was the lack of seasoning. For my entrée, I ordered the blackened catfish with mashed potatoes and andouille sausage. The fish was pretty bland--I could taste the Cajun spice, but there wasn't much depth of flavor beyond that. The mashed potatoes, surprisingly, were the highlight--well-seasoned and delicious. The sausage was just okay, nothing special. For an appetizer, we got the Cajun popcorn (crawfish), and that was actually really good--well-seasoned and something we definitely enjoyed. I also had the New Orleans Iced Tea, but it had too much ice and ended up tasting watered down. My date didn't care much for their meal either and the lack of seasoning was bland too (even though I forgot exactly what they ordered), which says a lot about the overall experience. One thing to note: parking is rough, but they do offer valet. The valet attendant working Saturday night was very kind and did a great job handling everything on his own. There are definitely better seafood spots out there. This one just didn't hit the mark for us.

    Crawfish, shrimp and chicken etouffee
    Eunice I.

    My friend and I were deciding whether to eat here or Kristy's Creole Kitchen. Kristy's had a longer wait time, but we were immediately able to secure a 730 pm reservation here, so we chose to eat here. My friend mentioned we had eaten here years ago on my last visit, but I had no recollection of it. The restaurant is very unique in that it's situated in what appears to be a former residential home turned into a restaurant. The street it's on is in a residential neighborhood and there were other restaurants on the street similarly also set up in former homes. They have free valet parking which was a plus. Once the car was parked, we headed inside and were seated near the back of the restaurant. It wasn't very busy for a Saturday night and they had a rotation of staff checking in, refilling water, and making sure we were good. Our primary waitress was very sweet and attentive. They had a pretty decent menu although I was unfairly comparing it to Kristy's Creole menu, and there were some items I had in mind to order that were on that menu, like turkey wings, but they didn't have them at Cajun Queen. They did have complimentary bread rolls to start, and those were pretty good, albeit a bit hard. I wish they were a bit softer. The three of us had seafood gumbo as an appetizer to start, and we all agreed that it lacked proper seasoning and was very watery. We doctored it up with some hot sauce and salt/pepper which made a difference. For entrees, I ordered the all three etoufee with shrimp, crawfish, and chicken on a bed of rice. It was pretty good and a decent portion size. I think I imagined it would have tasted differently, but I did finish my plate. My friend ordered the Bayou Platter and subbed out catfish for shrimp. Her plate looked really good, and I think if I came back I would order that. Her colleague had the New Orleans platter and that looked pretty good as well, although most of the items were fried. They both had enough on their plates to take home. Inside the restaurant itself was a bit more dated, but had a more relaxed and comfortable dining experience. I would say it was overall a nice experience. Not sure I'd come back again to dine, but think it's a viable option with affordable prices.

    Hurricane
    Jada H.

    Great visit! Delicious food! Étouffée had a little kick to it! Really enjoyed the layout of the restaurant and definitely appreciate the complimentary valet parking!

    Seafood Gumbo
    Crystal S.

    Super cute restaurant located in a house in Charlotte. I've driven by it plenty of times but never dined here. The hostesses are super friendly and greet you as soon as you come inside. We were seated downstairs and the seating is very intimate - you are able to dialogue with the people next to you. We came during restaurant week and I had the seafood gumbo to start. Very good, full of rice, seafood and veggies. Not too spicy but some kick. I had the blackened chicken and andouille sausage entree and it was delicious! The portion is rather large and enough to take home. The bourbon bread pudding is outstanding! Served warm with whipped cream, it was worth waiting for. If you're looking for Cajun food with live music, I highly recommend Cajun Queen.

    C Blackened Chicken Breast
    Momin C.

    I had the unique and amazing opportunity to be able to visit Cajun Queen in Charlotte and I was completely blown away! Even after going to New Orleans- I have to say this is the best Cajun Food I have ever had! We were able to get the bbq shrimp and rice, the Cajun pasta, garlic mashed potatoes, seafood gumbo and the pecan pie. Starting with the bbq shrimp- the sauce was so aromatic, spicy and savory and delicious. It was such a well tasting dish! The Cajun pasta had the best sauce I have ever had in a pasta (and I just recently come back from Italy) along with the perfect blacked chicken. Seafood gumbo blew me away with the flavor and spice, everything in it was so well blended together. The mashed potatoes were a perfect addition and balanced out the meal. The pecan pie was to die for, freshly made and perfect in every bite The ambience was even better, we got to see a live jazz band play and they did a stellar job in creating the vibe and adding to the already warm and homey aesthetic. Don't miss your chance to come here if you're in charlo

    Inside
    Brigette B.

    Came here with friends for dinner. This was my first time going and was surprised to see that it was inside of a house! The waitresses were super attentive throughout the night and made sure our waters were filled the entire time. For an appetizer we ordered the BBQ shrimp and it was delicious! Loved dipping the bread they gave us in the sauce. For my entree I ordered the blackened chicken and substituted the rice for garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken could've used a little more seasoning but it was good!

    Amy R.

    I came to town for my Mother's birthday. My brother chose this very cool Cajun restaurant in large part because they have live music. The Jazz band was very talented and friendly. We were promptly seated for a reservation. The service was very attentive, friendly and fun. The atmosphere was very warm with a bit of Mardi Gras flare. They have a photo area upstairs near the bar where you can see historical fun memories going back to the restaurants origination. They use to have a Mardi Gras type festival, but unfortunately the city shut that down. We all ordered the same food with variations. I'm not a fan when that happens because I like to try all different foods; however, none of us were very impressed with our entrées as they were not flavorful enough. I don't recall ever having authentic Cajun food before this, but my understanding is Cajun is very flavorful and or spicy. My brothers ordered the Etouffee which is supposed to be hot & spicy. It was not! The bread that was served prior to dinner was dry, the fried oysters were very good crispy & tender, shrimp was cooked good but the flavor again was not there. I really hope they can find a chef that can get this Cajun food where it should be flavor wise. We had a great time and maybe there are other dishes that hit the mark. May try one more time on another visit.

    L to R: Cocktail (name??), Beer (name??)
    Rose E.

    We decided to revisit intimate rooftop dining here...but sadly, there were some disappointments this time. :( When we pulled up, we realized that there's no easy, free parking at the back of the house...instead a valet parking (only on weekends). Complimentary, but we still tipped (as is the norm). Not sure why the parking isn't allowed on weekends anymore?? Whatever the case, it's definitely not a plus. Luckily we were able to easily snag a good rooftop table right away, at 5:30 pm, Saturday night. First of all, I loved the Mocktail (though forgot the name)...and we loved the Cajun Popcorn appetizer! Possibly the best part of our dining experience? We also appreciated the complimentary bread roll. Then came all the issues. First, the entrees we ordered, the Crawfish Etouffee and the Crawfish Scampi, were way soupier, with seemingly less rice! Also, my dish was a MESS when delivered to our table. It was so runny, it just spilled right over! Just check out my pictures of the same Crawfish Scampi dishes (from today...and from 5 years ago)...and see the big difference!! The flavors of both dishes were really good still (very spicy too, without becoming inedible?) ...but again, just WAY TOO SOUPY (with its thin, runny roux, filled to the brim of the bowl). I actually hate soupy dishes (minus ramen, of course!), but this would have been an exception...as long as it came with more rice. We still love Cajun Queen...I mean, this is a great, landmark restaurant! However, things were just amiss this time. Super-sloppy delivery and presentation of our dishes...skimpy portion of rice (while being overly soupy!)...and there were more issues too. Like bringing us just forks...for rice dishes! (my major pet peeve lately!) Initially upon receiving our messy plates, I had to ask our waitress to bring us spoons, then wait. Unfortunately, she didn't revisit us 'til we nearly finished our meal...so I wasn't able to ask for more rice. BTW, our waitress was very personable and friendly, but she just got too busy as the night went on. Possibly not her fault...short-staffed, maybe? Then this... We felt there were one too many tables on the rooftop...whereas there were only 4 tables full (just like our last time). It would have been nicer if the tables were spaced apart more. Also, the overhead speakers weren't working, so no music on the rooftop. Also, there was the valet parking noises below. Overall, our rooftop dining experience was not that great this time. I hate to drop 2 stars since our last visit, but this was barely a 3-star dining experience this time. Hopefully I can upgrade the rating on our next visit...should things improve again.

    Etouffee- Shrimp
    Andre S.

    Had a really good meal at Cajun Queen. If you're craving real-deal comfort food with bold flavor, this place delivers. Started with a bowl of gumbo and you could tell right away it was legit -- rich, smoky, and packed with flavor. Nice kick without being overpowering, and loaded with ingredients in every bite. For the entrée I went with the shrimp étouffée and it was excellent. The sauce was thick and flavorful, the shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the rice tied everything together. Super satisfying dish. The vibe is relaxed and cozy, service was friendly, and the whole experience just felt easy and enjoyable. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when I want solid Cajun food in Charlotte.

    Shrimp and Grits
    Hannah L.

    Cajun Queen was so good! I had heard good things about this place, so I was excited to try and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The decor and service were excellent. My shrimp and grits were good, but the blackened mahi was definitely the star of the show at our table. And the bread pudding!! Will definitely be back.

    Khadiga B.

    SO glad we finally made it in here!! Loved the ambience, it feels homey and comfortable in here. Waitress was so great at explaining the menu and specials, service was extremely fast. We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday but got sat right away. I ordered the shrimp and grits and husband got the rice/chicken. Flavor was really good, drinks are also great and reasonably priced.

    Gumbo
    Keeley M.

    What a neat hidden gem. Somehow, I've lived in Charlotte for 7 years and never came across this restaurant until now. It's such a cute spot being in an old historic house with an upstairs and a deck to eat outside. We went for restaurant week and I did not realize it was a Louisiana style menu. The restaurant week which came with a choice of beer or wine, complementary bread, an appetizer, an entree (which was big enough for 2 people), and dessert. I got the mahi mahi with shrimp on top and it came with mashed potatoes. The dish was so flavorful! I also got gumbo as an appetizer which I thought had a strong okra taste so it wasn't my favorite. For dessert I had key lime pie which was delicious! My husband got the Cajun pasta with chicken and the flavor was out of this world good with a little spice. Overall all the food the atmosphere was good!

    Oreo Cheesecake

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    23 days ago

    Best food in charlotte hands down!!! Go on fridays that's when there's live jazz. Get the crawfish étouffée.

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    Page 1 of 39

    Ask the Community - Cajun Queen

    What is the parking like?

    Free parking in the plaza

    Do you have to make a reservation? Or can you just walk in?

    Believe you can walk in but if you want to guarantee table especially at busier times I would recommend reservations as seating is limited and they do have spaces for large groups

    I heard rumors that there is a jazz jam session. Is this true and if so then what day would it be?

    no

    Is live music back? Feb 2022

    Yes. 5 nights a week the 7th St Gator Band performs.

    Are they doing live jazz music currently? (April 2021)

    Are there any events (live music) scheduled for the week of Christmas?

    Unlikely. We went on a Friday night recently, and the bartender said they'd suspended live music due to Covid.

    What time does the Jazz music start on Saturday?

    We arrived there at around 9ish in the evening and the Jazz was on the entire time till we left about an hour or so later

    Do they have brown rice?

    No they do not.

    View All 9 Questions

    Review Highlights - Cajun Queen

    . The Étouffée was delicious, I had it with Chicken, Shrimp, Crawfish, and Andouille Sausage, and its was perfect

    Mentioned in 40 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Eighty Eights Coffee & Cocktails

    Eighty Eights Coffee & Cocktails

    4.2
    (24 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    I was very excited to check this place out, but it was extremely disappointing. We made a Saturday…read morenight reservation (you basically cannot get in without a res, they completely fill up) and they require $20 (+$3.75 fee) per person "deposit". We were under the assumption that it goes towards the final bill the way the $10 weekday cover does, stated on the website. It did not. We paid the $20 in addition to our bill. This needs to be addressed on the FAQ page on their website, insane it isn't listed already. The drinks were the most meh drinks I've ever had. Their menu looks incredible, but the cocktails were so mediocre. Nothing special, I didn't even like my Pear Cosmo it just tasted like straight lime juice. Two of my friends got the Spicy Margarita and they tasted completely different. One was insanely spicy, the other wasn't spicy at all. Took 15 minutes for a server to come over and acknowledge and take drink orders. Seemed like lots of miscommunication on which servers had which table. As one would come over, the other would check in less than 30 seconds later. The vibe inside is cute but super strange that they didn't steam/iron the green curtains which are a big centerpiece for the room... you can see the crease marks on the curtains from where they were taken out of the package folded. Jazz band was awesome. However, for this being a lounge it was too loud. Couldn't hear the person sitting next to you talking because it was so loud. Overall, disappointed in this place, I had super high hopes as I love jazz bars and cocktail bars. I would not recommend to friends and probably would not come back.

    THE BAND ON THE NIGHT I ATTENDED WAS A 5 STAR EXPERIENCE!! The overall vibe of the place is also…read moresuperb and something different for a weekend night. Get there a few minutes early to get a good spot, and they do community seating FYI. With that, the drinks were not good. Everyone at my table hated their drinks, which let me know something is off. They turn the espresso machine off at night, which was disappointing, as the signs lead me to believe they served coffee all day. I thought that was kind of cool. Also beware of them putting the cover charge on your tab and then charging gratuity on it. Bring it to their attention! Sitting by the door on a chilly night was a little cold, as the traffic came in and out throughout the evening.

    Photos
    The Groove
    The Groove
    Espresso martini
    Espresso martini
    Stage area

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    Stage area
    Excelsior Club

    Excelsior Club

    3.0
    (3 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$$

    Visited for the first time last Thursday, Smooth Grown…read moreFolks, Everyone mingling on the same page , Grooving as Great people should, a must come back to Spot

    I just visited this club first time with a friend who asked company for the New Year Eve Countdown…read more He said there would be a buffet dinner and free champagne at mid night. That sounds great. I looked for a change this year as I was at Sheraton Hotel by the airport last year for the same purpose. Unfortunately, their TV broke and they did not fix it in time. Together with other guests at the bar, we did our manual countdown by watching at our cellphone. (Not much fun) Therefore, this year, I was looking forward something I coud really enjoy. We arrived Excelsior Club before 8:00pm to avoid long queue like some dancing places we went before. We were almost the first few guests got in. $30.- per person with no discount. (even I saw posters everywhere said member $20.-, guest $30.-) The place was already decorated. We ordered a drink from the cash bar and got a table. DJ was almost on time which was great. A long table at the entrance with some disposable set up (folks and knife, bowls) for buffet. Food was not served til almost 9:30 pm with only a tray of collard green and black eye beans and corn bread. Some guests could not wait any longer and started to get the food. A little while later, we saw a tray of fish crush (guests called salmon crush), a liver cake and sauage (all deep fried) ended up with a tray of scramble egg and grits, toasts and margarine and jam. I asked my African American friend if that was what a buffet in such style. He responded that was not classy at all. I ended up eating only my favorite collard green, black eye bean, two pieces of fish crush, scramble egg and grits. Obviously this was from outside catering (perhaps working as a side job to make some extra $$$) Not appealing at all. One point was even when we left at around 12:30am there were still food left, eggs and grits and toasts. I just imagined I was having fried chicken, meat balls, roast beef or ribs as their tradition. (Forgive me for expecting too much from $30.-) or perhaps they expect guests would have their dinners before they came. There was just DJs with no live band. A small glass of Champagne was come with the price just before midnight. Guests were enjoying the dance and the manual countdown with no big screen TV. The place was established in 1944. I believe there are dancers in other occassions. Perhaps a pot luck works better next time.

    Cajun Queen - cajun - Updated July 2026

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