I went to Crawdad's on the Lake on a Sunday afternoon. I definitely recommend making a reservation if you want patio seating. It's such a great spot to hang out with friends, especially on a nice day. We started with the Cali-flower wings, which were okay. They were battered and fried with the buffalo sauce on the side, but the pieces were pretty large and a bit awkward to eat. I would've preferred smaller, more bite-sized pieces. For my meal, I had the crab grilled cheese, and that was a standout. It was super filling and had way more crab than I expected (a great surprise). It wasn't overly cheesy, which I appreciated. I ended up only eating half because it was so hearty. Service was friendly and pretty quick, especially for a busy weekend. Overall, a fun, casual spot with a great patio. I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Cali-flower wings - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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We had a sort of mini high school get together here yesterday. We arrived right when they opened. Since we really didn't know how many people were going to show up, they suggested we order from the bar so we could do individual tabs. (This worked out GREAT by the way). I ordered the Fish and Chips. It was brought out to me pretty quickly. The fries were done just the way I like them with just a touch of crisp. The 3 pieces of fish were nice sized and had a kind of breading on them. They weren't so oily and greasy like typical Fish N Chips. The serving size was just right for a lunch and I had no leftovers. I had not been in here since it became Crawdads. Last time I was here it was Cliff House and while it was OK, it's so much better since the renovation. The whole place gives off a very good vibe and the staff could not have been nicer. The food and the experience was good enough that we're going to make this get together a monthly thing. read more

I visited Crawdads on Friday, and the bartender Natalie was fantastic! She had a smile on her face, was prompt with her service, made great drinks, and the crab grilled cheese was delicious. read more

I came on a Sunday when they had live music playing and it was such a vibe! The service was super attentive and quick considering there were so many people. My crab grilled cheese was tasty and very filling. I was only able to eat half and got the other half to go! Aperol Spritz was okay- it lacked the sweetness I'm used to but they made it without it being on their drink menu so I appreciated their flexibility! Hearty serving for dessert. Could definitely be shared. This place is definitely worth a visit and in a great location to enjoy the shops downtown afterward which is what we did on our girls afternoon. read more

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This was an unexpected disappointment. I'm not sure what niche this restaurant fills. The bar was crowded and fun (Tuesday night trivia). The dining area has an entire wall specifically designed for fun instagram shots. And the view off the patio is breathtaking. The staff is all young and enthusiastically pleasant. Parking is easy and plentiful. The menu and wine list is varied and will easily satisfy a large group's diverse palate. Jambalaya and gumbo were delightfully spicy. The lighting in the dining room was bright - but a 7 pm, this just gave a cafeteria vibe and no ambience. The food is fine, but one our party had to wait 10 minutes for her food after everyone else had been served. After much thought I'd say the entire evening was ok, the staff is eager. However, this place is like a very clean dive bar and dining is not its main draw. read more

I had a really good dinner at Crawdads by the Lake as Cajon food is some of my favorite. Crawdad's is in a great location on the edge of Folsom Lake and has indoor and outdoor seating. I enjoy outdoor seating the most but since it was late,l and a bit chilly outside, I elected to say inside. Their seafood pasta was fantastic and would definitely eat it again-I am sure I will go back for more. My top self margarita was OK (I am a bit picky on my margaritas as I make really good ones at home so can't be too picky). The bartenders were great and they had really good service. The bartenders area is a great place to sit if you are there during game day. Their menu has plenty of appetizers and beverages to choose from. Great place to stop in if you are in the area! read more

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January 31, 2026 - Folsom, CA . We pulled into the parking lot at 4:15 on a Saturday and my first thought was, "I'm so glad we made reservations." The place was packed. The noise level inside was very loud, so I was especially happy we had reserved an outdoor table. Thankfully, it felt like a spring day in January--sitting outside was very pleasant. From our table, we could see the live band and really enjoyed the music. As other reviewers have mentioned, the service was below par. Our server was friendly and likable, but it was obvious she was overextended. There was a long wait to order a second round of drinks--long enough that they arrived after we were mostly finished with our meal. I ordered the steak and shrimp skewers with a house salad ($26), and it was a perfect meal for me. I appreciated the simplicity of just steak, shrimp, and salad. I ordered the steak medium; it came out closer to well done, but it still tasted good and I would order it again. The view overlooking the bike trail and the water was amazing. I never imagined we'd be sitting outside in January without coats, but that was the case. All in all, despite the service issues, we had a good time and really enjoyed the setting. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - January 30, 2026 - Surf and Turf Skewers ($26). - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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Very confused why this place has a 3.2/5. My first time here and everything was incredible. Staff was friendly, food was delicious and the ambiance was stunning. The top dishes were the Creole burrito and the Cajun pasta. The creole burrito was filled to the top and every bite was full of flavor. The Cajun cream sauce for the pasta was next level as well. I will come back for sure - not only for the food but for the ambiance and the friendly staff. Easy 5 stars read more

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Ok, they default to a TWENtY ONE percent tip for a group. This is nonsense. The food is ok, but the tip business is unacceptable. I suggest that you look elsewhere if you are hosting a group.. read more

Went up to Folsom for a couple of days for the holidays - place was nice. Service was good, ambiance was okay, and food was solid. My party went here for lunch. We order the rotational IPAs, Bloody Marys, Chips & Queso, Crab Grilled Cheese, Fries, and Cauliflower Tacos. Food & Drinks were consistently solid. The only downside really was the food took awhile to get to us and the queso should've been hot instead of cold but seasoning was on point. Overall 3/5, solid place to watch a game and have drinks/food. Though nothing blew me away food/drinks were good and bartender/servers were friendly. read more

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The Food is always great with a lot of choices. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The patio has the best view with lots of seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Staff is always friendly. read more

Back again & trying different options Seafood simmer Grilled Salmon And for desert - Churros with ice cream Excellent service as always, great ambiance & beautifully decorated for Christmas read more

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Visited this spot a few times and the drinks although in point showcased a broken Collin's glass that was served to me . The server was quick to handle the issue although I did see the bartender just pour it back into a new glass rather than making a new one . Our order included fried Calamari, a steamed shrimp appetizer, a Burrata salad and a tri tip sandwich . Will give this spot another chance despite the fact that I got a pretty mild food poisoning that same evening ... read more

Stipped into Crawdads on the Lake with co-workers, for the first time on a Thursday afternoon. It was pretty quiet in the parking lot and inside, maybe because it was during the work week, and or because it was raining. Once we arrived we were quickly seated at the large bar style table near the alligator statue in Christmas garb. Once all 6 of us had arrived we had our orders arrived and socialized as we patiently waited. Ordered: Strawberry lemonade Arnold Palmer Bloody Mary (Virgin) Louisiana Gumbo Jumbalaya Cajun Grilled Chicken Club Crab Grilled Cheese (x2) I mentioned earlier the time of day and the weather, because maybe they were short on staff. But our meals took like 40 minutes to arrive; definitely enough time that all of us started to notice, and were about to say something. And our waitress noticed bybthis that time as well, and came by to tell me our food would be outside shortly. Thankfully the food was good and no one had complaints with that. Overall: The food was good, amd the staff was friendly, and the food definitely took longer than expected. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Crawdads has a beautiful view and a full bar, so therefore it's able to get away with mediocre food and terrible service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Only come here when you have lots of time to kill. edit: just walked out after sitting at our table for literally 20 minutes and having no one come up to us read more

Food was OK. Service was extremely slow. I went there on Father's Day and they had a 90 minute limit but we had to ask for an extension because we didn't receive our food within the 90 minutes. They also allowed a non-service dog into the dining area. Made a complaint on their official website, but no one contacted. Apparently they don't care. read more

I had citrus beet salad added chicken,my sister got the Cobb salad and mom got the carnitas tacos.Also shared chips and salsa (salsas garlicky FYI) Loved our dishes but my mom thought kinda awkward eating tacos,soggy read more

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The building design is great, and it's nicely perched on a hill with lakeside views. The food is ok.

We were told that the wait for 2 at 11am on a very nice Saturday would be about 45 min but it was really a 4 minute wait, so I am glad we decided to wait. The frozen drinks are good and the views were great, but I would not go again for the food. The crawfish was extremely chewy and you could tell they were frozen and overcooked. Our waitress was also not attentive and it seemed like staffing was an issue because she had to service the whole patio with just one other person. While she was nice and apologetic, the lower energy tables like ourselves had to wait a long time for anything, while the fussy tables had her running back and forth. There was also a large party of maybe 12-15 guests on the patio and again, the restaurant was just not staffed to accomidate that. read more

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Great place, but my only complaint is for our party of 6 getting a 21% automatic service charge which is staggeringly high. Make sure to not tip more on top of that. The view is good, the trivia night is challenging and works your brain out -- we won a gift card and had a lot of fun. Good service and had a creole burrito which pinged my taste buds as it was pretty good and had a lot of unique and diverse flavor and was filled with good stuff. The rest of the menu I didn't roll the dice due to the prices and probably being able to find that stuff cheaper elsewhere. read more

Great atmosphere and views. Band was good and the servers are very friendly and helpful.

Beautiful spot for lunch on a nice day. Food is good and big portions. Steak sandwich and ahi sandwich in the photo - both yummy! read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Steak sandwich and ahi nachos - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

Our experience here tonight was awful. We had called a month in half earlier to make the reservation, let them know how many people, that we would be bringing a cake.. all was approved. We had a bigger party, we came for a birthday and [[HIGHLIGHT]]we were sat outside. It was very hot 98 degrees today which okay we understand that it was fully booked and accepted it but the table we were at was under hanging vines that were dropping tons of small leaves ALL over the table, in our drink, in our food. There was also so many ants that were falling as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our server seemed chaotic to say the least. Was not communicating clearly. Got us our drinks and left us for 30- 35 minutes. When he came back we asked if he could take the cake to the back so it wouldn't melt and he said I don't know if we'll have room - when we already called and they said it was more than fine - then he kept saying I need to take your order - so it's either I take your order or I take the cake - so I can limit the trips. Okay fine but we sat here for over 30 mins and you only had 3 other tables in your section so we just didn't want the cake to melt . So he takes our order, we order everything at once because that's what he suggested... order as much as can now so that we can get the order in because it was hot outside. That was the worst thing we could have done... ALL of the food came out at separate times... have of our table got there food 20 minutes before the other half. We received half of our appetizer before the meal and the rest were either forgotten or brought after we got our food. It was completely unorganized. Every time he came over he seemed stressed and was rushing us and himself. Not mention there was hair in not one but TWO of the dishes. Which they took off our bill but instead of addressing the situation head on, he seemed annoyed as if we put this thick black hair in two different dishes. It was insane. 0/10 would recommend. Everyone running food didn't know what tables to bring food to, We came in at 7:00 and left at 9:20. it was just a terrible experience. It could have been a different experience, if it was handled better. He Seemed stressed that it was starting to get busy and that people came to order food lol read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Surf & turf skewers with hair - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

Wow this was interesting Won't go back! We were there to celebrate my great niece going to college. Well we asked for a table so we could see the Lake. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were sat outside half our table had no shade. Our table was located were you could not feel the outside mist.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]The food was ok half of us liked our meals. Most only ate half. Need to interject 4 members of our party were told to many people in our party so they left. Interesting the guest of honor had not arrived. The kicker though this establishment charges 3% if you use a card. Because this was a celebration with multiple orders the bill could not be split. However they combined several items with one total. Interesting!We could pay with multiple cards but they are unable to separate bill. Several items were together on the bill, in all honesty no doubt we were over charged. Some items honestly we couldn't identify. Did I fail to mention our family is African American but we are so mixed, because my niece took gifts to the car we were then accosted by he stated he was the manager!!! No hello! Did you enjoy the atmosphere, your food, is there anything we can do for you? He accused us of leaving without finalizing our bill. Additionally 2 security personnel are standing at the area we needed to leave at. Of course this attitude and behavior was not received well! Five of the ladies still at table professionals and retired. 3 ladies on canes 1 on a walker I guess they thought we were gonna ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍. The security guards really! oh yeah we were parked in the handicap slot. People of color this is not the spot for us. What should have been a great celebration, was marred by the experience by this so called owner/manager. Again he never asked about our experience just approached accusing. Truly don't recommend, our waitress was nice the servers were nice but the owner/manager of course never gave his name, really failed I won't go back! Nor do I recommend read more

It seems that most people are reviewing this establishment based ongoing during the very busy hours around sunset. I can definitely see why the reviews are pretty lousy at that hour. But in general, if you come a little earlier, it looks like they have the full menu, and service is actually pretty great. I would say the food is a solid six or seven out of 10, and we are serious foodies over here, husband went to culinary school. I think also people giving this place such poor reviews are also not keeping in mind the view. And dining outdoors. That is definitely a huge part of the experience here. And worth a little extra money. I would say the Food, the service, and the environment All make for a pretty good experience worth returning To. For food I would recommend the burrata salad and crawdad bucket. We also got the skewers and fish tacos which left room for desire. read more

My family and I enjoyed eating here on a Saturday afternoon. The indoor and outdoor seating offers nice views of the Folsom River, and there was plenty of shade to stay comfortable in the sun. The food was great, the service was great, and the atmosphere was relaxing. A nice spot to enjoy a meal with family. read more

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I went to Crawdads on the lake this morning and we had the best time, the chowder fries were delicious and our fish and chips were awesome. We ended up meeting Danielle and she was the kindest host ever, refilling out waters and making sure the entire meal was perfect. She's amazing! Will be back soon! read more

We stopped into Crawdads on the Lake on a holiday, and they were serving a buffet-style setup for the occasion. The atmosphere was still nice, but I do think the food would have been a lot better if we had visited on a regular day with their full menu. That said, the drinks were excellent, well-made, refreshing, and definitely the highlight of the visit. Even with the buffet setup, the bar really stood out. Overall, I'd be interested in coming back on a normal service day to get the full experience, because the drinks alone were impressive. read more

We really need to come back at sunset to get the full picture of this place. Or at least when its not too cold to sit on the patio. We had a lovely dinner with Isabella as our server aiming to make sure we were well taken care of. I dont think I've ever been to a place where we got our appetizer before our drinks. I will say this tho, the chowder fries saved the day. The portion size was more than enough for the both of us to share. Its weird, French fries and chowder, but it totally works. I tried one of their valentines cocktails, a cran-orange aperol concoction, possibly the only one without gin in it. Not bad, but not great. It left a weird aftertaste. My husband had the bucket 'o crawdads. Again, the portion size and service was great, but they could learn a thing or two about seasoning. A little on the bland side. My filet medallions with roasted veggies were tasty and tender, which was surprising because the steak was closer to well done than it was the medium that I asked for. Swimming in a pool of demi place that drowned the 5 stalks of asparagus, and turned the (actually rather good mashed potatoes) to soup, I most likely wouldn't order that dish a second time. Everything considered, I'd go back to give them another try. Probably not for dinner, maybe a late lunch. read more

My sister and I stopped here for drinks on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted and seated moments after arriving and they had patio seating available which was surprising for a Saturday. The service was great, friendly and knowledge on the drink selections. The weather and the view did hurt the vibe. The weekend warrior is delicious and so is their frozen lemonade cocktail. The mojito was ok. read more

On July 23, 2026, my family and I came together at a restaurant to celebrate my niece's departure for college. We are a Black family, and it was disheartening to find ourselves in an all-white establishment. [[HIGHLIGHT]]While we hold no racist views, there was an unsettling vibe that suggested some underlying prejudice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There were about ten of us, and we requested separate checks, but the staff failed to accommodate our request. It's common courtesy to consider how to manage payments for large parties, especially when the bill totaled over $900. As we tried to sort out the payments, we discovered that over $200 was still balance and many at the table were elderly and had not paid yet. To our surprise, the owner approached us in an aggressive manner, expressing his anxiety about the unpaid balance. Meanwhile, security guards with dogs stood nearby, as if they anticipated we might flee without paying for the subpar food, which lacked any real flavor. If you're seeking authentic Cajun or Creole cuisine from Louisiana or New Orleans, this is not the place for you. I would never recommend this restaurant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The experience left me feeling disrespected, simply because of the color of my skin.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was a painful reminder of the prejudices that still exist in our society. read more

Best service I've had by far from a charming young lady named Destiny. The crab grilled cheese was amazing!! And I love their margaritas! The vibe and the views are top tier. If you are lucky enough to have Destiny as your server, I promise your experience at Crawdads on the Lake will not disappoint. read more

My friends and I made a reservation to eat here for the 4th of July since we were going to the Dylan Schneider concert and we were very impressed! For cocktails, we each ordered the Mardi Gras which was passionfruit, guava, Bacardi Malibu rum, and Whaler's dark rum, and boy was this strong, but in a good way! This ended up being the only drinks me and my friends got, but I'd love to go back to try their others as they have such a good fruity cocktail menu. For food, I ordered the small Louisiana Gumbo and I was amazed at how big the portion was when it came out! It was piled high with sausage and chicken, and I loved how flavorful the gumbo was. Overall, service was great considering it was a major holiday. I'd definitely return! read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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