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    Crawfish Cafe

    4.2 (760 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Crawfish Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    CRAWFISH CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Crawfish Cafe

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    Seafood gumbo. As soon as it came out it had a foul smell.  We believe the crab was bad.
    Christina G.

    First time here. And I picked this location based on the reviews and for the claim of best seafood boil in Houston. Arrived Sunday at noon and we were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in. Our server was super friendly and helpful since this was our first time eating here. She recommended the lychee lemonade and it did not disappoint. Although my man thought it was too sweet.. I thought it was just right. For starters we ordered hush puppies and seafood gumbo. The hush puppies are really good and I also liked the tartar sauce. When the seafood gumbo came out and it was sat on the table, I smelled a foul odor. It smelled spoiled. I told my man and he said he thought it was the crab, The crab smelt funky. He did tell the server and she told the manager and they removed it from our check. We think maybe the crab was frozen and or spoiled. I ordered The fish and chips. A really good portion and the flavor was good. I did like the fish and french fries. The coleslaw was just okay not my favorite. My man ordered a pound of very spicy black mussels and 2 lb of very spicy live crawfish. The flavor was good. The muscles were a bit too salty for me but the flavor was still good. The restaurant does get pretty lively but they do have plenty of staff. Overall I'll say the service was top-notch but I don't know that I would dine again. If so, I'll definitely get that lychee lemonade and hush puppies again :)

    Kevin T.

    TL;DR: Get ready to get down and dirty! Love the flavors for each of the boils and don't sleep on the corn and mushrooms! Service was quick and attentive :) Was recommended to stop by Crawfish Cafe for some Viet-Cajun vibes and was not disappointed. We ordered several bags of shrimp (unfortunately not crawfish season), corn, mushrooms, and hot links. On the side, we ordered some crab which was fine but the shrimp boils were definitely the star I am mildly allergic to shrimp and this was totally worth the trip to the store across the street to pick up some Benadryl. Cheers, Crawfish Cafe!

    5 lbs of mud bugs with medium "kickin" cajun" seasoning
    J P.

    This joint gets busy for a reason: great food, fun atmosphere, and super service. Our server was a sweetheart who provided excellent recommendations. We started with boudin, which was perfectly taut and flavorful. I reckon you would have to go to a gas station in Lafayette to find a better boudin. It was followed by some of the largest and tastiest charbroiled oysters I ever enjoyed. But it was the main event that took my breath away: a 5 lb sack of fresh, sweet, and tongue-tingling crawfish. I may return for seconds tonight!

    Wings (6pc)
    Michael M.

    My wife loves crawfish. So we decided to check this place out and it did not disappoint. The food had great flavor. I enjoyed the sauce on the crawfish boil. The service was good and the staff were friendly. The food comes out pretty quickly. They have indoor seating and an outdoor patio. Definitely worth checking out!

    FRIED Cajun Calamari
    Niky L.

    i ordered calamari a piece of fried fish and a side salad the calamari was dry and hard and the fish was cold and not cooked enough!! this was a big disappointment for me well i guess its a side salad

    Crawfish
    Dora S.

    Hands down best viet style crawfish in houston!! I'll also give the shrimp a MASSIVE shoutout. I've never had such fresh, big, and tasty shrimp before, get it! Its worth it! Ive come here once before maybe 6 years ago and they got a new restaurant, the environment is great, service is fast and warm, food is fresh and delicious! They have so many flavors and i tried the (forgot the name) most popular one, it was a mix and i also got the thai flavor as well. Surprisingly, the thai flavored bowl was the best in my opinion but you truly cant go wrong. Man am i still thinking about this meallllll!!! Till next year, crawfish cafe!

    Tri D.

    The Bellaire location is under renovations right now, so we decided to drive further to give this spot a try. My experience was solid, the service was good the food was exceptional & the restaurant is pretty clean itself. I was craving crawfish & it's my first time having it for 2026. Crawfish is on the smaller side which is understandable since it's January. We went ahead and ordered their lemon pepper wings to start. It was delicious and came out piping hot. Very strong lemon pepper flavor. Then we went ahead and got 6 pounds of their crawfish. Two pounds of "the mix" (lemon pepper & garlic butter), two pounds of "the grail" (garlic butter & Thai basil) and two pounds of "the signature" (garlic butter & kickin Cajun). Got it as spicy. My favorite is the signature since it had the most flavor but the grail had more of a spice kick. All the sauces were buttery & spicy. However, I felt that they should've let the sauce soak into the crawfish a little longer to give the meat more flavor. Corn, potatoes, sausage & egg were cooked just right. Don't get me wrong, I love me a southern sweet tea but the one I received was beyond sweet. So I switched it out for sprite instead. At the end I ordered their gumbo to go. I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't salty just wish there were more sausages in the gumbo. Overall, I'm satisfied. I prefer the Bellaire location since the food is better but the service on Shepherd is way better. Definitely coming back here when I'm around the area.

    Oysters
    Jando S.

    Despite the many culinary accolades Houston has to offer, Viet Cajun is one that is practically exclusive to the city. There are numerous stellar options in this fusion cuisine, but Crawfish Cafe has emerged as one of its best local chains, and besting most, If not all of the options in The Heights. The Chinatown location is the one I've frequented the most, but seeing as it's been closed for renovations, it's been more or less this location of nothing. (#1) The parking has been problematic on their busiest nights, sharing the space with several other eateries, so know this ahead of time during their busy lunch and dinner hour. A wait is likely given no reservations, so finding time for parking might not be so bad. The interior is tight but they've done a decent job at maintaining large and small groups despite how busy it gets. I've only come here in large groups, but the feast is guaranteed every time. When crawfish is in season, there is no better place to be. When it comes to the sauces, I am all for the grail mix, which is garlic butter and Thai basil. The coco loco is an excellent sauce as well, and the kickin Cajun most definitely has a nice kick. Other recommended items are their oysters, garlic noodles, boudin balls, and egg rolls. Overall, the service is good but can be tough during their busiest nights. Prices are going to add up since it's seafood, but the experience almost always is going to be worth it. ____________ (#1) There's always Cypress, but I have yet to go.

    Combo 2

    Came in to try crawfish for the first time, and expected more flavor. I ordered the crawfish and shrimp mix, with the signature seasoning mix and the spicy heat level. The food I got was barely black pepper spicy. The crawfish itself was okay, but I would rather have 3 or 4 bigger ones than the slaughter of little crawfish I got in the bag. Shrimp was good, but still lacked flavor. It's an experience, and the service is friendly but a little slow. They have a nice patio, and the restaurant is very crowded most of the time. Parking is there, but hard to find. Do not park in other lots, you will get towed. Kroger parking is safe across the street.

    Crawfish
    Erin D.

    Service was great! Our server was super nice and helpful! The food came very quick and was delicious! The ambiance is nice, there is indoor and outdoor seating options. My only deterrent is the parking. The parking is very limited and tons of construction surrounding this location but otherwise plenty options on their menu and great food

    Rach K.

    Food was actually fresh, and the sauce was really good with great service. However, the parking situation completely ruined the experience. Parking here is extremely difficult and poorly managed.There are very limited parking spaces for this restaurant, and it's nearly impossible to find a spots at all. What makes it worse is that cars get towed aggressively even if you are actively dining. I was inside the restaurant, and my car was towed just minutes before I finished my meal. This creates a frustrating and unfair experience for customers. As someone visiting from California, this feels especially unreasonable and excessive. If you plan to dine here, be very careful with parking -- or you may end up paying $300 something in towing fees.

    Crawfish
    Alex W.

    This place was packed on a Sunday night, and I can see why it's so popular. The whole city loves crawfish and these heads do it very well. I couldn't really taste the Viet influence though; I'm no crawfish connoisseur and this just tasted like regular old garlic'ed crawfish to me lol. TBH the shrimp is more flavorful and has more meat than the crawfish!

    Crawfish Cheese Bread
    Dominique Britnee R.

    Everything hit! It can get a little loud and crowded, so we opted to sit outside, which made for a much better experience. The food did not disappoint. I'm used to Louisiana oysters, so my standards are pretty high, but these were still very good. The service was excellent--fast, friendly, and attentive. Overall, a great experience, and I'll definitely be returning.

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    Page 1 of 19

    Crawfish Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Crawfish Cafe

    Is Crawfish Cafe BYOB or do they serve alcohol?

    They serve alcohol now!

    Is this patio dog friendly?

    Is there a way to call and make a reservation?

    We do not take reservations or call aheads, sorry!

    How much is the crawfish per pound?

    We went on February 28th and it was $9.99 per pound. Keep in mind it was the week after the winter storm.

    Hi, do you know when you'll have live crawfish available? Thank you!

    We have live crawfish delivered daily now from Louisiana

    Is there live crawfish at the moment, and how much a lb?

    We do not have live crawfish just yet, we are waiting on the quality to improve before we start picking it up.

    So crawfish cafe... no fried crawfish?

    View All 9 Questions

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    The yummy house sauce is the freaking best... it's so good... I'm still thinking about it a few…read moredays later... We got the 6 Ibs medium spice level with corn and potatoes. Unfortunately adding corn and potato's is an additional cost but it's so worth it. Curious to try the leftover sauce with the rice next time We also got the gulf oysters which came with your typical oyster dressings. They were so fresh and plump!!! Next time I would try the premium seasonal oysters :)

    I really wanted this to be a hit. Seafood, oysters, alcohol....vibes and a time right? It wasn't…read more I tried the bang bang shrimp, fried pickles, and chargrilled oysters. Something simple that should be an easy win. Unfortunately, everything leaned the same direction: either it was heavy, over-sauced, or overly garlicky. It tasted more like dressed-up frozen food than something thoughtfully prepared. And listen...I don't mind indulgent. But there still has to be balance and fresh food. Fresh like it was raw and delivered today, not fresh like fried in the last 15 mins. When everything is coated, covered, and competing, nothing actually stands out. The drinks didn't help either. They leaned hard on alcohol without much flavor behind them--more "this will get you there" than "this tastes good." Nothing was terrible. But nothing made me want another bite, either. And with seafood, that's kind of the whole point. The atmosphere is friendly, great music, and the service was very attentive. Even the presentation wasn't bad. It just wasn't enough. But at some point, you stop asking what's missing and just accept that it's not landing. I was still hungry so I went next door hoping for a better experience. I want to be clear: It's not bad. It's just not working.

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    I'm newer to Hudson house but have been four times now over the last couple of months and it is…read morepretty consistent. I've been to both locations so I will leave this review on both... Although I like the Gray St., Location a little better taste wise for my dynamite shrimp, I think that the University Blvd location is easier to get a reservation. This is a really good choice for date night, a family event or a girl's night. Always nice, clean and bright. Surprisingly, the chicken Parm is one of my favorite dishes here. It's probably top two for me and I've had a lot of chicken Parm. The burger is my second choice; it is so good! One of my favorite appetizers is the Dynamite Shrimp and the salad that's under has a fire dressing that they should bottle. But overall, I've tried several things with the people I've gone with, and there's nothing bad on the menu. Definitely get a reservation in advance... This isn't really a place you can just walk in unless you're sitting at the bar and you've gotten there at a good time. Parking is valet at the gray street location. It's very hard to find regular parking there. You can find parking pretty easily at the University Blvd location. My only real complaint is the service is slow... And I've had different servers at different locations and they all don't really move with a sense of urgency. It takes them a while to get back to you so you can place an order... It takes a while for them to bring out your drinks. Overall, just slow service and that's why I deducted a star.

    To start, we had a reservation for 7 people, we arrived early, we very courteous and ordered…read morecocktails. The cocktails were O.K, one margarita came out as tequila on the rocks, which was just ridiculous, and the staff have a basic idea of what goes into a mojito, but no real skill at making one. We were five appetizers into the experience when one of the hostesses sauntered over and loudly proclaimed, " Due to very busy, you dining experience is limited to 90 minutes" Yes, she spoke that way. She them proceeded to mean mug us for the next 45 minutes as we pushed past 90 minutes as a form of protest. We quit purchasing food, and drink and just sat there looking at her, daring her to come over and enforce her little power trip time limit. Never happened. The food was amazing, very well done. Thee waiter was amazing, he understood the mission and was tipped very well. But the bartenders, and the hostesses brough the experience down to a lowly one star.

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    I've heard so much about Field & Tides, so when I was looking for a place in the area for dinner, I…read morefigured this was the perfect time to finally give it a try. We went around 6 p.m. on a weekday, and they had a steady flow of business. It's a small restaurant with a small parking lot, but they do have an additional lot across the street. We were greeted right away and seated immediately. Our waiter was also tending the bar. He was incredibly friendly and working hard, but because he seemed to be juggling so much on his own, service was on the slower side. For the appetizer, we ordered the Crispy Fried Oysters & Brussels, and I got the redfish for my entrée. The Brussels sprouts were flash-fried perfectly, and I loved the sweetness of the chili honey glaze. The oysters had a nice crispy coating, but I found them to be a little bland. The redfish, though, was absolutely the star of the meal. I cleaned my plate. It was served with Hoppin' John and a lemon butter sauce. I had never heard of Hoppin' John before, but it's essentially a Southern rice-and-bean dish, and paired with that lemon butter, it was so flavorful. It complemented the fish perfectly.

    I'm actually really surprised with this place. The inside kinda gave me a farmhouse vibes. They had…read morea bar and seating around. It's not a huge restaurant but it could be the size of a cafe. I tried the pulpo for an appetizer. The potato's were soft. The octopus was easy to eat and seasoned well. I felt like paired well together. It did have a little oily flavor to the dressing they used almost like a sesame oil. I tried the red fish and that was a little dry on the inside. The dish itself was flavorful. I also tried the scallops and this one was my favorite. It was creamy and cheesy. The scallops were soft and each bite of the rice had some shrimp or crab in it. Service was a bit slow.

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    Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition

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    Another great spot for happy hour bites and bevs! Happy hour is Monday-Friday 5-6:30pm with $1.50…read moregulf oysters, $8 cocktails, and $8 select wines. They also have some food specials. My first happy hour visit I tried their Mississippi-style chicken on a stick (good, but I prefer San Antonio's milanesa version dipped in pickled jalapeno juice). But standouts at Josephine's, for me, are the: :: Smoked redfish dip--we sometimes order two because my boyfriend powers through this app. :: Blue Crab Rice Bowl--a lot of fun flavors going on and it's very filling. Make it an entree. :: And of course, their oysters. I'm an oyster happy hour girlie! Check out my Yelp list of oyster happy hours: https://www.yelp.com/collection/ZhuQbFKQfzO2TR6QFYMc0w/Oyster-Happy-Hour :: The beau loves their pea salad; said it's just like his grandma used to make. I don't fully rec the the jerk fish collars, as this dish has a lot of bones and it's hard to eat. They have indoor and outdoor seating, a great cocktail list--they've got frozen margs and frozen sidecar.

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    Inside - back area seating
    Inside - back area seating
    Banana Pudding-$10. Would've loved more cookies! Rich and filling!
    Banana Pudding-$10. Would've loved more cookies! Rich and filling!
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    Crawfish Cafe - seafood - Updated August 2026

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