Best fried catfish I've had since New Orleans. Live music, cozy vibe and the owner is one of a kind. Bar tender makes you feel like a regular and let's give it up one more time for the catfish. Well worth the drive from the city. read more

A Tiny Creole-style restaurant with a small bar and a limited menu. I was curious about this place. It's in a tiny parking lot on a side street in Des Moines. It's a small storefront and a little challenging to find. During the pandemic, my wife and I stumbled across it, but it was closed. We did get to chat with the chef-owner. He explained he could not afford to keep the doors open full-time due to the lack of clientele during the difficult mask-up period. He indicated that he would start limited hours soon. So, fast forward to today. The restaurant IS open at certain times, and I advise you to double-check the hours as they seem to change. So, anxious to try authentic creole food, I dropped in one afternoon and sat at the small but nice-looking wooden bar. The bartender lady was friendly and got me a bottled beer (no draft here). I scanned the short menu and asked for a recommendation. She recommended the Jambalaya. I found the Jambalaya extremely disappointing. As you can see from my photo, I was served a gigantic mound of Jambalaya rice. It was sticky, tasty, spicy, and filling, but "Where's the beef?". I felt like I was on a treasure hunt, searching for the protein in this giant mound of rice. I found a single slice of sausage and a few chicken pieces throughout. This may be how some families in Louisiana stretch their grocery supplies, but this is NOT what a customer expects at a restaurant. If this was the recommendation, then I am terrified of what the gumbo or some of the other dishes are like. To make matters worse, the bathroom had no light! I turned the switch on and off a few times, and the light would flicker a little, but I could not see a thing. I had to take out my phone to see where to do my business! After I washed my hands, I discovered the paper towel dispenser empty. When I returned to the bar, I found the Chef-owner leaning on the bar, chatting with the bartender and the only other customer there. Of course, I let him know about the state of his bathroom. "The light flickers?" he said., "Um yeah," I responded. He shrugged like this was an acceptable state of affairs. No apology, no action or promise to correct the issues. Just a matter-of-fact demeanor. Like it was MY problem! I can maybe understand an employee acting this way, but the owner? Is he serious about running a restaurant? Perhaps this is a hobby or a tax shelter; who knows? I will never return. I am a Yelp Elite Squad reviewer, and it pains me to have to award anything less than four stars for a struggling neighborhood business, but if the owner doesn't care, why should I? And now the results: Starting from 5, I detract one-half star from edible but disappointing food. One star for an unkept bathroom with no light. One star for a poor attitude. Another half-star for odd hard-to-keep-track of hours. Then adding my overall experience, I'm going to award a generous two stars. I sincerely doubt, and, judging by the owner's attitude, that he even cares; however, I will say this to him. If you are serious about running a restaurant and competing with the likes of Wally's or Anthony's in Des Moines, then I would seriously give your attitude a check, as well as the attention you pay to your bathroom and the content of the meat in your food. Good luck. BTW, if you enjoyed my review or found it useful, funny, or cool, please don't hesitate to click the little button to say so, or better yet, go ahead and friend me. So go on! Press that button, and never miss one of my epic reviews in the Seattle area and beyond. Excelsior! read more

Dat Creole Soul - The Jambalaya. Can you find the protein? - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

The food was ok, some items on the menu were not available. The drinks were fantastic. The service was good and the atmosphere was awesome. Had a great time with live entertainment. The patrons were fun to talk to and we had a great time. Will be back soon! read more

The catfish is the best. Usually prefer shrimp but will always go for catfish here. Crawfish mac & cheese on Thursdays only. Po'boys on Friday only. Both are highly recommended as is the banana pudding, all delicious.! Definitely has a New Orleans vibe and ambiance, if you've ever been you'll agree. Outside seating limited but available. Not quite a dive bar, but not high end either. $5 we'll drinks. 21+ only. Relaxed atmosphere. Staffing is usually 2 people only. Bartender who waits tables/serves and a cook (the owner). Ordering online is a great option! Owner is known to provide meals to the homeless with his food truck. Overall, great food and organization! read more

Dat Creole Soul now has a brick and mortar place down in Des Moines, Wa! The owners name is Hampton and he is also a flight attendant for Alaska airlines! He is one tall dude that has brought his Louisiana cooking to our town! We will definitely go back. Located just off Marine view Drive in the lower part of the brown building at 22341 Marine View Drive S, in Des Moines, wa I had the shrimp etouffee and hubby had the seafood platter. Hubby is not a lover of catfish but the waitress brought him a little piece to try and he ended up liking it and ordering the meal. read more

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LOVE LOVE LOVE dat Crawfish Etouffee! Check out the beautiful bar. Comfortable seating. Love the decor. Simply a amazing experience! read more

Dat Creole Soul - Catfish & Waffle Fries with Crown & Coke. Crawfish Étouffée with Woodford on the rocks! - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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I was excited to see their food truck at our neighborhood, we ordered catfish basket, shrimp po'boy and gator bites. Excitement turned to a big disappointment! The food was cold, not even a little warm, but I was ok with it and threw the waffle fries, catfish and gator bites in my air fryer and I go enjoy the po'boy. The po'boy was huge and shrimp was flavorful, however the bread was hard and stale. The food in my air fryer is now ready and I take it out to the fam. My husband was excited for the catfish, he takes a bit and spits it out and said it tasted mushy he breaks it in half and found it was completely uncooked. I checked the piece on my toddler's plate and it was also uncooked. 2 stars for the flavorful shrimp bo'boy, stale bread. Gator bites, bland tough nuggets. Catfish basket, uncooked read more

Dat Creole Soul - Uncooked catfish my kid was about to eat - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

How frustrating when you call a place to find out if they're open and they tell you they don't do call ahead orders for pick up but they'll be doing food for 30-45 minutes so you drive 25 minutes from your location to try and order to go and when you arrive at 8:45 they tell you that they close at 9... I got here before 9 and drove 25 minutes but still did not get service. As someone who works in food service I find this unacceptable. Don't have hours of operation if you won't be honoring them and more importantly maybe have better customer service... So disappointing, and unfortunately I won't try again because guest service is everything in my book! read more

to;dr: I'll come back here as often as I can. 10/10. *Food: delicious; served hot and prompt. I had the alligator -- the seasoning was strong and still balanced, the batter texture was crisp and fine, and it was fried perfectly. Gator is a difficult meat to cook well and DCS pulled it off. It will be chewy - the animal is one big muscle and they subsist entirely on protein from other animals - but there's a world of difference between chewy and tough. This was the best textured gator I've had. Waffle fries were 10/10, fry sauce was rich, richly spiced, flavorful. *Ambiance: cozy dining room with higher bar-style tables and seating. A couch you can actually lounge on. Good jazz on the sound system set a speakeasy vibe. Dining room is pleasantly colorful and the style and decor reflect the genuine New Orleans charism of the owners. *Service: our food and drink orders were taken and brought out as fast as anywhere I've been. Staff are delightful, kind, jovial people who make you feel right at home. *Also: the owners do a lot of good work providing meals and clothing for people struggling with homelessness. This is the kind of business that deserves your patronage. Please eat here and tip well. I want Dat Creole Soul to thrive so I can bring my unborn children here someday. read more

The Chef knows a lot about seasoning, her food is so good! Highly recommend. Moved from another State and finally found some one who uses various seasonings and ingredients to flavor the food. Love her coconut rice. read more

I cannot speak to the food because I couldn't order. But it seems they make it difficult to try their food. The order online has a many items labeled out of stock or not even displaying at all. I called and was told the website is wrong. So if the website is wrong why can they not take an order over the phone? I was told I can only order online or in person. They didn't get my order and may not get a new customer due to inconvenience. I would love to support another local business but they have to make more effort. read more

Wow! I lived in New Orleans for 2.5 yrs and have never found a place outside of NOLA that serves Andygator! The alligator bites were A+!!! When in Des Moines I would go back for the Alligator Bites and Andygator! Boom! A must for NOLA flavor! read more

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The food and vibe are amazing. Always can chat with the owner. The fish and shrimp are seasoned well and fried to perfection. The grits are delicious. I do miss the bechamel sauce that used to be served with it. read more

I came to try the beignets on this easy like Sunday morning kinda day. The beignets were good but the friendly service even better. Looking over the menu, I asked if they had chicken. And although it was not on the regular Sunday menu, my server brought over 2 nicely crisp chicken wings. Shhhhhhhh don't tell nobody. I did have to ask for silverware but no big deal. My order of fried mushrooms came and beignets shortly after. Fun little Des Moines spot that I plan to visit again read more

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I've been a few times on my own and with friends .. speak easy vibes with R&B and soul music playing at all times. The crawfish Mac n cheese and catfish are amazing . staff and owner are fun and personable. would definitely recommend ! read more

Dat Creole Soul - The owner of Creole soul - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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Arrived about 7:30PM on a Friday night based on a segment from King 5 evening. The place was full but we got a table because 2 people were just leaving. There was a big group on a huge couch around a large coffee table and a few other groups around high top tables. It definitely had a living room like vibe. As is the case everywhere else, they are looking for staff and the service was friendly but slow. It took a while to place our order but the food came fast but it took a long while to get our check and pay the bill. I had the swamp platter with jalapeño hush puppies. My wife had the same without the fried gator (shrimp, oysters and catfish). Everything was very good but I could have saved $7 and left off the gator. I had not had fried gator before and it tasted just like any other fried fish but it was a bit tough and chewy, like a large piece of calamari or octopus. The shrimp were large and the fried catfish was spicy and perfect. The soul sauce was very good. Other tables had ordered the red beans and rice and that looked delicious. They have an extensive bar but no draft beer. The price of bottled beer and Bogle Chardonnay was reasonable at $7. They served the platters on large plastic plates covered with checkered black and white paper and plastic utensils. The restaurant is small so it can get crowded at times and the table we had was really like a narrow shelf along the front wall, not the most comfortable location. The fried food was very good but not better than another seafood restaurant a few blocks down the street that we have visited many times. We look forward to coming back to try some of the other items that are unique to this restaurant but we think that the competition serves up shrimp, fried fish and oysters that are just as good. read more

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Once again, awesome meal. Hampton... you put your foot in it! (That's a compliment). Looking forward to fresh clams??? next time??? Always exceeds our expectations. read more

Dat Creole Soul - a living room decorated for christmas - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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You won't be disappointed. I have tried almost everything on the menu and haven't had one thing I haven't liked. My favorites are the catfish basket and voo-doo wings, jalapeño poppers, fried pickles and shrimp etouffee! The service is exceptional with southern hospitality! They allowed me to sample things before ordering which I love! Food was cooked to perfection and oh you must try the banana pudding for dessert! read more

Dat Creole Soul - Jalapeño poppers, fried pickles, shrimp n grits, catfish basket and voodoo wings - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

Shandi is a great bartender and the food is authentic creole created by Hampton Isom. I and my wife have made this our go to spot for food and drinks. read more

Great people! Great food! Try everything! Check for hours it's a cozy bar seating great Sunday spot read more

Be sure to call before going. I went twice & they were closed but I wont let that affect my review. I went on Sunday for brunch & they have $20 bottomless mimosas. The food was also amazingly good! read more

These guys are doin it right. Love the design and the music they play at the truck. Food was spot on. So dang good. Absolutely warmed my soul to the core. They weren't hesitant at all to let me try samples and gave me several samples while I waited so I could try out the menu. Definitely tracking down this truck again. Thanks guys and keep your spirits up! read more

Dat Creole Soul - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

I really hate to leave a bad review with mixed feelings. At my office building we have food trucks that come every Wednesday. This was a new truck for us, so everyone was pretty excited. We do get the menu a few days in advance. On the positive side we were able to see the menu and the truck arrived early. On the other hand, all fried items were removed from the online ordering option about 15 minutes prior to opening. Understood of they had some kind of technical issue, but recommend that you post and explination before opening. Some co-workers ordered the trio for about 17.00 after tax and some, like myself ordered the seafood gumbo (single item) for the same price. Now originally the gumbo was a lower price and they had a few more drink selections. Again not sure what happened. As advertised there was sausage, rice, shrimp and crab in the gumbo mixture. I personally like vegetables (okra and tomatoes) in my gumbo. They may have been in someonesbowl, but not mine. The pictures misrepresented what we received. There was a hint of spice on the back end, but very under seasoned. read more

Authentic southern food!!! I've tried the catfish, crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, shrimp& grits and alligator &crawfish kickers --- all delicious!!! Please come to Renton! read more

Dat Creole Soul - My son enjoying the seafood gumbo! - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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The food and drinks were so good! Even though they were short staffed food came out quickly and everyone was super nice! 10/10 read more

Dat Creole Soul - Catfish basket - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

Yesterday my family and I enjoyed delicious beignets from Dat Creole Soul restaurant in Des Moines (beignets served Sundays from 11-2 or until sold out). We have been here several times and absolutely love it. Fried catfish, waffle fries, fried catfish Po Boy, and shrimp Po Boy with Creole sauce is absolutely exquisite. We are so excited to have an authentic and delicious Creole restaurant right here in Des Moines. Hampton and his staff are absolutely delightful read more

Dat Creole Soul - Hot and fresh Dat Creole Soul beignets - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

Food Truck REALLY!! Okay I am sold.. food was awesome service was great. This is some of best creole I've had in some time. Throughly pleased with everything we h read more

Dat Creole Soul - Food Truck - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

This GIANT has NAILED IT! straight from NOLA... He KNOWS his soul food!!! The bar he's set up is freaking amazing!!! Nice variety... comfortable vibe... great place to meet up with friends in game day, or ANY time!! You gotta try his shrimp... grits... red beans and rice! HEAVEN! He even has GATOR!!! Yep! And don't get me started on his banana pudding!!! You can't go wrong checking this place out!!! WHO DAT?!?! CREOLE SOUL FOID... DAT WHO!!! read more

What a cool little restaurant and the food is awesome! We had a to-go order of catfish grits, crawfish étouffée and a side of hush puppies! Oh, it was so delicious, the étouffée had the perfect spiciness and the grits were nice and creamy. We will definitely be back and try the different dishes at this hidden gem. read more

I order food from this restaurant last night. I am vegetarian and I had the vegetarian stew. It was watered down and had absolutely no seasoning. My husband and daughter had the catfish. It was inedible. It was raw and the fries were barely cooked. I was so upset and disgusted that I spent a 100.00 on food that was this terrible. Sorry to say I will never eat there food again. A total disappointment read more

If you are looking for the best creole food in the city, make your way here. The menu will satisfy your Nola palette with a cocktail menu that fully supports. I highly recommend... who am I kidding, we tried everything on the menu and have been going back weekly ever since. From the daily specials to the sides, you can't miss. I love this p read more

Dat Creole Soul - The view, the options, the service. You come into hospitality, you leave feeling like family. - Food Trucks Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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This restaurant was a HUGE letdown!! I want to start by saying, our group planned this evening several weeks in advance. We were very excited to try Dat Creole Soul and support a local Black owned business. Unfortunately, this place was very unwelcoming to our group of Black professionals who chose to support this Black-owned business and hopefully eat good soul food. The food was very bland. The grits had no flavor, the red beans were runny, were not served with rice, and had pieces of hot dog in them and the gator bites were less than flavorful. The service was very slow and mediocre at best. The manager had her young daughter waitressing (she was the highlight of the evening) but she did not have knowledge of the menu or food. And her mom was taking shots throughout the evening with another table and the effects of said alcohol showed up in her actions and words. Also the owner's fiance` was extremely rude to my friend when she expressed unhappiness with her shrimp and grits. This is definitely not a place any of us will ever return to. Lastly, within an hour of eating at Dat Creole Soul, I became very sick to my stomach. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

The Company I work for ordered a large pan of "Sausage and Chicken" Gumbo, Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice for an appreciation lunch. It arrived extra early and cold. The Gumbo was just sauce/broth, the Etouffee was just sauce and the Red beans sorely needed salt. I wish this was an exaggeration because I don't know how you could send that out of your kitchen and expect someone to pay for it. read more

When I saw that their food truck was in Issaquah today, I made the drive to try some good creole food. I was not disappointed! The crawfish ettouffe was superb - thick, flavorful, and with a fair amount of crawfish. The shrimp and catfish were both breaded with a nice light coating. A little on the salty side, but delicious. The hushpuppies were a nice size, fried and seasoned just right. I will be on the lookout for this food truck again! read more

The best soul food in town! Delicious red beans and rice. The fried pickles are amazing and the shrimp and grits are my favorite!

Today was my wife and I first time going out to dinner in over a year. I must say we pick the perfect place. Dat Creole Soul. Was a friendly delicious restaurant. It is located in downtown Des Moines. I highly reccomend giving it a try. read more

Excellent food, excellent service. We had the Crawfish Mac which was just the right level of spicy; some fried mushrooms with soul sauce (excellent sauce!) and the red beans and rice with catfish. And of course a Hurricane! Very cool ambiance too. Was glad to see they are doing so well, especially coming out of COVID. A great addition to the Des Moines dining scene! :) read more

So happy Dat Creole Soul opened a restaurant! The food is amazing an is indeed real NOLA dining. We shared the fried oysters, gumbo, and red beans and rice. It was delicious. The staff is very friendly, which is always a plus. We are already making plans to go back next weekend with friends. read more

Love love LOVE Creole Soul! Cute place with a speak easy feel, great service and amazing food. Very authentic Creole flavors! Can't wait to come back on Sunday for the gator quiche & beignets! read more

I enjoy the shrimp and grits, there is a lot of complexity to the sauce and the grits are a nice consistency. The red beans and rice are delicious. The owner is from New Orleans and has been cooking all his life; his love for his family and his city translates into his food. I don't eat a lot of fried food but I have heard others enjoy the alligator bites. Served with enthusiasm and alligator-sized smiles to match the alligator-bites. read more