My list of places to try in Austin is a never-ending backlog. About a year ago, I had a friend…read morerecommend Lil' Easy for dinner. Since it was this new and poppin' restaurant on East Cesar Chavez from the team behind De Nada, we had over an hour wait that we didn't take up. Its vibe intrigued me, and I think Cajun food is top five like Tatum with a cut. I decided to prepare only slightly this time. While getting dinner with a friend, we were discussing places when I suggested Lil' Easy. I threw a reservation down for an hour later at one of their numerous dining options. Upon arrival, parking at that little strip of restaurants on East Cesar Chavez is a bit treacherous. If you're not afraid of getting your steps in at 6 pm on a Friday, don't sweat it. Anyone else, good luck. There are a lot of different seating arrangements at Lil' Easy: the true outdoor patio with fans and umbrellas, the climate-controlled outdoor space that still brings the sun while still pumping A/C, and the traditional indoor space. Plenty of seating. The entire place was decorated with Mardi Gras beads and colors. Off the rip, we had to set the tone: I ordered a Pimm's Cup while my friend got some secret frozen swirl. We had to throw down an order of the Crawfish Queso as well. The food and drinks were served so quickly, we questioned if it was ours. The queso was De Nada's signature queso with Crawfish Étouffée mixed in. There are no tortilla chips on the side, but instead toasted bread. It's kinda like a DIY Crostini. The crawfish's flavor is a unique and savory balance to the cheesiness of the queso. Very delightful. We crushed it. My friend wanted to go wild. Another appetizer?? Their Shrimp Cocktail was thrown down immediately after ordering. The shrimp was great, but those house pickles were sneakily one of the best things they served us. Living the high life. Speaking of that, I ordered a High Life Pony as we made our main orders: a Fried Catfish Po'Boy and Fried Oyster Po'Boy. Both cut down the middle so we could have a little this, a little that. I think the bread, the catfish and the oysters, and the fries served alongside it were all incredible. My only issue was that the catfish po'boy had horseradish in it. That is a me issue, and I don't know why I can't stand horseradish. I don't know if it was hiding in their coleslaw or their rémoulade, but something was horseradish-y! I'd get the oyster po'boy again and again though! We closed the night with me being fun as I ordered their Frozen Espresso Martini with sprinkles and whipped cream because some other lady sitting nearby had that, and I WANTED TO BE FUN TOO. My friend got herself the seasonal nonalcoholic Arnold Palmer that was spiked with some Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka. Hers was great, but mine was basically a milkshake. I looked like a joyous kid with my drink. I was so very happy. They do give you lids for your drinks if you want to take them with you, but I planned to finish mine then and there. The gimme cups are also a nice touch and have their cute alligator mascot on them. Throughout the night, we could not believe how fast the service was at getting our meals and our drinks to us. Our waitress was absolutely on point the entire time we were there, constantly checking in on us and being extremely friendly and helpful in making sure we chose the right things and had a good meal ahead of us. Lil' Easy is casual, fun, and absolutely delicious. They have some of the best frozens in Austin, and their food is some of the best seafood and Cajun food I've had in Austin, hands down. Get over here. RIYL: crawfish and cocktails

This place is cute. It does feel a little bit like New Orleans. Just in the aspect of sitting…read moreoutside in the decor, but not the ambience. When we arrived, we sat outside since it was such a nice day. There was plenty of seating and it was a Sunday where they were having a crawfish boil. The service was nice. The waitress is very helpful and nice. I came here because I kept hearing good things about the crawfish. I have to say the crawfish was OK. There is nothing amazing about it, but it was good. I will say the corn and the onion were beyond spicy, but that was a nice kick. We also got the oysters. I have to say that the oysters were delicious so I give them that. The gumball was definitely missing a lot of flavor. It was it that good. The deviled eggs were mediocre and nothing special to them. We also got a meat. Patty empanada kind of deal and that was OK. It was a little overly greasy. And for dessert, we got the banana rum cake, which I have to say was nice but again nothing special. As for drinks, they had quite a variation. One of us got the espresso martini, which was OK. It was too sweet for my taste. And then I got the spritz which was nice. It's very hard to mess up a spritz. Not sure I would've come back just because the food was OK if I did come back, it would be for the oysters cause I do say that was really good for them.

I recently took a work trip to Austin, and I tried this place because it was near my hotel. I…read moredefinitely enjoyed it! We were seated promptly, served swiftly, and were given great service the whole night. The restaurant appeared on the smaller side, still had adequate tables, and the lighting was a little dim. Proved to be a perfect setting. I tried the Amberjack special. It was not on the menu, but it was fabulous! If I remember correctly, the fish was on top of a grit cake on pea puree. Or something like that ha! I just know it was fantastic, and I'm going by my very fuzzy memory! My table of work colleagues and I truly had a great meal. The food was all phenomenal and reasonably priced. The service was on point. Vibes were golden!

Meeting friends in Austin we picked this restaurant at random being halfway between our locations…read more What a great choice! All of our selections were outstanding. I recommend the crawfish chili relleno, a batter fried poblano pepper stuffed with cheesy, crawdads served on a bed of rice with queso. Crawfish etouffee featured a generous portion of crawdads in a tangy, Cajun sauce, perfectly spiced. Service was quick and friendly and we had no room for dessert!

Service was good, but the food...freakin great. Was in town for a corporate meeting and got to town…read morein time to sneak in a meal. By chance, I crumbled upon this place. Try it! You won't be disappointed.

I had to get in some cajon food in this town…read more this restaurant is very close to my hotel and I have been eyeing it ever since I got here. finally, checked it out a couple days ago. i order the catfish gumbo which comes with 2 sides. I got beans with rice and the veggie of the day, also got a shiner bock beer for 5 bucks. total with tip was ~33 i think i gave 5bucks tip the fish gumbo was really good. i also really like the beans with rice. it has a slightly different flavor profile but also very good. i think this place is a hidden gem.... good portions, decent price, and easy parking, had to figure out another P for a triple P. i think this was better than when I got rip off on bourbon street, yrs back. that was straight up super expensive double charge the tourist stuff...

We were greeted and seated immediately. Our friendly waiter, Sofia, was attentive. I had a…read morehankering for chicken fried steak which was covered with cream gravy and served with hot, crispy fries. My husband had the portobello mushroom burger and said it was delicious. We enjoyed the music of the George Carver Trio, which provided entertainment without being so loud that we couldn't carry on a conversation. Evangeline Cafe is a neat little place!

I wanted to come back here since I find out one of my client's is a chef here. Shout out to Wendy!…read moreThe fried shrimp po boy was delicious! I had it with both spicy mayo and the Evangeline sauce. Highly recommend! The French bread for the sandwich is delightful, soft with golden yet giving crust. Not hard and crunchy like you find most French breads. Wait staff here are efficient and welcoming. My waitress gave me the suggestion of having both the sauces on my po boy. As you can tell from my pictures, the decor is eclectic Louisiana theme. Lots of notes of Lake Charles and Mardi Gras. The alligator on the receipt was a nice like themed treat.

Our waiter Sabrina was super sweet and welcoming! Will be definitely coming back and ask for herread more

We had great service! Brooks was very attentive and was very quick. The food was great too.read more

4.5 Stars I loved…read morethe huge variety of seafood/protein options on the menu. Food is tasty for sure but also super greasy / salty (we had the cajun chicken quesadilla ($18) the guac was bomb and super fresh). Located inside Lavaca Street Bar.

This is a unique restaurant in downtown Austin! You can order take out from the window on the side…read moreor you can order inside the bar and sit inside (need ID). I got the blackened tilapia po-boy ($15). The portion size is HUGE! So generous. I feel like it's rare to see these portion sizes in Austin. I got everything on it, like mixed greens, tomato, pickles, and a coleslaw. The tilapia was flavorful!! There was 2 sauces, a spicy vinegar-y ketchup and a mayo based one. Both were yummy! Service was fast and friendly. Bar bathroom was clean.

My past interactions with seafood broils have not been positive so I had given up. The first was…read morewith a party and was meh but I'm finding out it was the stuff others picked out as well as the flavor( "butter") . The second time was at Joes crab Shack and the crab there was empty and they mixed up the flavors with the incredibly spicy one. Like the saying goes third times the charm. Came here with my fiancé over the weekend. First and foremost the service was great. Our server was very friendly and helpful. She also informed us that they had an all day happy hour so we ordered a pitcher of margarita. Everything came out fast, the flavors were great, and for the price the amount in the bag was great. Will definitely be coming back.

It is hard to find a good Seafood Broil place and it is a little sad I have to drive do far to get…read moreit, but it is worth the drive! If you have a large group, you definitely need to make a reservation in advance. Especially on the weekend! Parking is decent since it's in a shopping center, but on the weekends it is a little difficult. When walking in the atmosphere is great! With a beach vibe and the smell of deliciousness in the air. They are a great drink selection, but the show stopper is the food! From appetizers to the boils! They are all delicious! And the service is usually great! So if you are in the mood for great seafood and good drinks, then look no further because Hook & Reel has it all!

Whip My Soul! EPIC…read more Look, this place is completely outstanding EVERY SINGLE TIME. The owner is 100% hands on. He takes your order, and when he's free'd up he walks around the dinning room and introduces himself to everyone. Generally and heartfelt with your experience with his food and dining experience. I've come here a few times, and it's 100% consistency with service, care, food, cleanliness, and it's not easy, this place is always packed, always a dining room full of people, friends, family, just an amazing vibe here. I take my out of town friends here every time they come to visit. Normally I get the catfish, cause I love it so much, and I just crave it when I come, but this time I forced myself to try something new. Let me tell you it didn't disappoint. Their wings are outstanding too! Perfectly seasoned. Hot fresh, seasoned like an old family secret recipe. I also got 2 sides with the 3 piece chicken wing order. So I got Mac & cheese, of course. It's so rich and creamy, really one of the top 2 best Mac & cheese I've ever had. My second side I got was their yams. I can't explain it, but it just smells like Christmas and tastes like Christmas. They're a food group on their own. You have to, no you MUST get their yams. They're just epic. I'm already thinking about my next visit to Whip My Soul.

Food was excellent and the place was decently clean. The chicken wings, shrimp, pork chop, black…read moreeyed peas and yams were delicious and perfectly cooked. The greens were tasty but over cooked. I also feel the same way about the cheesy grits. Great in flavor but they had the texture of a porridge rather than a grit. The texture was very smooth, almost thin and slimy and not gritty like your typical grits should be. I asked to exchange the grits for the yams since I did not care for them. That request was honored but not without giving me a full and un-welcoming disclaimer about how they don't typically do that. Even made me get up and go across the room to the window to tell me this. When the server lady could have simply brought it to me. Other than, I would have given his place 5 stars even with my not caring for the greens and grits.