Evangeline is a family favorite. Great food, cocktails and service. Evangeline will probably fill up during dinner and weekends.

LOVE this place! We are fortunate enough to live nearby, so we try to go as often as possible. Unfortunately we passed on this place for awhile, simply because of it being in a strip mall and was gravely mistaken. If you've read any of my other reviews, we've made this mistake more than once (Backspin), with the same results, so now on, strip malls rule! When you walk in the door at Evangeline Cafe, you feel like you've landed in New Orleans, the walls and ceiling are covered in mardi gras swag from beads to alligators. The space is small but very inviting. There's a tiny bar in the corner were you can grab an Abita beer or glass of wine while waiting for a table or if lucky enough, pull up one of the 4-5 bar stools and enjoy dinner and on some nights a band playing in the corner. The food is traditional Cajun and spot on. We always start with the gator bites and red beans and rice. Strangely enough, they have of the best chicken fried steak in town. I've been told that's the owners favorite food, so he's made sure to put a delicious one on the menu. Next time your in the mood for some cajun grub, Evangeline Cafe is a must, if you're not in New Orleans! read more

Since I'm from Houston and my mother is from Lake Charles, I love me some cajun/creole food. I've been craving this place for over 3 years and finally for Valentine's Day I decided to take my wife so that we could try it together. We arrived and the ambience was nice. We started off with sweet tea, side salad, and boudin. The tea was fresh, the side salad was delicious, and the boudin was good. Now on to the entree, we ordered 2 of their house specialties, Gold Band Creole and Speedy's Catfish. The Gold Band Creole was decent, the shrimp taste like boxed frozen shrimp. I give this dish a 4 out of 10, we each took a bite and didn't enjoy the taste. Speedy Catfish was the worst cajun/creole dish I've ever had. It was totally bland 1 out of 10 is the rating that I give this dish. What's funny is most servers will ask if the food is good. Our server never asked so we figured she knew we screwed when we orderd this dish. 70 bucks for 2 bites..lol. We didnt get upset because we are used to non cajun/creole people in Austin recommending bland food spots. Living in Austin it is hard to find good cajun/creole food that has that Houston/Lake Charles flavor. read more

I'm kinda a chicken fried steak/ gravy snob. My girlfriend met me for lunch there a few weeks ago and I dialed in on the cfs. When it was presented to me at the table, it was visually stimulating. It was a larger portion and the grave was a yummy cream color. The 1st thing I did was taste the gravy by itself. As if Jesus created the instructions on how to make the best gravy in the world, they nailed it! Now onto the batter.... oh lord. Super crispy, flaky, flavorful. This has to be the absolute best cfs I have ever eaten.....ever. I even went back on a solo mission 2 days later, it's that memorable. I wish I could put more feelings in writing, but I wont. read more

Evangeline Café - Cfs, white rice both topped with the most amazing gravy EVER! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

I recently had the pleasure of having lunch at Evangeline. A high School friend, last name Broussard, (yeah, he's Cajun), turned me on to this place. I had fish and shrimp, also had red beans and rice. All were awesome! Im Cajun also and was born in Port Arthur, Texas. I've had fish and shrimp a few hundred times in my life. I'm definitely an arbiter of Cajun cooking. Laissez les bons temps rouler. read more

Best Cajun food in South Austin! Heather is the best host & waitress! She is so friendly every time!!

Great Service and cool ambiance! Would definitely come back! Food was good but a little heavy

Stuffed black drum was really good, perfectly cooked, generous portion, glad we didn't order an appetizer! Evangeline Cafe is so close to my house, but, not sure why we don't come here more often; really should. Servers were there when needed, but not in the way, nice. Live music, Dime Store Poets were really good. A very nice evening. Well done Evangeline Cafe! read more

Recommended by friends. Love staff, music, food, and ambiance . Always a pleasure. read more

We love coming here!!!! The food is always amazing and we get our Cajun fix without having to drive 5 hours!!! The waitress' are really sweet everytime but today we had Molly and I would have to say that she is the best!!!!!! Highly recommend- I swear you won't be disappointed :) read more

I literally always get the same thing, their Steve's hot wings extra crispy to go, and the woman working there is literally one of the kindest and hardest working I've met !? Very rare kind of person and always remembers my order too, they're all great people tip them well they really work hard ! And the wings literally make me die and go to heaven sooo good ugh with some fries ! read more

First time here and wow we loved it! We tried all the healthy stuff Lol Fried shrimp and fried catfish Seafood gumbo and shrimp platter and Red beans and rice all were excellent! The best Cajun food! You have got to try it, we will definitely be back! Thanks Rob for making us feel welcome! read more

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Food came out on time and it was everything. I hoped it would be. Thank you for making my dining experience super wonderful.

Love these guys. Everything they make is fresh, tasty, and authentic. From the Shrimp Creole to the Crawfish Étouffée... and can we please talk about maybe the best ranch dressing that I've ever had in my life? The owner is caring and the staff is so warm and inviting. The fried shrimp platter is tops. Haven't had a bad meal yet. read more

Evangeline Café - Takeout from Evangeline Cafe. Crawfish Étouffée with that delicious ranch dressing. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Nina is the best and the gator bites are awesome!!! Every time I go here the staff are great!!! Professional and nice and attentive :-) The burger was good too! Will be back it's so close to my place and mine and quiet during off hours :-) read more

Evangeline Café - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Man this spot was not it., the food was bland, no flavor what so ever !! Did not taste like Cajun food or a cook who knows Cajun!!!! the waitress didn't make eye with a brotha looking at the wall!! like how much more disrespectful can you be in Austin tx read more

It never takes much arm twisting to get me to go to Evangeline Cafe. Their poboys are great and their seafood dinner baskets are always fresh. The dinner baskets are also filling since they come with buttered bread, salad and a side (like dirty rice). And there are plenty of Cajun/Creole options to satisfy everyone's tastes. There are a couple other restaurants in this part of town where you can get good Cajun food, but this one's a family favorite given the colorful decor. My kids particularly enjoyed playing with alligator heads at the bar on the last visit. The staff is friendly and attentive even though the restaurant always seems full. The appetizers are also really good here. I generally go with the boudin or the gator bites. The gator bites in particular are deep fried nuggets of golden goodness best eaten sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice and dipped in their creamy aioli. It's as good as it sounds and worth getting if you haven't tried it before. read more

Evangeline Café - Gator bites - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I like this place. I was born and raised in Bogalusa LA. I know good Cajun food. The owner runs a tight ship. He cares about his employees and his customers . I recommend the Oysters Contraband if you like oysters. The pistolettes for dessert are outstanding ! read more

They have some really good Cajun options but the inside is so small the place stresses me out and it's a little pricey for what you get. I gave four stars and an honest opinion but the owner's response seems pretty defensive. Too bad! read more

Evangeline Cafe has a great ambiance and really good Cajun food. I ordered the chicken and sausage jambalaya for lunch from their very reasonably priced lunch menu and the amazing Miranda's Pecan Praline Pistolette for dessert. I forgot to take a picture of the meal but have a picture of the delicious dessert! It appeared that there are a number of regulars at Evangeline. If you are looking for some tasty Cajun, Evangeline is the place and save room for dessert!! read more

Evangeline Café - Miranda's Pecan Praline Pistolette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Austin hidden gem. Stuffed pork chop w stewed okra n tomatoes are the best! Don't forget to get the alligator bites.

Review Soundtrack: "The New Ron Ton Roulay" Clarence Garlow I made a conscious decision not to review Evangeline Cafe until I had visited a couple of times. I must confess, until coming to Texas I was basically not exposed to Louisiana food or culture, so this is coming from a place of complete ignorance. The Boudin, which I was encouraged to try, was awesome. I could eat this every day of the week. Nom. The Red Beans and Rice were....meh. Didn't blow my socks off, ya know? That said, I love the feel of Evangeline Cafe. It has the feel of a community gathering place. Everyone seems to know each other. These gathering places are in short supply in the deep south of Austin. Basically, south of William Cannon it feels like culture ceases to exist and it just turns into breeder country. Anyhow, I will definitely go back to Evangeline to try more of their menu and to order more Boudin! read more

Great little spot for excellent Cajun food. Unfortunately, they don't do a regular crawfish boil, otherwise this place is the best!

At first glance this place has a bland exterior, as part of a collective in a strip mall. Once you enter the tchotchkes and music make you feel like you're in a legit place in "Nawlins"!!! But that ends there... The hostess, or greeter, or random waitress by front door greeted me quick and sat me down quick. She was very nice... The waitress I got after waiting for 10min, was very cold, void of life and had zero personality. She asked for my drink order and ran off, I literally was left with my mouth open, I couldn't even utter the question "what do you recommend?" --- after another 5-6min the main greeter asked me if I'm being helped, she saw me looking desperate and hungry in my corner haha. Finally my living-dead waitress shows up... I finally get to ask her what she recommends, she said "anything crawfish is good". I asked her to explain to me how that works since they're out of season, she mentions "oh it's ok, they're frozen" --- :( I mean who the heck wants frozen crawfish?? And why even offer it? Well at least she was honest... Or I'm not sure if it was honesty, or if she legitimately enjoys frozen crawfish. Well anywho I passed on that, and asked her to recommend something else - she had a look on her face like if we were on SOME SORT of gameshow and I just asked her the $1million dollar question. So I picked one and said how's this gold band creole (spicy fried jumbo shrimp with pasta) , her reply was "yup that's good too" but in a way that felt like 'hurry up and order' type of way. Well I get this masterpiece and immediately I can tell it looks bland. The sauce was poured in the middle and the dish was somewhat set up in a decorative way where scallions and paprika were dashed in the rim of dish along with the shrimp in a circular style. I will say I was impressed that they provided me both a fork and spoon with my pasta, which not too many people in Texas know to do that. OH WAIT! Did I mention the waitress never gave me napkins and I had to physically get up and get them myself? BUT WAIT! There's more!!! Did I mention she also tossed the dirty rag she uses to clean tables in front of me in the little table next to me that holds the menus? So throughout my whole meal, I'm looking at this friggin dirty rag... WTF!!! So just as I suspected, the dish was very bland. The pasta was cooked just right, but that's where the praise ends... The shrimp was over fried, and it had a very fishy taste which screams that it too was frozen. The sauce, tasted like store bought canned salsa, like MOTHER EFFIN Mexican salsa. There was nothing creole or Louisiana style to this food. It was simply bad, and my waitress sucked! I really wanted to like this place, I really wanted to be surprised and say "wow look at this amazing place I happen to stumble upon while waiting for my car at the jiffy lube!" And then twirl around in happiness like in The Sound of Music. Well no, that didn't happen... And the biggest insult was the price. The meal with a coke came out to $17.82 --- seriously, WTF! I will never never never go back to this joint, 4 STARS people of Austin? Really!?? I mean really!????? read more

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Delicious! I would go there forever if I wasn't on a strangled budget. One day I will return. I will make up for all the delicious meals I missed! read more

I have been to this place more than once. I have heard so many rave reviews about the food...but I have to say that The Cypress Grill leaves this sad restaurant to the wolves. The food here has always been bland and lacking in flavor. The gumbo is watery and the rice is always dry and flavorless. As much as I love the vibe and WANT the food to match...it just doesn't. I do not have any specific memory of the quality of service. Will not be back anytime soon. read more

This place is ridiculous. Ridiculously fantastic, that is! I am a newbie to the creole world, and was introduced to Evangeline's by a friend who I will thank for the rest of my life. The atmosphere is divey and super laid back. They have live music most nights and the decor is super fun. But the most important? GATOR BITES. Y'ALL. These crispy, tender things drizzled with a delicious, spicy, cream sauce are incredible. Hit them with a little lemon, BOOM! I've had a few entrees here, however, the Shrimp Creole is my go-to. It is total comfort food! It'll warm you right up with a little kick! You MUST try this place!!! read more

Evangeline Café - Lunch Shrimp Basket! $7.99 and delicious! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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All I can say is WOW this place is a hidden food lovers dream if your into good old fashion Cajun food. I was so impressed and I travel and eat at many places but this one is recommended. Nina was my server and she did a awesome job with a genuine smile which is hard to come by these days. Shawna the manager on duty was delightful as well. The food was hot, the gumbo is authentic with great New Orleans style taste. I loved the ambience and people who both worked there and clientele. I will definitely be here as much as possible.they are very reasonably priced they should go up on the prices, I would definitely pay more for this kind of food and service. read more

Another reason to fall in love with Evangeline Cafe......... BYO-Booze, thats right you can bring in a handle of whiskey or your favorite hard liquor into the restaurant. You can bring your own wine for a small "cork fee". GOD, I love Austin TX! read more

I am from NOLA and I'd have to say this place is really good! And it's really hard to impress me when it comes to Cajun food. Appetizer: Gator Bites - Amazing! Entree 1: Crawfish Etoufee - I devoured it! Don't forget to ask for the Tabasco though, as they do not keep it out on the tables! Entree 2: Shrimp Po-Boy - My teenager said it was really good! Entree 3: Country Fried Steak (Not Pictured ) - Husband said it wasn't the best he's ever had but it was pretty good still. Entree 4: Crawfish Evangeline (Also Not Pictured) - I was told it was good. read more

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I have had some bad luck with popular restaurants lately. This was recommended to me by a friend. He said I should definitely get the Catfish with Crawfish Macque Choux. So, I did. But before that, the waiter suggested the blue crab fingers for an appetizer. They were okay, but not the freshest crab I have had. They weren't worth the price. My dinner companion had the Oyster Po'boy. The bread ruined it. The batter on the oysters was soggy. If you are looking for a better Po'boy, head to Gene's. My catfish dish needed a 1/4 bottle of hot sauce for me to enjoy it. I would have chosen not to eat it if I hadn't been so hungry. Sorry Mark! read more

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I've been going to EC for years and continue to support the place as the best authentic Cajun in Austin. Even after I moved from Bee Cave to Round Rock four years ago, I'll make every opportunity to meet friends at EC for lunch! I've traveled a lot in LA- New Ireland, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport- but always look forward coming back to EC. I have always found the food flavorful and tasty and the service friendly and welcoming. Although I do not know Curtis, I am always impressed he's in the restaurant overseeing the food and service. Unlike some of the recent reviews, I have not seen the issues commented to. I am a huge fan of EC and will keep coming back! read more

I really love the ambience in this place. The waitstaff is friendly and knowledge. I recommend the fried oysters. We tried the seafood gumbo but the roux tasted burnt. There is a trick to perfecting roux. And they have some work to do. They were nice and took it off the bill. Get there early because they fill up fast!! Tiny, tiny outdoor seating area. read more

I really enjoyed my experience here. They had live music and it was super lively! The food is pretty good! I had this one spicy shrimp pasta, my boyfriend had the jimbalaya, and we shared some appetizers. Everything was good except the gator bites lol. The gator bites were super breaded and tasted like fried shrimp. Our waitress was super sweet, i was very impressed with the service. 10/10 would recommend this place and mention the friendly cute girls read more

Food has that bland taste that comes from frozen food, reheated.

Walking through the door is like being transported to the NOLA area. Seriously. I grew up in the area. My family used to go to casual eateries like this. Fun decor including custom tables embedded with Mardi Gras coins and Abita beer caps. I usually don't like Creole / Cajun cuisine outside of the NOLA area because I am used to the real thing. Well - this is the real thing. We had: oyster po-boy, vegetarian gumbo and grilled seafood platter with catfish and shrimp. Everything tasted fresh. The seasoning tasted authentic without being overpowering. We kept nodding at each other because we couldn't stop eating to talk. We agreed on our next visit in the parking lot. read more

A coworker of mine told me about Evangeline Café. So today I came in with a group of 4 and was told there would be a 15 to 20 minute wait, which was no big deal. 5 minutes into waiting the hostess comes out and tells me my table is ready. As I came in I heard the band playing I noticed all the decorations on the walls. It's a very cozy and packed little restaurant and today it had a full house. A few minutes into waiting for waitress she approached and asked if we want anything to drink. A few minutes after ordering she made her way back with the drinks and then went on to do whatever else you needed to do for quite a while. As I saw her pass by many times without looking my way I waved her down to get her attention so that way we can order appetizers. When she finally saw me waiving she snapped at me saying "I see you". We then ordered our appetizers. I ordered Steve's Hot Wings and my cousin ordered frog legs. The frog legs were very delecious, and the hot wings were okay but very hot. (Tossed in butter and Louisiana Hot Sauce). The wings did have a lot of heat to them. Since my mouth was burning I had to ask my server (Nicole, I had to ask the hostess for my servers name since she never introduced herself) for a refill on my drink and she snapped again at me saying "I know". This server Nicole was unwelcoming and seemed very flustered. I get it your busy but don't snap at people who are trying to have a good night out. She she eventually made her way out to take our order for the table. Me and two other people my party order the same thing the special which was the Hank Williams platter. The platter consisted of chicken and sausage gumbo, chicken and sausage jambalaya, and a crawfish pie. And the fourth person in my party ordered vegetarian gumbo. When we got our food it was no surprise that it was delicious. The gumbo was outstanding took it off n Text and hit all the right spot and the same can be said for the jambalaya. The crawfish pie seems like it needed to be sold quickly and was on the verge of turning.. I am not saying it was bad, but there was a reason it's on a special. It still had good flavor but it had a very short span of time to be sold, which added a much stronger fishy flavor. After eating the main course we decided to have dessert two bread puddings to share for the table. 5 to 7 minutes later bread pudding arrived with very generous portions for only $3.99. The bread pudding was absolutely delicious and a very nice dessert after that great meal. This place seems very legit and happening which is obvious by having a full house on a Monday night, and the food is very very good and earns the 4 stars on yelp. I only wish the server was a little better and less frustrated after she took the orders a bunch of friendly people dropped them off and refilled drinks. The only smile I saw from our server was when she dropped off the check. I would definitely come back here again and again cause the food is worth it and reasonably priced. Had it not been for the overly fishy pie which is not that big of a deal and the servers unwelcoming demeanor and attitude I would have given the place more stars. I hope next time is better. read more

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The ambiance was great! I do believe live music is back in session now so that awesome. The gumbo was a little burnt though hopefully next time it's not bitter! I will be back to hear some Cajun tunes! read more

This is such a great little spot! Especially if you are missing New Orleans. The food is always excellent, alligator anything is good ! Love coming here with friends and family. read more

The atmosphere was fun and the Cajun food was authentic. Service was great even while being busy.