This is one of my stalwart, always go-to, favorite restaurants in Austin. I always love the Gumbo and the Po Boys. The Oysters contraband are a fun, yummy appetizer. The atmosphere is fantastic and the staff is always wonderful. read more

I had the gumbo, boudin and fried catfish. It was alll very good! Would definitely come back! Fast seating ing even though crowded. The live music made it even more special. Thanks evangeline cafe for a great nnight our with my family Leslie read more

Atmosphere (**** out of *****); Go when there is a live band (call ahead). Sometimes, there is no cover charge so it is a real bargain. You get live music and food for just the price of food. The music is usually Zydeco or Austin blues (a lively blues with a rock and roll beat). Food (*** out of *****); I tend to compare all Cajun food to Pappadeaux, not necessarily because it is the best, but because it is very hard to beat. Compared to Pappadeaux, Evangeline's crawfish etoufee is a bit watery. Their Gumbo is served on a plate and not a bowl nor large cup so it gets cold fast. The flavor of their dishes is good. I can taste some herbs along with the spice. The spicy dishes are very spicy so if you can't handle the heat, then order a Po boy sandwich, which are reasonably priced at $7 (small) to $13 (large). Portion sizes are average to small. Everything was ok, except for the fried oysters. I smelled a faint fishy smell (not fresh?) but my date did not smell anything wrong with them and wolfed them down with some beer. Drink prices were very reasonable for a joint with live entertainment ($3 for Texas beer in the bottle). Service (*** out of *****); not bad and not their fault but service was slow. However, to their credit, the place was packed. Some diners were eating and drinking STANDING UP because the place was so full. Be sure to go early to get a good seat. I waited 20 minutes enjoying a cold beer to live music before shown a seat. Considering how packed it was, 20 minutes is very reasonable. The waitresses did an incredible job considering the circumstances. Conclusion (**** out of *****); This is a reasonbly priced hangout with live music. The food is ok. The best part is the live entertainment. If there is no cover charge, be sure to tip the musicians. Cover charge is usually around $7. I added a star for value since there was no cover charge on the night that I went. Be sure to call ahead because on the night that I went (Saturday before Christmas), the calendar on the website says that there was NO live entertainment, but when I got there, a live band was playing. For great fun and good food at a reasonable price, go to Evangeline Cafe! read more

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

After seen this place on the Austin chronicle,I decided to come and check out. When I got here the staff was friendly, and I was seated quickly. I ordered a beer and some appetizers. The appetizer was something I never I tried before. Frog legs. My meal was delicious seafood gumbo. The place had a nice atmosphere. Reminded me of eating at a restaurant in New Orleans. The gumbo had just the right amount of spice. The only downside was the commute there. read more

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After a wonderful first experience at Evangeline's a month back, we decided to return with friends after we talked it up. Sadly, this time we were severely underwhelmed. We were seated and ordered drinks and apps with no problem. When we went to place our entree orders is when issues arose. We were informed that there was only enough pasta for 2 more orders, they had run out. 4 of the 6 of us were going to order dishes that had pasta. This would have been to nice to know when we were seated since it seemed like they already knew of this issue. Also, this occurred on a Saturday night at 7, prime dinner time. I feel like this should have never happened with proper anticipation. Therefore, only one person ended up with a pasta dish, because we were "too slow" in claiming dibs on both. The other 3 had to then scour the menu for another entree after setting their hearts on the pasta dishes. Sadly our picks were a disappointment after the letdown of not being able to order our first picks. "Lackluster" was probably our description for the meal. Overall average service, average food, in comparison to our initial experience. If you go here, make sure you check that they have enough pasta. Those are the star dishes! Maybe we will try again on a slower day. read more

Evangeline Cafe catered an event at the Gibson Guitar showroom. They served pistolettes, which rocked my world. I don't think those cheese and crawfish stuffed pastries will make any "healthiest" lists, but my word they were good. The guys serving were from the cafe, and were laid back and knowledgeable about the food. I thought one guy was the owner, because he took so much pride and time to explain what everything was and how it's cooked. read more

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

I'm starting this off by saying I love Cajun food. I was super excited to try this place out and I brought my gal pal who is from Beaumont so she was excited as well. The servers were sweet and attentive and we were seated immediately. BUT, there we're flies (maybe 4-5 of them) swarming around us. At that point I wanted to walk out but I was desperate to try this place out! It was lunch time so they have great and affordable lunch specials. I got a shrimp po boy and a small gumbo. The gumbo was a joke. It had one thin slice of sausage, a piece of shredded chicken and the rest of it was rice. It lacked flavor and spice, it tasted like a bowl of brown butter. The po boy was better. Some of the shrimp were fried nicely but some of the batter didn't stick. At least the bread was toasted well and the 'Evangeline' sauce tasted good. The portion was just enough. I won't be coming back. I couldn't recommend this place to anyone who has had experience with Cajun food but that's my opinion. I would rate lower but the girls that worked there were super sweet and that helped significantly. read more

There is something particularly cool about the Cajun lifestyle, and it translates directly to their restaurants. These folks are uber laid back (which sounds like an oxymoron, but there you have it). The Evangeline Cafe is a tiny Cajun joint, replete with the usual trappings: mix n' match Louisiana decor, LSU signage, a menu featuring ample parts catfish, Abita beer, dirty rice and a few salad options. Most nights when we've been in it seems like these guys have a usual assortment of zydeco and New Orleans style jazz acts playing, and it gives the room an air of quirky casualness that makes you feel right at home. They always treat us when we saunter in like they've been keeping things warm just in case we showed, and it's not unusual to see some impromptu dancing between the tables. The fare's fair -- not a delicacy, but then it's not supposed to be -- and the beer's always cold. And if that doesn't drop your blood pressure a few points, I don't know what will. Except a return engagement. read more

Food is good, staff is friendly, decor is funky. Evangeline's is in walking distance of my house.

Ordered frog legs, boudain sausage, shrimp and oyster baskets, along with chicken fried steak. Frog legs were cooked to perfection. Batter was amazing and has a little spice. Boudain sausage wasn't that great to me. Lacked flavor and was over stuffed with rice. Fried shrimp was delicious, perfect crunch And flavor. Oysters were soggy, like they been sitting in grease and they lacked flavor. Fries were also soggy and the sweet tea was watered down. My mother-n- law disliked the fried chicken steak and had to send it back. It lacked flavor as well. Overall cool looking restaurant but wont be returning just for frogs legs and fried shrimp read more

*review is for bread pudding only* After picking up a less than stellar looking piece of bread pudding from a near by establishment, I decided to see what Evangeline's had to offer. I'm glad I stopped by because they made their bread pudding fresh and you get a hearty hunk of it! 2 people could share it happily and 4 people could share and be fake happy that that was all they had but they cool wit it. The glaze was good. I'd definitely come back to try their food because it smelled dank af!! read more

Great interior, very fun and funky. The gumbo has a nice, rich, dark roux. Good Abita selection of beer, but limited selection if you want anything else. Abita is fine, though, especially in a Louisiana restaurant. We had red beans and rice with sausage, and jambalaya. Very good, very authentic. I l highly recommend the pecan pistolette for dessert. Kinda like a beignet and a pecan pie had a baby. I really enjoyed my dinner. Service was OK. read more

Great spot for Cajun food and music for us Southies. I have been here a few times and always enjoy my trip to dine. Really small intimate place to go with friends, family, or your gal. They usually have live music during the evenings with a variety of musical influences. Try the shrimp, oyster, crawfish, or catfish Po-Boys all of them are killer. Don't be scared to also try the Etoufee with crawfish and shrimp in a blond roux. I love the Stuffed Pork Chop. It is a bone-in chop with pecan pesto top with brown gravy over rice. Simply Delicious!!!! If you are looking to save some $$$$, check out their lunch specials. Most are around $6.99. Go there love it and thank me!!! ;- ) read more

Evangeline Café - Shrimp Po-Boy... Ummmmmm - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Damn good cajun fare and surprisingly on-brand ambiance. Their Po-Boys are solid with fresh bread and fried-to-perfection catfish, shrimp, or crawfish. Hands-down the best gumbo in Austin (2nd only to Ragin' Cajun in Houston). They have a great po-boy plus gumbo lunch special that is tasty and a great deal. The restaurant is a great dine-in option, with festive decor and live music on most weekdays. The staff is always helpful and friendly. read more

This Texas expat lives in Louisiana. EVERY return visit to Austin demands at least one recharge from the Evangeline Cafe. I'm a big fan of their Chicken Fried Steak. It's a meaty, breaded steak, not some breaded burger patty. The gravy is so good that it transforms the traditional Louisiana side of white rice into something special. I've also tried several of the the fried seafood dishes and they maintained the high standards. Ample portions. Great prices. Tasty food. Love it! read more

The one and only time I ate here I got sick, like, very sick. Will not return as getting food poisoning from the first visit was more than enough. read more

I've had few experiences with Cajun food, but am up to try anything. I tried my first frog legs here, which were interesting and probably cooked right, but had a flavor and texture I couldn't eat. I also tried fried alligator for the first time here - YUM! Not greasy at all and so tender. My go-to meal has become the avocado po-boy. mm mm mm It's a very small place that has live music every night and in the afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays. I've learned that some bands have a large following, which makes seating tricky and the wait long. If you're not up for the wait, I suggest calling ahead for carry-out, a great alternative to enjoy great food. read more

Evangeline Café - Chicken fried alligator - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This place is one of my South Austin go to places. They have the best Cajun food around.

Ordered two shrimp dinners to go. Includes shrimp, garlic bread, fries and salad. Got home and only had shrimp and fries. Called. Said we could come back to pick up salads. 15 minute drive we didn't want to make. No other offer of refund or anything. Very bummed bc I like this place. read more

Food and service was outstanding Everything came out hot and fresh. I am from Louisiana and this was a great down home reminder of the food I love from where I was born. The hole in the walls are the best place to eat and this is one of them. read more

Some of the best Cajun food in Austin! I have been desperately searching for some GOOD Cajun food here in Austin (Pappadeaux is not good Cajun food, so please stop suggesting it!) My friend told me about Evangeline, and based on previous experiences with "Cajun" food I was skeptical. I ordered the gumbo which was pretty good. I like mine a little spicier, but the flavor was good. I also ordered the shrimp po-boy. The shrimp were fried perfectly. The prices were very reasonable. I cannot wait to come back and try some more things on the menu :) read more

I really love this South Austin meets Louisiana neighborhood restaurant with excellent Cajun style menu. Don't miss the Chicken sausage Gumbo. Lots of fried food that's always good, but also excellent seafood dishes! read more

Eaten here monthly for over 20 year. One of the best places in all of Austin. Best service. And great ambiance.

When the pandemic is over, Be sure to get some chowder and a Po'boy inside this kitschy, fun restaurant that has delicious food and understands customer service. read more

Tasty! Plenty of vegetarian options. I had the avocado po'boy. My companion had the hank Williams special-- which he said was really good (not a veggie option!!). We did order the fried pickles, it was more batter than pickle which isn't my preference. Service was good. We came on a Tuesday night and they had live music, which was also pleasant. Overall great experience. We'll definitely return!! read more

I'm a regular at Evangeline Cafe since they opened in 2003. Rob the bartender know me by name is always a great dude. I'm there once a week if not more both for their awesome lunch specials and dinner. The po'boy and gumbo lunch special is my go too and is delicious. That or I order a Von's Salad with fried oysters and a cup of gumbo. Either are equally delicious! Dinner we really enjoy the crawfish etouffe and the crawfish evangeline. They have such a great atmosphere! If you can't handle loud or music then don't go after 6:30 as they have music just about every evening and can get super busy. They also make their own bread in house for the po'boys which is fantastic. All the servers are always very nice and polite. I think I may have had one bad dish in the 15 years I've been and the remedy it the next time by taking care of my entire entree. Curtis the owner is a legend. The food, atmosphere and service is a real cajun treat. This is one of my favorite places in south Austin to eat and is such a little gem that makes south Austin such a great place to live. read more

Great food and friendly staff. Always! Highly recommend for some good Cajun food. The atmosphere is awesome too!

Is a great little hidden gem. If you're into delicious Cajun food, you should definitely check this place out!

Had the best experience today when I walked over with my doberman to order some food to go. Got their lunch special catfish po boy with gumbo. Best cajun food I had in a while. I inhaled the po boy as soon as I took my first bite. It was flavorful and not greasy. I usually don't like gumbo but decided to give this place a try. I'm glad I did. It had the right balance of spice and meat. Everything worked well together. I wish there was more. Service was quick and friendly. They even brought me and Aero (doberman) iced water. read more

My oldest son and I love this place a lot! Their pho is so yummy, portions are nice generous sizes and the atmosphere and service are great

Everything about this place is fantastic. Reminds me of home every time. The food is always on point. Authentic and flavorful. The best.

Called in an order to pick up last Friday at roughly 6:40pm. Ordered chicken strips w/ dirty rice, order of fries, some bread, and an order of veggie gumbo for my wife. The lady says 15-20 minutes and asks what kind of car I'll be in to bring it out. I arrive at about 7:05, and wait until 7:15 to go in and check on my order since no one has come out (I'm parked in front of the entrance). I'm greeted and told my food is coming up and asked to pay. I payed and leave a tip (shouldn't of added a tip). Fast forward 10 minutes of watching orders go out, I'm told again it'll be right out and if I wanted I could go back out to my car and wait. So I go out, wait 10 minutes and still nothing. So I go back in and I'm told that unfortunately dine in orders take priority over call in orders so that's why my orders taking longer than expected (Ookkk). I see the waitress that's been helping going to the order window seemingly arguing with the cook and you can tell they're getting frustrated. She finally brings my food at roughly 7:45ish. Needless to say I was pretty frustrated by then. Anyhow, the food was just ehh (The dipping sauce was great!), and my wife didn't like her gumbo. I mean it's veggie gumbo but honestly it was pretty bland. Food was cold but not sure if that was due to the 15 minute drive home or they gave me cold food. Anyhow that was our experience...maybe you'll have better luck. read more

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They have the most amazingly awesome live music here....i mean if you like the "down on the bayou" type of tunes...which i DO! K...so just a rundown of what we sampled this night... 1. Fried Pickles .......the best i've ever had, by far....with tasty homemade ranch! yum!!! they're pickle chips and they have almost no grease on them...and they're crunchy....ugh, getting hungry... 2. Red beans and rice....it was good, but not "out of this world" ....papadeaux's has really good red beans and rice though so it's hard to judge. 3. we tried the poboys too....the boyfriend got the roast beef...and i got the fried catfish....amazing, yet again....my boyfriend is a sandwich eater and he said that his roast beef poboy was the best he'd ever eaten. .... i am SO glad to know that there's a cool place in south austin not far from my house that plays awesome live music AND has amazingly tasty food! read more

Someone recommended this place and I honestly wish we didn't listen to them. For us, it was a waste of money and time. The servings were small and the food lacked flavor. read more

After passing by this restaurant for so many years, we finally got to try it! February of last year 2012, we decided to give Evangeline Cafe a try! I know this is such a very late review haha! Well, it was packed. I am talking about really long lines on the outside of the restaurant. We went on a Thursday night and it happened to be a night when they host a live band playing inside. (geesh! we didn't know!) We had to wait for an hour to get a table. After a long wait, we were finally seated! Food is good. I ordered a pasta with crawfish and my husband ordered a catfish and crawfish creole over rice. Our appetizers were hot wings and boudin. Everything was good but I didn't get that WOW factor! The prices are kinda high. Our bill was around $45 for 2 people! I gave it a 4 star because our orders came out as we expected. Server was very attentive although she was sooooo busy. Few suggestions, please expand the restaurant! It is so tiny, too crowded and very busy inside and out. Also, if there will be a band playing, make sure that there is enough space around the stage far enough from the dining tables. It sucks to be sited really close to the stage that I can barely hear anything my husband says. It was wayyyy too loud, it can make your eardrums go boom boom! read more

best Cajun food in central Texas. Curtis and his staff are amazing! looking forward to Mardi Gras festivities

I'm a big fan of good Cajun food and hole in the wall joints and this place is a perfect combination of those two things. Stepping into the restaurant you feel like you just left Austin behind and entered a restaurant in the bayou. The decor is fantastic. Our server was very prompt with our orders and, although she wasn't the most personable server, she did a great job of making sure we were taken care of. The food was first rate. Perfect amount of spice without being overpowering. The gator bites were cooked very well and tasted fresh. For our entrees, I got the soft shell crab poboy and my wife got the etouffe. Both were delicious and well prepared. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone needing a good Cajun fix. We live in North Austin but won't hesitate on making the drive many more times. read more

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

This place has excellent boudin, is all I can say. I'm surprised they don't have beignets, as authentic a restaurant they sell themselves as, but for sure you can get great boudin here! read more

We tried the po'boys and got them to go. They were so good. Can't wait to eat in person here in the future!

Want authentic Cajun Cuisine? Delicious dishes, bar type atmosphere and live music! Looking forward to grabbing some gumbo this winter!