Oyster po-boy is amazing, haven't had a meal we didn't like. Good entertainment also.

I am a Cajun from outside Lafayette, Louisiana who lives in Austin and this restaurant does Cajun food right. The seafood gumbo is dark and on point. Numerous Abita beer options. This is as close to authentic as you will get outside of my mom's house. :-) Highly recommend!! read more

Still sitting here in the restaurant, and I have the biggest food baby! We came on a Saturday. Lace was nice and quiet. We started off with the gator bites. Amazing! Highly recommend! They were full of flavor and had a nice kick to them. Fiancé and I split two regular size poboys and fries. We had the shrimp and crawfish, both fried. All of it was plenty of food. Definitely order with their special sauce! If I come again, I would ask for more on the side. We were so happy and wanted more that we ordered desert! I don't remember what is called but it resembled a benign. It was amazing!! I would recommend coming here. I plan on going again. read more

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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

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

Amazing authentic and affordable. True Cajun in the heart of Austin... cant go wrong. Local fave

It's gonna "be a no from me dawg" Overpriced food. Not as Cajun as you would think it is. Reminds me of the parts of New Orleans tourist don't want to eat at. Everything else is ok though. Live music. read more

Yumminess always! We love the crawfish. The takeout is still as good as sitting inside. We've been doing takeout due to COVID

This is where I take my mom whenever she's in town, for authentic NOLA food. It's become a tradition the whole family looks forward to. They make great frog's legs and crawfish etouffee - can't say enough about those, and I lived in New Orleans, so I'm not tossing around high praise without merit! The po'boys are worth mentioning, too, especially the fried shrimp. Anyone can put together a sandwich but when you've had a really good po'boy, you just know. There is nothing quite like it. I have good things to say about the gumbo and jambalaya, too, but it's always going to be etouffee for me. One last note of praise: once, I ended up ordering 4 glasses of red wine through the meal and they just charged me for the bottle instead, without even asking. Of course, it comes out cheaper that way, so it was a small detail I appreciated. read more

Best gumbo outside of Lake Charles. I eat here every time I'm in Austin. Authentic Cajun food at a fair price with excellent service.

Food was really good. Glad I went back again. The wait time for my to go order was great. Everything I ordered was perfect.

Love this place. Lunch menu is great, large portions at excellent prices. The chicken fried steak is awesome and the cat fish is tasty too. Onions rings are light and crispy. For 2 ppl the tab was around 20.00, great deal for great food. Plus they have live music. read more

This is one of Austin's best restaurants of ALL TIME! Oysters contraband is one of the most delicious appetizers around. Nothing on this menu is bad - it truly is all delicious! Lunch po' boys and entire lunch menu is awesome and affordable. Entree meals like gumbo (even veggie gumbo) are generous portions that leave you more than satisfied. I love that they serve Purple Haze beer here on the regular. No other place in Austin that does Cajun-Creole food makes you feel like you're in NOLA like this place does. It's one of my top, all-time favorite places ever. The owner and staff are always genuinely friendly and eager to converse with patrons. The decor is amazing and makes you want to go to Louisiana immediately. We love Evangeline's! read more

The seafood gumbo is flavorful and the perfect fall / winter dish after a tough day at work. Love that the staff is majority women. Also so comfortable and chill vibe inside , like you are eating at your local pub. read more

Two stars because the service was lovely but the food fell short and we found a cockroach crawling around our table! We told the waitress about it and she apologized and blamed the cleaners next door. My family and I found the food to be bland - they implied a lot of spices and seasoning but it looked like just a lot of cayenne pepper for coloration. The roach was just the nail in the coffin, we won't be back unfortunately. read more

Fish had no taste!! Also menu say will have toasted bread--not (again!). You would think if you order fish and shrimp they would give you tartar sauce and ketchup--no again....they did ask ask if needed utensils and napkins. Will not return!! Food use to be great??? Sadness read more

We have dined at Evangeline Cafe several times and it is becoming one of our favs in South Austin. It's always busy and there's live music on the weekends. The service is top notch and the food is always hot and satisfying. I try something different every time I go and I have not been disappointed once. So, try anything and I'm sure you'll love it! After a trip to NOLA for the first time, coming back to eat at Evangeline I believe it definitely has some Louisiana roots cooking in that kitchen. If you haven't tried Abita beer already, Evangeline has a good selection of different beers to choose from. read more

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Sat down, atmosphere is great, very clean restaurant. Waitstaff was very attentive. The food left a lot to be desired though. We ordered a seafood gumbo and alligator sauce piquante. After about 5 minutes we were told the kitchen was out of white rice (a Cajun/Creole restaurant being out of white rice is basically a hate crime, so there's that) and that they could just put dirty rice in the dishes instead (sacrilege, so there's that as well). When the waitress brought our food she told us that they found some white rice to put in the piquante. I was thrilled at first but when I took the first bite I realized they put day old rice from the fridge into it. It was hard and crunchy and basically made what would've been a really good piquante inedible. The seafood gumbo also had a burnt taste to the roux. The fried items other tables were getting looked very nice though read more

A sassy little Cajun spot in south Austin w live music and a GREAT pecan dessert thingy. Music is sometimes inconvenient as the place isn't huge (so loud) and people will camp out at tables to listen (longer wait). Been numerous times and service/food are consistent. read more

My favorite go to in Austin. Get the stuffed pork chop. It's the best. Also, their stewed tomatoes n okra are the bomb! Love them!!

Wonderful food. Reliably delicious in a comfortable atmosphere. Love their house made chips.

Beware of rodents on the loose in the dining area!!! First, I must say I loved Evangeline Cafe. It was the first place I'd eat at when I'd return to Austin and the last place I'd eat at when I would leave. And I always ordered their chicken fried alligator, which was to die for! Last time I visited Austin over the July 4th holiday, they were closed that Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Since I was leaving on Wednesday, I dropped by with my wife to have the chicken fried alligator I've been craving since I last left Austin in 2015. and had been bragging on Evangeline Cafe ever since I met her after moving to Colorado in 2015. I placed my order, and my chicken fried alligator was served. It was a bit tougher than I remembered with a different taste but I'd heard from a few of my friends in Austin the place has been taking a downward slide so I wasn't surprised my alligator wasn't as good as I remembered, but I was disappointed. When we got the bill I saw they had billed be for a regular chicken fried steak. I wasn't eating alligator at all! When I pointed this out to the waitress she admitted I'd ordered the alligator and offered to give me one to go. Not being interested in eating a left-over chicken fried alligator steak, I declined and she told me she would take it off my bill. Just after she turned away and began to walk off, a huge rodent, either a small rat or a very large mouse, came scurrying out from under the bandstand, thru some tables, and after I stood up and yelled "There's a rat!", it scampered under the feet of an elderly woman sitting in the corner. The waitress probably thought I was just trying to cause a scene until the elderly lady stomped her feet and it ran back out and began to scurry along under the chairs of the other diners, who were exclaiming "There he is!", and "He's under your again now" when it ran back to the elderly lady. By that time the waitress had grabbed a broom and a dust pan and was trying to catch it but gave up when it ran back under the band stand. The waitress ended up charging me $6 for our meal (how she came up with $6 I have no idea). My wife will NEVER return there and I don't blame her. We both have worked in the food industry and know where there is one rodent, there have to be more. I never did get my chicken fried alligator and I have no idea where there's another restaurant who serves it as I'm sad to say I'm not going back to the Evangeline Cafe read more

My husband and I found ourselves with the difficult decision of where to go for dinner. After driving around a bit my husband shouted, "Lets go to Evangelines". He quickly turned the car around and we drive toward Brodie Lane, just a few blocks from the house. There's actually no reason to drive far for a scrumptious dinner. We were seated rather quickly which I can't say happened for the couples that arrived after us. We knew exactly what we both wanted and soon after our plates were served. The catfish and shrimp were decadent and my portion of Dirty Rice would make any true Cajun proud. Dinner only could have been better if we could have stayed longer to listen to the band that was setting up to play. Oh Evangeline how we missed you. read more

Evangeline Café - Seafood Platter with catfish and shrimp coated in corn meal with dirty rice. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Little gem tucked into a shopping strip. This place serves up some tasty Cajun food for sure, as good as any I've had in Louisiana. I always go there for my po-boy fix whenever I've got a craving for it--best po-boys in Austin, hands down. My kids love splitting the red beans and rice. There's also a small stage wedged into a corner that has some live music acts on certain nights of the week. Place gets packed at lunchtime and at peak dinner hour, and also they're closed on Sundays so plan accordingly. read more

Really fun atmosphere! Service was still good even on a crowded Friday night. Love that the kids meals have choices like shrimp and crawfish! Report card: -Jambalaya- A, just right about of spice -Catfish- A, for sure, mild flavor -Chicken fried steak-B, gravy was tasty, steak a little chewy. -Kids corn dog(cause my kids are boring and didn't want the crawfish!) A, because you can change out fries for dirty rice! read more

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

I was so disappointed today. It was a rare cold day in Austin, and I was craving their delicious chicken and sausage gumbo, so I come in for a bowl and they're all sold out. Seems others had the same idea :) Ok, well the server suggested I try their veggie gumbo, so what the heck, I was already there. Worst mistake ever!! Guys, the broth was as thin as Lipton soup, there was no roux base. There were no veggies...not a piece of okra in sight. It was a spicy water thrown over rice and called 'veggie Gumbo! Oh my grandpa would roll over in his grave to think this is served as 'cajun food'. It's a sad day indeed when a place called Evangeline, representing SW Louisiana (based on the real little town smack dad between Jennings and Hathaway) manages to kill a gumbo. RIP little gumbo bowl. read more

This place was recently recommended to me so I had to come check it out. I'm glad I did as I had a wonderful meal and experienced exceptional service. The Chicken and Sausage Gumbo was one of the best I have ever had and the Shrimp Po-Boy, with their own signature house sauce, was equally enjoyable. To finish off my meal I was talked into getting a Pecan Praline for desertIf and my goodness this thing was a taste of heaven! I only planned on eating half, but with my sweet tooth - I ate the whole thing; I just could not put the fork down. I should have deducted them a star rating for this. If you have a taste for some good creole and you are nearby you need to check this little place out. read more

Arrived about 1120ish on a weekday - seated promptly. Devin was our waitress - she was polite and efficient. Kept drinks refilled and did a great job. Ordered the fried pickles with homemade ranch which are by far my favorite of all the places I've tried fried pickles. Batter was light and not overly greasy, ranch had a rich flavor. Hubby ordered the seafood gumbo and I ordered the crawfish etouffee - both were wonderful. Food came out promptly. We definitely plan on coming back so we can try out some of the other menu options. read more

There aren't many cajun places is town so it is fun to stop by for a special occasion or when you have friends in town. Nothing out of this world but a great change up place and been around forever read more

You know I've always wanted to go to Evangeline Café. I ended up going on Mardi Gras which was awesome. It took awhile to get a table just because it was Mardi Gras. Everything in the menu looked good. I ended up getting the house favorite, Crawfish Evangeline, which was a creamy sauce with crawfish and parmesean cheese mixed in. It was good. Then me and my friend shared Pecan Prailine Pistollette which was really good. Very sticky. I would love to come back for gator since I never had gator. read more

Amazing food. We sat outside and food service staff was great and very attentive. Food: fantastic. Great gumbo, catfish, chicken fried chicken. I'd recommend all of it. read more

This place is the best Cajun place I have eaten in Texas so far!! From the atmosphere to the food, everything was great. The onion rings were skinny, gumbo was dark roux, good jambalaya and best of all the crawfish pistolette. read more

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

Wow! That crawfish etufe is really good, unfortunately, not enough bread or rice to mitigate the spicy heat. The jury's still out. I honestly couldn't rate it. Too hot to handle. The fried catfish is crispy but tasteless. The red sauce would clear your sinuses any time. Gosh, the sauce makes up for the bland fried catfish. I haven't tried my bread pudding on the account that I've had to get a second beer to extinguish the fire on my gut. The place is nice, and it comes alive at night, so I been told. Prices are fair. I will be back. Next time I'll ask the server for some guidance. read more

I really wanted to make this a 3.5 star review but will go with 4 based on past experience. Tried to make a call-in order last night at 7:30 pm and was told that the restaurant was closed and would be closed for the next 9 days. No explanation. What restaurant is closed on a Saturday night? We've been coming to Evangeline's for years and absolutely love it, but have noticed a decline since the tall guy, Rob, left as manager. All new staff, who don't seem to have the same level of customer service. The last two times we were there (and one was with two friends of ours who had never been there before), our food was lukewarm and our friends were not impressed. I know Covid has taken a toll on restaurants and I hope Evangeline can get back to form. I really wish Rob was back as well! read more

Yum yum yum I love their vegetarian gumbo. We go from time to time when we feel like some cajun food. Good food. Good service. When we time it right, also a live band. Last time we went pre-covid I accidentally ate some sausage in my vegetarian gumbo eek! But it was a mistake and the owner came over to discuss the issue, found out the problem and told me what had happened. Total mistake, my meal was comped and I'm sure if I insisted I would have gotten more. But they had so much goodwill with me and my party I didn't press the issue and left satisfied that mistakes happened, owner cared, and i would live to see another day. Just a really good restaurant with great food. Atmosphere a little...grungy...but that's part of the charm. read more

One of my favorite places to go in South Austin. Great food, great service, just an all around good people working there and always a good experience. The Lake Charles Burger and the Bread Pudding are my favorites. =) read more

There should be more cajun food in the world. Period. So while I wish we had more options in Austin, I'm incredibly grateful that Evangeline Cafe exists to satisfy the craving! The south-Austin-pride emanating from this restaurant creates a fun ambience and I always look forward to a visit. The food is delicious! read more

Delicious! There's a bit of a wait on Friday night. It's small but cozy and quaint. I had the oysters and they were delicious. We'd definitely visit again. read more

Evangeline Café - Oysters Contraband. Ok but a bit of a weird combination. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

The first time we went to Evangeline's was in 2009 when we moved to the neighborhood. Tucked in a strip mall, I was pleasantly surprised at how well decorated and quaint the restaurant is. Good food, good service and a fun atmosphere. I think the live music is discontinued... too bad... but still a worthy eating spot! read more

I know a cajun named Perry. He once told me to go to Evangeline Cafe and try the food. Along comes my friend Pauly who wants to go hear some live music and her husband is going to be out of town. Where does she want to go, you ask. Evangeline Cafe to hear Brennen Leigh. She goes here all the time so she started us out with some Evangeline chips and sauce. It's thin-sliced home fried potato slices with a special house sauce. A fabulous spin given to the regular table fare. On the top of this menu item were the words "house favorite." I thought I must try that. It was the Crawfish Evangeline. To me it was akin to crawfish ettouffe meets rich, creamy fettuccine alfredo. It truly was delicious. It ran out far to soon. I think any cajun would love it. My dear friend, Pauly, had the fried shrimp. She apparently has it every time she goes and she didn't want me to give her any flack about it. I might have. She also told me a story that she forbid me to share on my blog. We'll see about that. She let me try a bite of her shrimp and the dirty rice. The lightly breaded shrimp were delicious. I thought the dirty rice was the best I have ever had. She says that the sauce is really what makes it all good. Take note. Then we shared some bread pudding. It was yummy with a nice caramel sauce. I have actually only had this one time in my life so my knowledge of it is slim. I thought it was delicious. Light and yet decadent. My favorite part of the evening, besides being with my friend, was the sounds of blue grass in the background. Brennen Leigh leads worship at Austin New Church and she plays the local live music scene. I absolutely loved it. I already want to go back and take my husband. I loved the atmosphere. read more

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