Local friends took us here and we were very impressed. Great service, large menu, awesome atmosphere, delicious food and a good size portion. Prices are decent. We had a few Abita beers ($5 each), shared the praline desert (a must, delicious), I had the Hank Williams trio (I probably wouldn't get that again or recommend the jambalaya-very bland and nothing more than rice). Boyfriend had the fish and rice, he loved it. Great live music! read more

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OMGGGGG! Amazing amazing and psh amazing. My sister showed me this little hidden Jewel today and it was my best meal yet here in Texas ! From the gator bites to the po'boy (shrimp) it was great from the beginning to the end ! The owner came and said hi and the staff was sweet and very attentive ! You guys gotta try it ! read more

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

Small place, fills quickly so try to come at an off peak time or expect a wait. Great Cajun style food! Won't disappoint!

Austin Music School gives this restaurant three thumbs up, look it up if you want some awesome red beans and rice. Evangeline café has incredible food and live music!! A hidden gem in Austin. read more

Best cajun in Austin! I lean more favorably towards the appetizers because they are hard to find items done exceedingly well here. Don't get me wrong though, the entrees don't disappoint at all! Frog legs! Big, tender, lightly fried and so tasty! Frog legs don't get much better than these unless you go gig 'em and prepare them yourself! Then there are the alligator bites! The size varies from about 1/2-1"...just right to me...and they are lightly battered and fried to perfection. They are oh so tender too. Not tough or rubbery as found in many Cajun restaurants that don't do it so well. The fried crawfish tails is another favorite of mine. Again light breaking and lightly friend so you can taste the crawfish. All of these apps come with dipping sauces that are equally delicious and compliment the meat, not cover it up, as these are all delicate flavors. Of the entrees, my favorites are the crawfish etoufee and jambalaya. Oh and you can order the fish prepared any way you like it and has always been fresh and tasty! If you sincerely like Cajun, this is your Austin place!! read more

I've been having this place bookmarked for over a year, and finally got to experience it. I'm not going to lie, I ordered 60$ worth of food every single bit of it was delicious. Fried pickles, pistolettes, shrimp basket, boudin, stuffed drum....it was all delicious. I will be coming back!!!! Thanks for the friendly service and fresh food. read more

Evangeline Cafe is my #1 go to restaurant in Austin. Best food and best service anywhere on the planet!

I thought this restaurant was pretty good... It always seems to be a little busy at lunch so I gave it a try and was not disappointed... I thought the menu to be a little bit pricey, but other than that it was a pretty good experience as far as cajun food is concerned read more

Great restaurant! My boyfriend found this spot when he worked nearby. He's not in the area anymore but remembers the boudin fondly. The boyfriend called the restaurant a hole in the wall but I disagree. I found the ambiance charming and cozy. There are interesting knickknacks scattered around the room and a wall full of celebrity/musicians portraits. They've got the right amount of tables for a small dining room. Not too many so you feel like a sardine but close enough to ask your neighbor about that delicious looking entree they ordered. The menu is extensive enough to accommodate one wheat-free diet, one dairy-free diet and one 17 y.o. that dislikes Cajun/creole food. The teenager loved his chicken fried steak and discovered he really enjoys cream gravy on rice. The boyfriend finally got the boudin he's been craving for 3 months. And I discovered a wonderful scratch-made vinaigrette and perfectly fried shrimp. The servers were very friendly and definitely customer service driven. I will take Evangeline over Pappadeaux ANY day. We had a great evening and can't wait to come back! read more

If you want slap yo momma good Cajun food, this is the place. Also features live music and LA imported beers.

Well it's been eight years since I last visited and reviewed Evangeline. I must say I had a much better time this go-round. I didn't order the same dish I found a bit wanting last time (muffuletta) , but I did enjoy a very nice stuffed drum dish, which was particularly well-executed for such a modest price point (under $20). I really relished the vibe and atmosphere this time around. I grew up on the TX/LA border, at roughly the center point between Austin and New Orleans, and Evangeline hit all the right notes for me this time. Bonus points for seeming to honor the fuzzy differences between Cajun and Creole dishes. The place was packed (with Redd Volkaert onstage) and service didn't miss a beat. Big thumbs up! read more

They do everything great. It doesn't matter if it's the burger or the wings or any of their Louisiana fare, attention to detail is what sets this restaurant apart. I'll be coming back very soon. read more

Best Cajun food in town. My favorites are the boudin and shrimp etouffee. Love the community feel as well.

Amazing food and down home atmosphere! Don't let the exterior, office building look of the outside, fool you. This place is great!

Called in a to go order. Fried pickles, Cesar salad with fried oysters and pasta Evangeline. With tip it can't out to around $35. I was really excited because I've wanted to get this place forever and everyone raves about how good and authentic it is. Picking up was quick amd easy. I live about 15 minutes away so it ultra convenient for me. After getting everything home my first impression was amazement at how much you get in an order of fried pickles! Then I opened the containers for the salad and pasta and was a bit less impressed. Not as much and both looked a bit dry. The salad could have used more dressing and the pasta could have used more sauce. I think the fact that they dressed the salad instead of having the dressing on the side made the salad a bit wilty by the time I picked it up and got it home. It also made the fried oysters soggy. The pasta had the sauce on top so all the noodles were dry. I had to warm everything up in the microwave because it was all cold. That helped a bit to coat the pasta in the sauce but it just wasn't enough sauce so the pasta was still dry. having to nuke the oysters and fried pickles didn't do anything for their already soggy breading. Disappointing considering the flavors in everything were so delicious. I would say dine in. I'm certain the quality would be much more up to par if there's no lag time getting it home. I'll eat here again but it will DEFINITELY be dine in next time. read more

They put they foot, they mama's foot, they grandmas foot, and they great grandmas foot ALLLLLL in it. My GODS I haven't had Creole this good since my grandma passed away when I was 9. The absolute best. read more

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After all the great reviews, we were looking forward to a tasty meal. As a native Louisianian, I certainly miss food from my home state. Perhaps it was just an off night? Our side of potato salad tasted straight out of Sysco-bland and chemical tasting. Both salads had "standard issue" croutons and slightly limp greens. I did enjoy the creole honey mustard dressing. Our catfish filets were grilled and seasoned up nicely served over a bed of white rice-cooked to a fluffy consistency-a positive point. The seafood gumbo was mainly rice and the roux tasted as though it had been burned. Sorry guys, this batch of gumbo should not have been served. The ice tea was also watery. *I really wanted to like this place. Maybe we just ordered the wrong thing. Sigh. read more

Cajun staple in Austin. Can't find a better place to go when crawfish season is going on. This place has the feel and taste of some of the Bayou Coast's best. If you want Cajun in Austin no place is better. They also have Zydeco and live music. Hands down the place to go! read more

Excellent Cajun food. Best in Austin! Great atmosphere and service. Owner is also friendly and a good conversationalist. Take out is easy too. read more

I'm from New Orleans, and the gumbo here tastes exactly like what my parents make back home. The whole atmosphere feels cozy, comfortable, and makes me feel right at home. It even somehow smells like New Orleans. Big fan!! read more

Nice place for drinks and snacks with live music sometime, maybe not now with covid. Anyway is a good place to eat Cajun food

Best cajun in south Austin. The lunch deals are hard to beat. Really strong Po' Boys, great gumbo, and the burger is really good as well! Abita brews and root beer as well! The wait staff is courteous and they have live music all the time! Pro Tip: Get the evangeline sauce AND the jalapeño mayo on your po-boy. Great to dip the fries in as well. I recommend Evangeline all the time. its a 10/10 read more

Wonderful customer service, delicious food all in appropriate portions for lunch. Will be back for sure!

Great food. Had the stuffed crab and it's my favorite now. Love the environment and casual feel. Had Nicole as our server and she is great. My daughter enjoyed her gumbo and she knows gumbo as her grandpa is from Louisiana. We know Cajun and this is is the best Cajun food in all of Austin!!! read more

I've written two reviews my whole life one good this is my first bad one. I really wanted gumbo today so googled best gumbo in Austin. Evangeline popped up so I placed a to go order for seafood gumbo which was $16.99 and came out to $18.61. Pretty absurd to pay almost $20 for the weakest, worst gumbo I've ever had. read more

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

Really enjoyed it. Lots of cool memorabilia, the food was really good with a big selection, band playing, people were nice. Definitely want to come back and try some other things. I was thinking "this place is so Austin" but really it's so New Orleans! read more

So when I go to a restaurant I prepare myself to either have good food and mediocre service or visa versa. However, this experience was amazing from the food to the southern hospitality. Simply amazed. read more

This place is fantastic!! I was really craving some good Cajun food so we stopped by here and were pleasantly surprised! The gumbo was on point, and the jambalaya was good, though a little dry. I got the fried seafood platter but I didn't feel like I got enough considering how expensive it was. The staff were super friendly though, despite how busy it was. I'll definitely be back though...I'll just get something else that's more filling. read more

Best Cajun café ever. Now that my daughter has graduated UT, I will be driving up just for lunch. A true gem I never want to lose. JM read more

My husband took me here before we were married on one of our first dates. Had the oyster po boy and fell in love! With the sandwich...then my hubby. So flavorful! read more

In town on business and decided to stop on based on Yelp reviews. They were dead on. This was a great find. It is located in a strip mall and may not look like much from the outside. Don't let looks fool you. The boudin was outstanding! Chicken and sausage gumbo, etoufee, all exceptional. Service was first rate and the cost is very reasonable. Highly recommend. read more

My favorite cajun restaurant in Austin. Every visit feels like I'm entering a boisterous small town diner. Live music every night. Waitresses and patrons who seem to know one another. Tables crammed into every nook and cranny. And the food is absolutely delicious. Start with the pistolettes, these crispy and fluffy bread rolls. Then, on to some of my favorites: crawfish maque choux, étouffée, and both alligator dishes. Yes, they have alligator, and here was where I learned to love it. read more

Best place for creole cooking outside of New Orleans that I've had. Love how it's so close to my home. The inside totally reminds me of a small spot in New Orleans, kinda cramped with live music. Your almost forced to get to know a stranger which makes the experience awesome. read more

I was invited to dine with the Yelp Power Couple at Evangeline last night. The Barack and Michelle Obama of Austin Yelp, Kevin & Allison N.. (Also with 2 of their cabinet members, who will remain nameless here) What did I do to deserve the royal treatment? I dunno. Must be all that clean livin'. The restaurant: Quite busy for a Monday night. There was good live music already happening at 7pm. (Charles Thibodeaux) Very lively and fun atmosphere. The decor is haphazard and funky, like the images their claim of being "Old Austin" would conjure in your mind. Old beer signs and random stuff tacked to the walls, with some Mardi Gras colors thrown in for good measure. The service: Our waiter was friendly and after we ordered, the food arrived quickly. Kevin had a condiment problem with his meal, but it was quickly rectified to the best of my knowledge. The only misstep I witnessed was how long it took to get a to-go container for one at our table, the Ambassador to After-Partya. The food: It was recommended by the Secretary of the Air Force that I get what he thought was the bomb-diggity. One of their specialties called "Speedy's Catfish with Maque-Choux" (pronounced Mock Shoo). It was indeed delicious, and once I started eating it, I could not stop shoveling the tasty goodness into my mouth. I also sampled the Ambassador's "Alligator Stew", which was just as tasty... Allison testified to the quality of the Red Beans and Rice, as Kevin showed us all his Cajun street cred by getting a.. uh.... burger. As we digested and worked out the bill, I watched the dancing of two couples in the aisle between the band and the tables. This woman had moves I've never seen before.. A funky twirling waltz, mixed with Latin hip gyrations, mixed with the bobbing neck movements of a male Green Anole lizard defending his territory.. Quite intriguing. I guess that's how they do it in Louisiana. Or at least Far South Austin. read more

"Hey there, Cutiepies!" This is how we were greeted at Evangeline. I just want to give this place a big ol' hug. 5 stars. Okay, maybe I am being a bit rash. But I have now eaten there enough times to give this place an accurate rave review. I'm no expert on Cajun food, you'll have to refer to Tobi D or Angela R for that, but every experience I have had here, has been completely fun! I was a bit cranky last night from working 12 hours in a row, so we stopped in for a quick bite and a beer, and I have to tell you, that this place just makes me happy. I left there with the biggest smile on my face. Note: Only go when there is a band playing. It changes the whole vibe. It's like having dinner at a friends house. Yes, it is a bit cramped, but its so much fun! I think the Monday night band, my be my favorite so far. The last time, I came here, there were couples dancing in the limited floor space and having a great time. There is a lot of life packed into the tiny strip mall spot. And I can't tell you how happy it makes me that I can walk there from my house. As far as food, I can recommend the Cesar salad with grilled shrimp. The flavoring on the grilled shrimp has got just the right amount of kick. The shrimp po-boy is delicious and my dining companion, who was thrilled to see the Astros game on their tv, said he didn't even have to ask for his catfish extra crispy. It came out perfect! read more

I was asked to meet some friends for dinner at Evangeline Café. Upon arrival, it was not lost on me that they share a strip mall with a pizza chain, a pet hospital and an acupuncture place. However, at 7:30 on a Tuesday night, the parking lot was packed and there was already a wait to be seated. Luckily for me, my friends were already inside and seated. There were as many 2-top tables out front as they could cram on the sidewalk, all buzzing with people eating dinner, some with their dogs under the table. Inside, it was wall-to-wall tables randomly placed to eat up every inch of dining space they could. It was hard to maneuver between tables because they were so close together. The walls were jam packed with Louisiana kitsch: beer signs, street signs, hats, photographs, random artwork, and lodge wall dust collectors: mounted catfish and game animals with Mardi Gras beads hanging from various places. There was live music playing in this small space which was nice, but made it difficult to carry on a conversation unless you were good at reading lips. For the record, Cajun food is not on my short list of places I would select for dining. Nevertheless, I am always up for an adventure. Upon arrival, I sampled the Boudin which was not to my liking, although my friends quite enjoyed it. I was torn between ordering the Oysters Contraband and a cup of chicken and sausage gumbo or the Peacemaker Po-Boy with fried oysters, cheddar and bacon. After discussing with the waitress who said those were her two favorite oyster dishes, I settled on the Oysters Contraband and gumbo. The Oysters Contraband arrived on a plate of six home made potato chips topped with fried oysters and a spicy sausage remoulade sauce that hat the thickness and look of a good pimento cheese. They were delicious and decadent. The kind of decadent you feel guilt for even wanting to eat them all, so I shared one of them with a taker at the table. There was a nice after heat that did not overwhelm. The gumbo on the other hand tasted like ash. There was no okra. The vegetables, chicken and sausage in the base were unfortunately overpowered by a burned taste. This made me sad, because I do love a good gumbo and this was not it. I did however sample some other menu items from the southern deep fried food group. The fried pickles were thin, dilly and delicious. The basket is more than a couple of people can eat, so tread carefully. I also sampled the very paper thin onion rings. They were more like shoe laces and crispy and sweet and melt in your mouth heaven. At the end of the meal, because we had a birthday at the table, a choice of bread pudding or pecan praline pistolette (praline wrapped in dough and fried) was offered to our birthday boy. He selected the bread pudding and shared. Evil and delicious is the only way I can describe. It had a caramel and pecan sauce on the plate and it was just moist and dense enough with a slight crunch on the outer portion to make me not just have one bite. Damn it! Our server was friendly but not as attentive as she could be. I asked for a wedge of lemon three times, and it never arrived. In her defense, this place was packed and they seemed to be a bit short handed. She did remove the gumbo from the bill without asking, which seems simple, but does not always happen at other places. The verdict for me, Evangeline Café definitely has something going on, evidenced by the volume of people eating and waiting on a random Tuesday night. While crawfish and deep fried are not my go-to dining, I did enjoy some of the menu items, but the gumbo, which is a staple of the Cajun cuisine, left a burned taste in my mouth. read more

The food here was really good and there's a lot on the menu I want to try so I'll be coming back. It's a really cozy and cool hang out atmosphere, I had the Catfish basket it was definitely tasty, my wife had the avocado po'boy and she destroyed it. The only thing really keeping me from 5 staring this place is that the drink section is kinda small but it's a pretty minor issue when I go back if I have a great experience again I'll probably just edit this to 5 stars cause the place is just that good. read more

I'm a New Orleans boy and I know my cajun foods. I'll keep this short and sweet and say that the service was friendly and cool, the vibe was similar to that that you'd find on I-10 in Louisiana's finest. The Speedy's Catfish with Catfish Macque Choux was delicious as were the fried pickles and the authentic red beans and rice with sausage I think the highlight was my friend's onion rings. Seasoned with crack and love. read more

Evangeline Cafe has some damn good food -- it's too bad that it's 1 million miles away from my house or else I might be here more often. Both times I've come here the service has been spot on, the food is piping hot and straight from Louisiana, the beer is cold and the musics hot. Maybbbbbe a little too hot. For that small space, the music tends to be way too loud for conversation. Just know that going in and you'll be fine. It doesn't start until about 10p so you're good before that if you're looking for down home cooking and some convo. Definitely a south Austin gem and something you should make the drive for. read more

We enjoyed everything about this place except our entrées. My jambalaya was dry and bland, and dousing it with hot sauce made it wet and bland. Her crawfish etoufee was so heavy-handed with cayenne that her taste buds desensitized within five minutes. My dinner buddy, who paid her Cajun dues at Tulane and is serious about roux, wondered aloud if anyone in the kitchen had actually eaten in New Orleans. Both of us thought the appetizer cup of red beans and rice was good. So why is it A-OK? Because this is one fun place to be. At 7:00pm on a Tuesday it was packed--a diverse and happy crowd, a toe-tapping ear-splitting band, and a really hard-working and friendly staff. If I had started tossing genuine glass beads over the crowd, no one would have blinked an eye. Unless they got poked in one. Maybe the trick here is to stick with fried foods, red beans & rice, and just enjoy the show. Which is what I'll do the next time. A mini wedge of Mardi Gras pie in an Austin strip mall. Lagniappe in the 'burbs. Cool. read more