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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

Sometimes you should just open a franchise. Don't steal the concept, go inside and talk to the owners and tell them you want to open their restaurant in another city for a one time fee or 5% in royalties. I lived in New Orleans for three years and I promise you this place under-delivers. I got the catfish po'boy and a cup of gumbo. The gumbo was so bland that the only spice I could taste was the salt of my tears. Can I get some catfish with this batter? God, the bread sucked too. I hate to be a buzz-kill but f''n A... Have you ever seen somebody really try so hard that you can't help but pull for them? Well, enter the second star. God bless you Evangeline, but get a new french bread vendor... and we both know that catfish came from China. Did it not? read more

Full disclosure: I don't know anything about Cajun food. When I went to New Orleans I stuck to the fresh fish component of the cuisine and steered mostly clear of anything fried (I said mostly - see review for Cafe Du Monde). But I really wanted to try this joint and, after perusing the menu online, felt brave enough to order something healthy-ish. We started with the gator bites and they were fine. As I was eating them I thought man, to be a 14 year old football player again so I could eat this all with impunity. Anyway. I ordered the grilled catfish dinner and it was a decent amount of fish. The fillets were quite flat and (my stomach communicated quickly) very buttery and/or oily. The dirty rice was fine. The side salad was a nice departure from everything else that could happen to your intestines. My honey thought his was okay, too. We agreed returning soon was probably not a priority. There's no way around it: you're gonna eat something unhealthy. Don't trick yourself thinking "it's fish! that's healthy." You'd be wrong. Appetizers: fried. Entrees: largely fried. Non-fried entrees: covered in butter. It's decadent. It's tasty. It's pricey. A dinner for two with an appetizer and two total bottles of beer (none on draft) was up around $50 without tip. While it was just fine, I didn't have that price range in mind when I pulled into this strip mall and got my good in a basket. Don't get me wrong: some of Austin's best Thai, sushi and Mexican is in a strip mall and I'm happy to pay the price. But for this cuisine, my stomach has dared me to do it again. Just try it one more time and see what happens (in a menacing Latino parent way). read more

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

If not for Yelp I would have never known I live just around the corner from this place (actually 2 corners). Since, I can walk to this place in less than 10 minutes I actually wish it were farther away so I could walk off more of the calories I consume here. As soon as I entered I knew it was love at first site/bite. I love the dive atmosphere (neon beer signs and Mardi Gras beads and posters) and the smell oh the smell. My first bite here was the Fried Oysters Contraband. There are no words to express how delicious they are. It took all my self control not to march into the kitchen and ask the cook to marry me. I don't even want to imagine how I would embarrass myself if I combined this appetizer with alcohol. I am no Cajun expert, heck I don't even know if that is the proper term for the food here. All I know is I am in love with the food and maybe the cook. The Seafood Gumbo is mind blowing and the fried shrimp and oysters are my new favorites in town. I was pretty impressed to see "Veggie Gumbo" and several other Vegetarian options on the menu. read more

My mental list of places where it would be extraordinarily difficult to keep up my vegetarian ways has always included Louisiana. Not because I'd be tempted by the mud bugs, possum kabobs and gator steaks, or whatever it is they eat there, but because I just don't see there being many vegetarian options available. Well, I've heard that Evangeline might not be tops for authenticity, but I'm no expert, and frankly that sort of thing doesn't matter much to me if it means there's something I can eat! My avocado po' boy was deliciously indulgent, especially with a side of excellent fries. I don't know what comes on a typical po' boy, but this one was loaded down with vegetables (including that crazy fried avocado), cheese and their trademark Evangeline sauce. Lunch prices (I believe it's $6.50 for a po' boy combo) aren't half-bad, either, for an enormous meal. I could do without the Louisiana homage-kitsch, but if that's your thing, they've got it in spades. And I'll admit, it does give it a memorably unusual atmosphere for an Austin strip-mall joint. read more

Ok, I'm a bit ticked off. Yep, the food is still good, but the attitude around the music nights stinks! So, we stop in after a Strange Brew concert last Friday, and order dinner. We finish our entrees just as the band for the night gets set up. One of the gals (been there a long time-way less than friendly) hits us up for $7 each "if" we want to stay for the music. We just spent $75 on wine, appetizer and 2 dinner plates--we're seriously discussing bread pudding, but you demand a fee for the band? Never mind the lost bread pudding sale, continued wine consumption, and great tip for the band, run us off over $14. My loyalty ended this weekend. His mama would be ashamed of his bad manners. read more

How is it possible that in a foodie city such as Austin, 3 hours from the Gulf and 5 hours from Louisiana, that there are virtually no Cajun restaurants? All praise The Evangeline. Dey done foun' some okra, crawfish an' dat hot sauce! What they lack in decor they make up for in great service and food. Every gumbo fan should try one of their incarnations. So far, my personal fav is the veggie gumbo because the okra and tomatoes really complement the roux. They serve the biggest, meatiest frog legs I've ever had. Sandwiches are very nice, and the pistolettes (dem's rolls to dem dat don't know) are flavorful. The entertainment is generally...well...entertaining, and Lousiana-themed. My only negative is that it's very loud when it's busy, and the tables are so close (because the space is so small) that it's difficult to carry on even a semblance of a conversation, unless you're willing to shout and share it with the 4 tables closest to you. But, it's uber-casual and priced accordingly. Now where's my button accordion? read more

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