Just GREAT food! Wife had the red beans & rice, I started with a small gumbo then had the Gold Band Creole, butterflied jumbo shrimp in a spicy creole sauce. Topped it off with a couple Abita strawberry beers. Shoot, it doesn't get much better! read more

My boyfriend and I ended up here on a Friday night after the Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter was sold out of tickets for a movie we wanted to see. Boy did we luck out! We were quiet happy to try so where new because we both think the food at the Drafthouse sucks. This place was absolutely DELICIOUS! We definitely decided we would be coming back to try more items on the menu. As soon as you walk up to what looks like a hole in the wall, you can literally smell all the amazing flavors flare up your nostrils. I love all the Louisiana decor and hot sauces too. This is truly a hidden gem in Austin! First off, we ordered two beers. I love that they have a seasonal selection, so we had some Oktoberfests. As an appetizer, we got the Gator Bites that had a Cajun Aioli sauce. Omg they were absolutely amazing. It's a must order! For our entrées, my boyfriend ordered the Seafood Gumbo and I got the Gold Band Creole. Mine was def spicy but great and they butterfly the shrimp. Awesome meals, gumbo isn't really my thing but my bf loved it. Last but not least, we ordered the Breaded Pudding to-go. I almost died in heaven - it was the best combination after having a spicy meal. And I don't even like breaded pudding, it changed my whole perspective! read more

Wonderful Cajun food in southern Austin! The atmosphere is fun, warm, and entirely decorated with all things Louisiana, hobbies, and famous autographs. There's live music in the evenings and the service is nice and attentive. It feels great to be checked out regularly and offered suggestions. I had the appetizer portion of the seafood gumbo as an entree. This was enough to fill me up! There was ample seafood from crab, shrimp, and oysters. I was most excited about the oysters; they were so fresh as if they were just chucked and thrown right into the stew. The gumbo base was so good I boxed up whatever I had left to eat at home. My boyfriend had a po boy sand which. He had the half portion, which was a pretty generous amount (about the length and almost size of the red basket it came in). He inhaled it. He said the bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The portions were right, the sauce made its mark, and the crispness of the fried shrimp was present and not soggy. For dessert, we had something similar to a beignet filled with pecans and a sweet praline sauce (I think that's what it was?). The beignet was crispy outside and doughy in the center. As soon as we split the dessert in two portions, the pecans and the sauce came melting in the center. So delicious! read more

I've been here several times and generally like the place. Cozy casual atmosphere. Good service. As far as Cajun specialities there are some hits and some misses. They have some of the best po boys around. Fresh bread, yummy jalapeño Mayo. I ge the fried oysters and it's scrumptious with a cup of red beans and rice. The stuffed pork chop looks amazing but I haven't tried it. Caesar salad is crisp and dressed nicely. I had the black drum over rice and was not wowed by it. They cut it up in little pieces instead of serving a fillet which seemed strange. The lemon basil sauce was good but not amazing. I was very disappointed in the shrimp etouffe. It looked like greenish goop and had no flavor except some heat. Shrimp were undercooked. I expected more. The pistolettes are simply the best dessert I've ever had. I'll come here for poboys and pistolettes. I'll go the Cypress Grill for my etouffe and fish from now on. read more

If you like cajun food, or even if you don't, you will be happy with almost anything on the menu at this south Austin classic strip mall restaurant and live music venue. I really love this place. Anyway, tonight I had the golden band shrimp and it came out piping hot (you win me over right there Curtis) and crunchy. It's served on a bed of fetuccini with some kind of wonderful sauce and a slice of garlic toast. Just delicious. read more

A wonderfully surprising taste of Louisana cafe in a South Austin strip mall. The food was very delicious and the live music was great! A family friendly restaurant. Highly recommend!! Will be going back again very soon! read more

I was taken here by my future wife's father for dinner, while he was in town, and I don't know why I haven't been back. This place has it all: great food, atmosphere, and service. I had the gumbo and we all shared oysters and fried pickles. I'm a Yankee, so I know nothing about NOLA (except for Tom Brady winning his first Super Bowl there), but I really enjoyed the food. We didn't get to experience the live music, but I'd imagine it's a good time. Overall, I can't wait to go back to this strip mall gem. read more

So disappointed with carry out at this restaurant! My Husband and I eat in all the time, portions are huge and delicious and for the price you pay, you feel completely satisfied with your food. But, I really have to "ding" them on their carry out portions. Ordered grilled catfish basket w/ dirty rice, Gumbo and a stuffed avocado-which should be more than enough to feed 2 people. But, when I got home with my order, there was only 1 small piece of catfish/dirty rice, the Gumbo had approximately 6 pieces of sausage in it, the stuffed avocado was the best thing in our order (and, that is an appetizer!). No joke, it looked like we got someones left-overs after their meal! It was a total rip off! We will definitely never get carry out because it was so disappointing and are considering not giving them anymore of our regular "dine in" business. read more

I am thinking Yelp deleted my review. LOL I could have sworn I had done a review of Evangeline's by now... but either way here we go. *cue dog dragging in a bucket of bud light* Crawfish Etouffe is delicious. It is by far my favorite Cajun dish. And for the city of Austin Evangeline's is the gold standard. The only downside is the portions are huge and I always feel like I have to finish it all which leaves me stuffed and miserable for the rest of the night. I also like their broad selection of hot sauces which I have learned to mix and match to add the right amount of kick to the dish. Considering how small the place is and how crowded it generally is the live music is surprisingly nice. The volume is a nice level where you can still hold conversation with those around you without feeling like you are yelling. For Cajun cuisine look no further than Evangeline's. read more

This place is a real hole in a wall! It hides out in a low key area off of brodie in a little strip mall next to a vet's office and a chinese food restaurant. The food is DELICIOUS and authentic Cajun food with that ATX spin! The gumbo is that dirty grity gumbo that feel straight from n'orlenas! It's almost as good as the one my grandmother makes who lives down in Louisiana. The best thing to try here is the gator bites... oh my, they are juicy and delicious! If anyone has seen that episode from Futurama when they find these little nuggets and start eating them and realizing how delicious they are and go nuts! That's how I would relate to that experience. Except they aren't little people.... But gator! Be weary of sitting right next to the band, this place is tiny but great atmosphere! read more

Evangelines is a great and quaint little neighborhood cajun place. They are small, maybe 15 tables plus 4 out front. They have live music most nights, usually with a cajun flair. My partner and I LOVE to go here for live cajun music, GREAT beers and GREAT appetizers. We LOVE the oysters contraband and the stuffed Pistoulette appetizers. For the entree's we've tried several and were kind of "Eh-ed" by them. Recently however we met some friends here and tried the "mockshu" (?) that one of our friends ordered. It was REALLY good! All I can tell you is it's a white fish, served over rice with some kind of amazing sauce with corn, peppers and some other stuff in it. (it's acually one of the pictures posted for this establishment on yelp) It was definitely a flavor explosion in my mouth! Our absolute favorite thing that we have to get EVERY time we go is the Pecan Pistoulette! It's a puff pastry, stuffed with pecans, butter and brown sugar and then baked. It comes out HOT, Gooey and delish! The waitstaff here are all very attentive and great too! read more

This is somewhere between three and four stars, but I rounded up because it's a good neighborhood place and they try real hard. That's gotta count for something, right? Evangeline is a small little place that's been around for ages. We ate here once many moons ago, right after it opened, and were none too inspired. Reviews are generally very positive, though - and have been for a long time - so when they boy asked to go there, I relented. Kinda glad that I did. Food was fine. I had a catfish maque-choux (think that's how it's spelled), which is a fillet covered in a spicy corn chowder over a bed of rice. The fish was fine, but the chowder is the star of this dish. Quite flavorful, with a touch of spice. The boy had a corn dog basket, which was, well, a corn dog basket. We topped it off with a bread pudding that was pretty good - warm and drenched in caramel sauce. Service was a little strange. Despite the fact that they had nearly more employees working than customers eating (and the restaurant was about 3/4 full), and they were all working really hard, it was a challenge to get the proper server's attention. This, coupled with the odd choice of sending out each table's food item-by-item, rather than all together, made for a somewhat bewildering experience. It's hard to fault them, though, because everyone was just so friendly, and they really were working. We'll call it an off night. What I liked about the place was the vibe. It's down home and friendly, and the sort of restaurant that makes you feel like you belong there. It's an enjoyable experience just sitting down and soaking it in. I'm going four stars on this one because this is precisely the sort of place we need more of in this world - small family joints that are true to themselves, and go out of their way to share it with you. Don't you ever change, Evangeline. read more

What can I say? I found me a new cajun place right here in South Austin. I just ate at Evangeline Café yesterday and it couldn't have been a more pleasant experience. Anytime I go to a new food spot, I look at the food type they are advertising, in this case Cajun/Creole, and order what I consider the signature dish of that food type. At Evangeline Cafe I ordered the Red Beans and Rice, the Gumbo, and the Jambalaya. First let me say, there are a lot of cajun places that cook these foods that just do ok at some and slightly better at the others. That's almost become my expectation with cajun restaurants. NOT THIS TIME! All three were really good. The red beans and rice were especially perfect, just like I would get as a boy in Mississippi. The gumbo was delicious, not too watery, not too starchy and thick. The jambalaya was well cooked, and the meats were full of flavor not just a thrown in after thought like so many places. Whatever/whoever they have doing their thing in the kitchen...never change it! Mix with the food experience the decor, classically filled with icons of the Louisiana area, and you're sure to have a really good cajun restaurant experience. It's very deceiving when you arrive. It's in a tiny strip mall that is about as generic as it comes. The sign out front is boring and screams no character, I'm assuming that's the landlord and nothing to do with the restaurant itself. I have no doubt that if this restaurant was in the heart of downtown, and had a fully themed decor inside and out, that it would be one of the most popular eateries in town. Now throw in that the lunchtime waitresses are all very cute, happy, and upbeat and you can't go wrong. Geaux get you some! read more

This is some of the best seafood I have ever eaten. It's kind of crowded but they usually have live music played by local artists. I definitely recommend this place!!!! read more

I'd give it six stars if I could. Excellent food at excellent prices. The only two cons as far as I'm concerned is it's really small, so sometimes you have to wait, and it's not open on Sundays -- both of which are clearly owner's decisions to keep it manageable. Well, you gotta respect that. read more

If i could give this place 10 stars, i would. I also want to acknowledge Curtis, the owner. It's obvious that his employees are happy and they are a team. The food is incredible. My husband has literally had ever dish on the menu. I have never had a negative experience. The experience from beginning to end is always joyful for us. They have live music, ambience and great food. What else could you ask for?? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place. For a great, non pretentious , local, down to earth Cajun joint, this is your place. Laissez les bons temps rouler!! read more

Absolutely delicious! Came across this place while searching for some good seafood on a Friday during Lent, and was not disappointed! Love the upbeat, casual feel of the place, and of course 2 tvs set up on ESPN make my boyfriend happy. The place is tiny, and when it's packed it's PACKED, but that adds to the charm of this little place. On two visits, my boyfriend and I have had seafood gumbo, gold band creole, and the crawfish evangeline. Boyfriend LOVED the gumbo, but I'm not really a gumbo type. We both loved the gold band creole, but I'm partial to an Alfredo sauce, so the crawfish evangeline remains my favorite. Service was good, with multiple servers coming around with extra water and drinks, but I only saw our real server maybe 3 times. That being said, the place was crowded (as it usually is on a weekend night) so I was glad to see the servers helping each other out with their tables. Was told the wait would be about 25 minutes each visit, and both times we got to our table in about 10-15. Wish there was a better waiting area than the hallway by the bathrooms, or outside where people are eating. Not a huge deal, but would be nice. All in all, a must-visit if you're into Cajun food! read more

I have lived my life trusting the saying my father taught me "the more hole in the wall a place looks on the outside, the better the food is on the inside". This food is incredible. The fried gator is a MUST. Everything is fresh and authentic! If you are wanting Cajun food, this is where you need to be. read more

My husband and I really enjoy coming to Evangeline Cafe. It's a great dinner spot down the street from our house. I particularly like the shrimp creole. The portions are generous and the food is flavorful. The menu offers comprehensive New Orleans fare. I also like coming here because the atmosphere is very cozy and fun. My husband likes the food as well but wishes he could get it spicier. No matter how spicy he asks them to make his dishes it's never spicy enough for his taste. We will definitely be regular visitors to Evangeline's now that we are living in South Austin. read more

I was visiting home (Austin) from New York for the holidays and the never-ending, always-expected debate of "where to eat?" ensues. I swear the energy my family puts into making this decision could power Puerto Rico or a similarly populated land mass for years. N-E-wayz...we went to Evangeline and it wasn't bad. - Excellent service - Great atmosphere -- the type of decor and stuff that national chain brands like Chili's would try to replicate in freaking Connecticut (but can only be awesome as intended in original form as it is here) - Great menu, of course, focusing on the Cajun specialties of Louisiana---but also plenty of other stuff (and a kid's menu) - I have to say I felt like everything was majorly over salted - Po-boys are A++ - Chicken fried steak -- ehhhhh -- just "ok" -- I've had a lot better - Mom says they bring in their muffaletta (sp?) bread directly from Louisiana (in my mind I'm thinking of a swamp boat cruisin' down I-10 with a crap ton of bread) Good beer selection, too. read more

Moseyed down South Saturday night to the Evangeline Cafe with my man. He was playing with the Erin Jaimes Band, notice a theme y'all? Come out to hear the Erin Jaimes band lay down some blues, it's "fun music" as my friend said and a good time. We showed up early to order some dinner. Got the shrimp salad with dressing on the side. It was good, big shrimp seasoned nicely. Just the right amount of spice for my taste. My friend came along to eat and hear the band, she got the crawfish po'boy, and enjoyed it. Staff was friendly and very attentive to refilling drinks and just checking on us in general. I will be back next time EJ plays in August. Come check it out. Anyway, live music here every weekend, a variety of artists. There is a cover charge, they come around and take the money. The kitchen closes before the music starts but drinks are available all night. read more

Best po boy in Austin. Period. Maybe the best po boy west of the Acme Oyster House. It's the bread. I'm not sure if they are baking their own or what, but the bread is phenomenal. The beans and rice (with sausage) are spicy and rich. The bread pudding is also excellent. That is saying a lot, because most bread pudding I have tried in Texas has been pathetic, and bread pudding is one of those desserts that is great if done right but inedible if done wrong. Here it is served hot and with plenty of sauce. Save room for it. read more

Went to hear Floyd Domino and Bill Kirchen. Floyd was fabulous as usual. Bill was new yet old; from Commander Cody. Came for the music. They "also" have what they call Cajun cooking; boy are 'they' right. Wait staff were great especially the bartender. I will be back for the food when I am back in Austin. Will also try to hear some music. read more

If you've ever wondered what happened to old Austin, the hippie/redneck vibe that gave this city such a heady feel back in the day, the feeling that seems completely non-existent now in the gentrified development that's overtaken us, you have no further to look than Evangeline's Cafe in South Austin. (I love how they call it the SoBro district... South Brodie Lane). The old hippies got wind of this place and populate it most every night, giving it a warm, comfortable buzz as they dance wildly amongst the tables. The cajun, zydeco, blues, and folk bands that play here are world-class. But the real star here is the food. For anyone who grew up/has connections to the Gulf Coast, this is the real deal. You can compare the basics like gumbo to other places in town all day long, but where else can you find a crawfish and cream cheese stuffed Pistolette? Oysters Contraband? Crawfish Evangeline? Or even a decent Maux Chou? I guarantee you won't find these recipes anywhere else in town. Kudos to Curtis for making his vision a wonderful reality for all of us! read more

Every meal of ~5 visits was great. The service is also quite good, esp. given that this place can get packed. The Macque Choux catish / corn chowder dish is great, as is their Veggie Gumbo and fried oysters. There's Abita (Purple Haze, etc.) and at least one little screen where you can watch the game. There's also a bit of outdoors seating, but the only view is of Brodie traffic. On Monday nights, Charles Thibideaux and his real-deal bayou crew play on a teeny red stage while you wolf down your gumbo, poboy...whatever your cajun heart desires. Two Louisiana boys have confirmed for me that Evangeline's cuisine is true. There's other music and events, too - look it up on their Web site. They had a crawfish boil out front once--for Mardi Gras weekend, methinks. Let's see some portion control, cuz goodness gracious, you're gonna wanna shove one of those heavenly beignets into your hole after your meal. Don't feel too guilty: you just don't do that every day. Great way to take out-of-towners - it's been a success for me 2x--that's a hearty East Coast (DC) and Left Coast (very Asian-Am Cali) endorsement each. The only other authentic Cajun place that I've heard of is some place that starts with "S" up north, about 3 doors down from Asia Cafe. Yet to try it. read more

Keep an eye out for this one, I've driven by it a million times and never noticed it tucked away in a strip mall! Lovely food, super sweet wait staff, and great atmosphere! Seating can be a little tight, but it's totally worth squeezing in with a group. It feels like an old favorite as soon as you walk in, even if it's your first time; definitely very comfy-cozy. I tried both a shrimp po boy and the chicken fried steak, both being excellent. read more

I've been twice total. In one week. If you've read any of my reviews you know I'm vegetarian. I stumbled across this place when doing a search in my new zip code (finally moved to South Austin!). My first trip, a takeout order, was packaged in a Lone Star beer 6-pack holder. I fell in love with the place before I even tasted the food. How clever! I can't vouch for the authenticity of the vegetarian gumbo, because I'm not sure such a thing exists, authentically speaking. But what I can tell you is that the vegetarian gumbo has me dreaming of it pretty much every day, and I can't wait to get back there and have more. I took some friends, who had the other two gumbos, and they loved them. I'm glad they have more than one vegetarian menu item--but I'm not sure I'll be able to bring myself to order it, since the gumbo is so good. Keep up the good work! Yum. read more

Good good good good goooood. I love Cajun food. Shrimp PO boy and stuffed redfish are absolutely delicacy. Seafood gumbo tastes different from what I had in New Orleans. Maybe there are different kinds of gumbo? read more

Good stuff, went with the whole family and out of towners who are Nawlins pros lived there and all that stuff. Anyway - I am just amazed at any place that can get my nine year old to eat......Frog legs..oh yeah I let him order them just see his face when they came out.....priceless! even better he ate them..loved them...I think it had something to do with bragging rights at school. Everything else we had was solid. I definitely rec this place to anyone who needs a cajun fix... read more

O Man! I've been eating here with friends and family since it opened and I never tire of it. Just set me down at a table and start the crawdads, catfish, and Abita flowing, then wheel me out when I can't take one more bite. The etoufee, gumbo, po'boys, boudin, and dirty rice are also all top-notch. Cypress Grill is fine, too, for what they do, but Evangeline's is more down-home and has a funkier vibe (plus live "Americana" music most nights, if that's your interest), wider menu selection, and takes more tender loving care in the kitchen. read more

An interesting place to eat some great Gumbo and etouffee. Suze and I went out tonight for a quick gumbo. She ordered, what has become her usual, the Maw Maw Sausage and Chicken Gumbo. I went for the Craw Fish Etouffee. For an appetizer, Suze ordered the Boudin. When it arrived, she exclaimed, "Now that puts a smile on my face!" Frankly to me, it looked like Johnny Holmes had left something behind on the set. The Bodin was a large portion of yummy, ricey goodness, with a wonderful herb taste throughout. Quite filling. Our dinner arrived, as did another Albita Amber, and the silence began. I really like the roux of the Maw Maw gumbo. A down and dirty, dark roux with nice bits of chicken/sausage. The Etouffee was a large portion, with plenty of Craw Fish and in a blonde roux. I would of liked the spice heat to be more, but afterall it is an Etouffee. Those are the pro's. A couple of little cons..... I understand that musicians need money, so do a lot of folks, but I don't understand why they are not paid to begin with? Perhaps a cover charge? It is always a bit awkward to me when one of the cute little waitress's comes by the table to ask if you want to tip the band, while holding out the tip jar to you. They have the same little smile that the kiddo's do during Halloween when they come by your house, with their little bags open, begging for you to give them some teeth rotting candy.. little bastards... But, I digress...I would prefer not to be pan-handled during dinner..... The restaurant is a tight squeeze, I mean you probably couldn't swing a dead gerbil without hitting your neighbor..... and finally it is a little pricey.. $50 tonight for a gumbo, etouffee, boudin, 2 glasses of wine, 2 Albita Ambers.. $5 tip to band. The seafood Gumbo I had before was great, but comes in at $13.99.. Despite these items, the place is pretty neat, and the food is terrific. We will be back. read more

Actual rating: 3.5 Evangeline Café is totally not what I imagined it to be. I came in Friday during lunch expecting a cute, little quaint cafe. That's pretty much what it was - but very NOLA style. The decor is very busy, and it makes you feel like you stepped into Louisiana. I ordered the #5 lunch special: regular po-boy with side of gumbo. Gumbo: 4/5, mmm I've had gumbo that I have liked better. I'm not really sure what great gumbo tastes like, but this was pretty good. No complaints about it, but I wasn't like WOW!! This was amazing. Regular fried crawfish po-boy: 3/5, this was severely lacking in flavor. The first bite I took (which was all bread and lettuce) was actually pretty good, but I must have been really hungry. As I kept eating the po-boy, I just kept thinking how flavorless and kind of disappointing it was, since I had been craving a po-boy for awhile. This lunch special was a pretty good deal, portion wise for 7.75. However, I would recommend trying out the other lunch special deals or just ordering from the regular menu! I would probably come back again, just not anytime soon. read more

Goodness gracious, y'all. I came here on a Monday night and forgot that I was still in Texas. The band was killer. The etouffee was good to the last drop, and I downed it with a lovely Abita turbodog. The oysters were excellent, and all the sauces and dressings were handmade that day, and you could tell. I'm planning a True Blood marathon, topped with a visit here for dinner. read more

Gumbo Rocks!!!!! This is probably the best gumbo I have had in a long time. Their Mufaletta was quite good but for me the gold standard is Central Grocery in New Orleans. Next time, I will try their Po-boys. The restaurant is quite small but the staff is very friendly and efficient. They keeps things moving. Kid friendly too - I took my 5 year old to lunch and he loved the decor. Lots of things to see and talk about. read more

Wow- I've just moved to the area and haven't stopped hearing about Evangeline's so I decided to go in and see for myself what all the bonne-temps was about, just a taste youknow? I haven't had true Cajun food in almost a decade, and I've been really excited for some authentic, homemade dishes. So I've gotten the seafood jambalaya lunch special, they took out the oysters for me and I found real crab claws in the broth, and it was the most delicious, cozy thing to indulge in on this soggy, dreary day. I will undoubtedly be returning for the tempting etoufee and live music! Thanks for brightening up my day, Evangeline's! read more

The best New Orleans food around. I love the Fried shrimp Po boy and the boudin is a delicious meal all by itself. Prices are great too!

I really want to like this place more than I do. The atmosphere is perfect, the staff is very nice, but the food...awww man, you almost had me! It's not that there is anything necessarily wrong with it...it's all perfectly fine. But I'm not a big fan of "fine." The entrees that I have tried (gumbo, etoufee, etc.) have just been blah. Being a big fan of creole/cajun cuisine, I want it to smack me a little and tell me what's up! Instead, it just sits there and waits for me to figure out the right additions to give it any sort of kick. I know that you sometimes have to cook for the masses, and that means dropping the heat down a bit, but at least round out the potentially rich flavors of these favorites! I can say that the pistolettes, both the savory appetizer version and the sweet dessert one, are fabulous! I could eat the pistolettes every single day! I'll definitely go back when I'm in the area again, but it's not a place that I'm desperate to get back to now that I no longer live near that side of town. It's pretty good food in a fun atmosphere, served up by a happy, helpful staff...I just wish the food wasn't simply "pretty good." read more

So happy that Evangeline's is back open w dine-in service! We went there for dinner this evening & everything was as delicious as ever. And of course, the place was spotless & the staff were adhering to all the new safety protocols, all the while serving food with a smile (behind their adorable mustachioed masks!) Recommend the oyster / shrimp po boy and the chicken fried steak! read more

Everything was great! I don't know whether it's authentic or not because I ain't no true Cajun-knowing woman but the food was delish! The seafood gumbo was delish. My catfish lunch combo wasn't drowned in butter and was SUPER tasty!!! =) read more

Pros: Great live music. Wonderful decor. Great consistent and prompt wait staff. The owner actually works there. The gumbo, blackened catfish, jumbalaya are fantastic. Cons: Wish there was more seating, this place gets super packed when there's live music. read more