Why have I been missing out on the Vegetarian Gumbo? The Gumbo is on par with my favorites in Louisana for sure. Great food, music, and service. It's like stepping back to a time when Austin was an island of chill. read more

I will start off by saying I am not from the south and this is really my first foray into cajun food, but I went with a Louisiana native and he really likes this place. I love holes in the wall, and this is located in a little strip mall. It's tiny. We got there at around 6:45 on a wednesday and had to wait. There isn't really any waiting area so that kind of sucked unless you wanted to wait outside but it was 95 degrees sooo, no haha. BUt I loved all the Lousiana decor and the ambiance was really good. We ordered the seafood gumbo (doesn't come in cup size) and a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo. Both to me were really delicious although I favored the chicken and sausage as I felt the flavor was better. I had plenty of sausage in my cup, and the seafood had tons of shrimp which was cooked perfectly. We also split a crawfish pistolette and OMG. It was my favorite thing we ate all night. So flaky yet sturdy on the bread, and the crawfish filling was divine. Honestly, it blew my mind. And my date said it was his favorite thing on the menu. For only like $4.50, it's definitely worth it to try it. For entrees we had the gold band creole, which is a spicy cajun pasta dish with fried shrimp. IT WAS MASSIVE. The shrimp were delicious, perfectly fried and not greasy at all. The pasta was cooked okay and the sauce was fine but compared to some other stuff we ate wasn't my favorite. And then we also got the stuffed Wild Black Drum which. was. awesome. The fish was PERFECTLY cooked, great portion size, and I loved the sauce and the stuffing. I was inhaling it. Loved it. Our servers were also really nice and attentive. The only negative here would be the hostess with the pink hair. She visibly looked annoyed like she didn't want to be there, and was rather short and abrupt. Never cracked a smile. Can't wait to go back and start trying the entire menu :) read more

Evangeline Café - The stuffed drum (back) and the gold band creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

I used to love this place. Frequented it regularly with friends. I moved away from the area and was no longer able to come back. What I remember prior to moving was flavorful entrees and chips with Evangeline sauce. I have since moved back to south Austin and asked my boyfriend if we could order from Evangeline's. I was stoked on it. I unfortunately was under the weather, so we had to order to go. He ordered fried crawfish and rice. I ordered a fried oyster Po-Boy with Evangeline sauce. I hoped it came with the chips and Evangeline sauce as a side like it always did when I ate in before. It didn't. Not only that, but my Po-Boy came completely dry. No sauce of any kind. My boyfriend said his fried crawfish and rice were completely unseasoned and that the crawfish tasted like unseasoned bread crumbs. To say we were disappointed was an understatement, especially for the price we paid. read more

Phenomenal....service, food, wait time, ambience...all phenomenal! Will be our new go to in Austin!

This place is still one of the best places I have had the pleasure of enjoying anywhere, and I travel a lot...all over the world. Austin is one of my homes and Evangeline one of the very best restaurants I have experienced, so I drop in whenever I am in town. It is not a Michelin rated stodgy place so don't get your panties in a bunch. It is the food, the people, the ambiance and the love that goes into this place that makes it stand out. Sit down, order an Abita Purple Haze and just spend a couple minutes looking around you. Check out the walls, the various photos, the history, animals and the table tops. Shut up, stop thinking for a couple minutes and just listen to the conversations going on around you. If you are lucky they have some local musicians playing their hearts out as you enjoy your experience. Pretty much everything there is food at its finest. If you have never been there try it and have an amazing food experience. If you have been there why the hell are you reading this??? Go get some great tasting food and an Abita! read more

The food was good as always; portions are a bit smaller. The ambience is great! The string trio was entertaining. The service however was something to be desired. Our waitress seemed bothered and rushed even though they were not busy tonight. It made for an unpleasant experience. read more

Great Poboy sandwiches! The waitress was really friendly and service was quick. An old Austin classic.

this is an excellent little Cajun Creole Café. I thought that the fried shrimp were a tad overdone, but the fried oysters were perfect. Did not care for the french fries at all. But definitely will return read more

Dark, even at 3:30 in the afternoon. Looks more like a dive instead of a cafe. Staff not very friendly. Flies inside the place. Kitchen area not clean. read more

It's addictive and I can't get enough. The boudin changed my life. I go at least once a week at lunch for to-go as I'm just down the street. The food is consistent and the atmosphere is fun. Little Cajun joint in a strip mall with Cajun music jamming all the time. The service is always with a smile and it's always busy. read more

You want some good Cajun food with wonderful people? This is the place to come, this is the only place in Austin I recommend anyone that wants great Cajun food without the travel to Louisiana. Always a great place. The only downfall is space, there's seating inside and outside, but feels a little cramped when the place is full. read more

The real deal, like you're in Louisiana. Live music, family owned. Cozy neighborhood restaurant. read more

Maybe the friendliest place in Austin, and great Cajun food. Def will make the trip back just for the boudin.

The gumbo!!!!! Laaaawd please!!! Save my soul!!! Great staff and incredible service! Loved the environment and left happy. read more

This is a hidden gem that I truly recommend you check out. If you love Creole food, then I truly recommend checking them out. Service: Everyone was very nice and willing to assist. For a family own style of restaurant, they made you feel like family while I was there. I would recommend to have the wait staff maybe promote any specials they may have but besides that, it was great. Food: Great selection of food. It was very hard to choose what I wanted. I kinda wanted a little bit of everything. Food came out quickly and with great presentation and price. Portion size was good for the price and was seasoned very well. Really enjoyed the food. Overall: You better get there early because it fills up fast. Seats are limited but it worth the wait. You won't be disappointed. They have a great atomsphere of Louisiana and southern pride. Again, if you blink you will miss it but something that truly recommend. I wish nothing but the best for them in the future. read more

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It's a Louisiana (LA)comfort food place. It's been around a long time. Serves Abita Beer (made in LA). I personally don't care for LA seasoning or food - no reason just personal preference. I can still find something to eat here and the prices are reasonable. I go when friends want to go. read more

First time here. I had a po boy, it was alright. The bread was fresh. The piece of fish was small. The gumbo was bland.The shrimp pistolette was the best. My daughter had a bowl of gumbo and it was watery and bland. read more

Love the cajun vibes and the wait staff is great. Lunch specials are a good deal. My husband loves their hamburger and po boys and I get a seafood basket. read more

Food was good, service was good. Went at lunch time & they had good lunch specials I would def go back!

WOW oh WOW. I have been to this place for years. I have yet to fine one thing bad. Can you say Mouth water Cajun food. Boudin that's one of the best I've had. I love Louisianan food and I have eaten boudin all over, but this is a it The pistolette man oh man are they good. Stuffed or boudin smother all over. Never have I gone wrong. I try to go when not busy cause it's always crowded. read more

Always awesome. We used to be "regular" lunch customers here, but a change in work schedules made that tough. Still, we try to get over there as much as we can. They have great live music on weeknights and the service is the best in town. We've never had a bad meal here, whether it's a simple po' boy or the stuffed pork chop, it's always great. If you're in the mood for southwestern Louisiana cuisine, skip the 6-hour drive and head over to South Austin. read more

Evangeline Café - 15th annual Mardi Gras - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Eating here is like being teleported straight back to Acadiana where I grew up. The smell that greets you when walking in is so familiar and comforting. The decor is 100% Louisiana. I had the Alligator bites, fried to perfection. I thought the sauce on The top was a little unnecessary, because the alligator tasted perfect by itself, but to each his own. The etoufée was almost 100%. The only suggestion is to add a little more flour to the sauce to thicken it up. Not much, just maybe 10% more flour. I'll definitely be back. read more

Evangeline Café - Alligator bites. Ooooooooweeee! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Been here three times and fell in love with the place. I always get a cup of gumbo and the grilled catfish topped with crawfish etoufee! Simply awesome!! Great service in an eclectic environment. read more

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It was our first visit to this delightful little hole in the wall café located in a South Austin strip mall. A close friend lives nearby, and we all met there at her suggestion. I noticed they have live music quite often. We were there for lunch, and I got the impression that most of the diners were regulars. Well some would say that the decor is divey, I would say that the decor is consistent with "Texas music scene aficionado". Or maybe old hippie. In any case, we all agreed that lunch was delicious- my lovely companions had seafood gumbo, I selected "bronzed wild caught Black Drum" since that was a new dish for me. I am pretty sure i will return until I have tried all of their different ways of preparing seafood. Finally I must confess that we managed to save room for a fantastic dessert shared by the three of us: Pecan Praline Pistolette. It would be a terrible understatement to call it a Cajun donut. It's just a great finish to a rich and memorable meal. I can imagine having the pistolette with some chicory coffee, that would be a part of great morning for me. Looking forward to many future visits. read more

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

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You go to a Cajun restaurant to have Cajun food... We both ordered gumbo which looked good but I fear the roux was burnt... and I believe the cook knew it... I do gumbo myself and have won prizes for it... I have burnt roux more than once... but I've never served it... there is a fine hair marking the difference between perfect and burnt and today they burnt the roux. The Ambience was great... the service was amazing... the oyster po-boy and Caesar's salad was perfect... but when you charge 19.99 for a bowl of gumbo it should be perfect. I would bet there are days when it is but that wasn't today... I'm not trying to get a free meal nor want one... I would just be happy for a place to have a solid bowl of Gumbo... read more

I love the oysters contraband and the best remoulade on the planet. The music is back. So happy about that. Love the owner and wait staff.

Every time we lunch here I am taken back to New Orleans. The atmosphere, the decor hanging over your head, the monitors tucked away to allow for 2 top seaters, and the music playing overhead is the best parts of Evangeline. Tucked away in a small shopping center (with some cool and notable local spots too!) Evangeline provides THE BEST lunch specials in South Austin. Every Monday - Saturday you can get a really good po'boy + gumbo for less than $8. Worth every wait if you show up and there is a wait. I always get the fried oyster po'boy with french fries. Ask for extra Evangeline sauce on top or on the side for some extra dippings. Homemade lemonade and there are always unique and flavorful (and fruity flavored) beers in a bottle. Waitresses and staff here are kind, attentive, and prompt. read more

N'awlins vibe written all over it - i.e. boisterous atmosphere with very attentive and quick wait staff. Service is great and you feel transported to the bayou when you come here. That said, nothing food wise really popped for me as I sampled many of the cajun/creole staples. Fried gator had a good crust to it and tender enough but nothing noteworthy (rather have the sauce on the side too) albeit does make a fun appetizer to check off your bucket list of critters you wanted to eat in your life. Entree wise they do give you a lot of food but again nothing stood out. The roux here is dark for the gumbo, so it does have a smoky, earthy depth to it and while its nice they use file to keep it traditional, still thought it was just alright. Crawfish pie is basically a seafood empanada with some etoufee type sauce over top which is good but maybe a bit too crisp after getting soaked with sauce? Jambalaya was kinda dry and bland. My friend's stuffed wild black drum was pretty good and probably the best thing I ate and makes me wish I got that instead. Stuffed crab was also another fried item that I sampled a bit of but too much going on to really appreciate the crab. But hey that grilled bread is pretty good :). It's a bit far south and I don't have a cajun card of any sort, but gotta say it's kinda average for my liking. All that said, it does have the NO homey vibe so if you're looking for cajun home cooking, this might do the trick for you. read more

I go to Evangeline Cafe from time to time to get some Cajun food. It's always good. Sometimes there's live music, and it's great too.

Well this is a disappointing send-off for our departure from Austin. We've always loved coming here as it always reminds us of home. Due to the weather today, we decided to take it To-Go. Well, I suppose the to-go portions differ from the dine-in portions for the same price. Seems odd, but ok. Luckily we are not used to consuming large quantities of food with our meals, however I definitely felt cheated. I suppose this is due to "inflation" or having to increase to pay to employees however it's rather sad to see that the customer gets the raw end of the deal. Sad last experience from one of our favorite local spots. read more

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I have never been a huge fan of Evangeline, mostly went when my parents would, although I am a sucker for fried pickle chips. Came tonight however, lowkey craving the food. Got there, waitress let us know they were out of many drinks and foods, some being the things I was hoping to get. No worries, got another item. Came out, and their Po-Boys have always been messy (not a complaint) but this one seemed especially messy/drippy. Impossible to cut and seemed to be stuck to the paper it came out on. Lifted it up, and the paper was completely soaked and absorbed into the bread, inedible. Extremely disappointed, although I never really had high thoughts of Evangeline in the first place. Usually, I would give any restaurant that had pickle chips and immediate three stars, however even the fried pickles (the main thing I love about this place) were just.... mid-tier. My mom got the 'seafood gumbo' and only got a few shrimp and rice in her broth. Supposed to come with oysters and crab legs, but barely even came with any shrimp to begin with. I dont even know what my dad got but he seemed to enjoy it. Overall very disappointed. If I could give less than one star, I honestly would. read more

Service is great as were the appetizers. Wanted crawfish, but this " Cajun place" does not have boiled crawfish fish. Ordered seafood plater oysters are good, but catfish filets size of my big thumb. Dirt rice was tasteless and shrimp were far from jumbo. Oh seafood platter served in a bowl! read more

One of the few remaining old Austin places. The buffalo wings are the best in town, not kidding. The desserts are awesome, the beer perfect for the atmosphere and the staff reminiscent of the old Austin restaurants I miss dearly. read more

I had just arrived in Austin that morning and my daughter and I were trying to decide where to go for dinner after she got off work. As we threw around ideas she mentioned this place after I suggested Cajun food. It wasn't far from where she lived so this is where we came. I had had a pretty heavy lunch of migas so I wasn't super hungry. I ordered the oysters Contraband appetizer which was a half-dozen fried oysters over potato chips with a sauce drizzled over it. It was delicious and hit the spot. I had no leftovers. She got the fried shrimp dinner and gave me a taste. They were delicious also. The dinner prices weren't cheap. I would enjoy coming it back here for lunch sometime. The atmosphere was nice. It was a great choice for my first dinner in Austin. Update: Lunch goes till 3 and I got back here a couple days ago to try it out. I ordered the Crawfish basket that came with dirty rice and a side salad. When they brought my plate I thought for sure there been a mix-up and they thought I ordered the dinner instead. It was so much food. See my photo. However, it was so absolutely delicious that I was ready to pay a higher price for the dinner because I ended up enjoying it so much. To my pleasant surprise the server said yes that was the basket even though it is served on a plate. So I got a wonderful meal for $8.99. I decided that give gave me a little wiggle room and while it seemed like a lot of food it was very light and I might have room for half a dessert and take half home for later. She recited the desserts to me and I decided to try the Pecan Pistolette because I never had one before. Oh. My. Goodness. It was heavenly. As soon as I took the first bite I knew that none would be going home and I was glad that I wasn't having to share it with anyone. I ate every single bite and as I was savoring it I was thinking this will probably be the item that I leave Austin remembering and look forward to coming back and having again on the next trip. There's always that one place, that one item, that stands out in your memory and I'm pretty sure this will be it. read more

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I love this place so much. Definitely the best one in Austin. Live music is awesome. Laid back atmosphere, the BEST service, and even better food. I am sad when I finish eating my plate of food, because it was just that good. My advice is to branch out and try a bunch of things on their menu. It's worth it! Oh and you cannot forget to try their stuffed pistolettes! read more

Evangeline Café - Top: Gold Band Creole Bottom: Speedy's Catfish Right: Cesar Salad - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

A bit costly and cramped but such a perfect date night. That are willing to customize orders too.

THE BEST IN TOWN! Honestly, the food is just as good as home! Great food, awesome atmosphere, and nice service. So glad I found this gem.

Excellent Cajun cuisine! My spouse and I frequent this place regularly. Service is always fast & friendly. The decor represents the cuisine nicely! read more

Love the food, love the vibe, and Curtis the owner is great. Would definitely recommend.

The food is great and not over the top expensive I recommend this place for people to try