We stopped in for dinner before walking to a concert at the amphitheater. We made a reservation but definitely didn't need one since they had a ton of empty tables. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Everything on the menu sounded so delicious and our server helped us narrow it down to some great recommendations. We started with the crawfish beignets and they were fantastic. For my dinner, I had the Crawfish Etoufee and I loved it. It was definitely spicy like they warned us, but we really enjoyed it. The gumbo was also spicy but full of flavor. My wife loved her gumbo paired with the honey pecan shrimp appetizer. Our cocktails were also perfect and the drink list is great. Overall, from beginning to end, we loved our dinner. You have to give them a shot! read more

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The atmosphere here is very upscale but approachable meets New Orleans. It is brightly lit and welcoming. I ordered the Etouffee ($27). This has shrimp and crayfish smothered in a rich Cajun sauce over rice. The shrimp were very large and delicious. The whole dish was perfectly cooked. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. It was the perfect portion size as I was stuffed. I also ordered their Louisiana Albita Root Beer ($4). How have I never heard of this brand, it is fantastic. One of the best Canned Root Beers I've had. The service was very good. Super friendly and efficient. The only advice I could give was my waitress needs to speak up, she had too quite a voice. The cook and also a manager or owner came out and asked how everything was. Excellent, you guys are doing something the right way. Overall an easy 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely! New Orleans cuisine done right. read more

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Amazing. Delicious. Just.. really adjectives don't do this place justice. A true hidden gem, garden district offers all of the creole socialites- and executed impeccably. The crawfish beignet... dear lord! So good! My husband crawfish po boy was to die for, and my catfish/crawfish platter was out of this world. Great food, great service, great location downtown. A must stop! Romos pro tip: the remoulade sauce. Whatever you get- get one, no TWO sides of this sauce. Just.. do it. read more

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Okay so this is an easy 5 stars but I'll break it down anyway. First off I want to give a HUGE shout out to Garden District chefs and Alexus our server. Garden District doesn't exactly scream Cajun, seafood, and pork in the name. If you don't do your homework before walking through the doors you might find yourself in a situation like we did. We don't eat pork, shellfish, or catfish and we have a vegetarian in our group. So sitting down and looking my at the menu, we immediately thought "oh no, we should leave." I politely explained the situation to our waitress and said "if this is too crazy we can go, it's really not a problem we definitely understand." She was not quick to dismiss us at all but instead started going through the menu with us pointing out what they could potentially do to ensure we are okay to stay. She took our request to the kitchen staff and they too were quick to accommodate. So obviously service is 5 stars all day!! We never once felt like the inconvenience we know we were!! Bravo!! Next the ambiance is amazing!! The wallpaper is legitimately something I've only ever seen in London or Paris. That and the tin ceiling tiles, then the natural wood against the natural brick was something straight out of Europe as well. The additional art work and photographs were absolutely stunning making this place an easy number one on my top 10 list this fall. Of course that can't happen without the food. I ordered salmon salad but with chicken instead and OH MY GOODNESS!! Juicy chicken, tender chicken, and oh the flavors all through the salad! It was fresh, it was the perfect balance of acid and umami with a hit of the Cajun seasoning on the chicken. I'm telling you coming here was the best decision of our weekend. Eating leftovers as we speak and I'm just in heaven. My daughter ordered the pasta sans tomato with chicken and she loved that which says a lot because she is so picky. My son had the vegan dirty rice and poor little white tastebuds couldn't quite handle the flavor on it but I will be more than happy to finish that for him. Lastly the chef has STANDARDS! They brought my husband's salad out without the salmon because "they weren't happy with it" and wanted to recook it. Once it was finished he got an entirely new plate with an entirely new salad!! That was above and beyond!! I cannot tell you how happy we were with this decision tonight. You will pay a pretty penny but trust me it's worth it. Food quality and freshness gain 5 stars! Thank you all so much for the experience!! We will be back!! read more

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This place was disappointing. We arrived for dinner and were seated immediately, but the restaurant was empty, which already felt a little off. We ordered the gumbo, and it was way too heavily seasoned with gumbo file. I asked for a cup of hot water to dilute my bowl, and that actually made it much better. The gumbo had decent flavor underneath, but the file powder completely overpowered it. We also tried the BBQ shrimp, and they were rubbery and overcooked. The sauce was extremely thick and just unpleasant, and the service felt just as flat. The staff seemed bored and were mostly just standing around, which is understandable, but it was still odd being the only guests inside eating. The restaurant was clean and kept up. read more

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Came on my birthday to celebrate! Everything we ate was delicious! We sat outside and had a great time cackling over drinks! The service was great, drinks always full and there was nothing that lacked! I love the jambalaya but over pasta is the best way to get it. The tenders spurprised me at how good it was & the Cajun ramen was a nice surprise and sooooo good! I can't wait to come back for the "Sunday Morning" cocktail read more

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First time here. Wow. Great ambiance and service. We loved the music playing and the intimate tables. We love Cajun food! I had the red beans and rice, which is flavorful and the sauces were good. The pork belly was bit more fatty thank I expected but still delicious. My wife had the jambalaya with some amazing spice. Great size and portion of shrimp. Étouffée was warm in the spice level and tasty. Daughter had the salmon salad and son in law enjoyed the creamy creole pasta, which my wife tasted and thought it was the best of all! We can't wait to come back. read more

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Such a beautiful evening for Valentine's Day when we scored a parking spot right at the entrance of this cute looking establishment that formally was Monsoon. We were promptly sat for our 5 o'clock reservation. We were happy to see Abita beer on the menu and the Hurricanes were half price! We were surprised when we attempted to order an appetizer and the restaurant was already sold out of 3 of the appetizers on the menu. ‍ It was long waits to get our drinks and take our order. I decided to wait in line for the bathroom (the restaurant has 2 private toilets only). While waiting I could check out the open kitchen. They were working hard, but I immediately noticed that the rice from the rice cooker was too lumpy for my taste. I also observed fish sitting out at room temperature that wasn't even rinsed off before being battered and breaded and stuck in the fryer alongside the fries and beignets. I made a mental note not to order that. Since the beignet appetizer was sold out and they wanted $30 for 6 oysters, we decided to forgo the apps and ordered crawfish etouffe and a roast beef po' boy. My hubby was disappointed with the taste and texture of his po'boy. He said the roast beef had a texture reminiscent of cat food and the fries were seasoned with cayenne pepper and gave him an acid stomach. My etouffe was also a huge disappointment. The crawfish was obviously reheated from frozen and had that off "fishy" flavor. Very disappointing because I usually love crawfish. The shrimp was okay, but the rice wasn't nice and the sauce had a bitter aftertaste, like it had burned during the cooking process. Overall, a poor facsimile of NOLA cuisine. They really should just turn this establishment into a Yatz (Indiana's fast food NOLA franchise). It would be so much better and the shape of the restaurant fits the Yatz concept. Plus, it would've tasted much better and for a cheaper price. We are huge Yatz fans. Just saying... lol. Hopefully we just came on an "off" day. We do realize it's hard to compete with the real thing. No where on earth is like the real NOLA. Guess I'll just have to head south or cook it myself next time a craving hits. read more

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Outstanding N'awlins place! Sat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink, great vibe throughout. Service was awesome, but the food was the star of the show!!! Simply incredible. Do not miss this place when you're in town! Instantly one of our top three in town! read more

Good food and service. They were able to recommend which dishes could be toned down heat wise which was nice since didn't want to feel bad during the play attending after . read more

Amazing food, great service, not a ton of space for seating but it felt cozy. We enjoyed every dish, everyone shared and passed around plates. It was a standout meal. read more

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Everything about this restaurant is so well done! The food was so New Orleans authentic. We've visited New Orleans many times and this food hit the mark. The service was phenomenal and everyone was so friendly. Try it!! read more

Garden District - Red beans and rice, shrimp po' boy, gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Glad to have some creole downtown! I had the shrimp po boy which was big and messy as expected but hit the spot. Cajun fries were awesome. Don't be scared if you are scared of heat. Cajun doesn't always mean spicy. Give them a shot read more

Everything is so fresh, service was amazing and food quantity was great. We ordered gumbo and jambalaya!

Raina was so warm and knowledgeable. Thankful for her recommendations and insight. The food was incredible. So thankful we found this gem with great atmosphere and delicious food. read more

This was our 3rd time at Garden District. The server Ashley was very friendly and a wonderful server. The crawfish beignets ($14) were delicious as usual, it's our favorite app to share. We both had the catfish dinner. It's one piece of catfish with a side of fries for $12. My husband swapped out the fries for a side salad for a small up charge. The odd part of the bill was we each added an extra piece of catfish to our dinner. Each extra piece was $12. So for the whole dinner the price was $12, yet one piece of fish was also $12. That seems a little odd to me. I might as well have ordered two whole dinners for the same price. The food is delicious, the decor is beautiful, the waitstaff friendly. I recommend this place in GR for a good dinner, if the weather is nice? You can also sit on the patio/sidewalk area. read more

Garden District - Crawfish Beignets (this pic was taken last time we were there, I forgot to take one tonight!) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Authentic creole food except without okra. Wide miss. More demerits for nasty crawdads, and no oysters. Good drinks. Our server was excellent. Upgrade the ingredients and I'll be a regular. read more

Garden District - Big love! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tried out the new place and my friends and I enjoyed our time! We were seated at a large table in between the bar and kitchen. Loved my drink - Honey Child! The gin was refreshing! For my appetizer, I ordered the Crawfish Beignets which were paired with a delicious remoulade sauce. My main dish was amazing.. I ordered the Southern Hospitality which comes with a salad, side of mac n cheese and two crispy Cajun honey! The chicken was my favorite! I loved the crispy skin and the sweet heat flavor! Overall enjoyed our time here! read more

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This is a great addition to the downtown scene. I have really enjoyed the gumbo and jambalaya. The staff is friendly and they have great outdoor seating options. read more

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My friends and I got to try this place and we were amazed! It's a fairly new place that serves New Orleans inspired dishes right here in downtown Grand Rapids! First of all call ahead and reserve because it gets booked pretty quick especially on the weekend and since it's a small space, there was only seating room for about 8 tables plus a bar. I loved the artwork they had inside and how it brought out a New Orleans theme. The food was delicious! I got the Yakamein which was a noodle soup with beef, shrimp and boiled egg in a cajun beef broth packed with protein! My friends got jambalaya and the bourbon street steak. I was so jealous of their food and will definitely try what they got next time. The best part though was getting our food delivered to our table from the owner himself who was very kind and personable. He made an effort to deliver food to every table and really gave the place a sense of warmth and comfort. Needless to say I'll be back and bringing more friends! read more

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I'm so excited to have a Cajun/Creole restaurant in Grand Rapids! I've only been to New Orleans once but I loved the city and the food, so it's great to be able to have some of the traditional dishes here in GR. I was able to make a reservation for four through their website, and we were seated right away when we arrived. Located in the former Monsoon restaurant, the vibe hasn't changed too much but they've added some NOLA flair, including an Instagram-worthy sign near the entrance. Our server Ana was the best - she is so sweet and had great recommendations for food and drinks. We started with the garden district dip to share and some cocktails - I liked the blooming fleur de lis, and Nate got the Cafe du Monde Martini. The dip was delicious, packed with shrimp and crawfish and served with perfectly toasted French bread. It could have used a little salt (or Crystal hot sauce!) but I would definitely order this again. We also split a Caesar salad, which was fresh and bright, served with a lemon to squeeze over. It was tough to choose an entree, but I went with the etouffee, and Nate got the muffaletta. Our friends ordered the gumbo and jambalaya. I really liked the etouffee! It had quite a bit of a spicy kick, which I loved. I also had a few bites of the muffaletta, which was delicious. It's not exactly like the ones we had in NOLA but still tasty. We were way too full for dessert, but the options all sounded great. Hopefully they add sweet beignets soon! Really excited for this new addition to downtown, and hope to visit again soon. read more

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Experience a slice of New Orleans right here in GR! Specializing in cajun and southern cuisine, Garden District is packing a punch with flavor. We tried the jambalaya, the Gumbo Yaya, and the Yakamein, and were in paradise! From seafood to sausage, they were on point! The location is perfect downtown, and it's a super fun atmosphere for a dinner out! read more

Garden District - Yakamein - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

The restaurant is gorgeous! Service is amazing, Lanae's energy is always great, she has such a positive vibe every time I come in. Really unique menu with good food. 10/10 would go again :) read more

Garden District - Hey bay-bay and hurricane cocktails - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Came here on a recommendation from our daughter. My wife is Louisiana born and bread. Getting authentic Louisiana food is hard. Sausage sourced from New Orleans and the roux was outstanding and made a wonderful étouffée. An abundance of flavor and great atmosphere. On top of all that the pecan pound cake, a family recipe, was a wonderful way to finish the meal. read more

Garden District - Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Got the yakamein. It was just ok. I think it would have been better if they used egg noodles instead of spaghetti. The egg was not soy sauce marinated and lacked the creamy center. The shrimp was tasty and the beef cubes were tender. The broth was nice with Cajun spices. Using a traditional hot stone bowl was interesting but probably unnecessary. Maybe on a colder night? For $28, this was way overpriced. read more

Garden District - Yakamein - spaghetti, boiled egg, shrimp, beef stew cubes, green onion in a entoufee soup - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

What a great dinner! Stopped in prior to an event and got right in to sit at the bar. The nice bartender took care of me and she did a great job. Started off with a hurricane and the crawfish beignets because what else would you start with in a Cajun restaurant! Both were great the drink was strong and refreshing and the beignets were crispy and spicy with a great remoulade sauce. We had the gumbo for dinner it was delicious! Spicy! I will definitely remember it for the next cold day when you need something to stick to your bones and warm you up! Ended with the Cafe Du Monde Martini which was a perfect twist on an espresso martini and a pecan pound cake to go! I will definitely be going back!! Plus the dancing crawfish in the window were really cute! read more

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Very pleasant surprise. Good atmosphere and fantastic food. We tried a sampler of many sides: etouffe, red beans and rice, fried shrimp, gumbo... and eagerly devoured the lot. Will definitely be back on a future visit to Grand Rapids read more

Okay, let me begin by saying that the atmosphere and the staff were on point. The place was super cool with that inner city brick appearance, and the staff were very helpful and friendly! The only constructive comment I can make about the atmosphere is that the place was very loud. For dinner, I had the pork, beans and rice meal and my wife had the moz sandwich with fries. Honestly 3 out of 10 for both. The sandwich was a cold cut and the bread was dry. My pork and beans with rice meal was dominated with the rice and beans with very little meat. To be transparent, this isn't really our type of food, but we wanted to try something different. Just know that meals are spicy with a Cajun twist. Lastly, we also got the brownie skillet with vanilla ice cream. When it came to our table, the heat of the skillet melted the vanilla ice cream, and it almost turned the dessert into some sort of soupy chocolate/vanilla mix. It was very flavorful, but kind of ran together. In summary, we probably won't return, but to be honest this really wasn't our thing when it comes to type of cuisine we enjoy. So if spicy Cajun food is your thing, you may want to check it out.. read more

Garden District - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

The jambalaya was perfection. Love the atmosphere. Multiple gluten free options. Will definitely be going back.

Food was delicious. We got the jambalaya and crawfish po boy. My son had the Po boy but got it without lettuce, tomato and pickle. I got the jambalaya as it comes and was not disappointed. read more

Garden District - Crawfish Po Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Great food. Solid service. Cool ambiance. Loved my jambalaya and n/a drink. Would recommend for a night out dinner, especially if you love fish (I'm not a huge fish guy). read more

Garden District - Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

food was fantastic, loved the environment, the server was very nice. would definitely go again ! read more

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What a great find on this restaurant! The food is truly amazing, 100/10. The service was great, and we enjoyed chatting with Chef about New Orleans. The ambiance was charming. We will be back to GR, even if it's just to eat at this place! read more

If you're craving the soulful spirit of New Orleans this place delivers. From the moment you walk in your hit with lively jazz, warm lighting and that unmistakable creole-Cajun aroma. The menu is packed with southern classics. Every bite tastes like it can from the French Quarter the spices were bold and balanced. We started with crawfish beignets, main courses were the blackened salmon and the crawfish and shrimp étouffée both were delicious. The service was friendly and making us feel like regulars even though it was our first time there. Bonus points for the cocktail menu. We will be going back. read more

As a downtown Grand Rapids resident, we have plenty of restaurant choices. Garden District is always at the top of our list. Food quality is excellent and if you like New Orleans cuisine, you have plenty of menu choices. We've always had great service and the personal touch of the owner walking around and greeting guests and checking on them. When they are busy, the place is so alive and buzzing with a clientele that represents what downtown Grand Rapids is all about! read more

Maybe the best restaurant in the GR area. Fantastic food. We ordered the Mussels, Red Beans and Rice, Etouffee and a bowl of Gumbo. Everything blew our expectations out of the water. The waitress had great advice on spice level and suggestions on what to try. The restaurant was very busy, but we didn't experience any delays in service. We had a reservation and would suggestion a reservation for anyone that wishes to be seated right away as the bar was quite busy too. We will definitely be returning to try something new. read more

This place is one of the best in all of GR. Absolutely loved the Audubon Crawfish Beignets. Andouille + Potato Soup was fire - everyone at the table tried it and wanted more. Gumbo - some of the best I have ever had. If you like Cajun and Creole, this is the spot! read more

My wife and I had dinner on a Sunday night before a concert. She ordered a salad with grilled chicken. It was a large salad with a generous portion of grilled chicken on the side. I ordered one of their house specials, blackened fish. I expected an entree would be the main item on the plate. However, the Cajun corn dish was the main item covering 1/2 the plate along with a smaller ball of white rice. There was one small fillet. Yes, only one fillet. It was delicious, but the corn & rice costs almost nothing, why would a serving include only one fillet? read more

The food reminds me of home! I mean my mom, grandma and aunts home cooking in New Orleans! The red beans tasted like home. Everything thing was prepared well. The staff were friendly, kind and attentive. I felt like some was going to ask me "How ya mom an them?" Something we do in New Orleans . If you want to try good food go to the Garden District GR! They won't disappoint. The decor is all about New Orleans and family! read more

Absolutely FANTASTIC!! Everything was amazing! The Blackened Grouper, the Fries Chicken, the Mac and Cheese, and the Bananas Foster - fabulous! Our server, Ava, knowledgeable and lovely. Gave us great recommendations. And the owners, Raphael and Jessica, made sure to stop by every table and check in. The ambience was so authentic and wonderful. read more