Recently reopened under new ownership. I'm 99% certain that the new owners used to run the now…read moreclosed Mandala Kitchen on South Lamar. They brought a lot of their old menu with them which is great because I loved their viet food. The banh khot (turmeric pancakes) are still delicious, and their "chef's special" which is a very generous portion of fried fish filets in a tamarind sauce is a phenomenal dish, one that I'd come just to eat. The fish is fried super well and the sauce is incredibly flavorful. Don't sleep on the wings either. Good size, cooked perfectly (crispy and not dry). They're still transitioning from the old juicy claws menu so not everything on the old menu is available yet. But what is available is fantastic. The service is also friendly and kind. They're still clearly working out some kinks at the moment but give them some grace and you'll be rewarded with a really fantastic meal.

I invited friends to try Juicy Claws with me, since new ownership had taken it over a while ago,…read moreand I was not disappointed. It's past crawfish season, so we didn't do any of the signature boils. But it's a broad menu with Viet/Thai curries, fried rice, pasta, and other special dishes. The turmeric mini-pancakes are phenomenal flavor bomb appetizers that really show off the chef's originality and taste balance, with a bit of crawfish tail, tangy/hot sauce, with a tiny dollop of coconut crema. I also really enjoyed the generous portion of the "Chef's Special", lightly battered and fried fish with vegetables and a pineapple-tamarind sauce. A couple of my friends went with the Cajun fried rice with shrimp and liked it. The server was attentive and responsive and kept things moving. He calls everyone "boss", endearing though trite. The space is big and kept informal by large photos of the dishes. They're located in a low-traffic aging shopping strip, unfortunately, which has gradually slid downhill over the last 20 years until now it is one of the parking lots that gets used for traveling carnivals. Don't let that deter you. This, like Special Noodle in the same strip, is a good place with a twist.

Surf & Turf has become my family's favorite restaurant. The food, the service, all the staff,…read moreeverything is always 100%. CJ is hands down our favorite server at Surf N Turf! Every time we come in, CJ remembers us, treats us like family, and makes sure everything is perfect. The energy, the kindness, and the attention to detail never go unnoticed. It's the kind of service that keeps us coming back again and again. We appreciate you so much, CJ! If you go to Surf N Turf, ask for CJ, you won't regret it!

I had the most terrible experience in the hospitality field today. This place has great food and a…read morecool atmosphere, but the problem is their service is awful. They were understaffed which makes no sense because they're making good money.. so there's staff. We're working three jobs instead of having just one roll. I tried to get service they wouldn't give me service and then in the end. JP said I was drunk even though I had two beers and they would not serve me anymore and I was trying to get them to serve me and they just would not I am a disabled man. I draw social security. This was discrimination in its worst example. I suffer from bipolar disorder and I've been manic. I can be hard to be around in America. I might make people uncomfortable but I can't help it. It's my illness. I will never support a business that discriminates against people's illnesses

Some of the best soul food I have had!…read more Fried okra was crunchy and seasoned well. Yams were sticky, tender and perfect! fried fish and chicken were also seasoned well. I love that they don't cook with pork. being someone that does not eat pork. I had to get every side. Mac and cheese solid. Greens great had a little sweet bite to it. beans and rice were my favorite. The service super friendly and helpful. There was really no wait after ordering. Very clean and self seating. All the flavor kool aid. 10/10

My husband and I found this place online and stopped by for takeout on our way back from San…read moreAntonio to Dallas on Sunday, 6/14. We got 2 x 3 Wings & 3 Tender w/fries and 4 Shrimp & 2 Chicken Wings w/fries. In addition, we ordered 2 Cheezy Mac & Shrimp Egg Rolls and 2 Oxtail Egg Rolls. All of the food was great! Very tasty! The letdown was the Caramel Cake slice that was soooooo looking forward to eating warm with some vanilla bean ice cream! Unfortunately, it was very DRY! I ate 1/2 and gave the other 1/2 to my husband. I was so disappointed!

Happyrito is a Cajun-Vietnamese fusion seafood boil restaurant located in a shopping center up in…read moreCedar Park. It's located right off 183 so easy highway access + easy free parking typical of a suburban shopping strip. The restaurant itself is pretty small, maybe about 8 - 10 tables that can seat between 4 - 6 each. We came on a Sunday and even though there weren't huge lines, be prepared to wait 5 - 10 minutes to order and another 15 - 20 minutes until the food comes out. The food itself tastes great - very true to Cajun-Vietnamese seasoning (garlic butter galore) similar to what I've had in Houston. Highly recommend their special sauce which mixes the two other sauces together for maximum flavor. Comes with bibs and gloves for a "clean" eating experience. Pricing is a bit on the higher end for a place in a suburban strip mall and that's the only knock. This is also typical for crawfish boil type restaurants though so didn't knock any stars off.

My husband and I were really excited to try this place cuz we love cajun seafood boils and it's…read morealso close by to us vs going all the way to boiling crab. We came on a friday night around 6:45 pm and ordered their garlic parmesan fries, a margarita, and 3 lbs of happy style sauce crawfish mild that came with 1 potato and 1 corn. Total came out to be $65 with tip. There were no tables available, as the restaurant is quite small, so we were offered to sit at the bar. -The parmesan garlic fries came with the garlic on the side in a little container containing mostly oil and garlic crunches on the bottom. The flavor was good, but it was too oily. I wish they poured the garlic onto the fries vs having us dip it in the oil. Not sure how much these were, as the price wasn't on the menu I took snapshots of. -The margarita was on the smaller side, but my husband enjoyed it. $8 -3lbs crawfish was ehhh. It was definitely frozen so it was harder to peel and honestly, nothing special, which was disappointing. It was also kinda mushy?? which is definitely a first.. The only thing I liked was the happy style sauce. We ordered mild, but can definitely go hotter since the mild wasn't spicy at all. Portions were kinda small, tbh and so we left unsatisfied. The crawfish came out to be $41 with tax, which was kinda expensive.. esp being frozen. Thoughts: -very tiny restaurant with only 8 tables, including 1 large table for 6-7 people -you can't order 1 or 2 lbs of crawfish, the minimum is 3 lbs which I feel is a bit odd.. -kinda expensive with the 3lbs crawfish esp it being frozen cuz you can get fresh crawfish for less than what they're charging at other places Honestly, pretty disappointed with what we ordered. Guess we'll have to keep looking for other seafood boils. I saw that they had crawfish etouffee, which I am looking forward to trying next time I come. Also, come earlier if you want to get a table. **It's kinda a weird setup. Although there are tables, you actually order first at the front and then you sit. There are no table service just fyi!

Been many times Always 4 stars. Been to every restaurant…read morein Cedar Park this is one of the best of the 4 to 5 star restaurant in Cedar Park. Don't waste your time at the chains.

Even after several returns, this place still stands strong as one of our favorite local gems. We…read moredecided to try a few new dishes this time and did not disappoint. But of course, can't leave here without the fresh half shelled oysters! We got 1.5 dozens this time. Yumm!!! The Ceviche took us back to our fond memories of having one of our favorite fish ceviche on the beach vacationing in Mexico. It was not fishy and well balanced with the fresh citrus base and lightly sweetened. The fresh chips give the bite a perfect crunch. We also got their beet and feta cheese salad, which was on their daily special menu. It was refreshing and love the added bitterness from the arugula. It wasn't the best we've had but we still enjoyed it. Service is always superb and their waiters work so well together supporting the tables without missing a beat.

Great atmosphere good food, server was attentive and nice…read more We will be back soon! Price is fair

Salt Traders in Round Rock has become one of our go-to spots, and it never disappoints. The food…read moreand service are consistently excellent, which keeps us coming back. From the amazing sourdough bread to the smoked fish appetizer, everything starts off strong. For mains, you really can't go wrong--whether it's the shrimp and lobster roll or the classic fish and chips, every dish hits the mark. We also highly recommend the crab fried rice. I can't remember a visit where we haven't ordered andextra one for leftovers. It's a great spot no matter the time of day. Whether you're stopping in for brunch, lunch, or dinner, Salt Traders is always a solid choice when you're craving delicious, well-prepared seafood.

LOVE Stuffed Especially on Wednesdays! That's Jambalaya…read moreDay and it is soooo GOOD Got it to go and they had it all ready when I arrived.

Had gone to check out Interstellar bbq on Friday at about 130 but they had run of just about…read moreeverything. Fortunately for us, we looked across the street and saw this spot which turned out to be a gem. It's a cajun meat market that doubles as a cajun kitchen. They offer simple, no frills dishes that are pretty tasty and true to Louisiana cuisine. There's limited seating and while there's a steady number of folks coming in, didnt see anyone not grt a table so the flow is pretty steady for geoups of 4 or less. If you're bringing a group larger than 4, you may have a hard time seating everyones. We had the shrimp po boy and the roast beef boy. The french bread on both was amazing: warm and soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Both were loaded pretty generously and came with lettuce, tomato pickles and mayo. The side we chose were fries which were pretty spectacular: thinly cut and well seasoned. The only sad part is that it's way north for us. We'd probably be there more often if ot were closer.

Holiday party #4 tonight...we met a friend of ours for a holiday party being held at Simar. While…read morethe Mexican seafood restaurant has been open for 4 years, this is the first time we have visited. The hostess provided tortilla chips along with ceviche, guacamole and salsa. We ate lightly as we were heading to a dinner holiday party. The appetizers were absolutely delicious. I got to speak with Chef Manny and and Carina, the general manager to gain some insights about the business. Mexican Cocina is based on the cooking method and seasonings. The foods can be cooked over fire, oven or in the stove. Their unique value proposition is that you can choose your seafood from the case and the restaurant staff prepares the food to your liking. The restaurant is very large with different size rooms for rental. For large party rentals the spend minimum is $1000 and during the week it is $800. Such a nice find relatively close to home...definitely will return...

Not sure what happened here but this restaurant does not resemble the high ratings and reviews here…read moreon Yelp. Visited on a weeknight and left thoroughly underwhelmed. The bartender was very friendly and attentive to us but the food was very disappointing. We started with the ceviche tropical, which is consists of shrimp and fruit/veggies. It was very underseasoned and did not seem to be well marinated. Moreover, the dish had a fishiness to it that was a turnoff. The chips served with the ceviche had oil collecting on them (see photo). I've had good ceviche in the U.S. and Mexico and this was not it. The main entree was the Tacos Nayarit (fish tacos). The portions of fish were microscopic and also lacked flavor. The Spanish rice served on the side was the worst I've had in a restaurant. It was wet, old and gummy (see photo). The black beans didn't taste bad but they were superheated as if they were warmed in a microwave. Overall, the food was pretty horrible. So very sad as I was hoping to find a good Mexican seafood option in Austin. I was told that this restaurant is owned by the same folks that operate Casa Chapala, where I have had great experiences. Hopefully this place will improve over time.