My list of places to try in Austin is a never-ending backlog. About a year ago, I had a friend…read morerecommend Lil' Easy for dinner. Since it was this new and poppin' restaurant on East Cesar Chavez from the team behind De Nada, we had over an hour wait that we didn't take up. Its vibe intrigued me, and I think Cajun food is top five like Tatum with a cut. I decided to prepare only slightly this time. While getting dinner with a friend, we were discussing places when I suggested Lil' Easy. I threw a reservation down for an hour later at one of their numerous dining options. Upon arrival, parking at that little strip of restaurants on East Cesar Chavez is a bit treacherous. If you're not afraid of getting your steps in at 6 pm on a Friday, don't sweat it. Anyone else, good luck. There are a lot of different seating arrangements at Lil' Easy: the true outdoor patio with fans and umbrellas, the climate-controlled outdoor space that still brings the sun while still pumping A/C, and the traditional indoor space. Plenty of seating. The entire place was decorated with Mardi Gras beads and colors. Off the rip, we had to set the tone: I ordered a Pimm's Cup while my friend got some secret frozen swirl. We had to throw down an order of the Crawfish Queso as well. The food and drinks were served so quickly, we questioned if it was ours. The queso was De Nada's signature queso with Crawfish Étouffée mixed in. There are no tortilla chips on the side, but instead toasted bread. It's kinda like a DIY Crostini. The crawfish's flavor is a unique and savory balance to the cheesiness of the queso. Very delightful. We crushed it. My friend wanted to go wild. Another appetizer?? Their Shrimp Cocktail was thrown down immediately after ordering. The shrimp was great, but those house pickles were sneakily one of the best things they served us. Living the high life. Speaking of that, I ordered a High Life Pony as we made our main orders: a Fried Catfish Po'Boy and Fried Oyster Po'Boy. Both cut down the middle so we could have a little this, a little that. I think the bread, the catfish and the oysters, and the fries served alongside it were all incredible. My only issue was that the catfish po'boy had horseradish in it. That is a me issue, and I don't know why I can't stand horseradish. I don't know if it was hiding in their coleslaw or their rémoulade, but something was horseradish-y! I'd get the oyster po'boy again and again though! We closed the night with me being fun as I ordered their Frozen Espresso Martini with sprinkles and whipped cream because some other lady sitting nearby had that, and I WANTED TO BE FUN TOO. My friend got herself the seasonal nonalcoholic Arnold Palmer that was spiked with some Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka. Hers was great, but mine was basically a milkshake. I looked like a joyous kid with my drink. I was so very happy. They do give you lids for your drinks if you want to take them with you, but I planned to finish mine then and there. The gimme cups are also a nice touch and have their cute alligator mascot on them. Throughout the night, we could not believe how fast the service was at getting our meals and our drinks to us. Our waitress was absolutely on point the entire time we were there, constantly checking in on us and being extremely friendly and helpful in making sure we chose the right things and had a good meal ahead of us. Lil' Easy is casual, fun, and absolutely delicious. They have some of the best frozens in Austin, and their food is some of the best seafood and Cajun food I've had in Austin, hands down. Get over here. RIYL: crawfish and cocktails

This place is cute. It does feel a little bit like New Orleans. Just in the aspect of sitting…read moreoutside in the decor, but not the ambience. When we arrived, we sat outside since it was such a nice day. There was plenty of seating and it was a Sunday where they were having a crawfish boil. The service was nice. The waitress is very helpful and nice. I came here because I kept hearing good things about the crawfish. I have to say the crawfish was OK. There is nothing amazing about it, but it was good. I will say the corn and the onion were beyond spicy, but that was a nice kick. We also got the oysters. I have to say that the oysters were delicious so I give them that. The gumball was definitely missing a lot of flavor. It was it that good. The deviled eggs were mediocre and nothing special to them. We also got a meat. Patty empanada kind of deal and that was OK. It was a little overly greasy. And for dessert, we got the banana rum cake, which I have to say was nice but again nothing special. As for drinks, they had quite a variation. One of us got the espresso martini, which was OK. It was too sweet for my taste. And then I got the spritz which was nice. It's very hard to mess up a spritz. Not sure I would've come back just because the food was OK if I did come back, it would be for the oysters cause I do say that was really good for them.

I recently took a work trip to Austin, and I tried this place because it was near my hotel. I…read moredefinitely enjoyed it! We were seated promptly, served swiftly, and were given great service the whole night. The restaurant appeared on the smaller side, still had adequate tables, and the lighting was a little dim. Proved to be a perfect setting. I tried the Amberjack special. It was not on the menu, but it was fabulous! If I remember correctly, the fish was on top of a grit cake on pea puree. Or something like that ha! I just know it was fantastic, and I'm going by my very fuzzy memory! My table of work colleagues and I truly had a great meal. The food was all phenomenal and reasonably priced. The service was on point. Vibes were golden!

Meeting friends in Austin we picked this restaurant at random being halfway between our locations…read more What a great choice! All of our selections were outstanding. I recommend the crawfish chili relleno, a batter fried poblano pepper stuffed with cheesy, crawdads served on a bed of rice with queso. Crawfish etouffee featured a generous portion of crawdads in a tangy, Cajun sauce, perfectly spiced. Service was quick and friendly and we had no room for dessert!

Service was good, but the food...freakin great. Was in town for a corporate meeting and got to town…read morein time to sneak in a meal. By chance, I crumbled upon this place. Try it! You won't be disappointed.

I had to get in some cajon food in this town…read more this restaurant is very close to my hotel and I have been eyeing it ever since I got here. finally, checked it out a couple days ago. i order the catfish gumbo which comes with 2 sides. I got beans with rice and the veggie of the day, also got a shiner bock beer for 5 bucks. total with tip was ~33 i think i gave 5bucks tip the fish gumbo was really good. i also really like the beans with rice. it has a slightly different flavor profile but also very good. i think this place is a hidden gem.... good portions, decent price, and easy parking, had to figure out another P for a triple P. i think this was better than when I got rip off on bourbon street, yrs back. that was straight up super expensive double charge the tourist stuff...

Excellent service and location. L had a Strawberry beer and I had an IPA. L ordered Oysters…read moreContraband and Fried Oysters. I had a side Caesar with Fried Crawfish Tails and Oysters. The Oysters Contraband was outstanding. Both of our entrees were perfectly prepared and delicious. An iconic location with great food.

I wanted to come back here since I find out one of my client's is a chef here. Shout out to Wendy!…read moreThe fried shrimp po boy was delicious! I had it with both spicy mayo and the Evangeline sauce. Highly recommend! The French bread for the sandwich is delightful, soft with golden yet giving crust. Not hard and crunchy like you find most French breads. Wait staff here are efficient and welcoming. My waitress gave me the suggestion of having both the sauces on my po boy. As you can tell from my pictures, the decor is eclectic Louisiana theme. Lots of notes of Lake Charles and Mardi Gras. The alligator on the receipt was a nice like themed treat.

We had great service! Brooks was very attentive and was very quick. The food was great too.read more

Our waiter Sabrina was super sweet and welcoming! Will be definitely coming back and ask for herread more

Shrimp parm is the best ralph ur the man ! Clean kitchen always fresh food keeps me coming back !read more

4.5 Stars I loved…read morethe huge variety of seafood/protein options on the menu. Food is tasty for sure but also super greasy / salty (we had the cajun chicken quesadilla ($18) the guac was bomb and super fresh). Located inside Lavaca Street Bar.

This restaurant was pretty good and the food came out in less than 10 min! The service was good and…read moreI liked how he was very efficient. The restaurant has lots of seating and it has a very chill vibe. There are plenty of TVs to watch sports games and there is a bar as well. Calamari: The calamari was very crispy and a good portion. The flavor was also very neutral and there was not any weird tastes. However, I wish the calami came out warmer as it was a bit lukewarm when it arrived to the table. Shell Shocker: This boil was really good! The portion is good and the prices are standard. I got the Hook & Reel special blend and it was extremely flavorful and yummy. Next time, I am going to get the spicy because the mild had ZERO spice. This boil came with corn, two potatoes, crab, and shrimp.

My past interactions with seafood broils have not been positive so I had given up. The first was…read morewith a party and was meh but I'm finding out it was the stuff others picked out as well as the flavor( "butter") . The second time was at Joes crab Shack and the crab there was empty and they mixed up the flavors with the incredibly spicy one. Like the saying goes third times the charm. Came here with my fiancé over the weekend. First and foremost the service was great. Our server was very friendly and helpful. She also informed us that they had an all day happy hour so we ordered a pitcher of margarita. Everything came out fast, the flavors were great, and for the price the amount in the bag was great. Will definitely be coming back.

If you're in the Austin area and craving some authentic soul food, you HAVE to check out Whip My…read moreSoul! My husband and I were craving soul food, and one of my coworkers recommended this spot. The moment we arrived, Antonio greeted us outside, opened the door for us, welcomed us in, and made us feel right at home. His customer service was top-notch from the very beginning. He walked us over to the ordering counter and gave us some great recommendations after I told him I wanted to try the oxtails and the cheesy mac & cheese shrimp egg rolls. He also gave us their special red sauce... and WOW. It was absolutely delicious! We ended up dipping everything in it because it paired perfectly with every bite. We loved it so much that we went back for another cup, and Antonio happily gave us another one on the house. That sauce is seriously addictive! Now let's talk about the food. Every single thing we ordered was packed with flavor. I actually got so full I couldn't even finish my plate--and that's saying something because it was THAT good. My husband is a huge soul food fan and a real food critic, so I was waiting to hear what he'd say. Surprisingly (and that's rare!), he didn't have one negative thing to say. He absolutely loved everything. The oxtails were fall-off-the-bone tender, rich, and full of flavor. The rice soaked up every bit of that delicious gravy, and honestly, it was addictive. It was so good that my husband actually put his fork down and started eating the oxtails with his hands... and he NEVER does that in a restaurant! The red beans and rice were smoky, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. My husband LOVES red beans and rice, and he couldn't stop talking about how good they were. Before we left, my husband even walked back up to the counter just to tell Antonio how amazing everything was. Antonio thanked us, invited us to come back, and we absolutely will! Amazing food, outstanding customer service, generous portions, and such a welcoming atmosphere. If you're looking for authentic soul food that leaves you wanting to come back, I can't recommend Whip My Soul enough. 5/5 -- We'll definitely be back!

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!