For the price you are paying and portions you get not worth in my opinion. They hyped up this place.

(Note: I write Facebook reviews for residents of Turner's Crossing, a new development in Buda, as we all learn about good places to dine in Austin.) ------------- To call this popular Buda eatery outstanding is an understatement. There's a reason you need reservations even at 5 o'clock in the middle of the week, and people were still coming in at 7:30. MudBugs is a friendly, welcoming place in Buda Mill & Grain Co., a renovated, historical landmark now housing boutiques and restaurants at the western edge of downtown Buda. The menu is heavy on New Orleans-style Cajun dishes, but there are several choices for the less adventurous among us. For dinner this evening, there were four of us around the table because it was wife Karen's 80th birthday. We were the guests of our daughter and her husband. For my Turner's Crossing neighbors, I expect that word-of-mouth has already reached you about the high-quality food in this place. It's only about 10 minutes down the road from us, so I do hope you have already tried it. If not, you are missing a nearby dining treasure. This is a place to linger over dinner, but don't forget your wallet. Prices are moderate and absolutely worth what you pay. For openers tonight, we started with some adult beverages from a full-service bar. The birthday girl, usually a teetotaler, got her favorite -- a brandy Alexander. Then we got an appetizer of fried calamari ($12) for the table. The calamari was done perfectly tender and crispy, and everybody raved about the remoulade sauce. Karen ordered a bowl of gumbo ($12) for her meal. It was chock full of andouille sausage, seafood and okra. She pronounced the generous portion excellent and took some home with her. Our son-in-law settled on a side Caesar salad ($7) and a bowl of the gumbo. Our daughter went with the "grateful shrimp" ($26), crab-stuffed, bacon-wrapped shrimp, rice, vegetable and tasso cream, a spicy, smoky and highly seasoned sauce common in Cajun cuisine. I decided on something outside the box in a Cajun place. I got the meatloaf ($18), a large slab of the good stuff with a ketchup glaze atop some mashed potatoes. Very tasty, and I considered it a particularly good value. Our celebratory dinner was made even better by an attentive, efficient and very personable young waitress named Freya. She took excellent care of the birthday cake we had brought in with us and made sure we had everything needed to serve it as our dessert. She had set aside the original box to carry the leftover cake safely home with us. We insisted she get a piece to take home with her too. ------------- Following are notes from a previous visit to MudBugs: ------------- Tonight, we dined with a local couple we met at a downtown Buda coffeehouse a week or so ago. They recommended it, and their choice was on point. The conversation flowed easily, and time passed quickly. We agreed to try another place together soon. For openers, they shared a shrimp bruschetta, Karen had a half dozen charbroiled oysters, and I had a cup of spicy shrimp gumbo. Their dinners were a special halibut catch of the day and a hefty stuffed-shrimp platter. Karen had shrimp and grits, and I had a double pork chop with creamed spinach. Karen and I both brought some of our meals home. The place is casual with a fun vibe, but it is certainly not inexpensive. Food, however, is truly good and worth the cost. My pork chops were easily the best I ever had, even better than Hamway's in Toledo, which was famous for them. Our server, Jack, was prompt, attentive and friendly. It all made for a delightful few hours with new friends. read more

I had such high hopes for this place. First off, the staff was unorganized when we walked in for our 6:30 reservation. After waiting for about 15 minutes to be seated, we were brought to our table and our waitress was absolutely lovely. She was friendly and helped us with all questions we had about the menu. Unfortunately, they were out of 3 of the most popular menu items so we weren't able to get the items we wanted The food: Extremely disappointing. (Except the shrimp and grits!) The "taterfish" was extremely dry and unflavorful. The meatloaf was nothing special. Our food came out cold and at different times. Again, I was really excited to try Mud Bugs after hearing great things but I don't think I'll come back. read more

Sat at the bar top to get a quick after work meal before the potential freeze hits tonight. Ordered a beverage and appetizer. No napkins, plates or silverware given. No refills on water. No follow up on how the app was or if we needed anything. Instead, floor manager and male bartender looked around and ignored us. Finally came by to say "we are closing in 15 minutes" It's cold and slow... I get it. But take care of the customers who chose to come eat at your establishment. Calamari was good. Wish I could have ordered shrimp n grits like I planned to. Disappointing. read more

Great food! Great service, too. And, most every menu item is Gluten Free! For those who need it, what a treat it is to see so many options.

I've been coming to Mudbugs for over 4yrs. I've always enjoyed the daily dozen specials, claws when they had the appetizer, and even the BBQ shrimp that they offer. However tonight the food and service was off. My steak was dried and burnt. My kids Alfredo with burnt chicken was hard to eat but they did. Not here to bash my local neighbor nor a resturant that I have always enjoyed eating at but after tonight and spending close $300. Upsetting the lack of service and quality of the food. I initially called to make a reservation but was told that they don't offer same day reservation but could walk in and wait. I took it upon myself to hop online and go directly to the restaurant website. I found the reservation option and booked it for 8 people at 4:45pm. Unfortunately sad that staff doesn't put thier best foot forward for a client but better eat thier company that they work for. I appreciate this gem and hopefully my next visit won't be the same. read more

My boyfriend and I sat at the bar about an hour before close, and the bartender was short with us, and but it seemed like all the staff was unfriendly and angry. I felt like we had to finish our food quickly, even though it didn't get to us until about 30 minutes after we ordered, and no one checked on us to see how we were doing. I understand we were at the bar and they probably wanted to go home, but I didn't even bother asking about dessert because the bartender hardly looked in our direction and told us they were out of the food and drinks we originally wanted when she was taking our order. The food itself was great, but I felt rushed and unwanted. I was there for my birthday dinner after an afternoon/evening of teaching, and we made light of the situation, but if the circumstances were different we would've gotten there early enough to where we didn't have to eat and leave in a rush. read more

Mud Bugs never disappoints. Always fresh and new. The fried oysters on chips with lime sauce and mango salsa is to die for. The Dailey Dozen, blacken lobster tails on and rich Mac and cheese with crawfish and shrimp was phenomenal. They also upgraded their patio. Cool and comfortable in the shade with great service. Tasteful live music. Not too loud so you can talk and enjoy your evening. Thank you for creating such wonderful food, impeccable service and warm ambience in beautiful down town Buda. read more

I have been here twice. You need a reservation here on days like Easter Sunday. The service and food was just ok. It didn't seem on par with the cost. For example, my friend's fish was really undercooked. The servers are very nice. The ambiance is nice. They have an interesting drink menu. read more

Dinner was tasteless this evening. We had meatloaf and crusted reddish On previous visits it was much better. Service was good, but we won't go back soon. read more

Delicious Cajun/creole food that is a unique spin on classic Cajun classics. Their signature cocktails are amazing. My husband loves the oyster specials and the Flaming Longbranch drink. Owner is super friendly and approachable. So glad to have a nicer restaurant experience in Buda. We love the outdoor seating and patio - still a family-friendly establishment too. read more

Mud Bugs is a great Cajun Restaurant. Most recently, we celebrated a birthday there. The staff supports each other and attentive. The food is good and they have Crawfish Boil currently. read more

My wife and I saw an advertisement for MudBugs in the local neighborhood flyer and decided to give it a try. We had made reservations online which was easy and did not require a lot of steps. Upon arrival we were promptly seated. Lee, our waitress, was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable about the menu as you would expect but she also went into greater detail in how items were prepared - a nice touch. My wife had the Grateful Shrimp and I had a cup of gumbo as an appetizer along with the Pontchartrain stuffed shrimp. Everything was excellent and we'll definitely be back and hope we can be seated in Lee's section. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

Mud Bugs is definitely my go to spot in Buda. The food is awesome and better than eating downtown in Austin.

Place was great, travelling on business, bar tops are best when eating/drinking alone, glad they had MNF on one of the TV's as it is the responsible/civilized thing to do. The gumbo was just good, the fish I had on a bed of rice was amazing, the rice and fish were as good as it could be, just perfect. The green beans were a bit crisp for my palate I like them a little softer but that's more of a preference thing. The ambiance was 10/10 inside and out. Minor comment? A beer menu or tap list would be great I always feel awkward asking staff to recite a full list of beers to me and attempting to gather information from tap handles is tiring. The place is great give it a shot! read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

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Our food was exceptional! The bbq shrimp was amazing and the Brussels sprouts were pretty good too. The service was good, and the outside patio is really nice. Definitely a must-see. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Brussel sprouts - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

A tad pricey with somewhat disappointing portion sizes, but aside from that, everything was 10/10 delicious.

Sat outside on a weeknight, nice wait. Server David was attentive and knowledgeable. Fried calamari was easily the best part of the meal, so good. I got the fish with the hash brown on it, and while I don't remember what kind of fish it was that night, it was a bit tough. Pricey. Would go again for the calamari. read more

We absolutely love the place. Two years ago, we had the pleasure of trying the food and OMG. Absolutely delicious. They had a pork chop with sweet potato, that was to die for, we had it several times over the months. We waited all year for it, however, when they switched the menu back last year, fall menu, they didn't have it. We got to try other food options and they are just as expected. Delicious The restaurant shows consistency, every time! read more

Best Gumbo EVER!!! 4th stop in and every experience has been amazing. Staff knowledge is spot on and incredibly friendly. Highly recommended read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Seasonal Grilled Cheese and fish & chips in the background. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

Was in the area visiting friends this weekend. This was one of the places that they introduced us to. The menu is fantastic, lots of terrific choices but when I saw Shrimp & Grits on the menu, that's when I stopped reading. Even though our friends said that EVERYTHING on the menu is good, I still stopped here. I'm a sucker for a good shrimp and grits and this seemed like a good place to order it. The hubs and I both ordered it without onions and mushrooms (honestly, I've never seen it with mushrooms before - kudos to the chef for this addition but we don't like them so opted out). THEY WERE FANTASTIC. A little runnier than grits usually are, some garlic bread would have been a great addition to sop it all up. The staff was friendly and our waiter quite helpful (as I always have questions because of stupid food 'issues'). He was attentive and even offered to take our picture before dinner. The restaurant was clean and well-lit. Our friend had said that upstairs grows quite noisy during the dinner hour, so she'd requested that we sit in the downstairs area. She was right about the upstairs, while we waited for the table you could see that the high ceilings and lack of sound absorbing materials would make for a VERY noisy restaurant. The downstairs didn't have a lot of sound-absorbing material, either, while it's likely MUCH quieter than upstairs it did get a little distracting as other tables were seated. I hate it when we all find ourselves shouting to be heard at our own table. Would I go again when I visit? Yes. I would definitely do an early dinner and ask to be seated downstairs, though. read more

We were very disappointed in the food--one small bowl of lukewarm gumbo, one po boy made from a loaf of bread and only four small oysters, and two coffees with no refills. Not to mention the outrageous price for low quantity and low quality. Would not recommend unless they make some drastic changes to the kitchen and pricing. Plus if I have to yell to hear the person next to me over the music, it's just too loud. read more

Improve the quality of food. Don't serve crab cakes without fresh crab if charging anything amount of $25 . It's unfortunate that this place seems like not gonna make it in Buda. Changed brunch menu , happy hour or social hour? Really a joke and many wines, beer and alcohol were out. Like maybe new owners coming? Something needs to revamp. Beautiful building and wonderful staff. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Well they call it a Crab Cake - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

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I always love eating at Mud bugs. The food is delicious and staff is great! Ask for David, the waiter. He is on top of things. If you haven't been you gotta run. This place is always jumping so make a reservation. You will thank me later. read more

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I recently tried their Sunday brunch and everything was delicious. I ordered the crab cake Benedict and my husband had the chicken friend steak with eggs on top. My kiddos has the waffles and French toast with a side of eggs and fruit. Hayley was our server and she was super attentive and had great recommendations about the menu. She let us know the menu changes every 4 months and definitely knew every item like the back of her hand. I've had their dinner menu several times and it's even more delicious! That being said this place is a SOLID brunch option with delicious food, drinks and a gorgeous industrial NOLA vibes. read more

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Excellent food. Very pricey for Buda but very upscale compared to other restaurants in the area. Service is a little slow but not as bad as other reviewers experience. (But, then, this IS Yelp, where negative reviews are the norm.) Wait staff checks back fairly regularly. Very loud, but to be expected for a warehouse size room. Hubby and I would prefer a quieter, more intimate environment at this price point. Menu is a little odd with hard to follow descriptions and offerings, but we love the unusual dishes and spices. Rather small portions but enough to satisfy and not leave feeling overstuffed. As long-time Buda residents, we are very happy to have a restaurant like this in Buda. Overall a very enjoyable experience. Just wish it was more affordable for us so we could go more frequently and not just for special occasions. read more

First, I'll say that I normally enjoy this place but today's service (from Heather) was pathetic. When we sat at the table, there were two glasses of water that were apparently left from the prior guests. Waitress took a very long time to greet us. When she did, we politely asked if we can get new glasses of water because they were left from the previous guests (one glass partially drank). When we asked her for the new glasses, she had an attitude and look appalled that we didn't want to risk drinking behind someone else. She brought back glasses and we asked for straws which, judging by her face, bothered her. We placed orders. Wanted shrimp for an appetizer. Shrimp poboy and chicken fried steak for dinner. Entrees came but appetizer never did. When I asked about the appetizer she said "I wrote it down but forgot." How do you forget if you wrote it on the ticket?? Just watching her interact with other guests, she was very active with them but seemed to avoid us for most of our time there. Only time she was quick is when we asked for the bill. read more

The ENTIRE MENU (save one item) is gluten-free, including dessert!! My dad was SO excited to be able to pick anything he wanted! He almost never is able to have fish n chips anymore, and it's one of his favorites, so he always delighted. My mom had been a little concerned about spicyness at a Cajun place (we're all kind of lightweights that way) but she said her bacon wrapped shrimp was actually just right! I had a bite off her plate and man, amazing flavor and the shrimp were cooked to perfection! The staff members were super friendly and engaging. The proprietor inquired if we'd like to sit indoors, at the bar, or outside; we opted for outside and he turned on the misters to help keep us cool. He checked in on us during our meal as well; it was clear he appreciated our patronage. Our waitress, Meghan, was very attentive and also pretty witty. She took excellent care of us, making sure our water glasses were full and our needs were met, all with a big smile (yes, you could tell, even under the mask!). She even got us to order dessert (which ordinarily is not something we do!); if you get the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, make sure you share with a friend or two because it's a BIG slice! This place is definitely rocking the industrial vibe on the inside, and they've got lots of outdoor seating (good during COVID-19 precautions!) with shade. They boast a big drink menu (though we did not partake in alcohol on our visit). Refills on soda aren't free. The parking lot is also ample (though shared by a couple other establishments). (Can I also say that as a trans man myself, I loved the inclusivity when I saw a poster about alcohol and pregnancy in the men's restroom? ) It's safe to say I found a new favorite downtown place to eat in Buda. Seeing as we just bought a house nearby, I'll be coming back! :D read more

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I want to love this place because there's not a lot to choose from out here. The food is definitely hit or miss, but the service has always been great. Tonight the food was a total miss and the service was even worse. I hate posting this, but it's the truth. My salad was suppose to come with a balsamic vinaigrette. It came out with some other creamy dressing. When I told the bartender, he said " I'm sorry, one second." He came back with pure balsamic vinegar and I had to add it to the creamy dressing. So weird. The crab cake was pretty good. Just the experience was off today. The bartender just forgot about our side of the bar. There were only three people at the bar. The couple next to me even complained about how he was too distracted to pay us any attention when we needed more drinks. read more

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Everything about this place is fantastic from the aesthetics of the d building to the employees to the delicious food. I was very pleasantly about how good the food actually was. We got an appetizer of the N. O. B's which was shrimp in a wonderful sauce accompanied by toasted bread for dipping and a bowl of gumbo. My husband got the special of the day which happened to be chicken fried steak that came with mashed potatoes and collard greens-which is said were the best he's ever had. I had the salmon over shrimp jambalaya and the salmon was cooked absolutely perfect. We live about an hour from the restaurant and it was good enough for us to make the drive just for a date night again in the future. read more

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The Hurricane drink did not have much alcohol. The gumbo was spicy and not what we really go for. The calamari was good. The salmon dish was very good. The pucker up pie was pretty rich like it was made with Eagle Brand condensed milk. The service was good. read more

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I've been going here since they opened during Covid. I enjoyed the food and service for many years, but the last couple of times I've gone it has been a regret. The portions have dwindled down. The bread was burnt black to a crisp and my favorite meal, the andouille crusted redfish barely had any of the orzo pasta and tased fishy. The waitress didn't place my friend's order either. It is definitely not what it used to be. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

The food was fabulous. I had the shrimp poboy and my husband had the oyster poboy w gumbo...delicious! We will be going back!

Mud bugs has terrific cuisine if you like Cajun. I like most cuisines and have ventured to places where dog and crickets on a stick are considered lunch. In this way, Cajun food is adventurous and subliminally stimulating. The shrimp, which I have allergies, was tasty nonetheless and regardless of the huge red boils and hives I experienced on the way back to my home. Thank goodness for my epi-pen! The crab gumbo, (different allergy) was worth the after-affects that one with shellfish type allergies might get. No wonder I haven't been craving gumbo. By the way, it IS darn tasty and I can see how other people might like it. The sodas were great too, and I'm not allergic to them. Given the friendliness of the team, I'll surely return with my extended family, all of whom deserve to eat Cajun hot fries too! read more

My parents have eaten here a couple of times and kept telling me how good it is. I honestly don't think I've ever gone to Buda for the sole purpose of eating out, but this restaurant is cool. I had no idea how much Buda has grown. When we arrived, we were seated immediately and water glasses were brought to us. It took a little while for our server to come to our table. I was about ready to ask on the status of our server when he came up to the table. Luckily, the service was good after that. I had a cocktail (that I can't remember the name of) and it was good. The cocktails are not listed on the menu, it's on a chalkboard at the bar. The menu does not list times for brunch either, but when the owner came by to chat, he said right now it's on Sundays (and of course I can't remember the time; maybe 11a-3p?). We started with brussel sprouts royale. These were very good. My parents love them and order them every time they eat at Mud Bugs. They have an interesting flavor mix of sweet and savory as well as a nice crunch from the pecans. For my entree, I ordered the taterfish with a side of spinach (which was placed under the fish). The flavor of the salmon was really good but the potatoes on top got a little soggy. It would have been nice if it had more of a crispy texture to it but since it is supposed to be like tater tots, the potato slices on top were very soft. For dessert we had bread pudding. It was okay. I've had better, but it was decent. Overall we had a nice dinner. The staff is super friendly and we appreciated the owner stopping by to say hi and make sure everything was good with our meal. read more

With a name like this I really wasn't sure what to expect. The interior is classic sports bar/diner. But it had such an amazing family orientated atmosphere. Given that it is a diner my expectations of the food were set in line with that. WOW was I wrong. The food is unbelievably good. From the first to the last bite. Every mouthful was delicious. We started with the Brussel Sprouts, have them. This is all I can say. You will not regret it. I followed that with a Kale Salad and that too was really well done. Full of flavor and just the right amount of balsamic used to bring those flavors out. The Mudbug is a treasure. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Brussel Sprouts - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

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Dropped in for a mid afternoon meal with no reservation on weekend. Had a choice of in or out. My first impression was "Super cool spaces" in and out. Then the host appeared and asked "May I help you?" Whaat? Um, not in a Lowes looking for plumber's tape. I am either here for a meal or drink. The ask landed wrong. Is that weird? It came off as a superiority power play rather than being at my service. Once seated our server Jason was perfectly helpful but not overbearing. 5 stars. The menu was cute! Crab cake app looked so good but honestly tasted like tuna ? Next time will give a different app a try. I had the chicken sandwich with grits and hubby had the burger and fries and a pumkinator stout. They were good. Nothing extraordinary. However my husband said the pucker pie was the best ever. I will likely try the cheesecake next time as I have had better key lime. Overall 3 plus due to location, good waitstaff and lovely space and beautiful presentation. read more

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The owner Jeff has a real passion for his business and is dedicated to sharing classic Cajun with a refined twist. Clean/healthy ingredients. Dog friendly restaurant, too! read more

Not terrible, not superlative, just ok. We met a friend in Buda for lunch. The small shopping district that Mud Bugs sits in is gorgeous. Taking a cue from Magnolia in Waco it's built around several grain silos with hip businesses like a hot yoga studio, the area actually had us looking at Buda real estate while we waited for Mud Bugs to open. Inside is expansive, with high ceilings and nary an interior wall to be found. There's also a decent sized patio with plenty of shade, if that's your vibe. Our server was pleasant and knowledgeable, but unfortunately the food didn't live up to the expectations set by the décor. The rest of this review will be short, because everything we ordered can be summed up as "meh." No culinary faux pas but definitely far short of some of the other glowing Yelp reviews....maybe we came on an off day? The po boys, calamari fries, smash reckoning...all okay. Even my smoked Longbranch cocktail seemed like it was primarily focused on aesthetics (and it worked, I posted it here!). I suspect there was less than a finger of bourbon in there. I had a sip, both ladies had a sip, and there was probably one sip left by the time it got back to me. I might go back if I'm in the neighborhood, but I'm not sure Mud Bugs hits the level of "destination restaurant" just yet. read more

Mud Bugs A Cajun Joint - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Buda, Texas

Mud bugs Buda offers some really good food hot and fresh. The service was great. My waitress even offered a few items I tried the bloody Mary with the shrimp and grits. The establishment was perfect. They even offered live music. This is a great place to take your family and friends to enjoy during the week or even on a Sunday for brunch I give this place a 10 out of 10. read more

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