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    Poor House Bistro

    3.7 (1.4k reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order Poor House Bistro Takeout or Delivery

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    POOR HOUSE BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Live music
    Dogs allowed

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    Crawfish Pasta
    Vidya K.

    We ordered food while we were out drinking at the speakeasy cellar next door. The bistro has live music as well which we could hear but something we want to try next time. We also had the Half Vegetarian Muffaletta which could feed more than one person. It was delicious, filled with vegetables and nicely toasted. Would love to go back and experience the ambiance in the restaurant with the music.

    Vicki B.

    3 stars for the food but 5 for the entertainment and bar vibe. We had dinner here last month. We went early'ish so there was parking in front, but there was a good amount of people, probably because an event (though thankfully not a Sharks game) at the arena. You ordered at the counter and they buzzed you when it was ready. We opted to sit in the bar area to listen to music but it was cold and made dining and people watching less fun than it could have been. They definitely needed some space heaters. The food was meh, possibly because it was tepid. The sandwich was decent, though could have used a side of jus and some salt. Points for a toasted roll. The gumbo (or red beans & rice, I forget which) was very lukewarm and needed some kick. The cornbread was dry. The beignets were okay but again, barely warm, and there was a ton of powdered sugar (don't let the photo fool you, there was an inch on the top and at least another inch in the bottom of the bowl). The entertainment and the bar crowd were the best though. I don't remember the band's name, but the average age of its members was in the 50s. They were jammin' and the audience was groovin'. So much fun. Would I go back for food? Probably not. But to hang out in the bar when it's warmer or they've added space heaters to hear fun music and have a couple of drinks? Absolutely!

    Attosa C.

    I was not a fan of Cajun food till I came here. The food was sooooo good! The service was very nice. Not too crowded. Good volume to have conversations. The outdoor area was nice and warm, even on Christmas week. Little pricey but very worth it.

    Jambalaya
    John O.

    Take with a grain of salt as I'm traveling, but very judgy of Creole/Cajun/NoLa restaurants. I'm a jambalaya chaser and that's my bar. The service was lightning quick and my jambalaya was ready before I could fill my water cup. This means they must keep it and probably some gumbo hot and ready to go. However, I think it was extremely mid. Running for the hot sauce, I accidentally poured waaay too much on my plate and it still could have taken more. The other people's food looked away better so I'd come back to try again, and I feel as though this would be a great spot for drinks, the outdoor area is huge.

    Chrystal L.

    Their food is delish! Love sitting outside and they have an outdoor bar. Lots of shady spots and fun for a large group. Our group loved everything we ordered.

    Patio dining and live music with old people who like to dance
    Gerald L.

    I'm no expert on New Orleans and Cajun food but I like the food here! I personally had The Poor House which comes with ham and roast beef. Great of you like a 'meaty' sandwich. Be prepared this thing will fall apart all over you. But messy be good too! I shared some of the crawfish pasta with someone. Creamy and yummy. AMA this is the best way to eat crawfish cuz otherwise they're too hard to peel! Shrimp po boy was good but I prefer grilled instead of this mattered and deep fried way. And the fries were hella top salty. They actually got my order wings which I didn't realize till the food was ready after 15 minutes. So I had to order again! But they made it the next priority so I'll give them service points for that. Had a few drinks... vodka shots and wine. I know weird combination right? About $10 bucks each. And I enjoyed their live band. Cool courtyard and festive atmosphere. In fact, a few folks dancing. Mostly older folks here. I'll come back on the right occasion.

    Cherry H.

    Food: *Fried Seafood Platter with 2 sides, we picked the cole slaw and cajun potato salad *Chicken and Sausage Gumbo *Aperol Spritz * Beer from Russian River, Narrative, and more Great hospitality. Live music until 9pm. Order food inside and seat yourself

    BBQ shrimp
    Monica V.

    Came back as a group and the staff there is always so friendly. They came to check on us often. The food is always great. I like to try their specials. This time it was shrimp n grits.

    Dog meal
    Annabelle R.

    This casual and inviting restaurant serves an awesome menu of creole cuisine with a patio bar offering a good range of cocktails and beer. The venue also features live music entertainment almost every day of the week. I came by during Little Village's Big Easy Block Party & Beer Fest this past Saturday and enjoyed PHB's outdoor stage area filled with lively tunes and plenty of visitors. The bread pudding I ordered had a nice soft and spongy texture, and was creamy and buttery with just the right spice. And the staff was helpful and did a nice job handling the crowd with no shortage of workers on this busy day.

    Janice J.

    came here on a weekend before the San Jose Sharks game. You order at the counter and they give you a beeper when your order is ready. They were playing live music which was cool while we hung out in the back with some friends. * my bf got the Red Beans & Rice - Simmered with ham hock, served with corn bread with andouille sausage for $18 * I ordered from the kids menu just because I love corn dogs. Corn dog served with french fries and a drink for $12. Some friends of ours got the (not pictured) Cajun popcorn - Tender shrimp corn meal coated with herbs & spices and fried, served with homemade creole remoulade for $16. This was tasty!

    Gumbo (Chicken & Sausage or Shrimp), Red Beans & Rice and the shrimp poboy
    Stephanie J.

    First time to this restaurant, friend of a friend is a bartender there - Kimberly , so fun, eager to help , quick to laugh! Probably the best part of the restaurant. To be honest , I am 100% Creole so my back ground with their " Creole" food was tainted . I give them A for effort and if you don't know any better ...we'll it was pretty good We started with chicken / sausage gumbo , red beans and rice and a shrimp poboy. Not enough favor in the beans , gumbo was fair and the poboy was definitely large with lettuce and pickles ( it's called dressed in New Orleans) but the shrimp were small , no tomatoes and slathered with a mustard sauce . No Sir! Mayonnaise only , it did it a poor service . But, it was a beautiful day , we sat outside and they had a live band . The bottomless mimosas were delicious!

    Food is alright
    Mere M.

    Good food. Good ambience. My son and husband loved it! Bottle of Cab $38 . Pricey as it's ok.

    left over beignets,smothered with powdered sugar
    Margie L.

    Prior to the game,we came here,there's live band and ambiance is filled with the smell of roasted garlic,i guess it's coming from next door.Staff are not that welcoming here,but we still gave it a try and ordered the simplest which is beignet.it was smothered with powdered sugar,without it,it was a tasteless dough,there's 3 in an order,we finished one and half,wasted our money.

    shrimp and grits

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    1 month ago

    The food is Fantastic!!! Michael was absolutely wonderful. The live music was enjoyable

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    1 month ago

    Food was great, we had the muffuletta and the New Orleans sampler. It was a perfect place to hang before our basketball game.

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    5 months ago

    Good vibe, good people, great cooks, great bartenders. Plus live jazx/blues music. Real neighborhood joint you just want to come back too

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    Poor House Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Poor House Bistro

    How's the parking during lunchtime on weekdays and weekends and when does the band play? Thx

    Is this place good for a date night?

    NO!

    Live music for the outdoor seating?

    Great band, great social distancing, great food, and a great safe time during Covid!

    Do fries come with the po boy, or do you order separately?

    Fries are sold separately

    What's the difference between orange stars and red ones on yelp?

    Yellow! If you add yellow to red you get orange! (it appears that Yelp rates 1 as yellow and 5 as red making orange 3)

    Does Poor House Bistro have an happy hour? If so, when is it and what are the specials?

    Yes

    When does Poor House Bistro have live (jazz, blues or acoustic) music?

    They have music most nights including week days. See calendar below: https://poorhousebistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PHB-February-2018-Calendar.pdf

    View All 11 Questions

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    Poor House Bistro - cajun - Updated May 2026

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