I can say I never closed a place down. Yes, I was there to the end, closing time. But this was my…read morefirst, and it was the best! The bartenders and the people at the bar made for a great time. Yes, a time was had! It started with sitting at the bar, ordering the most delicious dishes. Then S and P waltzed in, sitting to the right of me. S, you know you waltzed in with the coolest of hubbies! Pleasantries of hi were said first, and what you're ordering turned into laughing so hard we were sliding off the bar stool. "Tracy, who did your work?" Me, with a mouth full of good bourbon pasta with a kick of spice, tried to frown. lol "S, I like your 'eyes,' that eyebrow arch; it looks good." S, closing one eye like a pirate! "P, I like that under-eye work." "Tiff, it's okay, come on over to the Botox Crew. You'll love it! S, I hollered, laughing at your text message on the way home! Ok let's talk about that steak. It was a steak of all steaks. It was made to perfection; it was juicy, tender, and mouthwatering. The baked potato had all the trimmings, and the cheese was nicely melted. The Bourbon Pasta and Gumbo soup was flavorful and spicy. The jumbo shrimp had that nice firmness and was oh so fresh. It came straight from the ocean. This place has the best ambiance for a funny, meet-new-friends, relaxing night. The bartenders are the best.

Lunch with the hubs...it has been a while since we dined at Freda's Seafood Grille...such a super…read moredelightful lunch. We started with complimentary cornbread, which blew your socks off. The cornbread was warm, buttery and filled with bits of corn. It was so good we had two servings of the cornbread. The hubs had a hamburger and fries, I might have had a few of his French fries. I ordered the blacken catfish crawfish and ettoufee sauce along green beans and rice. So stinking delicious.... There were luncheon guests...overall casual, laidback environment. Quincey, our server, was one of the best servers we have had in quite some time. When she delivered our dishes, she said my dish did not have enough crawfish and she brought extra. She brought extra lemons for our water and to go cups of water. She was so super thoughtful!

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!

My dining partner informed me that it was time to update my 2018 review, so here goes…read more.. People love CR. It is always busy, and it has been in the same location forever. This is Vietnamese-Cajun surf and turf with a menu that feels a mile long. Traditional Southern coastal fare sits right alongside burgers, New England clam chowder, and even tacos. I did give my Yelp buddy a heads-up that he was driving through traffic to dine at what I'd call a three-star establishment. Well, I warned him... I started with the fried calamari, which was chewy. The sauce that came with it was fine, but nothing memorable. I also ignored my inner voice telling me to stay away from the fried oysters. They were cooked well, but they did not sit well with me. I usually shy away from Gulf of Mexico oysters, though I will occasionally partake when they are fried, BBQ'd, or broiled. Sidebar: Drago's in Metairie, LA still has the best BBQ oysters. I know folks love CR, and it clearly has a loyal following, but I'm tapping out.

We stopped after church to eat before getting on the road to travel back home. The place was…read morepacked. The food was great! I am looking forward to going again when I come back to the area.

Great food!! We had 3 people all ordering different food, and all was great tasting!…read moreHowever, they should tell any patrons standing in a long time when they run-out of certain food- just make an announcement. Don't let your customers get to the counter to order only to be told that you don't have any more! Very dissapointing after we stood in a long line. Food is great!

A solid spot for a seafood boil! The seafood came out fresh, hot, and well-seasoned, with a good…read moreamount of flavor in every bite. The crab was the highlights, and the sauce had a nice balance of spice, garlic, and butter without being too overwhelming. The portions were satisfying, although the meal can get a little pricey if you gravitate towards the more premium selections. Service was friendly, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. Overall, it was a fun and messy dining experience in the best way, and I'd definitely come back when I'm craving seafood.

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!

The food here is excellent. A nice place to go for dinner. A little crowded to be intimate, but a…read moreclassy place. I had the Northeast Oysters in a variety. They tasted fresh and were easy to eat. I could have easily eaten a dozen of them. I also had the scallops. The sauce they were served in was sweet with herbs. The scallops were large and I cut them into quarters each. They were soft and seared just a tad bit on the edges. Great flavor and texture. The hostess wanted to ensure I had a good dining experience. I said I would be good outside since it was really busy inside. She offered to move me inside when a table was available. However, last night the temperature felt good outside and I ate my meal there and made some new acquaintances by doing so. The server was also good checking on me and quite knowledgeable of the menu on portions, size and the way things were prepared. There is plenty of parking, but you may have to walk a little. The place was clean and has a large bar with inside and outside seating. Thank you Sweetwater Oyster Bar for a pleasurable dining experience.

Great place with a great environment. The oyster selection was money and, of course, cost $$…read more The drinks were well done and the service was friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely worth an evening out with friends and/or loved ones...

Baylee was amazing. Prompt and the food was superb... it was my first time here and errthang was…read moregreat! Service was great Simple and easy ambience

The Birria fish tacos I had today were not good at all. It's described as "BIRRIA FISH TACOS…read morecrispy cheese flour tortilla, roasted corn, tomatillo lime rice, pickled chili, charred tomato-shrimp soppin' broth". I got greasy, mushy cheese flour tortilla. Now I'm wondering what the fish is that's listed. Either way, if you like grease, these are perfect for you. The rice was very good. Service was awesome!

Without a doubt (IMHO) the best Cajun fare this side of NOLA. Stuffed has occupied this space, on…read more620, forever and they are always busy. That should tell you something. ------ You can order lunch/dinner to go, dine in, or buy a ready-to-cook option from their grocery section. All their food is made fresh so you may need to wait a bit for your order. ---- On this visit we ordered a slew of food including gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, fried okra, pickles, and mushrooms. I love that the rice is placed in separate containers. We tore through this feast, and everyone commented on how good it was. ---- Their boudin is also made in-house and offer options like traditional pork, Texas with jalapenos, crawfish and so on... There's a good selection of sausage links including specials. And of course, when in season crawfish. --- During the holidays you can order a smoked turkey or a turducken. Order early! ---- Can't wait to return and dine in next time and enjoy an Abita Amber with my meal. --- Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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.

Very fresh seafood selections. The paella had chorizo so it…read morewas a tad on the greasy side for my gut. You get a small cup of soup to start. And chips. I'll try the ceviche next time. David had great drink suggestions.

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...

They have the best crawfish in town in my opinion! Their seasoning is so different .. leans closer…read moreto Mexican spices than your traditional Cajun. ITS SO good. Service is always friendly and they treat you like you've been going there for years.

This place must have a cult following of those who really enjoy the food; however, it's just not…read morefor me. I was looking for a whole catfish meal and this place came up. I ordered it and the gumbo and the crab claws. The gumbo isn't gumbo or at least the kind of gumbo in Louisiana. It's far from it and definitely not good. The other food was just overwhelmingly salty to the point it was not edible. I was hoping for more but let down. There's too many other seafood places in Austin to eat here.