I want to give thanks to Roux Dat restaurant for having super delish Cajun food. I had a bad experience at another restaurant the day before that almost ruined our trip to Capitola. And I am so glad we decided to eat dinner here for our last evening. It sure made up for it! I had the crawfish and sausage dish which I loved!! My husband and kids had the Shrimp/gator Po Boy. And we all shared Cornbread and beignets. So I was there couple weeks ago and I'm still craving their food!! I'm seriously looking close to my hometown for Cajun food but I know it was be the same. Anytime your visiting Capitola or Santa Cruz, try some delicious Cajun/creole food at Roux Dat. You won't regret it! read more

I always love eating at Rue Dat! The food is very flavorful and so satisfying. We love both locations and hope for your continued success. Delicious every time! PS we also tried the raspberry lager, that was good too! read more

The only thing that made this place great was the cajon food you couldn't get anywhere else. Now they just serve the same things everyone else does. Don't fall for it. read more

The people were very helpful in deciding what to order especially since it was our first time there! I ordered the jambalaya and the beignets and it was so flavorful, fragrant, and filled with aromatic spices. I also tried the fries and the Cajun seasoning was also very flavorful. The beignets were hot and moist, although could use some more powdered sugar. I hope to come back soon even though I live so far away! read more

Roux Dat - Spicy fried chicken po' boy with Cajun fries, gumbo, jambalaya, corn and shrimp stew, chicken creole stew - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

I tried this place for the first time last weekend. For the cost of the food, I was expecting a better quality and larger portions. They are located in a strip mall and have a parking lot. This was a small restaurant and nothing fancy. If were ever in the area again we might stop by here but it was nothing fantastic or memorable about this restaurant. read more

Food is delicious. My creole chicken and mushroom was amazing. Loved the fried green tomatoes and beignets. They are so nice and friendly. Great parking. Love it! read more

Roux Dat has been on my route for 3 years. Today, I finally had the opportunity to have a meal here. Chad, the owner, recommended the Spicy Fried Chicken Po'Boy sandwich with their seasoned fries. It did not disappoint! This sandwich packs a mouthful of flavor!!! The portion is perfect. It did not leave me feeling heavy, just perfectly satisfied! The seasoned fried has their own blend of seasonings, and they were fantastic! Definitely worthy of 5! Thank you Chad and staff! Your Costco guy, Mel. read more

You would've never guessed how awesome their food is. Roux Dat Cajun Creole is a piece of heaven in Capitola-Aptos-Santa Cruz, and beyond. I'm a huge fan and selfishly wanted to keep this to myself. Every time I write another update, I'm almost hesitant to share this hidden gem with the rest of the world, for the fear they'd either close down the shop or raise their prices. As of today, they have absolutely perfect balance of dishes, prices, casual ambience, friendly staff, and fast and courteous service. I can't think of anything that would make this place any better. Roux Dat Cajun Creole serves New Orleans inspired eats. There's a selection of stews to die for (move over, Armida Poizin) that I simply can't resist whether I'm hungry or not. All of their rich stews come with white or brown rice and a side of Cajun spiced bread. Gumbo, Jambalaya, Étouffée (eh-too-fay), they are all exceptional. I've tried most items on the menu, often giving the preference to Jambalaya and Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. Dip away with Cajun spiced bread until your plate is wiped clean! Lately though, I've become a fan of Shrimp & Corn Étouffée, a mix of light roux, white wine, shrimp, sweet corn, tomatoes, and garlic, with the brown rice option. Simply delicious! They also have Po' Boy sandwiches, served with house made pickles and Cajun mayo, with tomatoes and lettuce on Gambino's French bread. Cup of stew, salad, or side of fries is included. They have Cajun spiced fries or sweet potato fries, as well as fried pickles and hush puppies. For the health conscious, gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options are available. Last but not least, the beignets, made to order, served with a side of rum sauce. Nothing compares. To say they're French donuts is to say nothing. Drizzled with sugar powder, these finger licking puffy squares of pure deliciousness melt in your mouth. Little clouds of heaven they are! read more

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Zipped up to Capitola to partake in some Cajun Creole cuisine. At Roux Dat you can feast on Cajun classics like etoufee, mufaletta, jumbalaya, gumbo, hush puppies, beignets, sweetened tea and fresh lemonade while listening to lively jazz scores. Personalized and warm service come with every order. The Shrimp and Corn Etoufee with gulf shrimp, tomatoes, garlic and corn over white or brown rice is a nice hearty homestyle meal infused with warm spices and fresh flavors. It's served with Cajun-spiced bread to ensure every bit of savory sauce is lapped up. Shrimp Po' Boy comes with loads of cornmeal-covered shrimp, tomatoes and lettuce on a fresh baked roll and a nice side of their signature Cajun fries dusted with their signature Cajun seasoning (sub in any side of your choice if you don't want fries). This southern-staple was my choice for lunch and will probably be my choice for many future Roux Dat meals. Very tasty sandwich! (Note: try not to eat here prior to shopping and trying on clothes at the adjacent Capitola Mall). Need an accompaniment? Go for the Fried Green Tomatoes and Hush Puppies. They make really good fried tomatoes -- at once juicy and crispy with each bite. The Beignets with housemade caramel sauce are the perfect way to finish off your meal. The beignets here are very tasty; airy and pillowy with a crispy casing. Keep Roux Dat on your foodie radar if you're near Capitola. Roux Dat brings savory southern flavors to the seaside city of Capitola. read more

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Very delicious!! Love the flavor of both jambalaya and gumbo. Just wished I had a bigger bowel!

It's been a long time since I have had Cajun Creole cuisine. When you are in the southern states like Texas or New Orleans there are so many options but somehow these kinds of places are rare to find in our area. Well this little hole in the wall is located in of all things inside a strip center behind the Capitola mall right off of 41st Ave. Cute little spot with brightly painted walls and contemporary artwork clean but nothing fancy. Basically you order from the menu and pay and then they call you to pick up your order. The menu is short and sweet. One side had Po' Boy Sandwiches which are mostly of different seafoods or meats on french bread with a side of your choice. For vegetarians/vegans they can make a fried green tomato version The other side is called their Roux Dat Stews which are options such as Jumbalaya which is normally a rice dish made of shrimp chicken and sausage. Here they have a vegan version with Tomatoes, Fennel and Portabella mushrooms. Another famous dish called Etoufee is normally made with Crawfish or shrimp and it's normally made of a sauce called a roux which is made with flour and butter. They have a vegetarian version of this dish here with spinach, mushrooms, and artichokes. Bummer that it's not vegan because it sounded great. They also make a black bean and corn version of Maque Choux which looks interesting, again vegetarian but not vegan. They also have a few choices of veggie sides. They are known for their hush puppies which are close to a non sweet version of cornmeal nuggets. These come with a hot and spicy mustard dipping sauce. They don't make them in house so I was not able to get a firm yes they were vegan. They also have fried green tomatoes, cajun sweet potato fries and of all things "fried pickles". One thing nice about the options here is they let you mix things up on your order. On the stews dishes you can choose two of the items with rice and it's only $10.50. For homemade dishes like this where they are more complex to make than normal I think this is a totally a great price. Price is one thing but taste is the most important to me. So what did we end up with. we got a mixture of the vegan Jumbalaya and vegetarian spinach mushroom artichoke Etoufee with brown rice. We also got the hush puppies. Taste wise the Jumbalaya here is made with no rice in the dish so it tastes more to me like the french dish called Ratatoulee with the large amounts of tomatoes and other different veggies. Very good and had a bit of kick to it but not very spicy. They had a lot of hot sauce choices on the tables so you can easily spice the dishes up. The veggie etoufee I was told was great, not too creamy or over the top rich like it normally comes. The hush puppies were like fried cornbread kind of greasy but only because they were fried on outside. The inside was like dense cornbread. I only tried one because I wan't sure what the ingredient list was and it was pretty tasty. For drinks they have a one beer on tap and bloody Mary's which is an interesting option. Overall I like this place and would give it 5 stars if they made more vegan options. If they would make a vegan gumbo soup I'd be all over that but for now a little jumbalaya, fried green tomatoes and brown rice is what it is going to be for now. Appreciate the few choices they do have anyhow. read more

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I may be a little biased since I find NOLA and its Cajun/Creole cuisine mesmerizing. That said, loved everything about this place. Love Capitola and this restaurant's convenient location across from the mall. Loved the décor, the casual setting and the music. Loved the staff, very friendly and helpful. Loved the fresh lemonade. Loved the shrimp and corn e'touffe'e I ordered. Loved the fried green tomatoes and hushpuppies. Loved the unique sauces that accompanied each dish. Especially Loved the beignets, best ever! (Brought home some pecan pralines.......sure to be Loved as well). We plan to go back soon and try everything else on the menu. Oh, and... Love my daughter for finding this place on yelp! ;) read more

Roux Dat - shrimp and corn etouffee - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

Everything on the menu is delicious you cannot go wrong! I especially love the mach choux, etoufee, the cornbread and beignets!!! Soo delicious! Even my toddler loves the kid's stew! read more

Roux Dat - Shrimp and corn etoufee - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

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Chose to stop by while visiting the Santa Cruz area and it was such a great idea. Food is delicious, I love the half-and-half option so you can try two different items on their menu. Great selection of hot sauces you can take to your table (bottles are also available for purchase) and... The beignets. So perfectly done. Just simple powdered sugar beignets (no filling) that comes with rum sauce. The sauce is something I've never tried before and it's a nice match, and not extremely sweet. We also tried their fried green tomatoes (nice & crispy outside layer, tender and fresh green tomato inside) AND their vegan jambalaya (really good, considering no animal products) and they were both excellent. The New Orleans style coffee is great! I'm not a big coffee fan but I quite enjoy chicory coffee. The service was good, very courteous and our food didn't take that long to come out (order beignets at the beginning of meal so they'll be ready by the time you're finished eating). They also have really great specials during weekday slow hours and extra seating outside. 10/10 would eat here every day the next time I visit the area. read more

Went into this place while on my lunch break with a few of my coworkers to just check it out. We had heard good things, but wanted to see for ourselves. First off, let me say that a cajun restaurant opening up in Capitola is a godsend. The places here are nice, but overall lack variety. It's a refreshing addition to this town. The employees were very sweet and knowledgable, and seemed genuinely enthused about customers. When our food arrived, the owner threw in some free hush puppies with our sweet potato fries! How awesome. Definitely will be spreading the word about this place. Great food, great customer service, great experience. read more

Roux Dat - Spicy sausage creole and black bean and corn stew. Delicious! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

Really good cajun food, good beer selection, great ambiance and good customer service! Definitely recommend!

Love the blackened fish! Slaw is good! Was a great find during quarantine! Will try other items next time!

Love this spot. I order often from this restaurant and always delicious. Glad to have a place like this near home!

Gave us a New Orleans vibe! Priced fair and good quality food. Opted for the sandwich with cooked fish. Portions are solid. Restaurant was empty. I wasn't too happy about one of the younger workers coming in for his shift without a mask and not having one on. A customer came in after me and stood about 6 feet from the ordering counter to keep his distance from him. Giving 4 stars bc of him, otherwise food is a 5. read more

No lemon or tarter sauce, never had an oyster loaf in N.O. with out it!!! Only one small shrimp in the jumbolia, mostly chicken and not much of a bite. Tables were dirty, the only person on duty mumbled and had long hair not covered. A total white bread Cajun cafeteria. I don't like giving bad reviews but we won't be back and will not recommend! read more

So thrilled that I found this great Cajun food place after a random weekend trip to the beach! Great food at very affordable prices. You are paying fast food prices for restaurant food. The moment you step into this place, you are transported to New Orleans - the music, decor, and variety of hot sauces. Came here with the husband at 7:10pm on a Sunday, not crowded at all, with only a couple of tables occupied. It's a semi- self service establishment, where you order at the counter, but food is served by a staff to your table. I was pleasantly surprised that they serve their food in proper plates plus utensils (versus disposable cutlery and containers) - for the price point, I didn't expect that! We had the stews, and chose the half-and-half option (so we each get 2 types of stews). We tried the jambalaya, crawfish macque choux, chicken and sausage stew, and shrimp and corn etoufee. The stews came with either white or brown rice, and toasted bread. I couldn't resist the treats, and ordered the "pick 2" option - chose the hushpuppies and Cajun fries. The stews were scrumptious - great flavor, with right amount of spiciness. My favorite is the corn and shrimp etoufee, a great combination of sweetness of corn and the overall savory flavor. I don't usually like hush puppies (the husband is a big fan), but I'm totally in love with the hush puppies served here! The fries were delicious too! We ended up getting the beignets too, since we were wondering how good are their desserts. We were speechless as we inhaled the puffy delights covered by powdery sugar awesomeness. Heavenly. Husband said I looked like I just took a hit of cocaine, with white powder smeared all over my face. Can't help it - the beignets are pretty much as addictive as crack. Only 1 waiting staff, who is also the cashier. Still enjoyed great service though. Definitely coming back with friends next time!!! Saw that they have craft beer and great coffee. Just a shame that they close at 8pm, if not definitely a great evening hangout too. read more

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Finally! Good food AND good service in Santa Cruz! I can't believe it's taken us this long to try this place out. The man behind the counter was extremely friendly and helpful. We got one spicy chicken sandwich with a side of gumbo and then a plate with half jambalaya and chicken mushroom creole. Everything was better than expected and not expensive! I got an unsweet tea and my fiancé got a beer. After tip the total was just under $40. Super satisfied with the whole experience and we WILL be back! read more

My son wanted to try something new for his birthday so we went looking on Yelp and found Roux Dat. I have tried many a Cajun themed restaurant in multiple locations across the USA with extremely mixed results. Some have been outstanding and many have been poor interpretations of Cajun cuisine based on poor public perception of what LA cooking is really like. Well Roux Dat came through on the good side of the ledger with flying colors. It's a small place with a small kitchen and small staff, which could present problems if they tried to do a full blown LA menu like so many places try to do. They have chosen to focus on two main things, poboys and stews. For a small kitchen this is very smart as the stews can be made ahead and the main fresh cooking activity is limited to the poboys. We had a variety of the stew items, Crawfish Maque Choux, Jambalaya, and the Gumbo. All had outstanding flavor. My favorite was the Crawfish Maque Choux. We also had the oyster poboy. The oysters were nicely cooked with a crispy exterior and luscious interior. So many times I have had overcooked fried oysters that this was a pleasant surprise. It's a basic order at the counter and they bring it out to you kind of place. Not a fancy place. Focus is on the food and it's very noticeable. We will be back. read more

I love Roux Dat! My favorite meal is the shrimp po boy sandwich with the etouffee. Though, each time I visit I like to try a different stew. The next time I visit I want to try the fried green tomato sandwich. The food is packed full of flavor and there's lots of hot sauces available if you like to kick up the spice. Bonus points, If you sign up with their savings system you get free beignets on your birthday! It was a nice little treat that I remembered at the tail end of my birthday :) Great place! Now I'm craving Roux and think I'll dine there tonight! read more

Besides the stew and rice dishes from first visit. Came back to try the SANDWICHES... DELISH !! The mufalada (sp?) sandwhich was our first time and it was meat heavy and fresh tasting with olives and traditional add ins. The shredded beef sandwhich was moist, tasty and yummy. It was paired with perfectly seasoned Cajun fries and an addicting cup of red beans and sausage w/ white rice... It's so good. See pics... read more

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Delicious food and good service! My husband and I would both definitely eat here again. read more

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I haven't had much Cajun or creole food. My family bought the jambalaya, corn eh-too-fay, the gumbo and fried cat fish and kids chicken plate. The jambalaya is the most popular item per workers and the website. It tasted like tomato based chili, like I can make it on my instant pot at home. Spice level was a little over mild to me. My favorite dish was the shrimp and corn eh-too-fay (I don't know how to spell it). It was creamy and buttery. The catfish was good, didn't come with any kind of dipping sauce but ketchup. I'd give it 4 stars because the service was awesome, the people were very kind. There might be a trend I see in Santa Cruz and Capitola because all the employees were below 30 maybe even 25 years old. Not that that matters but it's def an observation read more

Our favorite place to eat in Capitola. You order at the counter and the menu is simple. But the quality of the food are very good, though I'm no expert on Cajun food. We enjoyed pretty much all of the stews and would highly recommend the place. read more

Loved the food here. The fried tomatoes especially were simply delicious! We got the vegan gumbo, chicken gumbo and the jambalaya and I must say we were not disappointed! read more

Ate here with our family and truly we're satisfied. We ordered PO Boys: catfish and gator, as well as crawfish maque choux and shrimp and corn etouffee. Great batter on the fish and excellent roux work. Wish we lived here. read more

Roux Dat - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

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Went into the Clares location and ordered the Chicken, Sausage and Okra gumbo. I am creole and I was pleased with my meal. Read the previous reviews that the staff at this location were not the best... Some changes have been made! Totally polite and service was quick with a smile The food was so good I forgot to take picture read more

The corn bread and fried catfish are very good, I will also come back for the gumbo and other stews.

Food was authentic and delicious. The service was excellent. I was hesitant about my selection and the server made recommendations for a combo dish so I ended up trying two items. I took my kids there for the second time and they also loved the food. Im sure I'll go there again. read more

Very simple layout of entree + rice or 2 entree + rice for a decent price at around $10/person. We tried out 6 different entree's and for most of them, they were delicious. For the price/speed/value, I think it's great! read more

The food is awesome but the customer service is what impressed me friendly smiles and welcomes also some people came in after us and never eaten here before and the cashier was very helpful to educate them on the menu. Everytime we come to capitola its a must stop for lunch or dinner. read more

Roux Dat - Corn and shrimp etouffee with white rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

Was in Santa Cruz this past weekend and came across this place. With the good reviews on yelp, we decided to give this place a try. We opted for the 2 choices for $8. For the amount of food they give you, I'd say this is a pretty good deal. Choice 1 - Jambalaya and Crawfish Maque Choux - I have to say that both choices was very good and taste pretty close to what I had in New Orleans. This was served with white rice in the middle of the 2 dishes and a slice of bread. I did like the crawfish Maque Choux more than the jambalaya. Choice 2 - Red Beans and Sausage and Etouffee. The etouffee was pretty good but the red bean and sausage was pretty bland. Again, this was served with rice in the middle and a slice of bread. Overall, pretty nice place to try if you are in the area. read more

Roux Dat - Jambalaya and crawfish maque choux combo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

Pleasantly surprized. Are family style and shared the red beans n rice, jambalaya, and chicken/sausage étouffée with beignets for desert. All were full of delicious spicy creole flavor that reminded me of Grandma. My only complaint is that the portions for the entrees are small. However because we order to share family style the wonderful owners were nice enough to provide ample rice and bread so we were all satisfied. The owners are pleasant and courteous. Location is up(down) the street from the Capitola beach. All n all...I will definitely be back when I'm in the area hanging out at the Capitola beach. read more

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My first time coming here I was a little hesitant, but that changed as soon as I took my first bite. The jambalaya stew was out of this world and that says something because I'm not a big fan of stews in general. I also got to taste the shrimp po boy sandwich and that too got an A+. Not only were the main courses delish but so were the dessert. We tried the beignets and it was another hit. This place is an all around good eatery. From start to finish. I would definitely come back! If you're thinking of trying this place, I hope you do because your taste buds will thank you later read more

Roux Dat - Spicy jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Capitola, California

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Real creole here love it . We tried a few dishes that were delicious wish there was a bit more on the plate. Nice decor just like being there. The music is also New Orleans style . read more

Had I gone solely for the beignets I would have been disappointed. I've only had them one other time (and never in New Orleans) but these were quite small, rather heavy, more oily than I expected, without a hint of sweetness in the dough, and to me - not too tasty. Luckily those were not all we ordered. On the upside I did enjoy my étouffée and gumbo combo very much. It was tasty, potion size perfect, and I liked the bread that accompanied. I would have liked more spice in my food, but they probably trying to to please a variety of tastes. There are several hot sauces available at the table, but they look to be mainly vinegar based & I like heat & spice, but vinegar not so much. The hush puppies were also good. I'll definitely go again to try more kinds of gumbo & étouffée. I'd even try the beignets once more to see if I just caught them on a bad day. The staff is friendly and attentive. It's really nice to have a restaurant option that's completely different than anything else around here. read more

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