I saw Swamp Cafe recently on social media and decided to give it a try since it's fairly close to my house! The female owner was so friendly and sweet on the phone when I called in my order! I got an order of hush puppies, the seafood gumbo, and the special with fried catfish and fried shrimp. Everything was seasoned very well and very flavorful! I especially loved the hush puppies and the gumbo - it was packed with all kinds of seafood and had a great, deep flavor. I would love to come back another time for more gumbo and to try their beignets! read more

My friend and I got the seafood gumbo, hush puppies, crawfish, and beignets. Everything was very flavorful, the hush puppies had the perfect crispy exterior and soft center, but the crawfish and seafood gumbo were too salty for me. This is a small mom and pop shop with the sweetest owners so do come by and support them! read more

See all

I would have already been upset with the quantity of food (a tiny single piece of catfish), if the quality matched the price. But everything is so salty! It's very rare that I don't have at least an okay experience with the food, but I have to say this is some of the saltiest cajun food I've ever had. I tried finishing the meal to see if I'd get used to the salt, but after downing a couple of mason jars worth of water, I gave up. What's good about this place? The fried shrimp is decent and the chicken in the jambalaya is not bad, but had they not been covered in salt, I don't know how good they would have tasted. All this and the fact that I called in and was told to text the guy my order, not going back anytime soon. read more

I really wanted to like swamp cafe but the food was not at all like I thought it would be. The Cesar had a ton of dressing, the gumbo's shrimp was very mushy & not a lot of flavor, it was mostly spicy. The fried catfish was ok. And the beignets were so heavy. Not at all fluffy read more

See all

We ordered the seafood Gumbo, catfish basket, fried okra and beignet. Portions where good. Flavor was good. The beignet needs to be "puffed" up more and less powdered sugar. Food is good. Just took awhile to get them as they were really swamped when we came in. And it's just a mom and pop shop. So be patient with them. They are the nicest couple. We will be back. read more

See all

Truly unreal, of my favorite restaurants! Everything is fresh, homemade, and authentic in every way. Always so perfectly seasoned and fulfilling, You can tell there's a lot of pride behind every dish! If you love Cajun/Creole cuisine--or incredible food in general--do yourself a favor and stop by this charming, and incredibly welcoming restaurant. The Swamp Cafe has absolutely earned a loyal customer out of me! read more

This was our first time at this recommended restaurant. Good menu selections to choose from and very good hospitality. This is a family small business. Therefore, the ambiance is not the same as a corporate/franchise restaurant. We ordered Pontchartrain Fried Shrimp, Catfish Po-Boy, Red Beans and Rice with Chicken and Beignets. The food came out hot, well seasoned and in large portions. The food was tasty. Carry out containers was needed for the leftovers. We intend to return to try other menu items. read more

20/10 flavorful in every bite! Everything from the Bourbon Fried Chicken, to 9th Ward Seafood Combo, to the Shrimp PoBoy, and the Seafood Gumbo. Arrived with my family of 6 and everyone left happy and full. The girls favorite part was the beignets of course. Chef and staff were extremely nice and welcoming. Can't wait to come back again. read more

See all

Noticed Swamp Cafe on TicToc a few days ago and gave them a try last Saturday. In the 20 years since I left Louisiana, I've found only 2 places in DFW that offer Gumbo I would eat twice. Now there's a third Your Gumbo is excellent, David. When I make Gumbo, we eat it for 3 days because I just can't make a small pot full. From now on, whenever I get a hankering for a single bowl, yours is the one I want I can't wait to come back and work my way though your menu read more

See all

My daughter, husband & I had lunch here today. We are originally from the New Orleans area, and this is the BEST, most authentic seafood gumbo we have had outside of our home area. Plenty of seafood, and the seasoning was so perfect! I had a shrimp poboy, the shrimp were very "shrimpy" and seasoned well also. We shared hushpuppies and again, they hit the mark on the seasoning! My daughter had the red beans & sausage and loved that too. We will be back soon! The owners were super helpful and friendly. They are also from the New Orleans area, and you could taste it in every bite! 10/10 read more

Swamp Cafe - Seafood Gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

So far the service is above and beyond and friendly, which helps the dining experience. The ambiance is ok, typical store front restaurant, the Chatzkies on the wall are all Nola themed so that helps! I ordered a shrimp basket. People after they eat are leaving with smiles on their faces, so in my opinion and experience that usually means they have had a great dining experience. The soda machine is broken, not anyone's fault. The food was hot (just right) and tasted delicious. Highly recommended, come on out and get ya some. read more

Swamp Cafe - Pontchitrain Pontchartrain Fried Shrimp Basket - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

The crawfish etouffee and seafood gumbo were amazing!! Will definitely be back. The owners are so kind as well! read more

Swamp Cafe - Crawfish etouffee. So good!! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I went to Swamp Cafe in Dallas last night for Fat Tuesday dinner. It's definitely a Mom & Pop strip mall restaurant but I could feel the warmth, friendliness and family spirit when I stepped inside. The food was worth the wait. The hush puppies were so delicious that I could not stop gobbling them up! So crisp on the outside and warm and chewy on the inside. The only thing that could've made them better was just a hint of jalapeño...And the catfish and the shrimp were perfect crispy on the outside and completely fresh non-fishy, honestly the perfect combination. And the french fries were the tastiest tater tubes ever! I saw people eating pans of crawfish. They even had a soft crab sandwich and of course, all the gumbo's but I'm not a gumbo person so... but I will be going back! read more

Swamp Cafe - Wall Art - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

Chef David is amazing. He does everything himself and he is so kind. I wish I could keep this place to myself! I love the cozy ambience inside and I really appreciate the fact that all the meat is halal. I can't wait to come back! read more

Swamp Cafe - Beignets - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

I had the chicken gumbo, shrimp po boy, jambalaya, and beignets. BEST place to find all my New Orleans favorites! His restaurant shows he celebrates Louisiana and Cajun culture from the festive Mardi Gras decorations and cafe du monde chicory coffee cans. It may feel overwhelming but don't be fooled... the food is 10/10. If you ever want to experience what a mom and pop shop in New Orleans is like, but in Texas, you have to come here. Chef David is from New Orleans, working as a chef at multiple different restaurants there for 28 years. Opened his own Cajun shop here in Dallas, and now serving the most authentic New Orleans food I've yet to find anywhere else. Talk to Chef David, if he doesn't talk to you first! All my conversations with him are so memorable. read more

I'm originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and finding good Cajun food in DFW has been a journey. We got the chicken gumbo, chicken jambalaya, Cajun fries, and beignets. We came here for a late dinner. I think the owner had to heat up some food and overheated them. It was so hot that it was hard to eat. Something must have been wrong with the gumbo rue, because it was very light and the oil was separating. The gumbo was more like gravy than soup. The chicken pieces were very big, certainly bigger than bite sized. The chicken gumbo didn't really taste like the gumbo I've had in Louisiana. I think this might have been an off day because I've had the seafood gumbo before and it still tastes like a gumbo. The chicken jambalaya tasted more like Indian food. It was too spicy and the spices simply weren't Cajun. The chicken pieces were too big to be bite sized (I had to take multiple bites and it was really hot), and it was seasoned very strangely, more Indian than Cajun. There were some bay leaves (those should be removed) and the sausage didn't seem to be seared. I wasn't a fan of the long grain rice, since I'm more used to medium grain rice, which was a problem in both the gumbo and jambalaya. The Cajun fries tasted nice and crispy. Unfortunately the search for an authentic Cajun place in DFW continues; it seems the only way to get good Cajun food is to cook it myself with a mix. My favorite dish was the beignets. They were super puffy and delicious, and covered in powdered sugar too. These are the best beignets I've had in DFW (no one can make them even close), but my partner did say they were a little bland. I also got the cafe au lait with regular milk; it was alright but I think I'll try condensed next time because I do prefer a little more sugar in my coffee. The owner was nice and talkative; he used to live in New Orleans. read more

See all

Place actually had good food very interesting menu with amazing prices. The shrimp PO BOY (had to dump the hot sauce) was really good. The beignets were definitely homemade. The owner was very friendly. The only issue was there was someone screaming "SWAMP". read more

The food here is amazing!!! Friendly owner and a great experience overall. Highly recommend. read more

Was looking for a good catfish po boy. I live very close to swamp cafe and thought I'd give it a try since the reviews are all pretty good. I ordered the catfish po boy and crawfish étouffée. The catfish po boy was just ok. A single piece of very thin fish that was mostly breading for 1/3 of the filet. Flavor is good, but value is not good. The crawfish étouffée was very good with lots of crawfish. If I come back I'll get something else. Still looking for a good catfish po boy. read more

The food is always amazing and fresh! Great portions too, and Chef David and his wife Michelle are the sweetest. read more

Swamp Cafe - Gumbo seafood - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

We were looking for good cajun food so we tried Swamp Cafe. Most of one side wall of the business was used for storage. Not a good look. And, there were paper signs all over the front door and windows, and at the register. Another bad look. Several tables needed to be bussed and there weren't many customers there at the time. If the dining room was so junked up and dirty, what does the kitchen look like? read more

This place is...different. it's very much privately owned and i stopped in at 1230pm 9n a Monday and I was the only person there. There are some questionable things going on in this place, and I guess that's part of the charm? I don't know if charm is the right word. The inevitable man that was working there is obviously the owner, chef, cashier, & everything else. He rang me up, cooked my meal, made a meal for himself out of my meal(no I'm not kidding, like he made himself a plate out of mt plate & brought the hot skillet to the front register to plate it and mine) placed the hot skillet on the microwave, finished boxing it up and hooked me up with 2 free waters. Here's the kicker...food= FAN-F***ING-TASTIC! It was like getting a home cooked meal at my Uncles house and it was....kinda like...I was AT my uncles house. TV on, some shopping bags on tables, board games in the corner, kinda cluttered...this is a weird spot for sure, but the gumbo and the hoapitality...top notch. I am still kind of in awe about the spot itself and the meal out of my meal, but hey...it is what it is I guess‍ good chicken gumbo. Thanks for the waters, Unc! read more

Swamp Cafe - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

As a fan of Cajun food, I was excited to try this spot, especially since it's halal--had to come support! While the place could use some upgrades in terms of decor, you can tell they've put in effort with little touches of New Orleans here and there. The menu and overall setup felt a bit disorganized--some items are listed on a handwritten menu, and the printed one could look more polished. But honestly, the food more than made up for it. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious, with finger-lickin' good flavors. The owner was super courteous, which made the experience even better. They also have game boards available, which was a nice bonus to pass the time while waiting for our food. All in all, I enjoyed the food a lot, and this is definitely a spot worth trying out. read more

See all

Gumbo was truly amazing. Was traveling though and saw this place offered authentic New Orleans food and I totally agree. Highly recommend. Service was truly amazing. I think it was the owner was so friendly. read more

I was in town for a short while for a wedding. We stopped here for lunch and let me tell you that was the best seafood gumbo I've ever had. She had the shrimp po-boy and loved it also. A little small and pretty busy, but you know it's good if it's a busy restaurant. The owner is so talkative and really wants you to feel at home. He double checked on not only us but even the two other tables next to us. I will definitely be back, next time we are in Dallas read more

Great place! The serve Halal meat and everything was fresh and flavorful. Lots of spices and very hearty! Customer service was already great, the owners are very sweet and it's definitely worth coming by and supporting this place read more

Made it by on a stop through Dallas. Absolutely awesome gumbo, when you see the roux that dark you know you are in the right place. No frills ambiance read more

Amazing food, service and overall experience. Happy I got to check this place out and will be back next time I am in the area!

Went with coworkers and it did not disappoint. The best variety of cajun food options on the menu without being overwhelming. Hushpuppies and okra were well flavored and seasoned. They had the perfect crisp outside. The hushpuppies were so soft in the middle. Both a high recommendation. A few coworkers got the 9th Ward catfish/shrimp combo and others got shrimp pobos. Both came with cajun seasoned fries that were amazing. Both had a great amount of food and the pobos were spilling out shrimp. It was a great pleasure and all were blessed by flavors and fullness. Now let me talk about these beignets. WOW! They were pillowy and light with the right amount of vanilla (a pleasant flavor you dont always get). It may be unpopular opinion but I would say so much better than those 'not to be mentioned' from New Orleans. He definitely knows what he is doing with the food. The service was quick and he made sure we had everything we needed as he checked on us a few times. The restaurant is not a looker but sometimes the best foods come from places like that. It looks like they are making some repairs and updates so I don't fault them for doing upgrades. The food still comes out flavorful and plentiful. We will be back. read more

I walked in and was instantly greeted with a warm smile. My mom ordered the red beans and rice, and I ordered the seafood gumbo. When it was ready they brought it to our table, grabbed us napkins, silverware, hot sauce, and told me to be careful because it was HOT! Both dishes were absolutely DELICIOUS! They were served with the softest bread. I know people complain about the long grain rice, but rice is rice, honestly. I didn't mind the long grain not one bit. The portions are VERY generous! The place is so cute and feels like home. There's light jazz playing, board games, high top tables and regular tables. I really like the feel of hole in the wall places over some corporate/high end place any day. A place where I feel like I can be myself instead of being judged. This is one of those judgement free zones. Do yourself a favor and go get some food! You won't regret it. P.S. the beignets are AMAZING!!! read more

I found this place through a TikTok recommendation and decided to stop by, and I'm so glad I did. I ordered the red beans and rice along with the beignets, and both were absolutely delicious. The red beans and rice were flavorful and comforting, and the beignets were light, fresh, and perfectly made. The owners were incredibly friendly and genuinely happy that TikTok and social media have brought so many new people in to try their food--it was really nice to see how much they appreciated the support. You can truly tell this is a mom-and-pop Cajun restaurant that puts a lot of heart into what they do. I'll definitely be back. read more

Good lord this place is delicious. Eating at a small business almost always yields better food but damn! This place was over the top amazing. Tried multiple things and EVERYTHING was scrumptious. Cant wait to come back. Thank you to Chef David for being an excellent host! read more

Food was great, lived in New Orleans for four years and this hit the spot. Definitely give it a try! Service is great and he knows what he's talking about. Who doesn't love the Mardi Gras feel of the place also. Love it will be back again! read more

So friendly! Excited to try a new restaurant. We got the seafood gumbo and a muffelata.

Food was amazing, I have been in Dallas many years and this is the best gumbo I have ever had. Food is fresh and hot, all the flavors are there. Owner is such a nice guy and really cares about providing an authentic New Orleans experience. I definitely felt like I was back home in Nola. I also had the beignets and they tasted original. The fried okra was perfectly battered and crispy. I plan on coming back soon to taste the fried catfish. Food and service 10/10 Loved the ambience because it reminded me of a New Orleans cafe. Was glad to get a taste of New Orleans right here in Dallas. read more

Swamp Cafe - Fresh Beignet - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The food was great (especially the beignets), but what stood out the most was Chef David's hospitality and stories! Really awesome person that had lovely conversations with us. With that and the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, we felt very welcomed. We'd love to come back, would recommend others to check this place out for some solid food and interesting chats! read more

Just happened to see it while driving by so dropped in to pick up lunch. It was absolutely fantastic. The real deal Cajun food!!!

Excellent food and service. Hubby got our dinner to go and it was enough for 2 meals.

Amazing gumbo!!! And the family is very nice towards the customers! Will be back soon!

Food was so good. And his recommendations were spot on. We will be back again for sure. Great staff and great dining area.