We'd arrived in St Joseph, Missouri around 1:15p to have lunch at a little German restaurant we'd heard about; only to find their hours were a bit unconventional (11:30am thru 1:30pm Monday to Friday &closed Sat & Sun). I couldn't believe what I was seeing on their webpage, so I phoned the restaurant directly - once in town. The woman on the phone was extremely pleasant, yet informed me the hours posted were in fact correct, and that they were a small family owned place with limited help, so they'll seat their last customer at 1:15pm. I explained we'd just driven into town from Blue Springs specifically to eat there, thanked her for the clarification, then told her we'd return to dine there sometime soon. She was still kind enough to direct us to a couple other establishments in town that would promise a good experience; and she wasn't wrong. We'd decided we'd stop at Boudreaux's... They're a Louisiana style seafood & steak place. Known by the locals to be frequented by quite a few of the Kansas City Chiefs players from time to time. Ironically, we were within 400 feet of it when I looked it up. It was literally on the corner of the street we were on. So, we parked and went in. The interior was a little dark and kind of dated looking. It had a mezzanine that overlooked the lower dining area, and the black metal rails were decorated with the traditional fleur-de-lis symbols within it's panels, and they were scattered about the inside and outside of the building. It definitely reminded you of a little place you'd encounter on a visit to Mardi gras. Actually, come to think about it, it was exactly what you'd imagine a little place like this would look like inside if you were on Bourbon Street in Louisiana. We ordered a cup of Crab Bisque soup, which was divine! It arrived with a scoop of white rice and sour dough bread rounds. We'd also ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken balls; which were made with Cajun mashed potatoes & chicken, formed into golf ball sized balls and fried to perfection, then served with a special Cajun style creamed gravy sauce. That was also very tasty! Next, our entrees... We'd ordered the Seafood Jambalaya with a side of garden vegetables. This dish was slightly seafood forward, containing a trio of catfish, shrimp, and crawfish; it was layered amongst the usual Jambalaya suspects - of delicately steamed rice, seasoned tomato sauce and finished with traditional Cajun seasonings... add in the tri colored sweet pepper strips (cooked perfectly) and you have a very memorable lunch experience. I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken smothered in their own version of "creamed gravy" but it was more like a complex Cajun cream sauce, served with Dirty Rice on the side. Again, undeniably delicious. It was perfectly breaded and expertly fried. We ordered quite a few items so we'd have the opportunity to experience some while there, and still have plenty to take home. We will definitely recommend this place to anyone wishing to have an authentic Cajun/Creole style meal. read more

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The sautéed asparagus was really good, and the seafood mac and cheese was a little different than I expected, but once I started eating it, I really enjoyed it. The I was very surprised to see alligator bites on the kids' menu! My daughter liked them, although I thought they were a little bland. My 9-year-old ordered the Super Jambalaya and absolutely loved it . The kids' catfish looked crispy, and my son's friend really enjoyed it as well.The service was a bit slow, but the restaurant was very busy, so it was understandable. Even with the crowd, the servers stayed attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. read more

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Our return to Boudreaux was planned and highly anticipated, this time with the whole family. We were surprised by their new location and different feel to it. We were greeted with a quick hello and seated on what seemed to be the "second" floor-- though the space is bigger than before, there seemed to be a disconnect from our first lively and packed experience. The menu is still extensive, do wish our server had offered some suggestions or house favorites. The kids menu is adequate, but ordered a burger from the regular menu. The Our ticket was delivered shortly after some of our food order was out and to-go boxes were offered-- this felt rushed and transactional. As for the food, the Jambalaya had a satisfactory amount of protein, veggies, rice and seasoning. On the other hand, the Seafood Sauté was more like soup and overly salty. We do appreciate that our requests with the Boudreaux Burger were made and our kids enjoyed it. read more

Boudreaux's - Super Jambalaya with Onion Rings - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

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Have not been to their new facility yet. But generally speaking every time I go there I'm disappointed. It's the cooking basically. Maybe I've just had a really great Cajun food in Kansas City and around the country and so this place disappoints me every time. The smell is just disgusting. read more

Had lunch there today, first time for me since they moved to the new location. Food was great, it was clean and the waitstaff were very attentive. To top it off, it was cheap!! read more

Boudreaux's - Seafood Courtbouillon - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

It was ok they seem to have changed since they moved to the new building I loved them when they was in the old building building the service was a lot better read more

While visiting relatives in the area we were taken here for dinner. We were skeptical of the menu having never ate Cajun food. I ordered the shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta and the shrimp were small but there were several of them. The pasta came in a broth and a second broth accompanied the dish. The broth was very plain and needed more butter and garlic. It did have a kick that was unexpected. Others in my party had the fried catfish. Because another restaurant down the street serves whole catfish they were expecting the same. Mac n cheese as a side was delicious. Catfish was good along with the service. Prices normal for this area. read more

It's been several years and some things are just as good and some things weren't. We popped in near 8pm for dinner. Place was packed but most tables were wrapping up. But still took a longer than expected for most items. The "gravy" and the fried alligator was as good as I remember. Even though it took nearly 30 mins to get. (I think the order got lost??) Ordered a blackened red snapper and the fring side. The onion rings and fries were probably better than I remember. The snapper was way over cooked and tough. Most people at the table mentioned food temps were lower than expected. So not sure if our dinners were held with the appetizer miss but I am betting this is not the norm. Or this place would have not been as packed. I will say the prices are as good as I remember and way better than I expected with the inflation for everything. $16.99 for red snapper and side is really hard to believe!! We will be back and plan ahead better next time. read more

Boudreaux's - Blackened Red Snapper and fry ring combo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

Sweet Baby N'awlins Jesus--this place is quite the find. I rarely get to St. Joe, but some friends suggested a road trip from KC to try this place. Our server was quick to point out all his favorite dishes ... uh, and what not to try. (Props for that.) We started with the crab-filled mushrooms (get 'em broiled, not fried) and ended up getting the two filets for a mere $35. (No, that's not a typo.) We doubled down on the dirty rice, which is always a crowd favorite. My friends weren't very adventurous, so I may have to go back to check out the fried alligator and the oysters. We wrapped up with their homemade bread pudding which was freshly made that day. It was decadent and laden with raisins. If you're looking for a reasonably priced steakhouse, this place is like the mothership calling you home. read more

Boudreaux's - I hazard to guess the calorie count in their decadent bread pudding. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

Wow, did we get lucky last night. We drove to St. Jo to pick up something from Marketplace, but the seller had the day wrong. Total bummer, or so we thought. While looking for somewhere to eat, I stumbled across this absolute gem of a restaurant. They had me at Boudin. The town was pretty quiet, but the restaurant sure wasn't. We waited at the bar for a table to open, and the service was so friendly and welcoming that we ended up staying there. That's saying something because my husband usually does not enjoy bar seating. But the guys behind the bar were fantastic. Kind, funny, and they took such great care of us. I loved watching them work together. They had this natural rhythm and bond that made it even more fun to sit back and take it all in. The food took a little while to come out, but they were super busy and it was absolutely worth the wait. I had a house salad, the most delicious Cajun Mac N Cheese, and BOUDIN. So dang good. My husband got the jalapeño popper tenderloin and gave me a bite. YUM. Praise Jesus for amazing cooks, kind staff, and a failed Marketplace pickup that turned into a total win. And the price? Only $68 for everything. Two non-alcoholic beers, an iced tea, a shot of Jameson, and all that incredible food. My husband rarely drinks, but the meal was so good he decided to enjoy an after-dinner cocktail. I'm 2.5 years sober and treated myself to an NA Bud Light. It felt like the perfect reward. Now I just need to come up with another reason to visit St. Jo. This place is officially on my list. Thanks for a great meal! read more

Boudreaux's - Boudin $6.99 Spicy pork and rice. Your choice of link or fried bites. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

The food is fairly close to New Orleans cooking. It has good flavor and nice sized portions. I had the étouffée and a bowl of gumbo. The étouffée was spot on, wished they offered some good French bread to accompany the dish. The gumbo was good but would have used a little more seasoning, but not hot spice. Too many restaurants make Cajun or creole dishes outside of New Orleans too hot. New Orleans is flavor not just heat. The big disappointment and frankly a waste of money was what they call beignets. I am not sure where they came up with these but they were not only bad tasting but no where near what a beignet is supposed to be. I will return but will try a different dessert next time. I would recommend Boudreaux's for dinner. read more

Food was excellent. Atmosphere welcoming. Quick friendly service. Best Bloody Mary I've had ages. You got a try this place. read more

Great Food some great Cajun food for sure. Service is always great helpful and prompt with orders and drink refills Decorated with Cajun decor from Louisiana look. read more

It has been a long time since I've gone somewhere without knowing before I got there and that is what happened today. Started a new job and my new boss and associates provided training in the morning and then took me out for lunch. If you're not used to it, catch you off guard. This building has obviously been around since the cowboy days because it has the super tall doors and the ceiling is super high, which accommodated for all the smoking back in the day which would be lifted high enough, not to make people choke possibly before electricity and ventilation. We started off with deep fried pickles and alligator bites (yes real alligator). For my main I had the super jambalaya plate that was very good with a side salad. The server was on point and very friendly. All in all this is a great Cajun restaurant and I would love to come back here again sometime for dinner. read more

Boudreaux's - Shot of the bar - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

We went on a busy night for my birthday. There was a 45 minute wait or so, but plenty of seating. My kids got a little restless, but no fault of the restaurant. This was not our first time, but tried a new dish...crawfish etouffee. It was just awesome! All the food was great. Service was good, even though they were super busy. Restaurant is in an older downtown building and decorated with Cajun flair. Highly recommend if you are in the mood for some Cajun! read more

The only reason this thing got one stars because the server was very friendly. The food was absolutely atrocious and as a matter of fact all of my dinner companions are now in the bathroom. Every single one of us has gotten mildly sick and it's only been an hour since we've eaten. My etouffee was like water which I sent back and then my replacement meal was absolutely blasted with so much cheap Cajun seasoning it was inedible. I'm only one that's not sick because I didn't eat my food. I don't know how this place got these good reviews, maybe they had better cooks back then but good Lord do not eat here if you will value your health. read more

We have been enjoying this place for years, we have family that come in from northern Iowa that insist we take them here such a good place!!

I have been so excited to try this place and the flavor of the food did not disappoint. While the gumbo was lukewarm at best, the flavors were on point and I ate it anyway, because I was hungry. Also why there is not a picture the little bread and white rice served with the gumbo was hot and the bread was great with my potatoes too. The Louisiana potatoes ( pictured) were tasty and hot. The jambalaya(pictured) -the rice and sausage were perfect. The flavor burst was perfect spice after the bite. The chicken in the jambalaya was eh. It almost seemed extra chicken was just added to the serving? It just did not have the same flavor as the rice and sausage and seemed a bit rubbery. The restaurant is in a cool old building and in the downtown area. I enjoyed learning of the why -the gentlemen opened the spot but sad to see the bathrooms were dirty and the bar glass was as well. The team immediately fixed an issue with cold food next to me and did so with kindness. Family friendly atmosphere for lunch . While my experience had its bumps, the flavors of the gumbo particularly would bring me back. read more

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The food was super good! Big place, could fit a lot of people. If I'm ever in St Joe again, I'll be stopping back for sure.

Great food! Great atmosphere! The service was spot on! If you like raw oysters this is a great place to go!

We came for lunch. We ordered the Cajun burrito with Cajun mashed potatoes, and smothered hamburger steak with dirty rice. The meats were all overcooked and dry. The dirty rice had almost no flavor. The potatoes were better, but still not very good. The burrito was just above room temperature. read more

The food was horrible. Didn't even finish more than a couple bites of my burger. The gater bites were rubbery and gross, thankfully the sauce was good. I haven't been to this restaurant in years before that visit but I don't remember it being bad like it was today. The server was very nice and attentive. The highlight of our visit. I won't get talked into going here again when I visit town next time. read more

We stopped here a couple of years ago and it was phenomenal- all we could talk about any time St. Joe came up in conversation.... Tonight we made a long awaited return and I was so sad. Nothing like it used to be. I did a pasta and mine was barely warm enough, shrimp had no signs of being cooked and were likely just thrown on the top on it's way out the door, whereas my companion's angel hair was overdone to mush. No Louisiana flavor. All around disappointment. read more

While everyone else seems to love this place, my husband and I didn't care for it. My husbands seafood platter was a pile of mush and he didn't like the crab cakes. I have the Mac and cheese with sausage and chicken. it was okay, very dry, served in a foul dish. read more

Awesome Cajun food! Service was adequate & atmosphere was not as loud as some restaurants. Definitely recommend if you haven't already tried it read more

visited new location... waited an hour for our order, food was basic Tex-mex at best & had clearly been sitting out for a while. Nothing like it used to be. read more

It was pretty good food. I should have actually found an actual steakhouse for a steak, but I didn't. A bit pricey for what you get, the servers are there to have fun with each other and not provide service to customers, and the place was really, really loud. Good for them having fun, but REALLY loud. read more

I have not been here for many years but remember how excellent it was. so we drove to St. Joseph to meet a friend and try the cajun again. some good, some bad and some disappointing. One of our party ordered medium steak. it came out black. The waiter acknowledged the failure and said a 2nd one to be corrected. Good, the flavor and tenderness. Bad, the cooking failure. One of the party ordered a small order of beans and rice for everyone as an appetizer. What was served was Crab Bisque at $40 dollars more and the bill was put on the wrong persons tab. 2 failures. Waiter response. "oh I must have made a mistake". One party said how can u mix up red beans and rice with lobster bisque when the order was given and repeated by the waiter. And he did not even notice it until he brought to the table and someone said "who ordered this?" The gumbo one party ordered was both flavorless and cold and sent back for reheat. Another order was ordered with crawfish and then did not come with the crawfish. It was clearly ordered with them and the waiter just said "well there are two ways to order the crawfish". The person wanting crawfish had to order the crawfish plate at additional money.' The waiter excused all this stuff but made us feel embarrassed if we had not eaten the crab bisque. He must have been new because no one would retain a representative this poor. The good was 3 of the 6 orders were correct as ordered, and the group was still very generous to the waiter. will we go back? maybe in a couple months and give management a chance to fix their issues. read more

I'm super impressed by this restaurant. I'm from Houston and we have lots of great Cajun food being so close to Louisiana. I have to say, the food was just as good as I could get in my neck of the woods. Even though they were super busy service was great. There is lots of interesting things to look at throughout the restaurant. I would definitely eat here again. read more

Boudreaux's - Mardi Gras with Chicken Fried Chicken - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

Well they moved out of the cool location they used to be so it lost some of its ambiance. I think they lost the recipes for their awesome food with it. The new location is still an iconic building and you can tell they've put alot of work into it. The food was not as good...crab bisque runny, gravy and bread, gravy was watery, salads were even different. The service was horrible. Just because you're cheerful I can't look past that the food you brought was wrong and you completely forgot the soup. Offered apologies and advised soup would be taken off bill, but it wasn't. Blaming someone else doesn't help either. Good Lord, we were the only table in their section...it's like they tried to screw up everything. It's heartbreaking as this was the restaurant that we would take out of town guest to go eat at. read more

When telling people about restaurants in the area, I always mention Boudreaux's first. Truly a gem in St. Joe. The current building has so much character and adds a lot to the atmosphere. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful. Go-to is the jambalaya as a Cajun staple but the Cajun loaded fries are a MUST try! We have never had anything at Boudreaux's we didn't thoroughly enjoy! read more

Great food, sit up front if you want to keep your eardrums from bursting from the loud old people conversation!

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE? My wife and I found ourselves in the area about dinner time and had heard of Boudreaux's several times. We were intrigued. The space is open with tall ceilings, so quiet it was not. Despite being busy we were seated almost immediately. Our server was Brandy. She was just amazingly friendly, attentive and helpful. Seriously world class service! We felt like we'd made a new friend. The menu is chock full of choices (all of which i intend to try). We asked Brandy for recommendations and she was both happy and qualified to do so. First we ordered fried alligator nuggets for an appetizer. Don't believe the hype about them tasting like chicken because they don't. It has a mildly spicy, distinctive flavor, and it's good. We also shared a bowl of the Crab Bisque - light, creamy, and seasoned just right. Entree's included the Mardi Gras bowl with chicken fried chicken and gravy (also light and creamy). My wife had an Oyster Po Boy with a french fry/onion ring split. The fries are great - thin and well done. The rings have a light coating so they don't have a lot of bulk and tend to fall apart but are nevertheless tasty. Like everything else, the sandwich was very good although my wife thought it needed a few more oysters. We couldn't help ourselves and indulged in some pecan pie that was next to Heaven. Boudreaux's is hands-down my favorite non-BBQ restaurant since arriving from the west coast last April. I love cajun food and I love Boudreaux's. That's a fact. If you enjoy creole food as I do, this is your huckleberry. It is no kidding drop dead awesome. You get some great food at very reasonable prices in a building that has character-plus, all served up by happy, energetic and engaging staff that love cajun food as much as you and I. To say I highly recommend Boudreaux's seems redundant and underwhelming, so trust me on this one and just go. Seriously. GO. read more

Boudreaux's - The view from our table towards the bar. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

They have moved 2 block away to 123 S 6th St. this is my go to for dinner after the Berkshire meeting in Omaha heading towards KC. The crawfish etouffee tastes like you are in NOLA. read more

Staff are friendly and make you feel welcome. Unfortunately I won't be returning. Tried a variety of menu items. Overall everything seemed to be seasoned with salt and pepper, no flavor whatsoever. Dessert tasted and looked like something bought from the local market and thrown onto a plate. read more

The ambiance is great. The food and service is good, so I would have given Boudreaux's four stars. However, I am going with three stars because the appetizer portions were small. The calamari pictured with this review literally made me laugh. And this small amount we did receive was mostly breading. If you cannot send out quality, do not send it out. read more

Steak was not cooked properly as requested and tasted like hot garbage. But the dessert was good.

Best food, gotta try the medallions. Sit at the bar and deal with the best bartender. Raz. My food came out too done once, Raz handled it. What a champ! read more

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My Super Jambalaya was not that impressive, it was too dry, crawfish were so tiny, I felt cheated. The ambiance was like being in an old tavern but service was good but I was impressed when the manager came to check on people. I would return with a group again trying something different. read more

This was my first cajun experience and I really enjoyed the food!! The service was great as well! We actaully ate here twice while we were here on vacation in St. Joseph, Missouri! Absolutely loved the hushpuppies! My husband had always spoken about them and I was so excited to try them! Yummy in my tummy!! For dinner I had the Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya and cajun mashed potatoes. Both very good! I had the same dish the second time we came as well! My husband had the Seafood Jambalaya with Dirty Rice the first night and had the Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya the second time with Cajun Mac & Cheese. He wished they gave a little more of the mac & cheese he said there wasn't much to it and you had to pay an upgrade fee for that. We definitely enjoyed it! We will for sure be back next time we are in St. Joe! read more

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