Nothing fancy, hipster or fusion. Just good classic cajun worth the wait and super friendly staff. It's Montana spicy so it's not as zingy as usual but I'm sure they'll kick it up a little if you ask nicely. Will visit again next time we're in Helena! Great place for halal options: Good variety of seafood, sides and choices without sausage and pork. read more

Amazing food friendly staff and a clean environment to dine in

One of the best places in town The atmosphere is fun and festive. The food is AMAZING. It's a must stop and eat place. Lots of hilarious and sarcastic signs posted all around. If you don't have a good sense of humor don't bother dropping in. It's not a place for you if you can't laugh and have fun while enjoying real southern food read more

Cafe Zydeco, to me, is one of the must-eats of Helena. Whenever I'm in town visiting family, I schedule in at least one (if not more than one!) visit for some of the best food around. I love, love, LOVE their crawfish etouffee. It's so buttery and chock full of crawfish; it's my dream of etouffee made reality. Their gumbo is also excellent--I like the classic version. The atmosphere is cute at their new location, though I must admit I miss the charm and crampedness of the old. Prices are reasonable and you get enough food for several meals from even the small size! Love this place and will always be back! read more

Friendly staff! Yummy food!!! Please get a beignet! They are so, so yummy!! And the gumbo was delicious and filling!

This place lives up to the hype! I currently live in the south, and am here on business. The portions are large, prices low, and taste as good as it gets! Recommend the fried green tomatoes as a starter, and the seafood gumbo was perfect--lots of flavor without being too heavy or rich. Only complaint is the Pepsi products; however, that's not uncommon in this part of the country. You must try this place! It will not disappoint. read more

So good!!!! I can't believe this place is on Helena. We will be back! I would recommend the beignets, gumbo, and shrimp/grits.

In town for work and this restaurant was recommended. First the food was good. I tipped 20% delivery before my food even arrived. When I got the bag and brought it in the room, everything was swimming in liquid. I had to get a towel and work my way through everything. I called and respectfully told them what happened, while telling them the food was good. They were underwhelmed and seemed annoyed. I was planning on ordering from there during my week stay but I'm good. read more

Great Poboys and muffuletta sandwiches. Everything I've tried here has been great. Hush puppies, bread pudding, all their sandwiches etc. it's really good, try it and help this local business stay in business! read more

WOW! This place was a pleasant surprise. We ordered the French Dip, fried catfish platter, and shrimp poe boy. As someone who is from the south, I can happily attest that the catfish strips were amazing. French Dip was also fantastic. Shrimp poe boy was ok, but my boyfriend liked it more than I did. Definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

This spot is amazing. Amazing Cajun food by any standard. Helena is fortunate to have such an amazing place. They support all public servants such as nurses, firefighters and police officers. The service was excellent and the staff was so knowledgeable about their menu. I highly recommend stopping by for lunch. Very reasonable priced as well. read more

Cafe Zydeco is awesome. They support local first responders and the food is amazing!!!! We got the BBQ chicken po boy and the All That Jazz po boy. Quite frankly it's amazing that Helena MT has this high caliber of cajen food. The service was fantastic! The woman who helped us was so friendly and everything was just amazing. Check this place out for sure. read more

The folks that work there are very friendly and helpful!! The food is great! Portions are BIG! It's very authentic and tasty, with great soups and sandwiches!!! read more

Real southern food in an inviting atmosphere. The food is on point from when I lived down south. Brings back memories and the cooks there be doing things right read more

It was a delight going to this place. The servers were amazing. The restaurant originated from Louisiana so they all have the southern hospitality. Oh, the food was delicious. I ordered the fried shrimp with rice & they poured some sauce into it. Yummy! They were always checking on us if we were okay. And it's affordable too. Go check this place out. You will be happy you did. read more

2 of us with extensive time in the South and we both give it a rave review. What more is there to say? Ok, more. I had the crawfish omelette and an order of fried green tomatoes. The omelette was better than I could have hoped. Smothered with crawfish over a layer of cheese. Not a cream based sauce like I expected given the region but rather a proper brown roux and the crawfish had very good flavor. The tomatoes could have been sliced thinner, I might go for the fried dill pickles next time, but were tasty with the right amount of spice and a tiny bit of spicey (there's a difference, one many "Cajun" places fail, not here) in the batter. I and my eating partner (who had the bacon, lettuce and fried green tomato poboy and came away equally happy) both thought we'd order poboys to go for later in the afternoon and by the time we finished brunch we knew we were full until late supper. It is not a place where there are waitresses coming to your table, you order and pay up front and you bus your own dishes, so the rating is purely based on the food. However the service and attitude of the staff was great on our visit so it appears other reviews from earlier got through to them. I came really close to a 5 star and whole heatedly recommend it if you're wanting Louisiana-style brunch/lunch. They also have a good selection of Big Sky sodas, which was a welcome addition to the normal Coke or Pepsi. The only beverage issue I can think of is I'd like to see fresh brewed tea instead of Lipton pumps. Sweet tea would have been even more welcome. read more

Wonderful place with a unique menu and atmosphere. Be sure to try the oyster po-boy sandwich!! read more

I went to cafe zydeco once I simply asked do you serve breakfast. They said yes, I asked for some eggs Scrambled. They said they did not have eggs or bacon or sausage or muffins or French toast or pancakes Or waffles. I simply wondered why they said they did Serve breakfast. Overall I thought the food that I did get was pretty freaking weird. Seems like maybe a good place for people who would not enjoy meat read more

Best Beignets I've ever had!!! Considering that I have had Beignets all over the SOUTH that say volumes about those I had at this restaurant two weeks ago! read more

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This restaurant never disappoints. I'm sorry Missoula lost you guys. I guess we'll just have to visit you every time we're in Helena.

Best Cajun food outside of New Orleans. Red beans and rice better than NOL. Great friendly service and variety of dishes.

Had luncheon with a friend here. We both ordered the Jumbolya . It could have been spicer and the chicken should have been pulled chicken and there was no crawfish in it like there should have been, but I will chalk it up to the COVIS virus and lack of help and possibly delivery of fishes. The Sweet Potato Fries were the best I have ever had! Very crisp on the outside with melt in your mouth inside! Excellently done! They now have in house dining and outdoor dining beside the phone orders for pickup! The staff were very friendly and accommodating! I will be back to try some other dishes! Oh, and the prices are very reasonable! read more

Always fun to get a meal here. Quirky, cajun vibe. Tasty food. I got fried oysters. My fiancé got the alligator bites. Both were flavorful. The chips were surprisingly good; scratch made, thick cut potato chips are a rare find. Sauces and spicy condiments are plentiful. In the past I have tried many of their dishes. Consistently great flavor and sizable portions. read more

Wonderfully spicy gumbo with a very large portion. The dessert is yummy. Great to find a restaurant with authentic food this far north read more

Cafe Zydeco - Wonderful - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

My wife and I have had lunch from here twice - took it to go. The inside seats about eight, and they have a deck that seats about another eight, so "to go" works best. Anyway, the first time I went I was a bit struck by the choices. That is, the sheer number of choices. I'm from North Dakota - how do you expect me to be able to choose from all of this "exotic" fare? But my stomach eventually made up it's mind and I tested the water with both feet and got the Crawfish Po-boy. Very filling, very tasty, very well-cooked (that is, not overcooked to the point of chewing leather - very well done). The dill aoli is very good, although I'm sure not particularly lo-cal. I don't recall what my stomach ordered for my wife, but she really enjoyed it as well. Based on that meal I would have given the place four stars. Then came Friday, May 28. My restaurant choices will never be the same. May of 2010 in Helena, Montana was an Oregon winter - cold and rainy. So we were both in the mood for something nice and hot. My stomach chose the jambalaya, and my wife's chose the chicken and sausage gumbo. As I stood there deciding what size to order I asked to see the size of the to-go containers. I have no idea how one person could eat the large of either, so I ordered the "small". I weigh 200 pounds, and ate three meals out of my small jambalaya. My wife had two and a half (with a little help from me) out of her gumbo. Don't bother with the large unless you are having a party. Both came with 1/2 of a very buttery toasted and seasoned French roll, which was very good. Better yet, both were very, very good. My jambalaya was really nicely spiced (and I like it spicy, even being from ND), the shrimp was done very well (again, not tough - done perfectly), the rice was done perfectly, the taste was amazing. But it was second best that day. My wife's gumbo was one of the best things I have ever had. The flavor in the broth was amazing. Yeah, the chicken and the sausage were great, and the rice, again, was done very well. But put it all together with that broth. Wow. The worst thing about that meal - now we will never be able to order another thing from Cafe Zydeco. I just can't imagine ever not ordering the gumbo. It was that good. So here's the fifth star. Go. Get your own. Eat well. This place is terrific. read more

This is a picturesque little cafe in a picturesque town. The owner has a fun sense of style too. There were flowers nestled in coffee cans, neat artwork, and nice music playing. It all blends together perfectly and makes for a good mood while you wait for your food. They had me at good mood and food. I ordered a salad and wanted to try a po' boy. I asked if the roast beef was homemade and the friendly lady behind the counter said no. She indicated that their pork was; so I went with a Cajun pork po' boy. The salad came out and it was ok. It wasn't anything special and the dressing was a little bitter. The sandwich came out and it wasn't much to look at. Immediately I'm thinking these reviews are inflated...until I take a bite. Dang! It was some of the best pulled pork I've ever had. It was tender, jucy, and flavorful. The sauce they had it coated in was delicious too. It was a horseradish garlic aoli. It brought the sandwich together both literally and metaphorically. They take all this goodness and pile it inside a soft, chewy bread bun. It was really something special. read more

Cafe Zydeco - Beautiful. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

After moving to Helena from Hawaii, there were many things I wanted to enjoy, most of them involved food or beer. Hawaii has some great food but it is not the same as the mainland dishes I grew up with. Mainly, I have been on a quest for the perfect pizza, Mexican, wings, steak... standard stuff, but I kept driving by Cafe Zydeco so I finally wandered in last night. Yeah, it is small, and a lot of people talk about that in their reviews. I have noticed a lot of places in town are small. Small town, small restaurants. Who cares? The servings are HUGE. I shared the leftovers with my spouse the next day and we were both full. The jambalaya I had was too much food. I ordered a large because small usually means tiny. It was full of chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage, and a very decent amount of spice. I like my food spicy and this place understands spicy. The garlic bread they served with it was perfect. Too much butter. Too much spice. Just like they do it down south. It weighed a LOT. I may update this review at a later date. I don't usually review a place after one visit but this one was easy. The portion size, the price, the quality ingredients, the spice (I brought one of their bottles of hot sauce to the table but never opened it) were enough to write about. I am already planning my next visit. Will I get too much gumbo next time, or a po' boy that is far too big to finish? My mouth is watering just thinking about it. read more

Cajun food at its finest. Amazing selection of Po-boys and classic New Orleans foods. Never ever been disappointed. The Bignets are a specialty, just fight your way through all that powdered sugar. read more

Really really good. One of my favorite places in Helena. Very flavorful and nice people. I wish they were in a bigger location as there wasn't room to stand to wait for our food much less sit, and I wish they were a bit cheaper. $10 for a sandwich is a bit much for Helena. My husband and I will go back but wouldn't spend upwards of $40 (without drinks) for us and the two boys on lunch. Dinner yes but lunch no. read more

The only Cajun place in town, and what I've tried so far is ok. If you order the shrimp po boy they automatically give it to you with sautéed shrimp. That was a shock the first time I came here, so I learned that you have to ask for fried shrimp specifically. The cheesesteak sandwich is really good. The sandwich fixings are really weak though- just a lot of lettuce and some diced tomato. The sandwich is not big for the price either, I think mine had 4 large shrimp on it. It's kind of a let down if you've been to New Orleans and had a po boy there, but it's the only Cajun place here in Helena. The Cajun fries are out of this world though, and they have some good local soda on fountain called big sky. read more

I recommend the Red Beans and Rice. The inside dinning area is not that big and it gets crowded but the food is very good! read more

Cafe Zydeco - Red Beans and Rice. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

One of my favorite lunch spots in Helena! If you don't know where it is, keep your GPS ready. If you blink, you could miss it. I've never had a bad meal here. The gumbo (without rice) is delicious. The sandwiches are MASSIVE. So, why not five stars? As much as I love this place, the physical restaurant is a bit of a bummer. The inside is tiny, tiny, which can make even ordering "to go" food a little bit like competing in a culinary Olympic hurdling event. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Maybe the twisting and dodging helps burn off a few calories. read more

I wish there was one in great falls but I'd gladly drive the hour to eat here. Such good Cajun food. So delicious. I just with I could eat there all the time. This cute little place serves amazing food. Try the pasta zydeco, I loved it. Don't get a large, their portions are really big lol good service too. I'll definitely be back soon to try more read more

Cafe Zydeco - Pasta zydeco - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

Real American cuisine in the middle of Montana. Staff is very pleasant pro military and police. There is no mixing up the flavors with any other restaurants . Loved mine and the husbands dishes. The only downside is the frozen fried okra. Probably no way around that in Montana. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. read more

Very interesting, spicy food! a favorite of my friends. Has die hard fans among people of Helena!

Quick services. Local Big Sky soda pops. Which i really enjoyed. Food was ready by the time I sat down. I got the seafood gumbo. It was good had a nice spice level to it. Just enough for me my wife might have needed a little more. All meals that the group got came with fresh bread which was really good. Almost made wish I'd gottwn a poboy. read more

Cafe Zydeco - Seafood gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

I'm a fan. The Etouffe was delicious and very filling. The service was very polite and quick. This might've been my favorite restaurant while visiting Montana but there not much to say aside from it being worth a visit. I'd strong recommend Café Zydeco to friends. read more

Cafe Zydeco - Cafe du Monde Beignet - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Helena, Montana

i had never had a beignet until i went to this restaurant. i loved it, however i feel uncomfortable when i walk in with all of these "back the blue" posters and certain discounts for military and pd, etc. when the restaurant is a cajun themed restaurant. read more

Awesome food in a VERY small place. I counted 4 tables inside and maybe 4 or 5 outside. Owers were super friendly and the food excellent. Total for a small Gumbo (that was too big to finish) Ice Tea and a Bread Pudding was ~16.00 without tip. Be warned that they close early (7pm) but definately go and enjoy! read more

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Every time I have eaten here the food was really good. I am not used to New Orleans style food so I don't know what I am ordering but the staff are friendly and helpful with suggestions and I haven't ever been sorry. read more