I see the bad reviews, and I hate to be 'that guy' but we went with a party of six for dinner and all was well. I had a Cajun Sampler and enjoyed every bit of it, but I know NOTHING about what good Cajun food should be, besides what my Cajun neighbor makes, which is freakin pretty good. I did have to laugh at the backwoods wanna be hipsters at the bar, but I have a weird sense of humor. Everyone else enjoyed their food too, but I don't remember what they ordered. Also, yeah, you have to park along the street. No biggie. read more

Food is always great here and the sweet tea jug is bottomless. But NO cornbread today and I am bummed. How can you serve beef tip over rice with okra n tomaties, mac n cheese, red beans with NO cornbread. Shame! They offered me Texas toast and we are in Louisiana. read more

Cecil's Cajun Cafe - Lunch special: pork steak, red beans n rice, fried okra, broccoli casserole and mashed potatoes. Going to need a nap soon. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - De Ridder, Louisiana

Good food, a little bit of a nicer restaurant than what we have in Leesville. So it's worth the drive once and awhile. It's a little bit pricier, but not bad at all. Good service read more

Looking for a little Cajun food and Cecil's fit the bill. Tasty but not great. Crawfish tails were a little dry. The chicken and sausage gumbo was good but needed a bit more spice and more sausage. Beer was cold and service at the bar was great. read more

Food was good and priced right. Service and atmosphere great. A must stop if you are in the area. read more

Cecil's Cajun Cafe - Cajun/Creole Near Me - De Ridder, Louisiana

I enjoy the bustling atmosphere here most of all. To top that off, they actually have Louisiana food here, like red beans and sausage! However, one time I ordered this item, and it tasted so sweet; I was sure somebody had confused the sugar with salt. Luckily this was just one occasion! Servings are huge! You really get your money's worth. You might end up coming home with tomorrow's lunch, as well. The live music is usually awful, but the people from Queen Bee are so much fun. Exception being Sarah Beth; she's very rude and prideful, which is a shame because they play here often. Even when the talent is not top quality, though, most of the performers are engaging and play crowd favorites, so it's a great time. If only the restaurant owners would turn off the ear-busting pop music on the intercom so you could hear them better... The staff is superb and very attentive. Every single member of the staff works hard and is very kind to customers. Big salute to those guys and gals! Cecil's certainly is a favorite of the locals, that's for sure! read more

If you're looking for comfort food, with friendly service and good atmosphere, then Cecil's will be where you go. The burgers are delicious, the fries are hot and crispy, and the prices won't break your budget. I've yet to try a steak, because they are in the upper price range for the area, but the jambalaya is suicide food (because it's so good it'll make you slap your mama, and if you do that, she'll kill you!) Seriously, give these folks a try if you're in the area. They'll have you making an excuse to come back to DeRidder. read more

I brought my friend to this establishment and she was treated unfairly, we both ordered an alcohol beverage and an appetizer when the waitress came by she only asked if I wanted a water she never asked my friend if she wanted a water also my friends food was late when we both ordered the same thing. I will be sure to always give this place a bad review on anybody ask if there's a restaurant they recommend, this is not the first time we have had a bad experience I decided to try this place for a second time and it was the same thing with a different waitress. read more

I am not sure if anyone actually reads these reviews, but folks save your money!!! We went last night (party of 20) and the food was awful. The entree's were cold when they were served to our out of town guests. The filet, was burned and the chicken was so tough, you could not eat it. The one positive thing to be said about our experience last night was our server. She single handedly worked our table by herself and did an amazing job! read more

We come here regularly, especially if we have out-of-town visitors. Everyone's always pleased, haven't had a bad meal yet. Always spot-on with the food. Steaks are juicy, flavorful, and tender; local cuisine is well represented. You just can't go wrong with any of their meals, but very High priced, for the area. The bar needs a lot of help. Everytime we've sat at the bar, we've had to wait for a real long time to be served or get a refill. I sat down at the bar for 20 minutes while waiting for our party and did NOT get attention or a drink. If we're told to wait 30-40 minutes for a table, then get hot on the bar... We'll spend the time and money! read more

Favorite place in town got to try the Cecil's Special sandwich , the catfish is also great ,on the weekends there's usually music being played on the patio area read more

Lovely lunch today at Cecils! Started with the boudin balls, really yummy with the Cajun ranch. Everything was delicious and fast, good service! read more

I really enjoyed my visit here, the alligator was cooked to perfection & the steaks were also cooked to my liking. Good place to take the family for dinner read more

Amazing atmosphere; great service for a Wednesday night. Good selection. The main courses weren't warm when they arrived at our table. Might have added to the flavor. However, we ordered 4 different desserts; each one was superb! Beignets were some of the best! Staff was very attentive. read more

Nice casual atmosphere in the downtown area. Server was friendly and attentive. Had the Ragin Cajun Burger with Onion Rings and it was terrific! Nice big burger, great bun and lots of flavor. Onion rings were some of the best I've ever had. read more

The atmosphere is always nice, the servers are attentive, and the food is good. It's a Cajun restaurant, so my recommendation is even stronger if you're a seafood fan. read more

The Tiger Burger is the best burger in town! Welcoming and relaxing place to enjoy a great meal with great friends.

This is a good restaurant to go to was one of the more pricier ones in town There's a good atmosphere we didn't have them good cocktails had to send them back on more than one occasion but the food is wonderful music's good right and downtown area and the Heart and they say they support the military I think they got upset when my husband sent back to drink waitresses are great they've been there for a long time some of them have been there since the place is even open and always very polite even to rude customers wonderful food this salads are huge ladies and so tasty read more

We love Cecil's! As there aren't many restaurants in town we come here for date nights when we don't feel like driving to Lake Charles. The food is outstanding, my favorites are the pastas. They have great burgers, and their fish tacos are amazing. The portions are a little bit small and we usually get an appetizer to ensure that we will be full or go home with leftovers. The servers have all been pretty friendly when we have gone. The margaritas are pretty good, maybe a little heavy on the sour mix, but the wines are pretty horrible haha. They could definitely improve on the drink menu however I can't fault them for that! read more

I typically get the tiger burger! It's always cooked to perfection and the jalapeño bun is a nice pairing to the cheese burger! Great atmosphere and have had great service read more

This place was very good. The lunch menu was extensive and everything looked very good. Everything from sandwiches, salads, burgers, to seafood and of course cajun. This place was packed and came recommended from locals. Will eat here everytime I am in De Ridder. read more

This place is so dirty and gross. Big yuck factor. Luckily they keep the lights dim. Horrible food. Unsanitary for sure.

Date night in Deridder. We've heard good about the food and decided to try it out. They had entertainment on the patio but we chose to sit inside. Ordered a 14oz ribeye and fried mushrooms to share. The ribeye was cooked perfectly and very tender. Mushrooms were great! Onion rings were ok and salad was good enough. My hubby had a couple beers and I had a tiger tea which was good. It loses a star for our waitress who was mediocre at best but not the worst ever. And we ordered pecan pie and it came out almost frozen. We don't care it's not homemade just let it thaw a little more. Overall we will come back for the good food. It was a clean place with a nice atmosphere. Hope to have another good experience soon. read more

This place was fantastic. I'm only taking one star away because of parking. Not sure what was going on there, but it was not difficult to find street parking. Other than that...wow. Excellent service, tasty cajun food, and excellent atmosphere. Sports memorabilia everywhere if you're an LSU fan. There is a bar area and an outdoor patio area where they hold live music. Great little place to stop in for an out of towner! :) read more

Tried this place three times. Two out of three were not great experiences. 1.Stopped in on my lunch break today. Only street parking is available, but being that DeRidder is a small town, it wasn't a big issue. I requested the patio section, as it was a beautiful day out. Unfortunately, the host did not communicate with the server, so I actually had to get up and ask for my server after waiting 10 minutes. The server was apologetic and immediately took my drink order and answered my questions about the menu. They don't have a gluten free menu, but there were quite a few options. Thankfully, those options are not limited to salads. I tried the fried catfish, house salad, and jambalaya. The salad was fresh and well arranged. The catfish and jambalaya came out piping hot. The catfish was very fresh and served on a plastic fish-shaped plate. The jambalaya was flavored well with a nice hearty mix of chicken, pork, and sausage. I was a bit surprised that the tartar sauce was served in a plastic cup. For the price of the food, a nice ramekin would have looked better. My server, was attentive and very courteous. He brought the check quickly, as well as a box for leftovers. 2. The second time was a breeze. Not issues with the host and the server was fantastic. 3. The third time was down right awful. I went with my boyfriend and his family on a Saturday evening. The restaurant could not accomadate a table for 10, so they split us up. We were sat on the pation, where they had a guy playing guitar and singing cover songs. There were 15 tables in that section and only one waitress! We waited 20 minutes for our waitress, 30 minutes for our drink order to arrive, and the waitress never stopped by again. The sad thing is, one of the owners was there listening to the music with her friends, and didn't even notice the issues. She stopped by our table once and asked if we were ready to order. Then she went back to drinking and carousing with her friends. We finally complained and got another waitress out on the patio to take our order. Our food took 30 minutes to arrive and the steaks were very good. The server we finally ended up with was great and tried her best to make up for our long wait. After waiting so long for food and service, they didn't comp any drinks or food. I find it appalling that the owners sit around and don't take any actions. One server should never be put out on the patio by herself on a busy Saturday night. There is definitely a communication problem with the waitstaff and management. I also noticed that the wait staff did not seem very well trained. Our original server would only visit and do one thing at a time (no multitasking). It's sad that the service is so horrible; the only thing this place has going is the ambiance. I will never willingly, on my own accord, dine here again. read more

The Tiger Burger never fails to make up for the lack of good service- which seems to be a common issue around here.

Food was ok. Slowest service I've had in years. Waited almost an hour after receiving the bill to finally get our cards back. Waitress didn't smile once. Cheesecake was on point though!! That's how it got the three stars read more

Ordered the fried chicken strips and came back the next day for more! Went with the grilled chicken salad, fresh and delicious. Chill atmosphere and everyone was nice. Highly recommend! read more

We've been to Cecil's a few times. It's a fun atmosphere and it's worth getting out of Leesville for. The food is very salty, which seems to be a Louisiana staple. ;) I have to say, the crawfish tails appetizer is really good!! Good place to get a drink and a casual meal. I hear they have live music although we've never experienced Cecil's on one of those nights. The waitstaff is extremely young which can really be a turnoff if they're not consistent, attentive and friendly. read more

Great atmosphere, great live music, and great food! We visited Cecil's to try something new and it definately didn't dissappoint. Cecil's fare is acadian (cajun) and local in style. I opted for the fish tacos and my wife had the tilapia. The flavors and seasonings were nicely balanced to please without being overwhelming. In short, it was really good. There are upstairs, main level, and patio dinning rooms. Wood plank panels line the walls of the patio and the subtle cedar smells great when you enter. The decor is sports themed, casual, and comfortable. This is a great date place. read more

Cecil's Cajun Cafe - Fish Tacos and Onion Rings - Cajun/Creole Near Me - De Ridder, Louisiana

Slightly overrated, i ordered the shrimp Alfredo and it was to salty, my husband ordered the fried fish platter, the wait was long, it has a good atmosphere for a good time with friends and drinks. read more

I came in here on a saturday after noon with a friend. All the employees were huddled up socializing ignoring us. It took me to physically get the attention of a waitress to be seated. She sat us and brought us water, and returned to socializing. 25 minutes later we had empty water glass and no one came to take our order. So we got up and left. Service is the last priority in this establishment. I can't even rate the food because I had none. It was my first time there and I was so disappointed. Things need to change and quick. The owner and/or manager obviously don't care about the business and allows an unprofessional atmosphere. I never seen worst service in my life. Not only would I not recommend this place, I would recommend avoiding this place 110% read more

I really liked this restaurant, very rustic and gave off good vibes for a place to eat. I tried the seafood pasta and it was good, could of had more spice. Though they did not skimp out on seafood in the pasta, just wish there was more of a serving. They loaded you up with the oysters and crawfish tails. Great prices over all and the burgers are excellent too. read more

The service was outstanding. Our waiter was very nice, and he chatted with us. To that end, I think others were trying to get his attention while he chatted with us, so take that for what it's worth. The food was good. The prices were ok... not cheap, but ok. We asked about a military discount and were told that the restaurant offers no discounts in any form. OH well... Hubby had the Catfish Opelousas both times he's been... the sauce was so good! The first time, it had more of the extras on top than the second time. The second time, it was like maybe two oysters on top and then just the fish and sauce. We tried the Alligator Boudine bites and they were great, but very salty, and you don't get a whole lot for the $11. But then... it's a specialty item, so that wasn't that bad. The Fried Crawfish tails were good. They really just seemed like fried shrimp, but a lot less chewy and more tender than shrimp usually is. I had a steak. It was done perfectly, and seasoned well, but I poured some of hubby's sauce on top for a really tasty improvisation on a Bernaise sauce... LOL not really the intent of the sauce, but I did state that I thought the sauce was tasty on his fish, so it was even better on the steak. One of hubby's parents tried the Combeaux Platter and was very happy with it. Good steaks. Good choice of seafood items. Good apps. Don't get a Long Island Iced Tea unless u like the odd addition of Amaretto into that drink. read more

This place was awesome. My friends and I started with the fried crawfish and blackened gator bites (the former were good but the latter was amazing!). We each ordered an entree which included fish tacos, Cajun sampler, ribeye, and blackened fish. All of it was good - we ended up sharing it around the table. Dessert was chocolate mousse and the Beignets and both were fantastic. Service was personable, informative, and on point. Totally recommend and will revisit next time I'm at Polk. read more

Fun place to go. Fast service, even in large parties. Friendly staff. Beer tubes are a good deal and if they fill with foam the staff will be reasonable and top them off or partially comp the cost. Would go again. read more

I'm surprised the reviews aren't better- I love this place. The cajun pasta is fantastic. Pickle chips and alligator are delicious. Beignets are great. Banana pudding is nothing special. My only complaint is that the cajun pasta is too small. You can see the bottom of your plate after the first bite. read more

Had lunch yesterday and will be back when traveling through!! The Tiger Burger was awesome! The Fried Shrimp dinner with fried okra was absolutely delicious! This is a gem in downtown DeRidder !!! read more

Good food in a great atmosphere. Can't get drunk there though servers are polite and sweet but you don't see them but once every seven days. So much time between visits from the server I thought I would face dehydration before intoxication. Great place but if you want more than one beer sit at the bar. read more

Excellent food and service. We sat at the bar and the bartender was excellent. He brought us our drinks quickly and checked on us multiple times once our food came. The Ragin Cajun burger was great. The sweet potato fries with it were the best I've ever had! My buddy had a bowl of gumbo and the seafood pasta and they were great as well. If I'm ever back in the area, I will go out of my way to eat at Cecil's again! read more