What a beautiful little place. It's well decorated and quaint. The only thing I would have loved is an outdoor patio but otherwise so cute. The service was attentive and offered suggestions when asked. Now, the food! I will probably dream of those deviled eggs forever. The drinks were fantastic. We had several dishes and everything tasted amazing. A lot of attention to detail given and oils go again and again. read more

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Chez Lafayette has a really nice ambience and serves delicious Southern comfort food. I thought service was kind of slow and they rarely checked on us. Honey fried catfish was really good. I loved how crispy it was and it had a nice seasoning batter. The fried chicken with gumbo was alright. We ordered the large size and it was one big piece of chicken; it tasted kind of bland to me. The gumbo however was pretty good and had stew great flavors. It also came with plenty of sausages and veggies. I loved the whipped butter from the bread and butter dish. The bread was warm and crispy but pretty hard to cut into. We were surprised to see it also came with three corn bread madeleines which were also delicious. The king's cake banana bread tasted like a cinnamon roll and was extremely sweet (and I usually have a sweet tooth lol). The highlight of our meal were the beignets! It comes with five beignets and they were fresh, soft, and fluffy topped with powdered sugar. Highly recommend! Parking is tricky in this area because it's angled back in only. read more

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We arrived right when they opened for brunch and were seated quickly. The customer service was great from the start. There was only one waitress at the time, with a little help from other staff members, but she did a great job keeping up with everyone. One thing to note is that the brunch menu is different from the dinner menu. While there are a few overlapping items, we came specifically to try a couple of dishes from the dinner menu, so that was a bit of a disappointment. Our server was kind enough to create custom mocktails for my mom and me since we weren't in the mood for alcohol. They were refreshing and a nice touch! The crawfish hush puppies were absolutely delicious and something I'd definitely order again. The gumbo, however, wasn't our favorite. It seemed like it was missing something and had a stronger vinegar flavor than we expected. The grits were just okay and a little on the dry side, and they weren't my mom's favorite. The fried chicken and beignets (everything on the plate is great all together) were the standout of the meal. That combination worked so well together, and it's definitely something we'll come back for. I also tried the bread pudding to go. It was good, especially with the sauce, though I think it would be even better served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Overall, the ambiance was nice, the service was excellent, and while not every dish was a hit, there were enough highlights that we'd return-especially for the fried chicken, beignets, and crawfish hush puppies. read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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I made reservations for this restaurant after hearing all the hype online and brought my husband. He moped the entire time because he thought it was french, but it's clearly creole....close, but not quite. When we entered, the place was chaos impersonated. A big party was waiting to be sat at the bar and the waitress were running around, dripping in sweat, trying to clear out tables and sit everyone. We were definitely not sat at the time of my reservation but we mostly felt bad for the staff. We ordered the special croquettes, panzanella, pasta chez la, and the steak frites. For the dessert, of course, the beignets. Pros: location is definitely cute for a date or friend date. The panzanella could have used a sprinkle of salt but was otherwise very tasty and full. The sausage in the pasta was very savoury and the steak frites was good overall. The croquettes were very spiced and flavorful. Cons: the pasta was forgotten and never put on our ticket so my husband waited a while and when we got a waiter and asked, they had no idea what we were talking about so they rushed to put the order in and we are pretty sure they snatched someone else's pasta order because it was brought to our table in less than 5 mins. It was an okay dish. My dish (steak frites) had a whisper of the sauce on the steak, and posted photos of others' orders show a generous serving of it, so that was a bummer because it's a tasty sauce. The biggest flop were the beignets for us. I get that there are pillowy and more thin beignets but these were pretty flat overall. I would try it again to see if we just went during a crazy rush, but I don't mind it. read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I was finally able to make it down to Tacoma to try Chez Lafayette as it came highly recommended. Everything was tasty and full of flavor. The southern charm throughout the restaurant made it feel as if we were in the French quarter which added to the allure. The team was didn't have the same charm but were nice and kind nonetheless. read more

Chez Lafayette - Shrimp & Grits + Chicken & Beignet - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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The food here is so amazing, the blend of Creole flavors with modern styles as perfect. The drinks are so good best happy hour ever! I had my shrimp sandwich heated it was so good. The waitress is so adorable and attentive, great service hands down. Now let's talk decor... bravo, the ambiance gives you the authentic Louisiana feel! I will be returning read more

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Eeeeks, first stop in Washington was a lunch at this adorable restaurant!!! Absolutely loved everything about this place. The colors, the menu, the service, the view. Lunch was as tasty as it looked! If we would've spent more time in Tacoma, you might've found me dining here again. Big Love! read more

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Came in for date night. RSVP on resy is convenient. Cool vibes with the teal paint and artwork on the walls, it reminds me of n'awlins. They have a sparkly corner bar near the front. Service is great. They are attentive, friendly, and timely. Food is very tasty. Our favorite was the fried chicken and gumbo! Wish there was a second piece of chicken, maybe a wing or something. I got a thigh/drumstick piece and I wished I could have just a bit more. Crunchy and flavorful. The gumbo was delectable and better than the stuff I had in New Orleans. Fried catfish was just ok in comparison. I do have some beef with the fact that the deviled eggs only had 5 half-eggs... where is the 6th?? 2.5 eggs for $13 is disappointing. Cocktails are done quite well. Our drinks were just strong enough and both vieux carre and pear sidecar were well balanced. Prices are steeper than expected but ok for a special night out. read more

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Not only is the ambiance gorgeous, the feeling of the restaurant makes you feel warm and comfortable. I love the Hurricanes and absolutely adore their happy hour menu. The fried chicken gumbo is downright delicious. The charismatic servers are fantastic and make your whole experience fun and memorable. I came for the gumbo but stayed for the Hurricanes! read more

Chez Lafayette - Fried chicken Gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Updating to a 5/5! We went for a second time and had a phenomenal visit! The food, ambiance, vibes were even better. It was as if we transported to New Orleans as soon as we opened the door! I had the vegetarian pasta which was delicious. My partner also loved his jambalaya. The bread and butter were also super good, I was pleasantly surprised that they added some cornbread with the dish. 10/10 visit all the way to the service too! The waitress had great recommendations that were a hit at the table. One of the owners came out to greet us as well, loved this a lot. It adds to the hospitality aspect that a lot of the industry is losing sight of these days (that's a conversation for another day!) Anyway, we found out they were family owned, so that was also another pleasant surprise. Definitely support this restaurant and enjoy some good food ! read more

Shrimp and grits were incredible! Lots of flavor and perfect consistency. Also loved the fried catfish and fried green tomatoes. For dessert the bananas foster that we put on the beignets... So good! The best! We will be back! read more

Chez Lafayette - Shrimp and grits were incredible! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

It honestly pains me to write this review because I was really excited to try this place. I decided to bring my husband here for his birthday brunch because he's from Louisiana, and this restaurant has been heavily hyped on social media. Unfortunately, this ended up being a good reminder that you can't always trust what you see on TikTok. First, the positives: the inside of the restaurant is really cute. It definitely has a kitschy, touristy New Orleans vibe, and the atmosphere is fun. The service was fine -- our server was friendly -- though she could have been a bit more attentive. Now the food. We started with two cups of gumbo. It was okay, but definitely not great. Both of us noticed it was strangely sweet, which isn't what you expect from gumbo. It was also much thicker than an authentic gumbo, and overall just lacked depth of flavor. My husband really wanted catfish, but oddly there was no catfish on the menu when we arrived around 11:30am, so he ordered the crispy chicken sandwich instead. They asked if he wanted it dipped in hot sauce or barbecue sauce, and he chose hot sauce -- but it seemed like it came out with barbecue sauce instead. Between the sauce and the very sweet coleslaw, the sandwich was again overly sweet. The fries were actually great, though. They had a nice Cajun seasoning, and honestly they ended up being the highlight of the meal. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and it pains me to say this, but it was probably the worst shrimp and grits I've had. The grits were basically plain and flavorless -- no cheese, herbs, or seasoning. It was just a bowl of plain grits with shrimp and sausage placed on top. The shrimp themselves were a good size, but there were only three, and the dish had capers, which is unusual for shrimp and grits and was surprising. Another confusing moment: when our gumbo came out, the bowls were sitting on top of a special menu advertising boudin croquettes. (You can see the menu in the photo I posted of the gumbo) My husband and I were excited because we love boudin, but when I asked about ordering them, we were told we couldn't order from that menu because it was the lunch menu. It was already noon, and we had been given the menu under our bowls, so that whole situation was just confusing. I guess they have multiple menus for different parts of the day. In total we ordered two cups of gumbo, a chicken sandwich, and shrimp and grits, and the bill was $72 before tip. For that price, we expected food that matched the hype -- but it just didn't. There are honestly much better spots nearby. If you're craving good Southern or Cajun-style food, I'd recommend Hot Fish House instead. Unfortunately this place just did not live up to the hype or the price tag. Sometimes TikTok gets it wrong. read more

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Food was amazing and service great!! Had the hush puppies that had crawfish in them and the fried green tomatoes with meat and crawfish corn mix was great too. We had shrimp po boys and that was awesome! Nice ambiance and it was a nice lunch date out with my partner. read more

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We came here for brunch on Valentine's Day. Parking was easy for us and the restaurant was easy to find. It's really cute on the inside. I love the salmon walls. Super perfect for a romantic brunch or dinner. We weren't greeted right away but they were also swamped. Even though they were busy they still did everything with a smile and delivered as fast as they could. Almost 20+ people walked in after us for a way looked like a bridal party. The staff really stepped in for another and we didn't feel neglected at all. I swear there were only about 5 people working that we could see. We were impressed. We ordered the hush puppies, flat bread, shrimp and grits, and crawfish Benedict. I loved everything except the Benedict. I plan to try it with crab next time around. The crawfish didn't have much flavor and I think it affected everything else. I also want to come in for their dinner menu. Anybody that can correctly make a hush puppy can cook anything for me and I'll try it ! We've been looking for a new date night spot and this will be it. MAKE A RESERVATION FOR DINNER. They really do get busy. I was shocked we didn't need one for brunch. read more

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Chez Lafayette is located downtown across from the library main branch. With a 6 pm reservation (Friday) we had no problem getting free street parking (back-in parking). Our original reservation was at 5:30 but we called to change (without issue!) due to babysitter time constraints. At the door we were greeted warmly and shown to our table. The atmosphere is cozy and the space is larger than from first glance from the street. I liked the general ambiance and the lighting was low but I could still read the menu. The restaurant was decorated a bit extra for Mardi Gras and the menu is creole NOLA inspired. I ordered the fried green tomatoes and the shrimp n grits. My husband got the duck leg and some clams. I loved my food, the slaw that came with the duck, and the clams were good (as clams are). I think the shrimp and grits were the best I've had in WA and the fried green tomatoes were great - I wish it had some sort of sauce or aioli ? The shrimp in particular were cooked perfectly. I had a great N/A drink and my husbands vieux carre was so smooth. The service was exceptional- just super friendly. The food came out a bit fast for normal service but personally I didn't mind. If we would've had a bit more of an appetite I would've ordered dessert! Guess I have to save it for next time. read more

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Chez Lafayette is a sweet little restaurant in downtown Tacoma. We came for dinner before a show at the Pantages and had a lovely dinner. The vibe is clean and airy, and though open and filled with natural light it still felt intimate and romantic. Staff is friendly and attentive. Service was fairly quick--I think we came in right before the rush because the restaurant filled up pretty quickly as we were eating. The food was tasty. I am fairly spoiled by home-cooked cajun/creole food, and while nothing really compares to homemade, this came close. read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Came here on a Saturday mid morning and after eating here, I'm surprised it wasn't more busy! Service was quick, food was delicious! Loved the gumbo and the fried chicken was so crispy and flavorful! The beignets were fluffy and had just the amount of sweetness. We also loved the fries with the poboy! read more

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Omg this place is soooo good and worth the drive! I came from Marysville to try it. I got the Blackened Steak with poached eggs for brunch! Woooow my steak was cooked to perfection (medium well) and seasoned so tasty-like! Those poached eggs were a delight! I also loved the ambiance. All the windows and the atmosphere just made this place feel so open and cozy it was like a little New Orleans away from New Orleans. Our server was so nice and attentive! Just such a great experience, would love to come back for dinner to try that! read more

Chez Lafayette - Blackened steak and poached eggs - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Always good service and wonderful staff. Very easy to talk to. Food always great as well Had a nice view of downtown. Ambience is very welcoming read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Brunch with the family was a success! Sunday morning, at a bright, beautiful southern style restaurant! The service was amazing and the food was delicious. Would recommend!! read more

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Went here with my parents for some creole style fare. The area of town isn't great Across from downtown public library but inside it's cute and have done nice job with ambiance. Nice touch repurposing doors as backs for the benches. The food was the real star. Crisp large and refreshing Caesar salad. Yes to the fried green tomatoes. Trust me on this one. Topped with grilled crawfish succotash was the star of evening. I had the honey pecan fried catfish and it didn't disappoint. Was worried would be too sweet but fried perfectly with no grease and wonderful flavors. The creole and blackened Chicken was also something worthy of coming back for. Last star would have hit if service been tad bit more aware. Not bad just not exceptional read more

The food the service and the ambience was just phenomenal. Absolutely done perfectly couldn't have asked for anything better so highly recommend this place. Met the owner Mike amazing man. Also they own the bourbon in Puyallup. This is more upscale and different menu. Same type of food highly recommend highly recommend. read more

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At the corner of Tacoma and 11th, a cute little Creole bistro with live jazz playing. With the ambiance of NOLA. Service was polite and professional. Daughter had the French onion soup. It was excellent. I had the rigatoni with shrimp and andouille sausage.it was amazing!!!! i highly recommend this for lunch or a date night! read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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All the food was amazing but the star of the show was definitely the beignets. Super fluffy and not very sweet. The staff was polite and accommodating. The cafe has an airy interior and also has a great view of Mount Rainier. read more

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Found the food to be very flavorful and delicious! Conversation with manager re the history of the restaurant was interesting and entertaining. Nice NOL ambience - comfortable and good drinks! read more

Chez Lafayette was recommended to us by the bartender at our hotel, and it did not disappoint. The place was buzzing and truly felt like being in New Orleans on a Saturday night. We all ordered different seafood dishes and every single one was fantastic. The cocktail and wine list was impressive, too--plenty of great options. We felt lucky to snag a Saturday reservation and would absolutely go back. So glad we took the recommendation. read more

What a gem of a place to go. Super excited we went there for lunch. Jacob was our server. He was very easy to talk to. It was a little bit slower, but it was a great vibe. I will definitely go again. The Cajun creole food was on point and I would highly recommend anybody who likes that kind of food. This is the place to be. read more

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We met some friends for lunch at this very cute restaurant lunch on a very rainy and cold day. We found some parking across the street in front of the Library. There were few patrons. The server helped us with recommendations. The Fried Chicken and Gumbo was the Star. The Shrimp Po Boy in the Baguette was delicious with the Creole Tomato Bisque. Lots of unique things to try. Will be back again! read more

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Incredible find! I strongly recommend making reservations because this place is an absolute gem, and for good reason--it gets busy. The ambiance was the perfect blend of casual and elegant (and yes, I'm convinced that's a thing). It felt comfortable and welcoming while still feeling like a special night out. Family-owned and operated, the entire staff was friendly, attentive, and genuinely seemed to care about every guest. Even while they were running their asses off--and yes, I think I can say that--they never stopped smiling or providing excellent service. And then there was the food. OMG. Everything was perfect. A pork chop on the menu? Why would I order that? Well, I'll tell you why: it was hands down the best pork chop I've ever eaten. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and memorable. There were three of us, and we opted for a family-style dinner, sharing each of our selections around the table. Every single dish was outstanding. No weak links. No disappointments. Just fantastic food from start to finish. This is the kind of restaurant you hope to find when traveling and wish you had back home. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Disappointing experience despite great food The food itself was great, so I really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, the overall experience was disappointing. My girlfriend and I came in toward the end of last month as walk-ins. The restaurant was very busy, and we were told there would be a wait, which was completely understandable. What wasn't understandable was waiting over an hour without anyone checking in with us. At one point, my girlfriend went to the front to ask how much longer we might have to wait. The blonde woman who had greeted us when we arrived--I believe her name was Bree--was working near the bar. When my girlfriend asked, she essentially responded that she didn't know and continued what she was doing. I understand that restaurants get busy, but the attitude and lack of basic communication came across as unnecessarily rude. After waiting so long, we eventually decided to sit at one of the bar tables just to get something to eat and move on with our evening. Unfortunately, that's when we overheard conversations among some of the staff that made the experience even worse. There was a lot of gossip and negative talk about other coworkers, and at one point it sounded like several employees were piling on one particular coworker. I don't know the names of the people involved, and I don't want to speculate, but it was very unprofessional to overhear that kind of conversation in front of customers. Between the extremely long wait, what felt like poor communication, and the unprofessional conversations we overheard, the restaurant gave us the impression of being poorly managed and understaffed. It also seemed like the restaurant was taking on more reservations/walk-ins than it could comfortably handle. My girlfriend paid, and we made it a quick dinner before leaving. Again, the food was genuinely good, and I have no complaints about the food itself. But good food doesn't completely make up for a poor customer experience. Hopefully management takes a closer look at the staffing, communication, and professionalism because there is clearly room for improvement. The reason I'm writing this review now after so long, is because our friends went there last week and also had a negative experience, like we did. If you're looking for good Creole-fusion food and a side of workplace gossip you didn't ask to hear, this might be the place for you. read more

The thing that stands out about chez Lafayette is the service. From booking a reservation, to being welcomed and seated, and the table service , it was all exceptional. The restaurant itself looks small from the exterior but has a decent sized dining room and is not cramped our small. The table set up favors smaller groups but they would have the ability to accommodate larger groups if needed. The food was seasoned well, and prepared with obviously fresh ingredients. I think it is priced at a level consistent with a date night dinner. For two people we spent about $150 after tip, that includes drinks and apps. Over all I like this spot because it is a unique dining option in Tacoma and the service and atmosphere are excellent. read more

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Everything was amazingly delicious as always! Took my friend here which was her first time and of course she loved everything best margarita she's ever had! read more

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I have nothing bad to say about this place. I love the location. I love the French quarters aesthetic. The wait staff were very friendly & everything was timed well to come out during the meal. read more

Chez Lafayette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Had dinner with a group of five at Chez Lafayette. The atmosphere was charming and evoked a sense of being somewhere far away -- definitely an international flair. This is a Cajun-style restaurant, and the food delivered both in flavor and presentation. We ordered Lafayette Salad, Stuffed Peppers (beautifully spiced rice stuffed in bell peppers -- flavorful and comforting), Gnocchi Andouille (rich, smoky, and perfectly cooked with a nice texture), Mussels & Crawfish Scampi, Petrale Sole (light, delicate, and well-prepared). And for dessert: Beignets (crispy outside, fluffy inside -- a perfect finish) The only downside was the loud group sitting nearby. Their voices and laughter echoed throughout the restaurant, making it hard for us to hold a conversation at times. Aside from that, the service was attentive and the overall experience delightful. Would definitely come back! read more

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I came here after my graduation. We had made reservations ahead of time to make sure we had enough seating. Reserving is easy and simple. I appreciate the choice to use text messages for a more personal energy. The staff were all very nice and pleasant, and one of the owners stopped by to congratulate me, which was incredibly sweet. Thank you again! Some of my family were surprised by how spicy the food was, but that's pretty standard for this type of food. I got the pasta and it was really good! I liked it a lot. Especially the vegetables in it. The zucchini really holds a lot of flavor. And the noodles have a fun texture to them. The place is pretty small and cute. I love the bench seating we got. There's a tv playing sports which the kids we had with us enjoyed. My favorite part is the lil mask hung up on the pillar. It's so cute! Overall, we had a great time! read more

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Sadly, I wish I could rate them higher but it's about a 3/3.5. I've been twice. Once for a fam meal that was just ok. I like the catfish and grits but none of the dishes blew me away. I tried again this weekend and reeeaally wish they would get diff recipes or a diff cook. The gumbo had a bbq sauce flavor...what?? My friend said her bloody mary tasted like bbq sauce too. Is bbq sauce a creole flavor? I also got the deviled eggs and they were just ok, honestly too mayonnaisey. Would be down to come back if they noted they made change but otherwise, it's just not for me. read more

It is a really cute and authentic Creole cuisine with a little French quarter vibe. The service was great and attentive and the food was good too. I will def go back. read more

Very cute restaurant that would be great for a date night. We came in for an early dinner so there was ample street parking. Due to that, we basically had the restaurant to ourselves and were seated quickly. The service was attentive but not overboard where they check on you too much so you can't enjoy the meal. I got the honey butter fried catfish. Under the fried catfish, there were greens and grits. It was all seasoned very well. I wished there were more greens as it was good. The beignets were messy to eat due to all the powdered sugar which is a given when ordering beignets. The beignets were different than every beignet I've ever had before. When you take a bite there was no pillowy dough in the middle. Rather there was a big air pocket. It was different. It still tasted alright but the texture was not familiar to me. read more

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the service here was genuinely so bad my review would've been 5 stars but our first server took our order and brought our food and didn't check on us at all after but there were literally 4 parties in the whole store. there was another girl that finally bussed the table and asked if we needed the check but we still wanted to order dessert so idk if she wanted us out or something. neither of them really seemed like they wanted us to be there which is unfortunate because the food was so good and you'd think southern food meant a welcoming environment. lunch menu was great, the portions were huge. we ordered the beignets and the kings cake bread pudding for dessert and both of those were really great but the second server didn't even think to grab us spoons to share. it just sucks the experience was overshadowed by the service. read more

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Waiter seemed annoyed just for us being there. Also wild to serve gumbo with no chicken or sausage and still charge $15 for rice.