Visited this spot a few times and the drinks although in point showcased a broken Collin's glass that was served to me . The server was quick to handle the issue although I did see the bartender just pour it back into a new glass rather than making a new one . Our order included fried Calamari, a steamed shrimp appetizer, a Burrata salad and a tri tip sandwich . Will give this spot another chance despite the fact that I got a pretty mild food poisoning that same evening ... read more

Nice restaurant on the river in downtown Folsom. Full bar. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice breeze inside with the fans.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Outside seating along the patio has umbrellas and views of lake natoma.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Husband enjoyed his Cubano. My fish tacos were good. Need more salsa than that tiny ramekin. Kid enjoyed his cheesesteak. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Menu today - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

My daughter and I came here for Father's day. We had no reservations but it was a 15 minute wait. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were seated just at the edge of the indoors but not on the balcony so the partial views were still good of the lake.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere was loud with rock music playing in the background and people talking loudly. We didn't mind it as this is a casual dining place[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. We orderd a bucket of crawdads (crawfish), caesar salad, and a skewer of beef and shrimp. The crawfish is 2 lbs but listed as a starter. They're messy and they gave us one napkin each. We asked for many more! If you're never eaten them, the real meat is in the tail. Caesar salad was good The skewer of steak and shrimp was good but we felt it should have been larger. We'll be back and try some other items on the menu and when they have live music. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Caesar salad - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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I had the Cajun grilled chicken sandwich. I thought the sandwich was pretty good. I subbed cheddar cheese for provolone. Instead of fries, my sister and I opted for a side salad for an upcharge. It was miniscule, It came in a small container and my sister and I couldn't believe how small it was. Considering they charged us extra, it was pretty ridiculous, to be honest. read more

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We had a sort of mini high school get together here yesterday. We arrived right when they opened. Since we really didn't know how many people were going to show up, they suggested we order from the bar so we could do individual tabs. (This worked out GREAT by the way). I ordered the Fish and Chips. It was brought out to me pretty quickly. The fries were done just the way I like them with just a touch of crisp. The 3 pieces of fish were nice sized and had a kind of breading on them. They weren't so oily and greasy like typical Fish N Chips. The serving size was just right for a lunch and I had no leftovers. I had not been in here since it became Crawdads. Last time I was here it was Cliff House and while it was OK, it's so much better since the renovation. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The whole place gives off a very good vibe and the staff could not have been nicer.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food and the experience was good enough that we're going to make this get together a monthly thing. read more

I went to Crawdad's on the Lake on a Sunday afternoon. I definitely recommend making a reservation if you want patio seating. It's such a great spot to hang out with friends, especially on a nice day. We started with the Cali-flower wings, which were okay. They were battered and fried with the buffalo sauce on the side, but the pieces were pretty large and a bit awkward to eat. I would've preferred smaller, more bite-sized pieces. For my meal, I had the crab grilled cheese, and that was a standout. It was super filling and had way more crab than I expected (a great surprise). It wasn't overly cheesy, which I appreciated. I ended up only eating half because it was so hearty. Service was friendly and pretty quick, especially for a busy weekend. Overall, a fun, casual spot with a great patio. I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Cali-flower wings - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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I came on a Sunday when they had live music playing and it was such a vibe! The service was super attentive and quick considering there were so many people. My crab grilled cheese was tasty and very filling. I was only able to eat half and got the other half to go! Aperol Spritz was okay- it lacked the sweetness I'm used to but they made it without it being on their drink menu so I appreciated their flexibility! Hearty serving for dessert. Could definitely be shared. This place is definitely worth a visit and in a great location to enjoy the shops downtown afterward which is what we did on our girls afternoon. read more

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This was an unexpected disappointment. I'm not sure what niche this restaurant fills. The bar was crowded and fun (Tuesday night trivia). The dining area has an entire wall specifically designed for fun instagram shots. And the view off the patio is breathtaking. The staff is all young and enthusiastically pleasant. Parking is easy and plentiful. The menu and wine list is varied and will easily satisfy a large group's diverse palate. Jambalaya and gumbo were delightfully spicy. The lighting in the dining room was bright - but a 7 pm, this just gave a cafeteria vibe and no ambience. The food is fine, but one our party had to wait 10 minutes for her food after everyone else had been served. After much thought I'd say the entire evening was ok, the staff is eager. However, this place is like a very clean dive bar and dining is not its main draw. read more

I had a really good dinner at Crawdads by the Lake as Cajon food is some of my favorite. Crawdad's is in a great location on the edge of Folsom Lake and has indoor and outdoor seating. I enjoy outdoor seating the most but since it was late,l and a bit chilly outside, I elected to say inside. Their seafood pasta was fantastic and would definitely eat it again-I am sure I will go back for more. My top self margarita was OK (I am a bit picky on my margaritas as I make really good ones at home so can't be too picky). The bartenders were great and they had really good service. The bartenders area is a great place to sit if you are there during game day. Their menu has plenty of appetizers and beverages to choose from. Great place to stop in if you are in the area! read more

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January 31, 2026 - Folsom, CA . We pulled into the parking lot at 4:15 on a Saturday and my first thought was, "I'm so glad we made reservations." The place was packed. The noise level inside was very loud, so I was especially happy we had reserved an outdoor table. Thankfully, it felt like a spring day in January--sitting outside was very pleasant. From our table, we could see the live band and really enjoyed the music. As other reviewers have mentioned, the service was below par. Our server was friendly and likable, but it was obvious she was overextended. There was a long wait to order a second round of drinks--long enough that they arrived after we were mostly finished with our meal. I ordered the steak and shrimp skewers with a house salad ($26), and it was a perfect meal for me. I appreciated the simplicity of just steak, shrimp, and salad. I ordered the steak medium; it came out closer to well done, but it still tasted good and I would order it again. The view overlooking the bike trail and the water was amazing. I never imagined we'd be sitting outside in January without coats, but that was the case. All in all, despite the service issues, we had a good time and really enjoyed the setting. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - January 30, 2026 - Surf and Turf Skewers ($26). - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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Went there to attend Tribute band for Van Halen on 7/11/26 which was advertised as 9:30-11:59, the band started almost 1/2 hour late and was done a little after 11, $30 per person, staff then informed everyone to leave before 11:30, patrons were ushered out with beers/drinks in their hands. The view is great, the layout is awful for live music and basically being kicked out with drinks in hand left a bad taste, bad vibes!!!! Will never return! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Crawdads has a beautiful view and a full bar, so therefore it's able to get away with mediocre food and terrible service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Only come here when you have lots of time to kill. edit: just walked out after sitting at our table for literally 20 minutes and having no one come up to us read more

Very confused why this place has a 3.2/5. My first time here and everything was incredible. Staff was friendly, food was delicious and the ambiance was stunning. The top dishes were the Creole burrito and the Cajun pasta. The creole burrito was filled to the top and every bite was full of flavor. The Cajun cream sauce for the pasta was next level as well. I will come back for sure - not only for the food but for the ambiance and the friendly staff. Easy 5 stars read more

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We stopped at crawdads on a Saturday afternoon just to get a drink and a snack. It was pretty busy because they had a concert going on. But we were still never ignored by our bartender Natalie. We sat on the little outdoor bar window and she was very friendly and always smiling. Our drinks were delicious and she never let our glasses get empty before making sure we didn't want anything else. This was very different from our first visit to the place when they first opened. read more

I got the prawn cocktail and had to send it back because the shrimp were inedible. The nachos were good. The prices are astronomical for what you get. The service was sub par. Waited a long time to be acknowledged and to get our order taken. Would not return especially for those prices. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]We live pretty close to this restaurant and we love to visit their patio year round.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great views and friendly staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The happy hour is excellent as well. read more

Went up to Folsom for a couple of days for the holidays - place was nice. Service was good, ambiance was okay, and food was solid. My party went here for lunch. We order the rotational IPAs, Bloody Marys, Chips & Queso, Crab Grilled Cheese, Fries, and Cauliflower Tacos. Food & Drinks were consistently solid. The only downside really was the food took awhile to get to us and the queso should've been hot instead of cold but seasoning was on point. Overall 3/5, solid place to watch a game and have drinks/food. Though nothing blew me away food/drinks were good and bartender/servers were friendly. read more

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Back again & trying different options Seafood simmer Grilled Salmon And for desert - Churros with ice cream Excellent service as always, great ambiance & beautifully decorated for Christmas read more

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Stipped into Crawdads on the Lake with co-workers, for the first time on a Thursday afternoon. It was pretty quiet in the parking lot and inside, maybe because it was during the work week, and or because it was raining. Once we arrived we were quickly seated at the large bar style table near the alligator statue in Christmas garb. Once all 6 of us had arrived we had our orders arrived and socialized as we patiently waited. Ordered: Strawberry lemonade Arnold Palmer Bloody Mary (Virgin) Louisiana Gumbo Jumbalaya Cajun Grilled Chicken Club Crab Grilled Cheese (x2) I mentioned earlier the time of day and the weather, because maybe they were short on staff. But our meals took like 40 minutes to arrive; definitely enough time that all of us started to notice, and were about to say something. And our waitress noticed bybthis that time as well, and came by to tell me our food would be outside shortly. Thankfully the food was good and no one had complaints with that. Overall: The food was good, amd the staff was friendly, and the food definitely took longer than expected. read more

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Great place, but my only complaint is for our party of 6 getting a 21% automatic service charge which is staggeringly high. Make sure to not tip more on top of that. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The view is good, the trivia night is challenging and works your brain out -- we won a gift card and had a lot of fun.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Good service and had a creole burrito which pinged my taste buds as it was pretty good and had a lot of unique and diverse flavor and was filled with good stuff. The rest of the menu I didn't roll the dice due to the prices and probably being able to find that stuff cheaper elsewhere. read more

We were told that the wait for 2 at 11am on a very nice Saturday would be about 45 min but it was really a 4 minute wait, so I am glad we decided to wait. The frozen drinks are good and the views were great, but I would not go again for the food. The crawfish was extremely chewy and you could tell they were frozen and overcooked. Our waitress was also not attentive and it seemed like staffing was an issue because she had to service the whole patio with just one other person. While she was nice and apologetic, the lower energy tables like ourselves had to wait a long time for anything, while the fussy tables had her running back and forth. There was also a large party of maybe 12-15 guests on the patio and again, the restaurant was just not staffed to accomidate that. read more

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I had citrus beet salad added chicken,my sister got the Cobb salad and mom got the carnitas tacos.Also shared chips and salsa (salsas garlicky FYI) Loved our dishes but my mom thought kinda awkward eating tacos,soggy read more

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Our experience here tonight was awful. We had called a month in half earlier to make the reservation, let them know how many people, that we would be bringing a cake.. all was approved. We had a bigger party, we came for a birthday and [[HIGHLIGHT]]we were sat outside. It was very hot 98 degrees today which okay we understand that it was fully booked and accepted it but the table we were at was under hanging vines that were dropping tons of small leaves ALL over the table, in our drink, in our food. There was also so many ants that were falling as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our server seemed chaotic to say the least. Was not communicating clearly. Got us our drinks and left us for 30- 35 minutes. When he came back we asked if he could take the cake to the back so it wouldn't melt and he said I don't know if we'll have room - when we already called and they said it was more than fine - then he kept saying I need to take your order - so it's either I take your order or I take the cake - so I can limit the trips. Okay fine but we sat here for over 30 mins and you only had 3 other tables in your section so we just didn't want the cake to melt . So he takes our order, we order everything at once because that's what he suggested... order as much as can now so that we can get the order in because it was hot outside. That was the worst thing we could have done... ALL of the food came out at separate times... have of our table got there food 20 minutes before the other half. We received half of our appetizer before the meal and the rest were either forgotten or brought after we got our food. It was completely unorganized. Every time he came over he seemed stressed and was rushing us and himself. Not mention there was hair in not one but TWO of the dishes. Which they took off our bill but instead of addressing the situation head on, he seemed annoyed as if we put this thick black hair in two different dishes. It was insane. 0/10 would recommend. Everyone running food didn't know what tables to bring food to, We came in at 7:00 and left at 9:20. it was just a terrible experience. It could have been a different experience, if it was handled better. He Seemed stressed that it was starting to get busy and that people came to order food lol read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Surf & turf skewers with hair - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

Beautiful spot for lunch on a nice day. Food is good and big portions. Steak sandwich and ahi sandwich in the photo - both yummy! read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Steak sandwich and ahi nachos - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

It seems that most people are reviewing this establishment based ongoing during the very busy hours around sunset. I can definitely see why the reviews are pretty lousy at that hour. But in general, if you come a little earlier, it looks like they have the full menu, and service is actually pretty great. I would say the food is a solid six or seven out of 10, and we are serious foodies over here, husband went to culinary school. I think also people giving this place such poor reviews are also not keeping in mind the view. And dining outdoors. That is definitely a huge part of the experience here. And worth a little extra money. I would say the Food, the service, and the environment All make for a pretty good experience worth returning To. For food I would recommend the burrata salad and crawdad bucket. We also got the skewers and fish tacos which left room for desire. read more

My family and I enjoyed eating here on a Saturday afternoon. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The indoor and outdoor seating offers nice views of the Folsom River, and there was plenty of shade to stay comfortable in the sun.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was great, the service was great, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere was relaxing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]A nice spot to enjoy a meal with family.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I was VERY disappointed! On July 9, 2026 when I ordered Lunch at 12:15pm with 1 friend...When my friend & I ordered a simple lunch with Waitress & Manager Danielle D I politely asked if we could have separate checks & she said "No we don't do separate checks" I said "there are only 2 of us" She said "no separate checks!" The food was fair and expensive which is OK because we had a great outdoor view. But the portions were VERY small. I won't eat here again!! read more

We stopped into Crawdads on the Lake on a holiday, and they were serving a buffet-style setup for the occasion. The atmosphere was still nice, but I do think the food would have been a lot better if we had visited on a regular day with their full menu. That said, the drinks were excellent, well-made, refreshing, and definitely the highlight of the visit. Even with the buffet setup, the bar really stood out. Overall, I'd be interested in coming back on a normal service day to get the full experience, because the drinks alone were impressive. read more

My sister and I stopped here for drinks on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted and seated moments after arriving and they had patio seating available which was surprising for a Saturday. The service was great, friendly and knowledge on the drink selections. The weather and the view did hurt the vibe. The weekend warrior is delicious and so is their frozen lemonade cocktail. The mojito was ok. read more

We went on a Saturday before the live music, so we didn't have to wait and parking was easy. There were two ladies who greeted us immediately and we were able to choose open outside bar seating. The bartender, didn't catch his name, he seemed like a pro and it was busy! He was awesome and friendly, not pushy. We didn't get food, only some margaritas and they were delicious and came out fast. He took the time to share about their stage and live music events, would love to come back. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was very relaxing sitting on the deck and watching all the river people boating/kayaking/paddle boarding.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I've watched and seen a lot of mediocre reviews about service and food, it wasn't crazy when we went so can't complain about any wait times. Everyone was friendly and buzzing around getting people fed and drinks quickly. Only note- a little pricy to me, it was around $32 for two drinks before tip. read more

Went here for a nice Father's Day dinner and it was a disaster. we waited almost 2 hours for our food. While the food was generally good, the long wait made it untenable. The staff made No mention of the food delays. To them, they couldn't have cared less. They say golf is a good walk spoiled. Crawdads is a good Fathers Day spoiled. No thanks read more

We really need to come back at sunset to get the full picture of this place. Or at least when its not too cold to sit on the patio. We had a lovely dinner with Isabella as our server aiming to make sure we were well taken care of. I dont think I've ever been to a place where we got our appetizer before our drinks. I will say this tho, the chowder fries saved the day. The portion size was more than enough for the both of us to share. Its weird, French fries and chowder, but it totally works. I tried one of their valentines cocktails, a cran-orange aperol concoction, possibly the only one without gin in it. Not bad, but not great. It left a weird aftertaste. My husband had the bucket 'o crawdads. Again, the portion size and service was great, but they could learn a thing or two about seasoning. A little on the bland side. My filet medallions with roasted veggies were tasty and tender, which was surprising because the steak was closer to well done than it was the medium that I asked for. Swimming in a pool of demi place that drowned the 5 stalks of asparagus, and turned the (actually rather good mashed potatoes) to soup, I most likely wouldn't order that dish a second time. Everything considered, I'd go back to give them another try. Probably not for dinner, maybe a late lunch. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Super cool place, it's awesome that you can see the lake from the balcony![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our group only got drinks and appetizers (calamari and the chips with guac and queso) the appetizers were good, not great. Would go back though for the ambiance :) read more

I like the food and the view. I do not like the length of time it takes to get any service. Had to ask if someone was going to come in order to even get water... but again I come for the food. read more

Ambiance, amazing. Food, amazing. Drinks, amazing. Views, amazing. Free live music, amazing! This is the better version of Crawdads on the River. Highly recommend if you're in Folsom! read more

My friends and I made a reservation to eat here for the 4th of July since we were going to the Dylan Schneider concert and we were very impressed! For cocktails, we each ordered the Mardi Gras which was passionfruit, guava, Bacardi Malibu rum, and Whaler's dark rum, and boy was this strong, but in a good way! This ended up being the only drinks me and my friends got, but I'd love to go back to try their others as they have such a good fruity cocktail menu. For food, I ordered the small Louisiana Gumbo and I was amazed at how big the portion was when it came out! It was piled high with sausage and chicken, and I loved how flavorful the gumbo was. Overall, service was great considering it was a major holiday. I'd definitely return! read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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Ordered the bucket o crawdads witch you would think would be the main show.... It came out with 2 pieces of potato cut from one potato, two pieces of corn cut from one peice of corn , 2 peices of sausage and 6 nasty ass crawdads, we didn't get asked for our drink order for 10 minutes, and nobody checked on us our entire meal, I have buyers remorse and I'm still hungry... read more

Crawdads on the Lake - This is the bucket it comes in........ - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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Very poor service and the food prices are ridiculous. Good vibes at night for beers and entertainment but not a place to expect a great meal. read more

Back in September (sorry I tend to forget to do my reviews right away since I probably went into a food coma right away lol), we had a nice lunch with my sister's family. Everything we had was really good. The ahi nachos that we all shared together were my favorite and I was really happy with my Cajun pasta. I rarely get pasta because it tends to be too filling but I couldn't stop eating it. I had a taste of my husband's jambalaya and that was delicious as well. Thinking back and looking at these photos is really making me hungry. I definitely want to go back and try all the other entrees and appetizers on the menu. Service was great as well which makes the whole experience even better. Restaurant was really nice and we sat outside to enjoy the wonderful weather. read more

The Cubano sandwich (pork and bacon) tasted great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere was cool (but very loud from live music on a Saturday night)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], and service was solid. No real complaints here. read more

Crawdads on the Lake - Cubano sandwich - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California