I went to Crawdads on the lake this morning and we had the best time, the chowder fries were delicious and our fish and chips were awesome. We ended up meeting Danielle and she was the kindest host ever, refilling out waters and making sure the entire meal was perfect. She's amazing! Will be back soon! read more

I had a great time at Crawdads! It was super busy the night we went because of the Morgan Wallen tribute concert (which was SO FUN), but Natalie was awesome! She was really friendly, attentive, and somehow managed to keep up with everyone even with the bar being so packed. I never felt ignored and she was really quick getting my drinks. Definitely had a fun night and would come back again to see her and another concert! read more

Discovered this place shortly after they opened. Great food great drinks, friendly help. The views are to die for.

We celebrated a friend's birthday here last night and had a fantastic experience from start to finish! Despite the scorching 101° weather, our 7:00 PM reservation turned out to be absolute perfection. We sat on the patio, and between the misters and overhead fans, it was surprisingly cool and comfortable the entire evening. The patio offers an incredible backdrop--we loved watching the kayakers go by with great views of both the Rainbow and Truss bridges. The atmosphere is vibrant and festive, and the Cajun theme at this location adds such a fun, unique energy to the meal. The food was delicious, the service was attentive and top-notch, and hands-down, they serve the best Mai Tais. We couldn't have asked for a better spot to celebrate. Highly recommend! read more

My friends and I had been to this restaurant once before and had a nice experience. For that reason, we decided to celebrate my friend's birthday there last night. The experience was completely the opposite of what we had before. It started with the wings, which arrived cold. A couple of items were ordered but never came. They were having an event at 8:00 p.m. We were still eating dessert and fries when a staff member came over and told us they were taking our table away and that we either had to buy tickets for the event or leave. We were rushed out and weren't even given time to ask for our fries to be boxed up. There were empty tables on the patio outside, but instead of moving us there, they simply cleared our table and took all of our leftovers. Our party of six was no longer having fun at that point. We felt more like an inconvenience than valued customers. Yes, we didn't buy tickets, but was it fair to be asked to leave during a birthday dinner? We didn't even care for the country music. We just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner and celebrate my friend's birthday. I feel like the restaurant should plan events better and move diners to the patio if they need the indoor tables for an event. We were paying customers, too. Overall, it was an awful experience. read more

We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday during one of their event nights, and unfortunately it was a very disappointing experience. The biggest issue was how we were treated. We were asked to leave our table very abruptly and without any courtesy. Instead of politely explaining that they needed the table or offering to move us to the patio, we were simply told, "I need this table now." It felt rude and unprofessional, especially considering we were paying customers celebrating a special occasion. The food was also disappointing. I ordered the wings, which arrived cold and much spicier than expected. Our servers mixed up our orders multiple times, and several items we requested never arrived. By the end of the meal, we ordered ice cream for dessert, and it was already partially melted when it reached the table. I understand that event nights can be busy, but being busy is not an excuse for poor service or disrespectful treatment. A little communication and professionalism would have made a huge difference. Sadly, what should have been a fun birthday celebration turned into a frustrating experience. I would not return based on this visit. read more

Reservations at the patio overlooking the river was a perfect ambiance. The Cajun fettuccine pasta was a good sized portion, creamy, spicy, and hit the spot for what I was craving that evening. After dinner, we had tickets to see a country singer there and were able to move indoors and enjoy the bar and music read more

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

Nice restaurant on the river in downtown Folsom. Full bar. Nice breeze inside with the fans. Outside seating along the patio has umbrellas and views of lake natoma. 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. 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. 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. 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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Can't stop thinking about the great night my boyfriend and I had this past Sunday (the 26th)! Date night started at the bar with the froze and the seasonal Hugo spritz, and they absolutely lived up to the hype. For food, we got the calamari to start, which was perfectly crispy and delicious. We also split the surf and turf skewers, which were amazing. It was the perfect meal to share. Honorable mention to our bartender, Natalie! She was so friendly, attentive, and made us feel welcome from the moment we sat down. She gave great recommendations, kept our drinks full, and made the whole experience even better. This was our first time at Crawdads on the Lake and we'll definitely be back and hope to see Natalie again! read more

Crawdads on the Lake - The seasonal Hugo spritz was my fav - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Folsom, California

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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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. The whole place gives off a very good vibe and the staff could not have been nicer. The food and the experience was good enough that we're going to make this get together a monthly thing. read more

Sunday, Aug 30 12ish pm We took a chance without reservations. My friend tried to make reservations, but couldn't. The hostess told us that they dont take same day reservations. We told the hostess we would like an outdoor table. She said it would be a little wait, possibly 30 minutes. We said we would wait and she took my phone number and name and said we will text you when your table is ready. My friend and I went over to the bar to order a drink. My friend has physical disability and could not get up on the high bar stools. So we chose a table by the bar to sit at. One server came over and I told her that we were waiting for an outside table. She graciously asked if we wouldn't mind moving over to the next table as she was looking to use our table to join with another table for a larger party. We obliged and moved to the next table. While waiting another server, who was very nice, came up and again we explained to him that we were just waiting for our outdoor table. We ordered drinks from the bar and he asked if we wanted an appetizer. So we ordered the shrimp cocktail and then we got our drinks and the shrimp cocktail. I noticed several 2 and 3 people parties being seated outside and figured they might have had reservations. So I had my phone on the table waiting for my text. My friend ended up ordering another drink and about an hour later, I said to her, I'm going to ask the hostess how much longer. The hostess said,"OH, your table was ready awhile ago and we assumed you just wanted to stay indoors." We'll get you seated. So we waited around another 10 to 15 minutes more, finally we got our table. The server that was serving us, took our shrimp cocktail [partially eaten] and our waters, menus and utensils and brought it over to the new table. As I was waiting for my disabled friend to get moving, a busser removed our menus and the utensils from our table. This was within 30 seconds from the time our table was set. So we sat down and I asked my friend, where's the shrimp cocktail? I went and asked the server who moved our water and menus if he moved the shrimp cocktail to the table, he said YES. So the busser must have gotten that before I saw him grab the menus and utensils. Our new server was very nice. She came and brought us menus, water and utensils and took our order. It seemed like it took close to an hour for our food. I then told her about the shrimp cocktail debacle and she replaced it for us, no charge. The food was good and we enjoyed that. The restaurant was busy, but not packed. I noticed the table behind us seemed like it took awhile for their food to come out as well. I asked several people for a manager, but it fell on deaf ears. I have never worked in food service, but have in customer service and had been a manager in a major casino. I would give this restaurant another chance. We had many other choices we could have gone to, but my friend had been at Crawdads before and enjoyed it. Next time, I will make reservations in advance read more

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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We had the best time ever the food was delicious. Our waiter was out of this world. Awesome sat out on the deck and watched the beautiful river. They are about two hours. They didn't rush us. It was on a slow day slower day. We went on a Wednesday and there were still a lot of people there I can't wait to go back again please everybody go go go enjoy. Have a good time. 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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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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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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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

Crawdads has a beautiful view and a full bar, so therefore it's able to get away with mediocre food and terrible service. 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

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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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

Good food and vibe but the service kinda sucks. It's a lot of youngins with no one giving direction. They need some more experienced people to bring the service up read more

The best part was the view. Our waiter was helpful while ordering. That was the good. We had the clam chowder and fish and chips. Clam chowder had no flavor and the fish and chips were just meh...then when the bill came it was all screwed up and we couldn't find the waiter. Then when we did and explained the problem he never came back. Young kid, but still. Finally just left and ended up paying almost 1 and half times more than the bill after checking the credit card. Won't be back. read more

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. 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. 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

I visited Crawdads on Friday, and the bartender Natalie was fantastic! She had a smile on her face, was prompt with her service, made great drinks, and the crab grilled cheese was delicious. read more

Crawdad's cancelled my online reservation for 9/13 with no explanation. I called and left a VM and they never called me back. I made a new reservation for 9/13 and they just cancelled that one too. Why offer reservations online if you are just going to cancel them?? 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

The Food is always great with a lot of choices. The patio has the best view with lots of seating. Staff is always friendly.

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 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. 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

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

Ok, they default to a TWENtY ONE percent tip for a group. This is nonsense. The food is ok, but the tip business is unacceptable. I suggest that you look elsewhere if you are hosting a group.. 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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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