I wanted to come back here since I find out one of my client's is a chef here. Shout out to Wendy! The fried shrimp po boy was delicious! I had it with both spicy mayo and the Evangeline sauce. Highly recommend! The French bread for the sandwich is delightful, soft with golden yet giving crust. Not hard and crunchy like you find most French breads. Wait staff here are efficient and welcoming. My waitress gave me the suggestion of having both the sauces on my po boy. As you can tell from my pictures, the decor is eclectic Louisiana theme. Lots of notes of Lake Charles and Mardi Gras. The alligator on the receipt was a nice like themed treat. read more

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We were greeted and seated immediately. Our friendly waiter, Sofia, was attentive. I had a hankering for chicken fried steak which was covered with cream gravy and served with hot, crispy fries. My husband had the portobello mushroom burger and said it was delicious. We enjoyed the music of the George Carver Trio, which provided entertainment without being so loud that we couldn't carry on a conversation. Evangeline Cafe is a neat little place! read more

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In Austin and looking for Cajun / Creole dishes yet not interested in chain restaurants. We found Evangeline Cafe, located in a small strip mall. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and quickly seated. The restaurant had a great bayou feel with old posters and zydego music. They do provide live music a few nights a week. We were a bit concerned as only two tables were occupied. That completely changed in 30 minutes. We ordered the shrimp po-boy, Hank Williams platter with jambalaya, crawfish pie and file gumbo. We also ordered the gold band Creole with pasta, fried shrimp and a spicy Creole sauce. The side order of garlic bread was needed to soak up the sauce. The fried shrimp po-boy was a grand slam with the perfect bread and ideal sauce. The Hank Williams platter had a dry crawfish pie, bland file gumbo and decent jambalaya. The gold band pasta with shrimp was sour, appeared to have a heavy mayo base and only fair. I only ate half the meal and did not take home leftovers. The restaurant and staff was great with vibe, atmosphere and friendly service. The food however, did not hit the mark. They had a full house, great conversations and a loyal crowd. I wish them the best but will not be returning to Evangelina Cafe. read more

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Loved the ambience. Good music. Rustic and fun decor. The stuffed pistolette was really tasty. We got a crawfish one and a shrimp one. Stuffed with cheesy goodness and chunks of crawfish. The other was stuffed with melty cheese and chunks of shrimp. Both were delicious! I had the Gold Band creole - 6 jumbo shrimp, fettuccini pasta, and fresh shredded Parmesan. I loved it! The sauce was a tomato-ey creole and I enjoyed it. One in the party ordered a cup of gumbo - thought it was burnt and didn't like it. Someone else finished it and they liked it. So the gumbo is a toss up. Shrimp po'boy- good toasty warm bread. Good veggies and tasty sauce. Loaded with tiny fried shrimp. Fries were good too. One in the party had jambalaya and they liked it a lot. Really wanted to try their pecan pistolette but the food was so filling we couldn't handle anything more. The only negatives (2): 1-One in the party didn't like seeing in the kitchen that the sides of several of the tall pots looked really dirty on the outside. 2-the restroom - the trash was piled high and the restroom itself was super outdated. Lastly, we went for a late lunch and going in - the place was busy! Only a couple tables available. And the place STAYED busy the whole time we were there. So this place is well loved. The food was delicious and I plan to return. read more

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This place has been a south Austin staple for over 20 years, but it had been several years since I have been there. That changed today when I was in the area around lunch. The place feels like New Orleans, with the decor and vibe. The service is super friendly and homey. I ordered the lunch special of a shrimp po-boy and gumbo. I felt transported to the French Quarter! The gumbo had the deep rich flavor of a roux that's been made with love. Most po-boys outside of Louisiana have bread that's too crispy or hard. Not this one! The bread was fresh and soft. The shrimp was crispy and hot and that Evangeline sauce was a chef's kiss. I will be back!! read more

Evangeline Café - Gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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If you're looking for some authentic Cajun food - this is the place to go. They have live music on certain nights too! The service is always amazing. The gumbo is the best in the whole city and my boyfriend loves the crawfish étouffée. Do not miss an opportunity to try this place. You won't be disappointed! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Austin - hands down. Oysters Contraband is one of the best apps and bites you will ever eat, really! They have the best ambiance that immediately transports you to NOLA and the bayou. Great music and very friendly staff. I love the ABITA beers available all year long and of course the gumbo, po boys and pistolette dessert are our family favorites. When you want something delicious and comforting and can't decide where to go, always pick Evangeline's! This is our family favorite! read more

10/10 experience !! great service, lovely space, and an incredible band. the food was flavorful and good portions. we will be back :)

If you want some real authentic Cajun cuisine, then you need to come here. All of the food is delicious. My favorite is the crawfish étouffée. It's really good and you get a lot for your money...they aren't skimpy with their food portions. They have really good appetizers too. The alligator tail is really, really good! Everything I've tried has been good. The waitress was very nice and polite. She took our drink orders and brought them out quickly. Took our appetizer's and food order and brought our appetizer's out first and then our main food dish out in a timely manner...didn't have to wait long at all. She was good about checking back with us to see if we needed anything. This place is very small. But we've never had to wait for a table. There's usually a few folks in there eating, but it's never full. I don't know why it's not always full with a waitlist because the food and service is awesome. It is an older restaurant in a strip mall, but it's not run down. It's well maintained and is a pleasant place to eat. I consider this place my hidden little gem and I want to keep it a secret because I never have to wait for a table. LOL... read more

This established cajun/creole place has been in Austin for awhile and serves pretty consistently good food. Portion sizes are large and the beers are cold. They frequently have live music - which is both great - but also really loud. Some limited outdoor patio seating is available, but in the summer it gets pretty hot. They're usually pretty busy so the service could get swamped a little but the food still comes out quickly. A few things we had: 1. Boudin - the jalapeño one was recommended and has a good spicy bite to it. 2. Seafood gumbo - not the small but the large portion which was a huge bowl with crab claws, oysters and shrimp. Had a good roux but I would have loved for it to be slightly thicker 3. Muffuletta - this was awfully olive-y and came with some onion rings which were pretty bland. The fries would have been a better option 4. Shrimp Creole - A pretty hefty portion of rice with a tomato-y étouffée. More than enough to make you full. Splitting a check proved to be a bit of a challenge - I'd recommend having one check (one payer) and then splitting the payment yourselves using Venmo or whatever other system suits your fancy. read more

Evangeline Café - Seafood Combo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! A southside fave! It's an "if you know you know" type place. Hole in the wall Cajun food. Went tonight and I had the stuffed catfish, had it before and will have it again. Daughter loves the kids fried catfish! Husband got the seafood gumbo, also gotten before and will get again. My favorite app is the oyster contraband. Try it, trust me. Hidden gem for sure! read more

Hidden gem hole in the wall spot with great Cajun food, good prices, love music inside! It can get busy. We sat at the bar bc it was the only spot open but we enjoyed it very much!! Red beans and rice was delicious read more

Evangeline Café - Red beans and rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Next stop on the hunt for the best Cajun cuisine in Austin: Evangeline Café. From the moment you step in, the abundance of Louisiana memorabilia makes you feel like you've stepped right into Crescent City. I tried the Crawfish Etouffee, the Seafood Gumbo, and a Stuffed Pistolette. While the dishes were edible, it didn't quite meet my expectations in terms of flavor elevation. Cajun food should be bold and earthy with a hint of spice, but the mark was missed. I would return to give it another chance, but Evangeline Café is not my top pick for Cajun cuisine in Austin. read more

Evangeline Café - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food was AMAZING! We got the crawfish étouffée and seafood gumbo along with a crawfish and pecan pistolette! Service by Kyla was beyond amazing, she was so attentive. And ambiance was the closest Cajun food form San Antonio to New Orleans read more

Admittedly, we had not been to Evangeline Cafe in at least 4 years. We drove an hour and a half, and ... WOW, how shocked, and disappointed, were we in the quality of the food. My dining partner and I both had Crawfish Po Boys, and shared an order of Alligator Bites, and Fried Pickles. There was no flavor whatsoever in the po boys AND fried alligator/fried pickles. I mean, NONE! The breading/batter has definitely been changed and it was a bland, thick, chewy mess. You couldn't even taste the crawfish, the alligator or the pickles themselves. It screamed frozen foods, at best. I do hope the owner/management will consider returning to the "old way" of preparing these foods as it was always amazing. But now? Nope. The only reason I am awarding 3-stars is due to the friendly staff, and prompt service. At least that hasn't changed. read more

Everything here is delicious! On par with what I've had in New Orleans and possibly even better. The alligator bites were def better than what I had at Cochon. These were not chewy or rubbery at all, which has been my past experience with gator. The portion sizes are big!! The gumbo had the lovely dark roux flavor, the bread pudding was perfect to share around the table. Boudin was excellent. Fried pickles always good. Only minor complaint is that there wasn't enough meat in the alligator piquante (not pictured), though the sauce was yummy. Love the decor in the place too read more

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Walking into Evangeline feels like I was transported to NOLA. Vibe: Love the music and the decor. I feels as if I am in New Orleans which is pretty cool. Food: I do enjoy the poboy and etouffee. Poboy: They have 2 sizes: regular = 5", large = 10". They were quite generous with the filling. If you order the lunch special, it is the 5". My order comes with a small bowl of gumbo, which I was not quite impressed with. It was quite salty compared to what I've had in New Orleans. Etoufee: Large plate and tastes creamy and good. Plenty of toppings in there as well. Chicken Fried Steak: It was very heavy with the gravy on top, so I don't really recommend it. Just stick to the basics at Evangeline. Service: Our server was really nice. We ordered fries as a side for the Chicken Fried Steak and it came out with rice, so we let her know and she brought our fries out immediately. read more

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Great food great service! The vibe was small town Louisiana and the gumbo was kicking! read more

In my opinion, the food is ok. The staff is wonderful. Nice and fun atmosphere... cute little bar in the back area is cozy. Not too many seats.... Good for 1 or 2 persons read more

Stopped by for a late dinner on a Thursday night. There was a really good band playing live music and I loved the ambiance. Seeing the restaurant's Louisiana themed decorations in Austin was nostalgic and delightful as a Louisiana native. The food came out fast and our waitress was attentive. Entree portions were massive!!! Food reviews below: Crawfish Pistolette: 5/5 Gator Bites: 5/5 Hank Williams Platter: 5/5 Crawfish Etoufee: 4/5 read more

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I was craving a Po Boy so bad after visiting NOLA recently. Found this through my many wandering online and they haven't disappointed. The staff is always so friendly even when they're busy. The food is consistently good so I'll keep coming back. read more

It's such a cute little hole in the wall. They had live music and a friendly staff - definitely felt cozy! I'd say the food was alright but overall a good experience read more

Evangeline Café still remains on elf the best cajun restaurants in Austin. I ordered the Maw Maw's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo was very tasty and had great flavor. It had a mild kick to it and tossed in a few crackers in it. The staff was great and made us feel very welcomed. read more

The place has south Louisiana charm and tons of personality. The staff are pleasant and attentive. The dishes I saw on other tables, particularly the fried fish and shrimp, looked very good. I ordered the small seafood gumbo and a boudin. The boudin was very good. The seafood gumbo was the worst gumbo I have ever had. I have eaten gumbo for 65 years in Louisiana and southeast Texas and made it myself for 55 years. I have published a number of gumbo recipes on my own food blog. I have a pretty fair idea what it is supposed to be. This wasn't close. It was served to me in one of those wide flat bowls meant to show off the ingredients like is pictured on their website. This bowl showed off only a pool of brown liquid and nothing else. It looked absolutely nothing like the photo on their website. There was no visible rice or seafood. At least it was the correct color. The "broth" tasted overpoweringly of burnt roux. The only vegetable(s) that I could find was a single, lonely piece of bell pepper about 1/4" square; there were no onions, no celery, no bell peppers, no okra, no crab. Other than a spoonful of rice, the bowl contained only three tiny oysters and two or three extremely small, mangled shrimp. (I guess they were shrimp; it was hard to tell) That's it, nothing else. It was two cups of liquid and three spoonfuls of seafood and one spoonful of rice. I only ate half of it thinking with each bite that I must be mistaken. Nope. You could have eaten 95% if it with a straw. That was $12.99 totally wasted and a meal ruined. read more

First time having alligator!!! Ordered the lunch special - jambalaya with side salad. Also got an order of the gator bites!!! Jambalaya was good, had the right amount of spice, was a mixture of rice chicken and sausage. Now, the gator bites were pretty interesting and tasty. They breaded it with Cajun spices. It was pretty chewy, and the crunch was good. Would totally recommend!! Lastly, I'm not one to comment on side salads, but it was pretty obvious that the side salad was straight out of the prepackaged bag from the fridge, so meh on that. read more

Evangeline Café - Gator bites and jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nice Cajun cafe with live music some nights (have to check their website for dates/times). The music was local musicians and very jazzy blues. The staff are very friendly and provide quick service. We came for a quick dinner. The wings were good - the green sauce was better than hot. Wings were very tender and crunchy, loved this combination. The chicken fried chicken was very good, again very tender chicken. Fries were not the greatest. Side salad with their house vinaigrette or dressing was delicious. Dessert was so good, memorable! The pecan praline was so extraordinary! Enjoyable dinner, support small local restaurant /business! read more

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I ordered the crawfish etoufee and it was very bland. I was expecting more as I heard the food was amazing. I have tried to get crawfish here in the past but they were sold out the two times I've asked. I will give this place a try again during the next crawfish season as I didn't hate the food and have heard rave reviews about it. Hoping next time is better! read more

This compact space offers great Cajun and Creole dishes and live music. Casual and lively with friendly service and a nice selection of Louisiana and other beers. Includes some nice vegetarian options as well. The pistolete was excellent as well; come early as these sell out! read more

Evangeline Café - Fried pickles are a great start. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The menu sounds awesome on paper, but I was disappointed by the seafood gumbo. My boyfriend got the fried shrimp po-boy and the one fried shrimp I tried off his sandwich was better than my entire bowl of gumbo.... when looking around the restaurant, I noticed that many of the other tables only order fried dishes so perhaps that's the best route. I really wanted to love this place :/ read more

L had the Hank Williams (Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, Filet Gumbo) and I have the Seafood Platter (fried) with Salad, Gumbo, Shrimp, Oysters, Stuffed Crab and Dirty Rice. L fully enjoyed his plate and thought the gumbo could have been better. I agree about the gumbo and everything fried was perfectly prepared. The stuffed crab was excellent. Forgot my phone so no pictures. Excellent environment and attentive friendly service. If you enjoy Cajun food it's a great choice. read more

I first came to Evangeline's while traveling on a business trip ten years ago. Loved it! Went back several times since then, still consistent and really good. Went yesterday for lunch at 1:30 and the place was busy! Food was delicious! Service was great! How many restaurants can pull that off for so many years? And I'm a shrimp snob. I can tell the difference in gulf shrimp, which is the only shrimp they use. I'll go back as often as I can! read more

A must try Cajun spot in austin. Food and service is on point always. Can get busy bc people know how good it is. Walking in you feel like your back in a classic dive spot in Louisiana with all the memorabilia all over read more

Came here with my boyfriend who grew up in Louisiana and we loved it! Great service that felt like home. The food was so good and I'm so happy we stopped by! We will be coming back very soon!! read more

Evangeline Café - Loved the walls! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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My husband and I were going to an event in South Austin and wanted to have dinner beforehand. We read the great reviews of Evangeline's cafe and decided to try it out.... I am SO glad we did. The food was fantastic, the service was excellent, sweetest waitresses, and really enjoyed the live music! The prices for portion size was also impressive. It was so nice to go out and try somewhere new, enjoy everything and not break the bank!! I highly recommend this place and we are already planning on coming back with friends soon!!!!!! read more

Wonderful food, atmosphere and music. I will definitely return. The owner, Curtis, is welcoming. And so many authentic cajun dishes. The Abita beer was an added surprise. read more

Oh my god the Stuffed Pork Chop with boudin & topped the pecan pesto mushroom gravy is the perfect Friday night dinner after a hot long tiring work week. Add the small Caesar Salad and tasty Gator Bites with the cold beer to blend in with the locals. Small seating area, however the staff works the tables in a team manner to get folks in & out. This is legit south Austin down home vibe restaurant that still dishes out good cajun food. read more

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Best gumbo in Austin and the fried oyster appetizer was excellent as well. Awesome music by local musicians Steven Doerr and Erik Hokanan.

Everything single thing we ordered we devoured. So delicious and obviously cooked with consumer in mind. Can't wait to go back and eat like a pig. read more

If you love authentic Cajun food it's worth driving for. If you live in the area it's a life saver cuz we have maybe 3 options

I've dropped in more than once. First to try their Crawfish Pistolette and another time for their Red Beans and Rice. While the setting is great, live music playing on one occasion, the food was unexpectedly bland and somewhat lacking. Having a partially Cajun background, I expected spice and flavor to shine through and I don't feel it did. The cornbread was not soft or fluffy. Red beans and rice had maybe 5 sausage and was overshadowed by the amount of beans and rice. Their lemonade is where I was actually impressed -- sometimes I think maybe I'll just drop in for the vibes and a lemonade. Waitresses were friendly and quick to serve on both occasions. I was sat within a few minutes. The area is small / medium. Groups over 4 or 5 might want to reconsider. There is decor on every inch of the place giving it a very cool feel. I wouldn't go out of my way here, but I'm glad I tried it. Would recommend to at least try it and maybe the spice level is great for others but I did expect a bit more. read more

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