LOVE this place! We are fortunate enough to live nearby, so we try to go as often as possible. Unfortunately we passed on this place for awhile, simply because of it being in a strip mall and was gravely mistaken. If you've read any of my other reviews, we've made this mistake more than once (Backspin), with the same results, so now on, strip malls rule! When you walk in the door at Evangeline Cafe, you feel like you've landed in New Orleans, the walls and ceiling are covered in mardi gras swag from beads to alligators. The space is small but very inviting. There's a tiny bar in the corner were you can grab an Abita beer or glass of wine while waiting for a table or if lucky enough, pull up one of the 4-5 bar stools and enjoy dinner and on some nights a band playing in the corner. The food is traditional Cajun and spot on. We always start with the gator bites and red beans and rice. Strangely enough, they have of the best chicken fried steak in town. I've been told that's the owners favorite food, so he's made sure to put a delicious one on the menu. Next time your in the mood for some cajun grub, Evangeline Cafe is a must, if you're not in New Orleans! read more

Food came out on time and it was everything. I hoped it would be. Thank you for making my dining experience super wonderful.

Love these guys. Everything they make is fresh, tasty, and authentic. From the Shrimp Creole to the Crawfish Étouffée... and can we please talk about maybe the best ranch dressing that I've ever had in my life? The owner is caring and the staff is so warm and inviting. The fried shrimp platter is tops. Haven't had a bad meal yet. read more

Evangeline Café - Takeout from Evangeline Cafe. Crawfish Étouffée with that delicious ranch dressing. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'm kinda a chicken fried steak/ gravy snob. My girlfriend met me for lunch there a few weeks ago and I dialed in on the cfs. When it was presented to me at the table, it was visually stimulating. It was a larger portion and the grave was a yummy cream color. The 1st thing I did was taste the gravy by itself. As if Jesus created the instructions on how to make the best gravy in the world, they nailed it! Now onto the batter.... oh lord. Super crispy, flaky, flavorful. This has to be the absolute best cfs I have ever eaten.....ever. I even went back on a solo mission 2 days later, it's that memorable. I wish I could put more feelings in writing, but I wont. read more

Evangeline Café - Cfs, white rice both topped with the most amazing gravy EVER! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

I recently had the pleasure of having lunch at Evangeline. A high School friend, last name Broussard, (yeah, he's Cajun), turned me on to this place. I had fish and shrimp, also had red beans and rice. All were awesome! Im Cajun also and was born in Port Arthur, Texas. I've had fish and shrimp a few hundred times in my life. I'm definitely an arbiter of Cajun cooking. Laissez les bons temps rouler. read more

Best Cajun food in South Austin! Heather is the best host & waitress! She is so friendly every time!!

Stuffed black drum was really good, perfectly cooked, generous portion, glad we didn't order an appetizer! Evangeline Cafe is so close to my house, but, not sure why we don't come here more often; really should. Servers were there when needed, but not in the way, nice. Live music, Dime Store Poets were really good. A very nice evening. Well done Evangeline Cafe! read more

Recommended by friends. Love staff, music, food, and ambiance . Always a pleasure. read more

We love coming here!!!! The food is always amazing and we get our Cajun fix without having to drive 5 hours!!! The waitress' are really sweet everytime but today we had Molly and I would have to say that she is the best!!!!!! Highly recommend- I swear you won't be disappointed :) read more

First time here and wow we loved it! We tried all the healthy stuff Lol Fried shrimp and fried catfish Seafood gumbo and shrimp platter and Red beans and rice all were excellent! The best Cajun food! You have got to try it, we will definitely be back! Thanks Rob for making us feel welcome! read more

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Austin hidden gem. Stuffed pork chop w stewed okra n tomatoes are the best! Don't forget to get the alligator bites.

Man this spot was not it., the food was bland, no flavor what so ever !! Did not taste like Cajun food or a cook who knows Cajun!!!! the waitress didn't make eye with a brotha looking at the wall!! like how much more disrespectful can you be in Austin tx read more

Nina is the best and the gator bites are awesome!!! Every time I go here the staff are great!!! Professional and nice and attentive :-) The burger was good too! Will be back it's so close to my place and mine and quiet during off hours :-) read more

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

It never takes much arm twisting to get me to go to Evangeline Cafe. Their poboys are great and their seafood dinner baskets are always fresh. The dinner baskets are also filling since they come with buttered bread, salad and a side (like dirty rice). And there are plenty of Cajun/Creole options to satisfy everyone's tastes. There are a couple other restaurants in this part of town where you can get good Cajun food, but this one's a family favorite given the colorful decor. My kids particularly enjoyed playing with alligator heads at the bar on the last visit. The staff is friendly and attentive even though the restaurant always seems full. The appetizers are also really good here. I generally go with the boudin or the gator bites. The gator bites in particular are deep fried nuggets of golden goodness best eaten sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice and dipped in their creamy aioli. It's as good as it sounds and worth getting if you haven't tried it before. read more

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

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I like this place. I was born and raised in Bogalusa LA. I know good Cajun food. The owner runs a tight ship. He cares about his employees and his customers . I recommend the Oysters Contraband if you like oysters. The pistolettes for dessert are outstanding ! read more

They have some really good Cajun options but the inside is so small the place stresses me out and it's a little pricey for what you get. I gave four stars and an honest opinion but the owner's response seems pretty defensive. Too bad! read more

Food has that bland taste that comes from frozen food, reheated.

Evangeline Cafe has a great ambiance and really good Cajun food. I ordered the chicken and sausage jambalaya for lunch from their very reasonably priced lunch menu and the amazing Miranda's Pecan Praline Pistolette for dessert. I forgot to take a picture of the meal but have a picture of the delicious dessert! It appeared that there are a number of regulars at Evangeline. If you are looking for some tasty Cajun, Evangeline is the place and save room for dessert!! read more

Evangeline Café - Miranda's Pecan Praline Pistolette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

The ambiance was great! I do believe live music is back in session now so that awesome. The gumbo was a little burnt though hopefully next time it's not bitter! I will be back to hear some Cajun tunes! read more

Great little spot for excellent Cajun food. Unfortunately, they don't do a regular crawfish boil, otherwise this place is the best!

Delicious! I would go there forever if I wasn't on a strangled budget. One day I will return. I will make up for all the delicious meals I missed! read more

I have been to this place more than once. I have heard so many rave reviews about the food...but I have to say that The Cypress Grill leaves this sad restaurant to the wolves. The food here has always been bland and lacking in flavor. The gumbo is watery and the rice is always dry and flavorless. As much as I love the vibe and WANT the food to match...it just doesn't. I do not have any specific memory of the quality of service. Will not be back anytime soon. read more

The atmosphere was fun and the Cajun food was authentic. Service was great even while being busy.

All I can say is WOW this place is a hidden food lovers dream if your into good old fashion Cajun food. I was so impressed and I travel and eat at many places but this one is recommended. Nina was my server and she did a awesome job with a genuine smile which is hard to come by these days. Shawna the manager on duty was delightful as well. The food was hot, the gumbo is authentic with great New Orleans style taste. I loved the ambience and people who both worked there and clientele. I will definitely be here as much as possible.they are very reasonably priced they should go up on the prices, I would definitely pay more for this kind of food and service. read more

Food is good, staff is friendly, decor is funky. Evangeline's is in walking distance of my house.

I am from NOLA and I'd have to say this place is really good! And it's really hard to impress me when it comes to Cajun food. Appetizer: Gator Bites - Amazing! Entree 1: Crawfish Etoufee - I devoured it! Don't forget to ask for the Tabasco though, as they do not keep it out on the tables! Entree 2: Shrimp Po-Boy - My teenager said it was really good! Entree 3: Country Fried Steak (Not Pictured ) - Husband said it wasn't the best he's ever had but it was pretty good still. Entree 4: Crawfish Evangeline (Also Not Pictured) - I was told it was good. read more

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I've been going to EC for years and continue to support the place as the best authentic Cajun in Austin. Even after I moved from Bee Cave to Round Rock four years ago, I'll make every opportunity to meet friends at EC for lunch! I've traveled a lot in LA- New Ireland, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport- but always look forward coming back to EC. I have always found the food flavorful and tasty and the service friendly and welcoming. Although I do not know Curtis, I am always impressed he's in the restaurant overseeing the food and service. Unlike some of the recent reviews, I have not seen the issues commented to. I am a huge fan of EC and will keep coming back! read more

I really love the ambience in this place. The waitstaff is friendly and knowledge. I recommend the fried oysters. We tried the seafood gumbo but the roux tasted burnt. There is a trick to perfecting roux. And they have some work to do. They were nice and took it off the bill. Get there early because they fill up fast!! Tiny, tiny outdoor seating area. read more

Walking through the door is like being transported to the NOLA area. Seriously. I grew up in the area. My family used to go to casual eateries like this. Fun decor including custom tables embedded with Mardi Gras coins and Abita beer caps. I usually don't like Creole / Cajun cuisine outside of the NOLA area because I am used to the real thing. Well - this is the real thing. We had: oyster po-boy, vegetarian gumbo and grilled seafood platter with catfish and shrimp. Everything tasted fresh. The seasoning tasted authentic without being overpowering. We kept nodding at each other because we couldn't stop eating to talk. We agreed on our next visit in the parking lot. read more

I really enjoyed my experience here. They had live music and it was super lively! The food is pretty good! I had this one spicy shrimp pasta, my boyfriend had the jimbalaya, and we shared some appetizers. Everything was good except the gator bites lol. The gator bites were super breaded and tasted like fried shrimp. Our waitress was super sweet, i was very impressed with the service. 10/10 would recommend this place and mention the friendly cute girls read more

At first glance this place has a bland exterior, as part of a collective in a strip mall. Once you enter the tchotchkes and music make you feel like you're in a legit place in "Nawlins"!!! But that ends there... The hostess, or greeter, or random waitress by front door greeted me quick and sat me down quick. She was very nice... The waitress I got after waiting for 10min, was very cold, void of life and had zero personality. She asked for my drink order and ran off, I literally was left with my mouth open, I couldn't even utter the question "what do you recommend?" --- after another 5-6min the main greeter asked me if I'm being helped, she saw me looking desperate and hungry in my corner haha. Finally my living-dead waitress shows up... I finally get to ask her what she recommends, she said "anything crawfish is good". I asked her to explain to me how that works since they're out of season, she mentions "oh it's ok, they're frozen" --- :( I mean who the heck wants frozen crawfish?? And why even offer it? Well at least she was honest... Or I'm not sure if it was honesty, or if she legitimately enjoys frozen crawfish. Well anywho I passed on that, and asked her to recommend something else - she had a look on her face like if we were on SOME SORT of gameshow and I just asked her the $1million dollar question. So I picked one and said how's this gold band creole (spicy fried jumbo shrimp with pasta) , her reply was "yup that's good too" but in a way that felt like 'hurry up and order' type of way. Well I get this masterpiece and immediately I can tell it looks bland. The sauce was poured in the middle and the dish was somewhat set up in a decorative way where scallions and paprika were dashed in the rim of dish along with the shrimp in a circular style. I will say I was impressed that they provided me both a fork and spoon with my pasta, which not too many people in Texas know to do that. OH WAIT! Did I mention the waitress never gave me napkins and I had to physically get up and get them myself? BUT WAIT! There's more!!! Did I mention she also tossed the dirty rag she uses to clean tables in front of me in the little table next to me that holds the menus? So throughout my whole meal, I'm looking at this friggin dirty rag... WTF!!! So just as I suspected, the dish was very bland. The pasta was cooked just right, but that's where the praise ends... The shrimp was over fried, and it had a very fishy taste which screams that it too was frozen. The sauce, tasted like store bought canned salsa, like MOTHER EFFIN Mexican salsa. There was nothing creole or Louisiana style to this food. It was simply bad, and my waitress sucked! I really wanted to like this place, I really wanted to be surprised and say "wow look at this amazing place I happen to stumble upon while waiting for my car at the jiffy lube!" And then twirl around in happiness like in The Sound of Music. Well no, that didn't happen... And the biggest insult was the price. The meal with a coke came out to $17.82 --- seriously, WTF! I will never never never go back to this joint, 4 STARS people of Austin? Really!?? I mean really!????? read more

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This is such a great little spot! Especially if you are missing New Orleans. The food is always excellent, alligator anything is good ! Love coming here with friends and family. read more

This place is ridiculous. Ridiculously fantastic, that is! I am a newbie to the creole world, and was introduced to Evangeline's by a friend who I will thank for the rest of my life. The atmosphere is divey and super laid back. They have live music most nights and the decor is super fun. But the most important? GATOR BITES. Y'ALL. These crispy, tender things drizzled with a delicious, spicy, cream sauce are incredible. Hit them with a little lemon, BOOM! I've had a few entrees here, however, the Shrimp Creole is my go-to. It is total comfort food! It'll warm you right up with a little kick! You MUST try this place!!! read more

Evangeline Café - Lunch Shrimp Basket! $7.99 and delicious! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is one of my stalwart, always go-to, favorite restaurants in Austin. I always love the Gumbo and the Po Boys. The Oysters contraband are a fun, yummy appetizer. The atmosphere is fantastic and the staff is always wonderful. read more

Another reason to fall in love with Evangeline Cafe......... BYO-Booze, thats right you can bring in a handle of whiskey or your favorite hard liquor into the restaurant. You can bring your own wine for a small "cork fee". GOD, I love Austin TX! read more

I had the gumbo, boudin and fried catfish. It was alll very good! Would definitely come back! Fast seating ing even though crowded. The live music made it even more special. Thanks evangeline cafe for a great nnight our with my family Leslie read more

After a wonderful first experience at Evangeline's a month back, we decided to return with friends after we talked it up. Sadly, this time we were severely underwhelmed. We were seated and ordered drinks and apps with no problem. When we went to place our entree orders is when issues arose. We were informed that there was only enough pasta for 2 more orders, they had run out. 4 of the 6 of us were going to order dishes that had pasta. This would have been to nice to know when we were seated since it seemed like they already knew of this issue. Also, this occurred on a Saturday night at 7, prime dinner time. I feel like this should have never happened with proper anticipation. Therefore, only one person ended up with a pasta dish, because we were "too slow" in claiming dibs on both. The other 3 had to then scour the menu for another entree after setting their hearts on the pasta dishes. Sadly our picks were a disappointment after the letdown of not being able to order our first picks. "Lackluster" was probably our description for the meal. Overall average service, average food, in comparison to our initial experience. If you go here, make sure you check that they have enough pasta. Those are the star dishes! Maybe we will try again on a slower day. read more

Ordered frog legs, boudain sausage, shrimp and oyster baskets, along with chicken fried steak. Frog legs were cooked to perfection. Batter was amazing and has a little spice. Boudain sausage wasn't that great to me. Lacked flavor and was over stuffed with rice. Fried shrimp was delicious, perfect crunch And flavor. Oysters were soggy, like they been sitting in grease and they lacked flavor. Fries were also soggy and the sweet tea was watered down. My mother-n- law disliked the fried chicken steak and had to send it back. It lacked flavor as well. Overall cool looking restaurant but wont be returning just for frogs legs and fried shrimp read more

I have had some bad luck with popular restaurants lately. This was recommended to me by a friend. He said I should definitely get the Catfish with Crawfish Macque Choux. So, I did. But before that, the waiter suggested the blue crab fingers for an appetizer. They were okay, but not the freshest crab I have had. They weren't worth the price. My dinner companion had the Oyster Po'boy. The bread ruined it. The batter on the oysters was soggy. If you are looking for a better Po'boy, head to Gene's. My catfish dish needed a 1/4 bottle of hot sauce for me to enjoy it. I would have chosen not to eat it if I hadn't been so hungry. Sorry Mark! read more

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This place is one of my South Austin go to places. They have the best Cajun food around.