Guys. I don't even like cajun food and I love this place. For real. My boyfriend is of cajun blood so he insisted we try it. I reluctantly agreed, but ONLY because I trust little hole in the walls more than most restaurants, and I was SO very pleasantly surprised! I've mostly played it safe with po'boys, but they are BY FAR the best I've ever had! Catfish, shrimp, and ESPECIALLY the softshell crab are TO DIE FOR! I've also had the shrimp creole which was a little spicy for my non-accustomed-to-the-spice palette, but it had great flavor. Some extra rice or bread would have helped to balance it. Boyfriend tried it and looooooooved it though, so I'm taking that as a good sign :) Boyfriend has had the gumbo and the crawfish etoufee, seafood gumbo, and frog legs. All of these have been HUGE portions and he's been delighted with their authenticity. You're gonna be stuffed by the time you get to the end of your meal, but you HAVE to try the pecan praline pistolette. So. Good. It's basically a big beignet stuffed with a caramelly sauce and pecans. Oh, also, Abita beer. A lot of it. In short, GO HERE. read more

So far my favorite Cajun restaurant in Austin! Service was outstanding, food came out extremely hot and pretty quick, and staff was very attentive. The seafood gumbo was amazing, left me wishing I had ordered a bowl instead of a cup-with just the right heat! I opted for the Hank Williams Special-crawfish pie, jambalaya, and chicken sausage gumbo. Everything was amazing! For dinner we had bread pudding-very large portion so plan to share it. Can't wait to go back and try one of the other dishes!!! read more

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First off, order a cold beer, the Oysters Contraband & a few Stuffed Pistolettes... you'll order more later... Every time I've been to Evangeline since its opening, so has its owner Curtis, you'll recognize him by the always waxed & twisted handle-bar mustache. He's Cajun, from Lake Charles, some yelpers didn't know or weren't sure... It's not in my neck of the woods BUT when the mood hits you, definitely check this place out. It's worth the drive. It's not big, when they're slammed (like the last few times I've been there) there may be a wait, order a beer & wait, it's well worth it. We go every few months or so & each time the food is consistent, the beer is cold & Curtis is around somewhere! read more

So, went there the other day greeted by kool guy Curtis and waited on by a goddess in jeans, Molly OMG que mamasita! The food and service just phenomenal We'll back. read more

Evangeline Café - Cool dude Curtis - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I would have never gone to this restaurant had it not been for fellow yelpers..... It's location in an old strip mall doesn't do it justice. I went on a Monday at around 6 and it still took us 25 min to get a table. That place is packed! Seating is tight but the atmosphere is fun and relaxed. There was a band playing and it got loud in there. We ordered the Oyster's Contraband which is a bit pricey considering there were only 5 oysters but it was delicious!! My husband thinks it's worth the price. I really liked this appetizer but i'm not sure i would be ordering it on a regular basis. For our entree we ordered a regular sized Shrimp Po-boy and OMG!!! It was so good. Full of flavor, warm, and that Evangeline sauce is finger-licking good!! I really wished we could have ordered the large one. I am for sure coming back to try more of their menu. read more

Best Cajun café ever. Now that my daughter has graduated UT, I will be driving up just for lunch. A true gem I never want to lose. JM read more

The best compliment told of this authentic South Austin jewel came from my good friend Shannon, who hails from Louisiana herownself: "I feel like I'm back home when I walk in here." Yes, it gets packed some nights around the dinner hour, and yes, it gets crowded in there, but the cold Abita Amber and a steaming hot bowl of Maw Maw's Gumbo quickly dispels any irritability one may drum up while waiting for a table. It's a place I can kick back and relax after especially stressful days at the ole' skoolhouse, enjoying the "real world;" that which is South Austin. As for the live music, it's never been so loud that we've had any trouble conversing. Wait, one Friday night after 10 p.m., a fantastic band called Monsta did play loudly, but that's when the place turns into a music venue, so we just shut up and danced. read more

Believe it or not, I know a thing or two about Cajun food. And in Austin, this place is as good as it gets for sure! Their flavors are on point, and by on point I mean full of spice and deliciousness. My favorites are the Oysters Contraband, Boudain, Seafood Gumbo, Pistolettes, and Oyster Po' Boy. Most nights there is a live band. Pair that with the kitschy décor and you're immediately transported to New Orleans which is just fine by me. read more

My husband took me here before we were married on one of our first dates. Had the oyster po boy and fell in love! With the sandwich...then my hubby. So flavorful! read more

Evangeline Cafe would get an additional five stars from me if only because there is a man there (maybe the owner?) that reminds me of Little Enos. I grew up in an Irish Catholic household where fish wasn't eaten that often and when it was, it was cooked in the toaster oven. Because of that, I've never been that open to seafood but I'd order the oysters contraband here each and every day of the week, it's that good. True, the oysters can't really be tasted because they're fried and sit on a bed of homemade potato chips and are topped with a spicy remoulade but baby steps, right? The roast beef po' boy is probably one of Austin's best sandwiches and the red beans and rice is decent. I'd tell you about other menu items but I don't eat anything else there. I don't get the feeling that I'm in a strip mall when I'm there so I guess they've succeeded in the decor. It's walls are full of cajun memorabilia and pictures of musicians. I'm not sure if there's an alligator with sunglasses there but it wouldn't surprise me if there was. read more

Okay so I used to live right next to this place and ate here several times. I now live on the other end of town but have still driven back to this little gem! Food has generally been fantastic but the frog legs were off once, however management took it right off the bill without blinking. Gator bites are fantastic and the fried pickles are very good as well. I like the crayfish etouffee, though a bit under seasoned but didn't find it watery, in fact it was a bit on the thick side! I've been here when bands play and I prefer the more relaxed off hours when you're not stuck in the midst of a Cajun hoedown, though band nights tend to be lively and fun if that's your scene. Great atmosphere and generally friendly staff make this an easy place to add to the local hole-in-the-wall "Regulars" list. They have a lunch menu too! read more

Evangeline Café - Crayfish etouffee and fried oysters/shrimp combo with onion rings. Heavenly! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Austin, Texas

I enjoy this place everytime I go there. Small place and sometimes have to wait for a table. Food has been exceptional each time. I try to rotate thru the menu each time so I can try all the inviting entrees. read more

my favorite restaurant in Austin. Amazing service. Everything on the menu is great. I love going on Live Music nights! My only complaint is that they don't take reservations for large parties but once you grab an ice cold beer and start chowing down on some boudin, you will forget about the wait. read more

My husband and I had heard great things about this place, and because it's so close to our house, we decided to give it a try. I was warned by friends in advance that it's located in a strip mall, so I knew upfront that the exterior wouldn't impress. But apparently the food is to-die-for, so we were excited to settle in for a big meal. In the restaurant's defense, we went on Valentine's Day. We knew ahead of time that they did not take reservations and that we might have to wait for a table, but we made sure to get there really early to increase our chances of getting seated quickly. I'm 6 months pregnant, so I didn't want to wait too long. Upon arrival, I was thrilled to see 3 open tables inside and plenty of outside seating available. However, it was a chilly evening, so we decided to opt for inside seating. Surprisingly, the hostess told us they were holding those tables for large parties. "All 3 of them?", I asked. "On Valentine's Day?" So, let me get this straight...you're going to have us wait here for, well, who knows how long, just in case 3 parties of 5 show up on Valentine's Day? Okay. We walked out. I was disappointed because I've heard such great things about the food. We might go back again, once the stench of poor service has worn off. read more

In town on business and decided to stop on based on Yelp reviews. They were dead on. This was a great find. It is located in a strip mall and may not look like much from the outside. Don't let looks fool you. The boudin was outstanding! Chicken and sausage gumbo, etoufee, all exceptional. Service was first rate and the cost is very reasonable. Highly recommend. read more

As a real Cajun from Lafayette Louisiana I can full heartily give this place the THUMBS DOWN. My Stuffed Red Fish was way over cooked and stuffed with that crap you get out of a processed stuffed crab. Yuck! Nothing was impressive. Nothing was even good. My wife was the smart one and stuck with a burger. We had not been here since it opened and now we remember why. It blew. Good places to eat good seafood and such: Eddie V's, Shoreline Grill, Quality Seafood, Trulucks. These guys offer the real thing! No Fillers, No Dried Up Fish, No doubt you will enjoy. As for Evangeline Cafe' someone please call Gordon Ramsay's read more

I really enjoyed the decor, and the service was awesome, but the food left much to be desired. I had heard wonderful things about this place and since it's near my house, I thought I'd check it out. We started with the crab legs with pesto sauce, and that was delicious. We ordered three dishes to share: the jambalaya, etoufee and the fried gator tail. The jambalaya was dry, and bland, as Errol said. The etoufee was correct, but also bland. The fried gator tail seriously tasted like chicken. I remembered gator tail being a little chewier and tougher than this, though the waitress informed us it was tenderized. The rice that accompanied it was also dry, and guess what? Yep, you guessed it: bland. The redeeming points were the bread served with each entree and the desert, some puff pastry deep-fried and stuff with pecan pie filling, drizzled with a praline sauce. Also, I was not a fan of the heavy-duty, slippery metal chairs. I could not sit down without sliding halfway down the seat. Will I go back? Maybe. Maybe their po boys are where it's at so I'd want to check those out. read more

My favorite cajun restaurant in Austin. Every visit feels like I'm entering a boisterous small town diner. Live music every night. Waitresses and patrons who seem to know one another. Tables crammed into every nook and cranny. And the food is absolutely delicious. Start with the pistolettes, these crispy and fluffy bread rolls. Then, on to some of my favorites: crawfish maque choux, étouffée, and both alligator dishes. Yes, they have alligator, and here was where I learned to love it. read more

A couple weeks ago I decided to start trying at least 1 new place a week. First up was Evangeline Cafe and it didn't disappoint. I arrived shortly after 7pm on a Wednesday night and the place was actually pretty packed. The restaurant itself is average size but they've packed in a stage so the restaurant feels a little cramped, thankfully this doesn't bother me. They also have outdoor seating which isn't bad. The decor and vibe come off as very Nola, which is fitting since it -is- cajun. Inside was a little too loud and busy for me as I was meeting a friend here to visit, not the best place to come if you plan on enjoying conversation. The restaurant is loud even when a band isn't playing. The waitress was great and we usually had 2 people waiting on us, so refills were fast and we were taken care of quite nicely. Now what you're all waiting for...the food review. I had the Crawfish Etoufee. It looks like a sloppy mess [which it should if done right] and tasted delicious! Everything about the dish was done well, the roux was great, the crawfish was perfect, the portion was generous. I also got a Stuffed Pistolette as an appetizer, these are DELICIOUS but a bit overpriced, for a 4 buck appetizer I inhaled it in about 30 seconds, was kinda disappointed in the size of it, but it definitely delivered on taste. My boyfriend and our friend got the samething. Chicken fried chicken. Usually I'm not a big fan of chicken fried chicken/steak but OMG theirs was so damn good! Again it was cooked perfectly, good portions and definitely delivered on flavor. In fact the friend that joined us had gone once before and didn't like it, but after dragging him to join us this time, we've renewed his faith in the place and he went again last week and loved it. This is definitely a place I recommend if you're ever in the mood for Cajun food. Their menu has a decent variety and the amount of food you get for the price is awesome. You'll enjoy it even more if you enjoy eating while listening to a live band playing something in the blues/country-esque genre. Overall definitely suggest giving this one a shot, if you're not keen on the music, just sit outside where it's less noticeable. read more

My first visit to Evangeline Cafe didn't impress overmuch. They were just starting out. My second visit blew me away. The decor, ambience, waitstaff, and food had suddenly and richly come into their own. It had the feel of a beloved dive that had been there for decades. The food was really good. A decently dark roux graced both the seafood and sausage gumbos. Fried oysters were pretty decent for a landlocked city. Can't wait to go back for more. read more

I'm a fan of spicy food, and this was not. I want that said up front. The only thing spicy I found in here was the hot sauce on the tables. That having been said, the food was pretty tasty, and despite being packed the food came pretty quickly. I had the seafood combo with fried catfish and shrimp, side salad, and cajun rice. I ate every bit of it, it was so yum. Yes, I used the hot sauce. It is a little pricy for what you're getting... but I tend to think that at most places so you may not. I considered giving this less stars for one reason... the music. Why why why for the love of gawd do you feel you need to amplify the music in such a small venue. I came to eat and talk to my friends... even the waitstaff was leaning down and shouting in my ear to be heard. Yes... Austin is the music capitol... okay... I get it. But turn that cr@p down... cuz I'm not coming back until you do. read more

Best place for creole cooking outside of New Orleans that I've had. Love how it's so close to my home. The inside totally reminds me of a small spot in New Orleans, kinda cramped with live music. Your almost forced to get to know a stranger which makes the experience awesome. read more

No change in the star rating, but I did want to update my review. We've been back to Evangeline a few times, especially since it's right down the street from our house and has incredible live music every night of the week. I mean, for free, you can just sit there and wash back some great Cajun cuisine and a few beers while being serenaded by the likes of the Stone River Boys (used to be in the Hacienda Brothers when Gaffney was alive). They have two for one burgers on Monday nights, and the burgers are pretty danged good! I usually go expecting to order one, and end up getting a po'boy or something else equally yummier. And yes, you do have to wait sometimes to get your order in, or to get your food. Especially when the place is hoppin'. So just go and expect that, enjoy the great music and atmosphere, and have a good south Austin time. read more

Since I grew up in Southeast Texas on the Gulf Coast/Louisiana border...as a rule, I don't order Gumbo, Creole, Etouffee or Jambalaya from restaurants. You make these dishes at home with fresh ingredients. So, why did I eat at a Cajun restaurant? Well, it was less than a mile from my home and my friends wanted to go. I've patroned this Cafe 6 or 7 times. So, what did I eat? I had the Boudin, which is good - but not outstanding. The rice to meat ration was 70/30. I had the Crawfish Evangeline, a pasta dish with crawfish. I didn't care for it, it had too much heat and not enough flavor. Also the pasta was overcooked. I have also had the Stuffed Pistolette w/ shrimp - again not impressed. However, my favorite thing to eat here is the Lake Charles Cheeseburger with their homemade chips and Evangeline sauce. The burger is juicy and flavorful, the chips are thick and crunchy. I would give the burger alone 4 stars. It's typically pretty crowded here, and there is usually a live blues or zydeco band on the weekends. It has a nice eclectic dive feel. They are closed on Sunday's. read more

My girlfriend is from NOLA, apparently that's what they call it.... and she is as picky as could be when it comes to Cajun food. She didn't even really want to try this place. I think she assumed it wouldn't be as good as the cajun she makes. I also love cajun and am a bit less picky, so I was really excited to give this place a try. I thought it was awesome! Really tasty dark gumbo, out of this world etouffee, and authentic pistolettes shipped in straight from Lake Charles. The bigger surprise? My girlfriend also loved it! The owner came over to our table (nicest guy in the world) and she couldn't stop raving to him that he could move his restaurant to New Orleans and that it would be just as big a success competing with the locals spots. I only wish it wasn't located in a totally blah strip mall... The food and fun live music and atmosphere do make up for it though. When ever we need an authentic cajun fix, we know where to go now! read more

NOT what we expected. Not what we pictured & NOT even close to what ppl review here as "good". Came here because of what I read here on Yelp. I thought, "Ah man, looks damn good, they say it tastes just as good & look at the price range! Lets go ahead & drive over there." Arrived. Checked out the menu and were so iffy about the place that we went back to car and thought it through for about 5. Since we drove out the way, it was "What the hell.." Nah. There dishes aren't even worth they're price. So especially if you're not in the area, DON'T bother. read more

Evangeline is actually the first restaurant I visited based on a Yelp suggestion, and I was not disappointed. Having just wrapped up an episode of Bizarre Foods where Andrew made his way through Louisiana and Mississippi, I was craving some cajun food BAD. The place is very unassuming, I've always stopped by when it was nearly empty, but I can see how it could be very crowded. The wait staff has always been extremely friendly with me. My waitress, upon my order of an Abita beer, suggested one of their in-season offerings, which was delicious. Since discovering Evangeline, I've enjoyed the boudin, fried catfish poboy and frogs legs immensely. Only the jambalaya have I been unimpressed with, but I would be willing to mark it up to a fluke and try it again. read more

The food here was really good and there's a lot on the menu I want to try so I'll be coming back. It's a really cozy and cool hang out atmosphere, I had the Catfish basket it was definitely tasty, my wife had the avocado po'boy and she destroyed it. The only thing really keeping me from 5 staring this place is that the drink section is kinda small but it's a pretty minor issue when I go back if I have a great experience again I'll probably just edit this to 5 stars cause the place is just that good. read more

Gotta admit that after dating a guy from New Orleans, I completely fell in love with Cajun cuisine. There is something to be said about those buttery, juicy BBQ crabs...yumyumyum....but yea really can't get them here in TX like you can in Louisiana! HOWEVER! You can get some great LA cuisine right here in Austin! I might even go as far as saying it might be the Cajun offerings in the state...maybe! Never mind that the drive is forever away, it's worth. Ice-cold Abita, a great friendly, personable owner named Curtis and live Zydago all make it totally worth it. Geauxxxxxxxx right over. I'm sure they show Saints games on Sunday (complete with red beans, no doubt) and LSU games on Saturdays. A little slice of Louisiana in our backyard. read more

Came for lunch. Ordered off the lunch menu. #1 and #6. No changes or special requests, even asked to place our order when she asked for our initial drink order. Another table sat about 5 minutes after us. Three in their party. They received their food 15 minutes before we did. ANOTHER table, also of three, arrived about 15 minutes after us. They even took their order long after our order was taken. THAT table's food arrived 5 minutes before ours. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to take our whole lunch to go back to work and eat it later. Their excuse? We didn't ask for our food to come out quickly. Oh. Okay. My bad. Don't worry, that'll never happen again. read more

Just GREAT food! Wife had the red beans & rice, I started with a small gumbo then had the Gold Band Creole, butterflied jumbo shrimp in a spicy creole sauce. Topped it off with a couple Abita strawberry beers. Shoot, it doesn't get much better! read more

My boyfriend and I ended up here on a Friday night after the Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter was sold out of tickets for a movie we wanted to see. Boy did we luck out! We were quiet happy to try so where new because we both think the food at the Drafthouse sucks. This place was absolutely DELICIOUS! We definitely decided we would be coming back to try more items on the menu. As soon as you walk up to what looks like a hole in the wall, you can literally smell all the amazing flavors flare up your nostrils. I love all the Louisiana decor and hot sauces too. This is truly a hidden gem in Austin! First off, we ordered two beers. I love that they have a seasonal selection, so we had some Oktoberfests. As an appetizer, we got the Gator Bites that had a Cajun Aioli sauce. Omg they were absolutely amazing. It's a must order! For our entrées, my boyfriend ordered the Seafood Gumbo and I got the Gold Band Creole. Mine was def spicy but great and they butterfly the shrimp. Awesome meals, gumbo isn't really my thing but my bf loved it. Last but not least, we ordered the Breaded Pudding to-go. I almost died in heaven - it was the best combination after having a spicy meal. And I don't even like breaded pudding, it changed my whole perspective! read more

Wonderful Cajun food in southern Austin! The atmosphere is fun, warm, and entirely decorated with all things Louisiana, hobbies, and famous autographs. There's live music in the evenings and the service is nice and attentive. It feels great to be checked out regularly and offered suggestions. I had the appetizer portion of the seafood gumbo as an entree. This was enough to fill me up! There was ample seafood from crab, shrimp, and oysters. I was most excited about the oysters; they were so fresh as if they were just chucked and thrown right into the stew. The gumbo base was so good I boxed up whatever I had left to eat at home. My boyfriend had a po boy sand which. He had the half portion, which was a pretty generous amount (about the length and almost size of the red basket it came in). He inhaled it. He said the bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The portions were right, the sauce made its mark, and the crispness of the fried shrimp was present and not soggy. For dessert, we had something similar to a beignet filled with pecans and a sweet praline sauce (I think that's what it was?). The beignet was crispy outside and doughy in the center. As soon as we split the dessert in two portions, the pecans and the sauce came melting in the center. So delicious! read more

When you are trying to keep local alive they should do their best to give you stellar service and food. Our order today was not. Cold food that had not been cooked to order, breading was spicy when told it was not. Paid too much for mediocre food. Second chance we have given this establishment and have been underwhelmed on both occasions, sorry to say. read more

If you like cajun food, or even if you don't, you will be happy with almost anything on the menu at this south Austin classic strip mall restaurant and live music venue. I really love this place. Anyway, tonight I had the golden band shrimp and it came out piping hot (you win me over right there Curtis) and crunchy. It's served on a bed of fetuccini with some kind of wonderful sauce and a slice of garlic toast. Just delicious. read more

A wonderfully surprising taste of Louisana cafe in a South Austin strip mall. The food was very delicious and the live music was great! A family friendly restaurant. Highly recommend!! Will be going back again very soon! read more

I was taken here by my future wife's father for dinner, while he was in town, and I don't know why I haven't been back. This place has it all: great food, atmosphere, and service. I had the gumbo and we all shared oysters and fried pickles. I'm a Yankee, so I know nothing about NOLA (except for Tom Brady winning his first Super Bowl there), but I really enjoyed the food. We didn't get to experience the live music, but I'd imagine it's a good time. Overall, I can't wait to go back to this strip mall gem. read more

So disappointed with carry out at this restaurant! My Husband and I eat in all the time, portions are huge and delicious and for the price you pay, you feel completely satisfied with your food. But, I really have to "ding" them on their carry out portions. Ordered grilled catfish basket w/ dirty rice, Gumbo and a stuffed avocado-which should be more than enough to feed 2 people. But, when I got home with my order, there was only 1 small piece of catfish/dirty rice, the Gumbo had approximately 6 pieces of sausage in it, the stuffed avocado was the best thing in our order (and, that is an appetizer!). No joke, it looked like we got someones left-overs after their meal! It was a total rip off! We will definitely never get carry out because it was so disappointing and are considering not giving them anymore of our regular "dine in" business. read more

I am thinking Yelp deleted my review. LOL I could have sworn I had done a review of Evangeline's by now... but either way here we go. *cue dog dragging in a bucket of bud light* Crawfish Etouffe is delicious. It is by far my favorite Cajun dish. And for the city of Austin Evangeline's is the gold standard. The only downside is the portions are huge and I always feel like I have to finish it all which leaves me stuffed and miserable for the rest of the night. I also like their broad selection of hot sauces which I have learned to mix and match to add the right amount of kick to the dish. Considering how small the place is and how crowded it generally is the live music is surprisingly nice. The volume is a nice level where you can still hold conversation with those around you without feeling like you are yelling. For Cajun cuisine look no further than Evangeline's. read more

Evangelines is a great and quaint little neighborhood cajun place. They are small, maybe 15 tables plus 4 out front. They have live music most nights, usually with a cajun flair. My partner and I LOVE to go here for live cajun music, GREAT beers and GREAT appetizers. We LOVE the oysters contraband and the stuffed Pistoulette appetizers. For the entree's we've tried several and were kind of "Eh-ed" by them. Recently however we met some friends here and tried the "mockshu" (?) that one of our friends ordered. It was REALLY good! All I can tell you is it's a white fish, served over rice with some kind of amazing sauce with corn, peppers and some other stuff in it. (it's acually one of the pictures posted for this establishment on yelp) It was definitely a flavor explosion in my mouth! Our absolute favorite thing that we have to get EVERY time we go is the Pecan Pistoulette! It's a puff pastry, stuffed with pecans, butter and brown sugar and then baked. It comes out HOT, Gooey and delish! The waitstaff here are all very attentive and great too! read more