Let me begin by stating that if you're seeking an authentic New Orleans experience, this might not…read morebe what you're looking for. However, if you're in the mood for a more upscale New Orleans experience, I highly recommend coming here. The service was excellent. Everyone was extremely helpful and made sure we were attended to all times. I really appreciated how beautifully decorated the space was, it really gave a "New Orleans vibe". They also have a ton of patio seating along with indoor seating upstairs and downstairs and a full bar that allows for at least 10 guest of more. I also appreciated the small touches of things added that add to the "new Orleans" feel. This is a place that I would highly recommend for brunch, they also have live jazz on Sundays(another good excuse to come) The smoked chicken gumbo was amazing! The rue tasted like it had been cooking for hours and the grits were creamy and cooked perfectly. The bread service is also a MUST try, those biscuits were heaven! There was a small amount of butter and honey that they put in the middle and it pairs so well with all of the items. Another honorable mention was the banana bread, it was so light yet moist and there was a small amount of powdered sugar dusted along the top which was also great. Overall, this place has a 5 star across the board for the service, food & atmosphere. Highly recommend if you're in the DC area!

My friends & I went to brunch at Dauphine's. I do not think they have bottomless mimosas. I ordered…read morethe Eggs Benedict & it was pretty decent, not the best I've had. I believe the eggs were a bit undercooked or were not poached correctly. The shrimp po'boy, according to my friends, said it was good bit too spicy for their liking. The other two loved their dishes. The appetizers were fantastic. The service staff were polite and kind. Though I will say it was kinda slow due to how packed it was. The ambiance & vibes are that of Louisiana flare, but not overdoing it. I would likely returning again but try another dish.

When you are in Union Market there are so many food choices to choose from but Puddin is a place…read moreyou will want to come back to. We come here all the time for the bread pudding but this time we brought a group. Always pleasant and lively, Puddin reminds me of southern hospitality at its finest. The bread pudding is served warm and rich with chunks of bread and browned butter and bourbon flavors throughout. Add the creamy homemade vanilla pudding on top and we never leave without it. We also got to sample a new alcoholic beverage that was heavenly. Cannot remember the name but if you go to the front counter they will give you a sample of the mixer. Trust me, you will want to order it. The gumbo was a crowd favorite. One sample and the flavor made you want to double back. My guests walked the area and came back specifically to get some to take home. They boxed it up separately for easy transport. Now that is service. Quick and easy stop right before it rained. Puddin is a complete takeout spot but the vibes while you order and wait make it a counter worth visiting again and again. The hospitality, the comfort food, and the inviting staff make it unforgettable.

On my DC visit my friend told me this place was good and she didn't lie. The bread puddin is what I…read morewent for and it didn't disappoint. They have a decent size location located in the market and of course there's a line to stand in but it's not bad. Let me tell you, I got one small order and went back for a big order. The customer service was good and it's a walk up and keep it moving type of vibe. They call your number out, you pick up your order, find a seat or sit outside. Overall it was good and I would visit this location again.

Disclaimer: I haven't tried their jambalaya, but I did try a boudin link and experienced their…read moreservice. Because I've not found real Louisiana boudin anywhere else in the DC area, and because of the family's hospitality, I will give them 4 stars. The Jambalaya Shack is a catering business that was present at this past weekend's Breaux Vineyards Cajun Festival. They're from southern Louisiana, and seem to get invited to cater many of their events. They had jambalaya, corn maque choux, and boudin links. Because I was waiting on live boiled crawfish from another vendor, I decided to just share a link of boudin for $5. Their young boy said after I ordered, "Sure! You have to ring the boudin bell!" So I did, while his mother laughed and wrapped up a link for me. She made sure I knew how to eat it (I did), and I asked her if it was spicy or not (she said not at all...probably due to the DC clientele...but that they were good and that they shipped them straight from Louisiana). They also had an assortment of mild Cajun seasonings and hot sauces. It was not the best boudin I've ever had (that one goes to the Boudin King in Louisiana), but it was slightly better than the boudin I can get at the grocery store in Texas (but bigger). The Jambalaya Shack's also had good amounts of little liver pieces in it. I wish I had had hotter seasonings (cayenne chile powder would have been awesome) to spice it up with... I wish I had also tried their namesake jambalaya, but it was the chicken/sausage variety and other than the boudin, I was in the mood for seafood. I do think I was the only person I saw at the festival that tried the boudin (or probably knew what it was). Speaking of seafood, the other caterer's boiled crawfish was bland, and Jambalaya Shack was nice enough to let us have some of their seasonings. They saved the day.

The nicest folks and lawd is the food right. I wish I had that big old pot so I could make a…read moreJambalaya at home that way. It's not a good Samedi Gras in VA unless you see them there.

Got the crab cakes; food was okay, but the venue itself really stole the show! Honestly, it's…read moreprobably my favorite concert venue I've ever been to. The space feels so intimate, which makes the whole experience more personal and memorable compared to larger, more crowded venues. The atmosphere was great from start to finish, and everything felt well-organized. The service was also a highlight, our server was incredibly sweet, attentive, and made us feel really comfortable throughout the night. Even though the food was just alright, the overall experience more than made up for it. Between the vibe, the quality of the show, and the excellent service, it's definitely a place I'd come back to again and recommend to others looking for a unique night out/date night!

Blues Alley has maintained their street cred after all these years as being one of the best places…read morein town to catch a live jazz performance. I enjoyed the crab cake with a Caesar salad. The cocktails were veteran made and solid. The dining room is intimate, adding to the connection of the artists and the show. Deborah Bond dropped her new album Amber Dust, a true R&B artist keeping the tradition of the music well and alive. She hosted a listening party show with a customized cocktail menu with drinks named after her latest album! The show was amazing and the sound was clear. Although the menu is a bit limited I enjoyed my crab cakes, which had no filler. Oh and be sure to save yourself time and park in the parking garage across from the alley. This is an amazing little space with big names. Every time I've come here I've always met with the artists after the show. So if you're a super fan and your favorite artist is performing here, GO!

Absolutely amazing experience! Not only was the food spectacular; but Chris made the experience…read moreeven more memorable! Made my brothers birthday super special

The food is delicious. I've gone to the restaurant several times. The wait staff are amazing.read more

When you travel 700 miles away and that's where your favorite restaurant is and they get you in at…read more7:30 at night. You know you scored and they have the best crab cakes ever brings me right back to Baltimore when I was a kid. The salmon is absolutely incredible. The shrimp pasta you can't go wrong at this place. The waiters and waitresses are incredible. The ambiance is great. It's just brings you back to something that you just don't see anymore. Definitely would recommend this place to anyone and can't wait to get back to DC to go here again

Love this place! this is a DC institution! My family comes here for christmas every year and has…read morebeen doing so for the last 30 years. The oyster happy hour special is great. try to sit at the oyster bar towards the back if you can. The service is always agreeable and the food is always fresh. Try the burger and the chocolate cake. Ask for Roy, he's our favorite waiter!!

My friends and I decided to try a crab boil in DC, so we came to the boiling crab on H Street. The…read moreordering process was really easy and our server explained the process and what we would be receiving/what's included. We ended up ordering two large, different boil bags for six people which ended up being too much food. One thing to note is that the crawfish (1 pound) is a ton of crawfish. That may be obvious to some, but if you are not versed in eating it, there's a lot of little guys that come. We opted to do one hot bag and one medium bag both with the mixed flavoring option. The hot one was the perfect level of spice. I prefer very spicy, so if that is not your avenue, I'd probably go with one of the lesser spice levels. Two of my friends who were eating the non-spicy bag commented that they thought that was too hot, so take that for what it's worth. I enjoyed the sides of rice, it was cooked perfectly. They also provided you sides of extra sauce, but it was a little difficult to use without a spoon, and it felt awkward just dunkink our hands in... we were already grabbing so much stuff with our hands, so that would've been nice to have some type of apparatus to be able to spoon it into our desired bowls easily. I thought the shrimp was excellent. I don't eat crawfish so I can't comment on those, but those that did seem to enjoy it. The mussels weren't my favorite, but other others enjoyed them. I loved the potatoes, and I thought there should've been more. I also love the idea of the boiled eggs, those were delicious. And hands-down, my absolute favorite was the corn. It was cooked so perfectly, and so moist, and delicious. This is definitely experience. They give you bibs and they cover the table with a mat. They also give you a bag to be able to dispose of shells easily. It's kind of messy when you actually have a full table of people, but if you have a smaller table, it's actually better to be able to spread out a bit and then have your bag on one side. The restaurant was pretty bumping when we were there, not every table is filled, but I would say probably 70% of the restaurant was. I recommend getting there early if you're planning to go as they do not take reservations. Overall, this is a cool experience and would recommend if you are interested in trying a crab boil.

I ordered catfish platter with fries. The fish was very good, nice and tasty. I ordered fried…read moreshrimp and calamari and everything was delicious. The food was so good I ordered 2 days later snd added the fried oysters which was terrible , burnt and a strong fishy sea taste, I threw in the trash. This order was placed on Uber Eats , I will order everything again except fried oysters.

The food was authentic and cooked to perfection…read more I tried the ox tails, turkey, legume (w/ goat), rice, bean sauce, salad, and fried banana. Everything was flavorful and tender. The service is informal. So, speak up if you want something.

I don't eat this cuisine often, but this definitely hit the spot! Came to dine-in, and ended up…read morebeing the only party dining in honestly. I did enjoy the French/Spanish music in the background. The staff were kind and fast with things. The portion was quite large, which I wasn't expecting. The poisson was quite good with the sauce provided. I found the veggies that came with the rice seasoned quite nicely too. We did also try the turkey creole, which was a tad bit dry, but still good. Plantains and rice were standard in my opinion. We REALLY enjoyed their rum cake though as dessert. Heavier on the alcohol but it made it so good! Definitely a nice experience here.

Thank you Marco for making our experience so welcoming!…read more You were able to give us recommendations and help us decide what to order from the menu. Even that we were asking for lime, extra sauce, gloves, etc. You were always so patient and attentive. We also enjoy the music! Thank you, we are definitely coming back!

I am a Hot N Juicy Crawfish loyalist. This location is terrible. I've eaten at the two original Las…read moreVegas locations over 40 times, and the Connecticut Ave (DC) location 5 times. Something is very off with the (lack of) protein quality at the Falls Church location. The head-on shrimp were smallish - some were 21-25 count, some were 26-30 count, and all had an off-putting *green* poop line. The clams were inedible and tiny. Half of the clams were missing from their shells. They shouldn't be sold. When I showed the poor quality of the clams to the server, they offered a 20% discount - clearly they don't get it. What keeps me loyal to the brand is their signature Hot N Juicy Special sauce (mod: extra garlic). No other Viet Cajun (even in Houston or wherever) comes close to the depth and complexity of the Hot N Juicy Special sauce. For now, the winning move is to order a some sausage in a cup with Hot N Juicy Special medium sauce w/extra garlic TO GO, and sautée it with a bag of defrosted Costco head-on 16-20 count shrimp, or a few dozen live Cherrystone clams from HMart. There is so much potential here. The sauce is boss. Solve your protein problem!

TL;DR: Delicious food!…read more Parking is free - its across the street between the Dollar Tree and Sherwin Williams (no parking slip needed) I made a reservation for 2 on a Saturday at 6pm, it was pretty empty but quickly filled up as the night went on. I have dreamed of eating good crawfish Étouffée again since first having it in Galveston, TX and this did not disappoint. Lots of crawfish, rich in flavor, well spiced. I got the she crab soup, there wasn't any visible roe (which made me sad) but it was still yummy. Sometimes with soup like this, its too salty but this wasn't! The key lime pie was huge! Very easy to eat (not cloyingly, not too tart). If it wasn't such a drive from me, I'd definitely go more often! Yay for this Nova Foodies recommendation.

The alligator soup lacked flavor to me. The shrimp and crawfish etouffee tasted the same as the…read morealligator soup, however, once the weather brought over the Tabasco it was a smash hit! I also ordered the brussel sprouts which were fried perfectly however, I didn't get to taste the sauce until I decided to bring the dish home then, I could taste the sauce from what I poured into the container onto the brussel sprouts and then they were delicious! Maybe they can find a way to have the sauce throughout the dish The bread pudding was just okay also. The staff was delightful. They paid attention to detail and made sure to check on the table regularly. The restroom was really small. I would go back and try another dish.