Came here on a snowy Thursday night before my birthday for a chill time with a few friends, and we had a great experience! One of my friends frequents this place often, and she says the food here is amazing! We sat at the bar, and the bartender was one of the friendliest and quickest I've ever had! He made the experience very pleasant...we wanted to show a friend the bottle for Valentine's vodka because the distillery is right there on the next block, and he complied nicely. He overheard that it was my birthday, so at the end of the night, after we paid and were heading out, he offered me a shot! A girl can't turn down a birthday shot, so I ordered up a Patron and the ride home was filled with me giggling lol. I can't believe I didn't get his name...thank you for a great pre-birthday night, awesome bartender! I will definitely be back to try the food! read more

I was here on a recent Thursday evening for a work party, and I have made one other trip to Howe's a few years back shortly after we moved to Ferndale. I'm not sure why I didn't return after that 1st visit- but as my rating suggests - I look forward to visiting again soon. I like the fact that Howe's is a small little joint - our party probably took up half of the place. Our waiter was efficient- but strangely quiet. You usually expect waiters to be a little more personable. In his defense, our table looked like a pretty big group of nerds for the most part... so maybe he figured we didn't know how to be personable. :) We started with drinks and appetizers - They have some Michigan bottled beers I had never had before so we gave those a try. Our appetizers consisted of the alligator sausage, spinach and artichoke dip, sesame chicken and the crawfish cakes. They were all pretty good- but I absolutely loved the crawfish cakes the most. They were delicious and the honey roasted garlic sauce was a pleasant and delicious surprise. For dinner I ordered the fish & chips special and my husband had the blackened catfish. The fish & chips were pretty freaking good - the only criticism I might have is that the batter wasn't really crispy. The "chips" were actually something he called french fries but were way better than french fries. They were slices of real potato seasoned to perfection. My husband was a fan of his blackened catfish - I tried a bite but I think it had a little bit too much Cajun kick for my taste buds. The greens were good too. I stole some of my coworkers mac & cheese just because it looked pretty good - I would compare it to Slow's with less seasoning in the sauce. While I think I prefer Slow's to Howe's Bayou (in the mac & cheese department) - this is not a bad runner-up! The only thing I totally forgot was to check out the bathroom situation. Oh well- something to do when I return (Which I most definitely will!) read more

We visited for midday lunch and truly enjoyed ourselves. The patio seating was great given the weather and the staff was very accommodating. The Chef, Rafael, even came out to see how we enjoyed our meals. I could not have been more pleased. We will definitely be returning. read more

Let me preface this review by saying that although we had a reservation and intended to have dinner at this place, we walked out and went elsewhere. So I cannot comment on the food. We had theater tickets and we made a reservation so we could make the show on time. When we arrived, we told the hostess our name and that we had reservations. She didn't seem to acknowledge that. People were standing waiting to be seated. She told us that the wait would not be long; "maybe 5 minutes." So we waited as she seated the people that had arrived before us. I guess that was around 15 minutes, Then she started seating people that were waiting at the bar also, perhaps another 10 minutes. Then we reminded her that we had a reservation. She grunted something, but it did not sound encouraging. Then she said that it would be at least another 15 minutes. The place is tiny. We saw that almost everyone that had been seated had not yet been served, so the outcome looked bleak. I walked down the street to Como's and saw that they had open tables. The four of us walked out. We did read the menu. It looked like tourist Cajun food and what we saw being served did not look particularly exciting. I am not in any hurry to go back. read more

Friends and I did GNO at this place. It's much smaller than I thought, but not too cramped. Service was ok...friendly waitress, but she was kind of slow. I didn't like that one of the staff asked us if we planned to camp out there. Um, excuse me, but we'll take as long as we need to. Food was decent...nothing to rave about. If you want real Louisianan cuisine, travel there. read more

I was just here 30 minutes ago and I watched one of the cooks come from the kitchen then to behind the bar to add to his red pitcher drink as he grabbed an open fruit juice can that the bartenders were most likely using for mixed drinks added the juice to his red pitcher drink he set it down and used the same hand to scoop ice (yes his hand was the scooper) to add to his red pitcher drink - mind you that same ice well we had just received ice from for our drinks, I gave the wife the look and asked for the tab and paid and left, we should have just bounced and not paid read more

The staff is amazing, the food was so-so. I ordered the Mac and cheese for my son which was a decent portion and actually taste good. The crawfish cakes were average. I was disappointed with the gumbo ya-ya. The portion was very good but the taste was super off and bland. I had been driving past this place for close to a year and decided to pop in here with my grandfather since our family is from the south. Let down. read more

I love Cajun food. After reading some of the rave reviews I decided we would give it a try. Simply put, it was awful. Awful food and the worst service I've had in recent memory. Oh, and to make it the perfect trifecta, the air conditioning was woefully inadequate to the point that they should have bussed all of us to a community cooling center to recover. It had to be mid 80's or more in there. We were seated right away (the only positive thing I can say about the evening) and waited for anyone to acknowledge us. I was dehydrating fast (HOT!) and we finally got menus and water. Little did I know that water was being rationed here cause I never got offered any more. 45 minutes waiting for the ice to melt just so I could get another sip is not my idea of a great experience. Once the waitress with the dyed red hair sections (I'm not naming names) showed up, we ordered right away. A voodoo chicken po boy, some bisque and mac and cheese. That was the last we saw of her for 45 minutes. Now, I'm not a chef but I'm pretty sure that I could toast a bun, dip a ladle of soup, and microwave some mac and cheese in a lot less time. It's not like they were swamped. Feeling abandoned, we had just reached the point where we stood up to leave when we saw her across the bar looking our way and grabbing a tray. Ok, one more minute we can wait to see if we would get served. Sure enough, she brought food. Not all of it but some. When we asked where the mac and cheese was, she said " oh, did you want mac and cheese?" Nah, just forget it, we don't have another 45 minutes to wait. She got angry. So I said just bring the check now. The food was not good. Voodoo chicken was dry and overcooked. The "savory New Orleans bbq sauce" is a figment of someone's imagination because there was nothing there. Nothing. The bisque was pitiful as well. Finally got the check and paid with cash because I honestly didn't trust her with my credit card. I mentioned she was angry. There are so many other fine choices in Ferndale. I will frequent those instead. I won't be back. read more

Being pretty much the only Cajun-style restaurant in the Metro Detroit area, Howe's Bayou doesn't really have to be great at what it does. But I can tell you that Howe's makes some fine Cajun food. I really enjoyed the blackened catfish. I'd been wanting to go Howe's for a while but never seemed to be in Ferndale for lunch or dinner. But while Christmas shopping last week I found myself at Howe's around lunch time so I stopped in. When I entered I saw a diverse crowd of both hipsters and business-types. The inside of Howe's looks pretty cool, with a wood bar. One of their specialty drinks in the Mint Julep, so I'm definitely going to try one sometime. The host greeted me and I was served very quickly by a friendly waitress. I had never had catfish so I was set on ordering the fried catfish entree which comes with two sides and cornbread. But my waitress convinced me though to try the lighter blackened catfish with the buttered lima beans and creole dirty rice. And I am so glad she changed my mind. The meal was delicious! I learned that I like catfish, especially when its covered in seasoning and blackened! The fish was cooked perfectly, a little spicy and so tender and tasty. The butter beans in particularly were very buttery and rich. I found the creole rice to be a bit blah, but I can forgive that in light of every other part of the meal being so delicious. I am really glad I made the time to check out this Metro Detroit culinary landmark. I am already planning for my next visit! Soon! read more

Meh. It was a Friday night and places in the area all had a hour wait to sit down. We decided to check out Howe's Bayou because they had a table available right away (this probably should have tipped us off). In all honestly, I have wanted to try Howe's Bayou for a long time...so I was kind of excited. Sadly, it majorly let me down. First of all the place just kind of had a weird smell. So that really didn't start things off right. We all ordered our food and waited and waited and waited. Nothing we ordered was that hard to make. Some po-boys and some crawfish cakes. I would estimate it took about 40+ minutes for our order to come. When it finally arrived at our table it was luke warm. blah. I ordered a voo-doo chicken po-boy. The sandwich came with some homemade chips that were tasty. The sandwich on the other hand - not so good. The chicken was rubbery and the the marinade they used on the chicken kind of tasted like marijuana (not like I would know what that actually taste like - i mean that stuff is illegal). One of my friends got a side of cornbread with her meal and it tasted old, dry and plastic-y. All in all this was a major disappointment. I couldn't really even eat my sandwich because it was so sub-par. Next time I am out in Ferndale on a Friday night I am just going to suck it up and wait for an hour for my table. read more

When you realize you have to nurse your water glass because you're sensing it's never going to be refilled (and it never was) you know you're well on your way to a special and memorable night! Our server informed us she'd just gotten 'slammed' with 3 tables seated at once when she introduced herself, thus helping us anticipate her fullest attention in advance. We knew we only wanted to sample some smaller items and we waited 45 minutes for delivery. Since I'm such a fan of hot yoga, the restaurant did its best to simulate that temp for us while we waited. My crawfish bisque arrived with a surprise piece of cornbread, hubby got his Voodoo Chicken Po'Boy but, the mac & cheese I'd ordered was MIA. Our waitress looked confused when we pointed that out & got 'slammed again' by multiple other tables who also hadn't seen her in 45 minutes. I mentally took mac & cheese off my wish list. The soup had plenty of crawfish & the spice was decent but the base had a cheese goo quality to it that I really hadn't anticipated & found off putting. The cornbread was hard & dry. I was offered a bite of the Po'Boy but the look on his face told me I should pass & I did. So yum!!! We asked for the mac & cheese to please be removed from the bill & to please bring the bill when we actually received some attention informing us it would be a few more minutes for my m&c to be ready. Again sympathy for the 'slammed restaurant' was requested but, hubby clearly expressed he wasn't buying it especially when we had witnessed another server who had no such problems with more tables who clearly received good attentive service. Not another word or eye contact was included in the remainder of our interaction on her end. So it's another 1 & done restaurant ticked off the list. And my 3rd ever 1 star review - I don't do this without good reason! read more

I would give the bartenders a 5 if I could and the food is a solid three and a half. Every time we go to Howe's we sit at the bar. I have never had bad service and the bartenders are friendly and cool. Nice selection of cocktails and wine, the bf said they could improve their draft beer selection (but I don't really care about that personally). I pretty much always get the same thing, the smoked salmon and the crawfish cakes. This time I tried the smoked fish sampler and it was pretty legit. I was surprised at how good their house made smoked white fish pate was. There happened to be a Mardi Gras party going on so we were given slices of King cake after our meal. My bf got a piece with the plastic baby in it and was given a swag bag. Every time I go to Howe's I leave with the same question in my mind. Why don't we come here more often? Bypass the hipsters down the block and check out Howe's read more

I so wanted this place to be good. In fact, I was rooting for it the whole time. It's been 3 years since I went to New Orleans and ever since then, I have been on the hunt for a place that has decent Crawfish Etouffee. Sadly, I'm still in that search. Walking into Howe's Bayou and seeing a packed place definitely got my hopes up. I was seated next to the window and was freezing my butt off with the 10 degree weather outside. Luckily, my waiter noticed and suggested I sit in another location near their heater. I was thoroughly impressed with the service and couldn't wait to take a crack at the food. I ordered my Crawfish Etouffee, a side of mac and cheese and corn bread. EVERYTHING was BLAND! Even the corn bread was stale! I kept trying to make it work with all the spices and sauces that were conveniently located on the table, but nothing worked. I left Howe's Bayou disappointed and discouraged. Will I ever find my Crawfish Etouffee outside of New Orleans? read more

It may have just been one of those experiences that just didn't go too well the first time. For starters, we waited about 40 minutes for our main dish, which didn't exactly thrill me since we were sitting outside and it got well into the 60's at the end. The good: The crawfish bisque was absolutely fantastic! I've only had something similar a handful of times before, but this by far was the best I've had. If you do end up at this restaurant, I highly recommend getting this at least, so you don't leave with complete dissatisfaction. The cornbread that came with it was very good also, baked to perfection. I actually got this about 10 minutes after ordering, but waited about 30 more minutes for anything else. The bad: Aside from this, the blackened catfish Po' Boy was disappointing. There was nothing Cajun about it really. Just blackened catfish on a bun 2x oversized. The catfish had no distinctive taste, and the large bun added to the understatement. There was coleslaw in it too, but so little I almost forgot to comment on it. The sub came with a sliced pickle, fresh made chips, and some sort of small pepper. I put the chips in the Po' Boy to add texture and flavor, which helped out a little. The presentation of the whole dish just didn't impress too much. The plate was just too big for the lack of food on the plate. I mean, really, it was just a sub and chips ... that took over a half hour to get to our table. My girlfriend had the chicken Po' Boy, which was also lacking taste in my opinion. I've had better at Subway. The ugly: I've been on a small review rampage lately about menus. This menu lacked enticement, pictures, adverbs, passion, and Cajun food. I've seen a larger selection of Cajun food at non-Cajun restaurants! In fact, I've had better Cajun at non-Cajun restaurants. I looked at the menu, looked at the prices, and then wondered what the heck I was going to get. All of the pricier items ($12+) had titles that hinted that they may have been good. I was really looking for something a little cheaper as my beer alone was $5 and I wanted a bill that didn't make me regret the night too badly. Picking something from the menu was a little more work than I would have liked. It just wasn't pleasant. I'm calling this bit "the ugly" because I believe I may have been able to choose something with flavor if I just would have known. In all, I'm not going back here anytime soon. As a lot of reviewers mentioned, the food is bland, or can be depending on what you order. The bisque and cornbread were really good. If you're just in the mood for crawfish bisque, I'd recommend it. As far as anything else goes though, you're on your own. I can't recommend a chicken or catfish Po' Boy at least. I was expecting something with a kick, but didn't get much of a kick out of this place at all. read more

Howe's Bayou is a nice local cajun inspired restaurant in Downtown Ferndale. It's a great place for dinner and lunch. On recent visit to Howe's Bayou, I had the Voodoo Chicken salad - very tasty. The greens were fresh, the chicken tender and juicy, and the sauce was just a bit tangy and spicy. I also had a side of macaroni & cheese, which was supper yummy! The service was good. The Host sat us quickly and our Server was prompt, friendly and helpful! In the Summer Howe's offers outdoor seating -- a nice bonus for those warm Summer nights. Enjoy. read more

A friend from work and I went to Howe's for lunch the other day. We are working close to home for a few weeks, so I am trying to show off Ferndale, of course! Howe's was first up because Fly Trap (as usual) was very busy and we just didn't have time to wait. We had the catfish and the grilled chicken sandwich. Everything was delicious. As usual, I really liked the food. Corn bread was good, as was the iced tea. No sweetener necessary. The service was fine for the most part. We wound up waiting due to an issue with my catfish but I got apologies all round, a bit taken off of the tab and a gift certificate for our trouble. To me, that says they actually care that we were put out. I appreciate that we were not just brushed off. Customer service seems to matter here. My out-of-town company also really liked his meal and the atmosphere. I have eaten here a few times and always found it to be very good. I will definitely eat at Howe's more often. read more

I love Howes Bayou! Every server and bartender treats you like an old friend. I've felt like Norm on Cheers every time I've gone in there, including the first time. You will always be greeted with a pleasant smile. The food is delicious. If my wife weren't allergic to dairy, I'd try to eat most of my meals at Howes. The crawfish bisque is out of this world. My wife thinks the extreme discomfort that comes from her allergy is a small price to pay to taste that bisque. I recently had a birthday party there. We jammed a number of people into that place and everyone was served quickly, received individualized and accurate checks (without even asking for separate checks) despite our milling about the whole time, and felt like they were given a good level of drunkenness for the price they paid. I will most likely let Howes become my traditional birthday spot. Oh yeah, and they have delicious Hurricanes on tap!! Where else can you find that? read more

Sometimes, you have to indulge. Howe's is for that. Its been years since I've racked up a $60+ bill with just one other person, but I did just that at Howe's. And with good reason. Damn waitress sold me on the Beef Tip something something. It was the special, and damn right it should be. Served with delicious green beens and amazing mashed potatoes... Shocked me that it was THAT good. It was a bit pricey, but I haven't actually thrown down on an expensive meal in a while... it was worth the money, very easily. Service was great! Our waitress put up with our table of four people arriving at random times and kept out drinks and water filled. Split the tab without an questions, was very nice. I appreciated the good service quite a bit. There isn't a ton to say about Howe's besides that you can get a $7 sandwhich, or $20 steak. Its a great mix between the two extremes (for me) and I will be going back soon. read more

I had to raise the rating because I went back and they have since fixed their men's room plumbing. No more unwanted spritzing! Huzzah! Plus, I had their Crawfish Etouffee and it was en pointe. Now, if they could just get rid of the inedible, half dehydrated, tacky bits of corn in their cornbread.... read more

Mmmmm...what a great dinner tonight! We sat on the patio on a nice summer evening. We started with the crawfish boil, a great appetizer for two. If there were more in our party we would have ordered an additional bucket. I had the blackened catfish with dirty rice and mac and cheese. My fiance had the jambalaya with mac and cheese. Both dinners came with a piece of cornbread. Our dinners were perfectly seasoned, not too spicy and definitely not bland. His had HUGE, plentiful chunks of chicken and sausage. The mac and cheese was only so-so, nothing out of the ordinary. I would have liked more seasoning on it. Our server was friendly and attentive. We can't wait to return to try the gumbo, the etoufee, and the alligator sausage too. read more

I'm giving 3 stars because the service at the bar was really solid. Chris the bartender and I discussed Michigan beers as well as what was good and wasn't good on the menu. He offered a tasting of three main dishes-red beans and rice, Jambalaya, and Etouffee I believe. It came with a side of greens and cornbread. The greens were the only good part of the meal. The rest was average at best. The etouffee was cold and the food in general didn't taste seasoned. I rarely send food back as I believe you open a new bag full of problems with the kitchen when doing so. I'm not sure I'd race back to get here but I am basing this on a single visit. read more

This place is a solid rock. The food is good, the drinks aren't expensive, its a very cozy feel and the bartenders are awesome. Also, not too many places give a platter of hot sauces with a meal and that too is awesome. I've had a bunch of the menu and its all good. I haven't had anything I didn't like. Even if I just go for a drink I find myself at least getting the sweet potato fries which are so good, and if you ask for it, they've got this garlic sauce dip for them that is honestly one of the best things to eat in southeast michigan. Get it. If you like chicken, I also suggest getting the sesame chicken. Either as a main dish with some sides or something for the table, but its real chicken they chop up and bread and tastes great. read more

I like to start out that when ever I am lost I like to use Yelp and so far it has not let me down. Was out one evening and a bit lost, searching yelp checking out what was still open. Found Howe's and at first I was iffy to be eating at a bar, but was will to try something new considering the star ratings. I ordered a bucket of Crawfish for starters, I am not a huge fan of small meats but they seem to compliment my cold beer quite well. For dinner I ordered the braised ribs, that right! The Rib meat was to die for. Slow cooked and tender and with great taste. Staff was great all down to earth folks (great chat) I will definitely be returning to Howe's on my next trip out to DT.. read more

Yesterday was my first time going to this place. Can you say wow. I started off ordering the spicy shrimp with Cajun tarter sauce. I also order a cup of gumbo soup and that came with cornbread. Next I got the steak and cheese Po Boy. Last but not least I order the peach cobbler. It reminded me of my grandmother read more

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anyone that has a stuffed mini gator above the bar warrants at least 3 stars in my book. no, that's not why I am giving this joint a tri-star rating. The ambiance is really interesting. It amazed me that I actually felt like I was down on the bayou and not right on Woodward. I sat inside, but they have a nice little patio right outside. I ordered the Sesame chicken tenders and the spinach dip. The tenders were delish, but the dip was a tad bit oily and a little bland (all I could really taste was oil). Waitstaff was incredibly friendly and when I go back I will make sure I am a little more adventurous when it comes to the food- although I will NOT be trying any shellfish dishes due to throat closures (allergic). note: this review is largely weighted by just food standpoint. I will update soon when I have tried more.. so my guess is it will be on the up and up! read more

Howe's Bayou - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Eh and meh. This was our first time to Howe's Bayou and the ambiance and thought of tasty Cajun food drew us in. So why the two star rating? Here is a quick run-through of our food: Crawfish bisque: by far the best thing we ordered. Great consistency and flavor. Sweet potato fries: The taste was good, but the consistency was really not great. Basically, chop up a sweet potato and bake it. Not sure where the "fries" part comes in. Collard greens: Solid Gumbo: Tasted like dirt. Classic case of ordering food and thinking that you need to take it home and re-cook it to make it better. Jambalaya: Not good. Rice, add canned tomatoes and cook them. No flavor, taste or zing. Caesar salad: basic. The pluses? The bartender was great and a good variety of beers on tap. read more

Went to Howes tonight with my wife and daughter to use a Groupon. Rachel was our waitress. Extremely friendly, very outgoing and very knowledgeable about the menu. We had a great time with her as our server. We ordered the crawfish bisque as an appetizer. It was very creamy and did not have an overpowering taste. We ordered the blackened catfish, BBQ pulled pork Po boy and the voodoo chicken sandwich for our meals.The blackened catfish was too spicy for our taste BUT we could have gotten it with a lighter coating of spice. MY fault. The Po boy and the voodoo chicken were great. Very tender and tasty. Sides were also good. Prices very reasonable. Will definitely be back to try other menu items. Also enjoyed the staffs ability to have a little fun with customers. read more

Very good food and service the head cook was out checking on people and waiting tables. I had the jambalaya and the lady had the catfish. I will return to this place for dinner again. read more

I'm giving Howe's Bayou a 3-star review because I need to revisit again. I've been twice, once was about 4 years ago and I was blown away at the amazing quality and feel. The most recent time was this last week and I was a little "meh" about it. The first time I went the service was quick and friendly, and the braised short ribs dinner special I got was dynamite. This last time was a tad different. The place was VERY busy, which accounted for the lack-luster, slowish service, and the food was decent. I ordered the N'Orleans Pasta - chicken, chorizo and crawfish in a cajun cream sauce with peppers and onions. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't amazing. The husband got shrimp etouffee and he enjoyed it. For my side I got the macaroni & cheese which I found to be dry and the flour taste from the roux wasn't cooked out yet. My husband had for his side the corn maque choux and it looked like corn on top of rice. The cornbread was the worst I've ever had - dry, sour-tasting and, best yet, it was fresh out of the fridge cold. I consider my experiences at restaurants to be "snap-shots," so because I had a great night once and a bad one another, I'll go back and try again. I really like the ambiance, location and feel. They do have interesting specials and they deserve more chances. So, I DO say go. read more

I love a good Cajun restaurant and howes does not disappoint. Right on Woodward in ferndale I had driven by it a few times and then my girlfriend suggested checking it out. I'm super glad we finally did. Service was great we there in the mid week so it was moderately busy but nothing crazy. It's definitely not cheap to eat here but it isn't ridiculous either. The food was awesome and I'd definitely go back. Typical Cajun stuff on the menu . If you in the mood for some creole cooking this is definitely a good choice read more

Came to this restaurant a few days ago with 13 of my friends to celebrate a friends birthday. We were immediately told several times by several different waiters/Waitresses that they would have to split our party up due to the fact the restaurant wasn't designed for large groups yet they took the reservation for this large group. I don't use this term loosely but the food for the most part was gross. It was overpriced small portions some weird spice all over the chicken etc. they would have parties of 15 or 20 coming to get shots and leave 20 minutes later it was complete chaos in there. I definitely would never come back to this place. read more

Amazing service and absolutely packed including bar seating. There is always a wait at peak hours which here runs until about 9pm. All of these people can't be wrong and yelpers need to get with it. Enjoy the huricanes, swamp water and turbo dog. Order one of the nightly specials and the chef will amaze you. Try the crawfish bisque and be sure to have a spoon full of halepeno corn bread with each slurp. Two great things that go great together. Also don't overlook the habenero mustard sauce on the table - HOT mustardy with just a touch of sweet it's amazing with the beans and rice. This place is what you make of it. Don't just come to eat. Come to experience and trust the staff; they'll tell you what's what. One note, it's a bar and until the new law takes effect, it's smokey, really smokey. Somehow, this is one place where it manages not to take anything away from the food though and adds to the charm. Just be aware that your clothes will STINK afterwards. read more

Entering Howe's Bayou I was upbeat based on the ambiance of the place. It was a little dirty for a restaurant, but not bad for a bar. The waitstaff, while professional, were not energetic about their positions. I ordered the jambalaya and was terribly disappointed. The chicken was hard and rubbery. The andouille sausage was more akin to a hotdog than classic cajun tubesteak goodness. My wife ordered a chicken dish as well that boasted a fried cream corn relish garnish. It sounded enticing, but low and behold it was simply uncooked cream corn out of a can. We will not be returning and will advise friends and family to do the same. All in all, there was nothing cajun about the food, interior, or anything at all. read more

Finally made it a point to stop in and check this place out. People seemed nice but 'busy' and more focused on prepping for dinner than on the customers... or maybe since we weren't recognized as regulars we didn't warrant attention?? when regulars did stop in - staff was much more friendly to them. The atmosphere comes across as comfortable and fun. Prices are ok and they will give you a 10% discount if you show a receipt from shopping in Ferndale that day!!! Gotta love the show of support for local businesses. A few good beers on tap, several specialty drinks, happy hour prices and happy hour appetizers and a wall full of bourbon. Questions about the menu were answered well, descriptions and knowledge of the ingredients was good, service was good as well. Food was very nice! bisque, shrimp with voodoo sauce served over a 'hot salad' with balsamic vinegar based dressing, gumbo... everything was very nice - shrimp were cooked perfectly. I'll definitely be back for more. read more

We've gotten food from Howe's a few times over the last year (mainly ordering sandwiches) and they have been consistently good. Today we went back and dined in, finally using our Groupon on the day before it expired! This time we ordered off the regular lunch menu and were VERY pleased! I got a cup of gumbo (amazing), the shrimp etouffee (delicious), and a side of garlic mashed potatoes (cold but decent). My husband got a hot wings appetizer (yummy) and the Great Lakes Perch for his entree, which tasted extremely fresh and good - pan-fried, best way to serve perch of course! The cornbread still tastes like compressed sawdust. Blecch. The service was attentive and gracious. Some of the food took a bit longer to cook, but I suspect there was only one chef back there. Everything was hot and delicious and we never lacked for refills on drinks, so the waitstaff was definitely keeping an eye on us. I was pretty dubious after my first visit, but now I'm actually excited to go back and try a few more things on the menu! read more

Smelled amazing ! a bit understaffed , and could use better lighting. The food was great and came in good time.

We have been here before. One week ago. And before that, it was a year. Thoroughly enjoying our food, we asked ourselves why it had taken us so long to return after our first visit. We ended up blaming it on the proximity of other restaurants, and that this one was just that tiny little bit further. Fools we are! I'm joining both recent visits into one review here... this may get confusing... Howe's is da bomb! Starters was the cold fish plate. Nice .. perhaps more crackers? Regardless, we ate the lot. With our fingers if needed. Crawfish cakes, shrimp and crawfish etouffee, Cajun chicken, rice, greens, sweet potato fries, gator sausage po-boy, mac 'n' cheese... every single one of these was cooked perfectly, looked great and tasted downright delicious. The cakes and the fries came with some delicious garlic sauce. That sauce, I must add, is delicious with the provided corn bread. Likely not intended for that, but a match made in heaven. Back to the mac 'n' cheese - our resident 13-yr old food critic described the m&c to be 'up there with Slows'. So there! Great bar too - Michigan wines and beers and a full load of liquor. There is even an alligator above the bar. Service both times was excellent - prompt, fun and knowledgeable. Even chased us down the street to give my husband his glasses back, gust in time to stop him wandering into Woodward traffic. 11/10 for the service. Howe's is on the 'must visit way more often' list for me. Go there!!!!! read more

Howe's is one of those places where you have to order the right thing. The problem seems to be that the choices for "the right thing" seem to be dwindling. The last time we went, I had the etouffee and the husband had the jambalaya. both were pretty lame. the etoufee was really bland & the jambalaya tasted like tomatoes. thats it. no spices or heat. just straight up tomatoes. Our sides were the greens & the butter beans. The greens can suck it. The butter beans were SWEET. Best side they have. i've heard their sandwiches are good. The next time I go there I might try one of those. The reason they get 3 stars is because of the stellar service. They ran out of the wine I ordered and gave me a free glass. The first time we went our waiter was super nice and gave us a free dessert (I remember the food being better the last time too. Boo for lack of consistency - it's really been downhill food-wise since the first visit). They also have these hurricane drinks that are fruity but will tear you UP. bottom line, the food could be way better but the service coupled with our hopes & dreams keep us coming back. although, not nearly as frequently as we would if the food wasn't so meh. read more

Visited Howe's Bayou on a Sunday afternoon for lunch in order to use my sister's Groupon. Restaurant wasn't busy at all, maybe 5-6 tables of people. Waitress was funny, a bit blunt, and overall, nice. She made a few recommendations when she found out it was our first visit. We went with with a spinach and artichoke appetizer of all things, Andouille Sausage Po' Boy, and Jambalaya. We also stocked up on a number of sides to share, including Red Beans and Rice, Mac & Cheese, and House Made Chips. The plates were huge portions and left you stuffed after a few bites -- we both left with near full carry out containers. If you're one of those fish eater types, you'll absolutely love it here. My sister was so bummed when I announced that I hated fish and wouldn't be partaking in any of the fish/seafood based appetizers. She definitely regretted calling me up to use her Groupon with her. The Sausage Po' Boy was awesome though -- the spice made me cough (wuss) at first bite, a sure sign you're in for a good treat. I wouldn't hesitate to go back. The manager stopped by at the end and asked us about our meal, knowing that we were pesky Groupon users. We proclaimed our love of his restaurant and he presented us with another coupon/gift certificate in hopes that we would come back again. Maybe other Groupon users gave us a bad rep as cheapos, but we made sure to leave a 50% tip and we would gladly come back as regular customers. read more

Went here with my mom, sister, and Robert. I had the whitefish with vegetables and mashed potatoes, an SN pale ale, and some of the fried crawfish appetizer and spinach artichoke dip. EVERYBODY ELSE had the jambalaya. I did not know the whitefish was fried . . . somehow I missed that on the menu. It was a pile of fried fish and some summer squash. But you know what? It was pretty good. It came out hot and the batter was something slightly better than what I expect with fried fish. It was drier, maybe. Not as greasy as it could have been. The fish also tasted pretty fresh (although it was fried so I don't know). The potatoes were amazing! The vegetables were on par. I tasted a bit of the jambalaya. Not bad. The sausage was pleasantly spiced. The corn bread was also very good but Rob ate most of my piece . . . The fried crayfish were like the rest of the food - pretty ok. Not too greasy, just like the fish, and flavorful. I am only giving it 3 stars because overall I don't think I want to go back. It was good, not great, and I would recommend it if asked, but I probably wouldn't suggest it offhand. So a three it is. The atmosphere, however, is a 5. This would be a fun bar. read more