Southern spices in the Midwest. When walking in to Lousianne's you feel like you're heading down into a wine cellar. Decor has a very intimate rustic feel. While waiting for your table you sit in the lounge bar area were smoking is allowed in a not very well ventilated area. The seafood was seasoned very well. Very large portions. Servers bring out your bread and some olive oil and vinegar in a neat 2 in 1 bottle that boggled our whole table of 8. Reasonably price at about $20 per person. read more

Had a reservation at 7:15pm but when we arrived we were told we needed to wait 15 mins. That was annoying because that defeats the purpose of making a reservation. After that they found us a tiny table next to two large tables. The atmosphere was loud and cramped. The food however was great. I had the Bouillabaisse which felt like something from Louisiana because it had a thick earthy and spicy base. The seafood was fresh and it came with homemade fettuccine. If the atmosphere had been better I would make myself a regular. read more

We enjoy Cajun food, and discovered this hidden gem in Middleton. My husband had the special which featured sea scallops and crawfish in a red pepper bisque and he was in heaven. I had the shrimp etoufee which was excellent. To cap off our delicious dinner we had the frozen peanut butter pie, which was very decadent and satisfying. The restaurant is intimate and in the lower level of a building, and the decor definitely makes you feel like you are in the Bayou. Nice piano playing, and a night cap at the bar to wait out a thunderstorm was how we rounded out the evening. My husband has already proclaimed this is where he wants to go for his birthday. Fantastic meal, reasonable price for high quality food, and very friendly staff! read more

If I could give no stars at all I would . It's apparently a pricier, upscale restaurant with zero high chairs. As per the restaurant its a place where mom's needs a night off without kids. Now I am being told where I can or cannot take my kids. Food was below par and under cooked. Only thing good was the soup. If you want to spend $100 plus go where the food is good and staff is more friendly and accommodating. read more

Stopped in for a drink on Monday night. A few observations: Drinks: My martini and cosmopolitans were delicious. S. really enjoyed his whisky sour. Drinks were very good. Food: For an appetizer, we ordered the crab cakes. I had the Pecan-Encrusted Catfish and the seafood bisque, and S. had the pork entree and the pork and sweet potato soup. We were both very impressed. I don't even eat meat, but I tried S.'s pork entree and it was A M A Z I N G. And I can't say enough good things about the catfish. I was so glad to have some left over, which I ate cold the next morning! Service: Our server was so, so wonderful. I wish I could remember his name. Young guy, dark hair, thin. He recommended essentially all of our food to us, and we were happy with all of it. The bartender also came by and checked to make sure I liked my cosmo (I wasn't sure I'd like it). She was quite friendly. Will definitely go back the next time we are in Madison. read more

Very cool restaurant underground. They had live jazz music and the food was delicious. The etouffee with crawfish was great! read more

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My boyfriend and I headed out to Louisianne's on the recommendation of a couple of his friends. We were encouraged to make reservations as the couple noted how this place is frequently filled to capacity every night. Well, Sunday night it's not so. And that's when we went. Louisianne's is located underground, and the atmosphere below is warm and inviting. To the left is the bar with the piano and stage for the jazz bands that play nearly every night. In front of and to the right are small, white-clothed tables. Our service was excellent. Because there happened to be so few people there that night, the host and the waitress were both quite talkative and welcoming. The meal was delicious (you don't need appetizers here - the entree portions are QUITE large). I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back for the nights of live jazz. read more

Came here based upon Yelp reviews. I was expecting a dive place, like all the other cajun places I've been to, but that's not this place. Dark mood lighting in the basement of an old house. Small menu and very pricey. Not what I was expecting at all. I ordered the blackened catfish and a beer. The catfish and the jambalaya were the two least expensive entrees in the low $20's per each. Pleasantly surprised by the large portion of grilled vegies and handmade mashed potatoes that came with the catfish. Amazing flavor and worth the money. The menu didn't mention the sides included. Friend ordered the jambalaya and let me try it. The blackened catfish was way better. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about Louisianne's. We had nothing but great service from start to finish. I chose this place to celebrate our one year anniversary. We were able to be seated close enough to the bar to hear the piano music in the background, but they had the speakers positioned so it wasn't distracting or impossible to have a conversation. I had a glass of the house Merlot. It was good, but not great, but I think it was an instance of I got what I paid for. I'm sure there are a lot of great wines to choose from, but I went with the least expensive option. We started with the crab puffs. Everyone else is right- these are amazing! So light, so flaky, so flavorful. For my entree, I had the pecan catfish with dirty rice. Amazing. Had some spice, but it enhanced the flavor of the dish without overpowering it. My date had the tasso and shrimp fettuccine and also enjoyed every bite that she had. We didn't finish our meals, but that was because we wanted to save room for dessert--white chocolate torte. A great way to finish the meal, it tasted like the inside of an Oreo cookie. The service was attentive without being overbearing. We never had to wait to have our water glasses filled. The pace of the meal was great as well. There was time between the appetizer, the salads and the main meal so you weren't sitting with 5 plates on your table of half-eaten food. Highly recommend! read more

There was six of us that had dinner here last evening and we all had a wonderful experience. We were warmly welcomed and were immediately seated. We had reservations but we were 15 minutes late. Service and food was great. Catfish, beef, Cajun, pasta, duck all were prepared prefect. read more

We enjoyed our visit to this restaurant however the waitress makes or breaks the evening. More on that later. We started at the bar and the bar tender was super cool. He made a fantastic Sazerac, one of the oldest cocktails in the USA. The four of us admired the decor of the establishment in addition to the fun columns throughout that separated the patrons making it a more private experience. This place is in a basement and the columns separate everyone, different than all the open air structures these days. We had reservations and were seated about 10 minutes late however we were flexible. The waitress was not very friendly and did not smile. She was making the motions. Likely tired because it was Badger Homecoming Saturday and they were busy. We were celebrating a birthday and asked if they did anything special. She said I don't know and can check. When she came back she said if you buy a desert, we can put a candle in it. What?? What restaurant does not do something for a birthday. Oh well, move on... Each of us DID enjoy our meal. We had the Crawfish Cheesecake for appetizer. It was like a cheesecake? Different and good. Two of us ordered separate specials and the other two ordered items off the menu. None of us could finish and we enjoyed leftovers the next day. The food was rich and heavy, comfort food like. If you are on a diet you'd need to be selective because no calories are spared here. In summary a happy waitress and a little birthday treat and this place would be through the roof! read more

Awesome decoration.. It's like you came 100 years back...Loved stuff mashrooms...and Hurricane drink read more

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I joined Kelly R on her anniversary dinner at Louisianne's (being her boyfriend), and had a wonderful time. I almost walked by the door to the place, because it's placed oddly in a narrow alley, but once down there I loved the atmosphere. The stone walls and arched ceilings gave a solid but cozy feel, and the New Orleans jazz piped through warmed the dinning room right up. I had the coffee roasted chicken with an orange, ricotta, and nut sauce, and it was amazing. I never thought such an odd combination would work, but it did. I tried Kelly's shrimp, and they were great but a bit spicy for my taste. My only regret was that there was too much food for me to eat it all. read more

Tops: Ambiance, particularly on a cold winter night. Wine list - well balanced and fairly priced. Sitting at the bar listening to music - you could do it all night. Food: Good, but can be a bit over-rich at times and it is not cheap. Desserts are uber. Service: For me, it has always been good. read more

BEST.CREME.BRULEE.EVER!! And the food, the piano bar, the service is ABSOLUTELY to die for. Louisiannes is the kind of place that you can GENUINELY never go wrong. It's in an underground cave, very "Adams Family Values" (Ok, isn't it bad that I compare it to a movie), their wine list is VERY extensive, and if you go at ~6ish, there's always the piano man, ready to delect you with a rendition of a bluesy jazzy tune... While I think reservation is HIGHLY recommended (there's like 10 tables at MOST), it just so happens that everytime my husband and I go, we can get in.. Lucky us!!! Seriously, by far one of the BEST restaurants in Madison (whoops Middleton). read more

Went again and it was AMAZING as usual. Went with a group of coworkers and we started out with escargot, crab puffs and stuffed mushrooms...YUM For the entree's I had some pork masterpiece that was a featured dish and it was divine. For dessert I believe I had the dark chocolate creme brulee again. It was another great experience! read more

Incredible food in a cozy and intimate dining room. We dined during a snow storm, so we weren't able to experience a live piano performance; however, our first experience at Louisanne's was impressive and delectable. We ordered the crab cheesecake appetizer (delicious!), followed by a special (blackened grouper) and lemon pesto shrimp and scallops. Everything was perfectly prepared and absolutely exquisite. At first, we wondered why tables who had ordered after us were receiving their courses before us. We hadn't finished our appetizer as we were saving room for our main courses. Waiting and growing more hungry again, we finished the last bites of the appetizer. Within seconds, our soup and salads arrived and we quickly realized what was happening (and so rarely happens in restaurants) - the staff was perfectly timing the firing and delivery of each course of our meals. It's rare for service staff execute this well and Louisanne's nailed it. Louisanne's was absolutely wonderful and we'll be back! read more

Fantastic food here. I really liked how the business is located in the basement. It feels like a throwback to some other time. I've had the chicken dish and also had a grouper special that was wonderful. Really nice bar area too and sometimes there is someone playing piano. read more

Quiet, quaint and awesome. The place is tucked away and underground. Piano man in the bar area playing jazz and lounge tunes. Had escargot, wine and barracuda. At how many other places can you say you have all of those at once, AND underground. Zero! This place is good. Priced well for what you get too. Couldn't finish it all. read more

Louisianne's - It's underground and there is a piano man in the bar. Sold! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Can I give this place 6 stars? Amazing from start to finish. A+ for ambiance. Dim lighting and live piano with a rustic, underground feeling. A+ for service. Host seated us at our table of choice. Waitress was knowledgeable, quick, attentive and managed 6 tables in our area (one a party of 10) with grace. A+ for cleanliness. Not a smudge on glass or silverware. Crisp tablecloths and napkins. Bathroom was clean too. A+++ for food. We ordered the artichoke app. I could have left then and been happy it was that good. Warm fresh bread and butter. Entree were the coffee crusted chicken and beef tenderloin. Both amazing. The sauce on the chicken will leave you drooling for more. Dessert was the key lime pie and lemon panna cotta. Not over sweet. Good tartness. Even the bottled beer tasted better here. Will definitely return. Perfect for a romantic night out. Thanks Louisiannes!!!! read more

Fantastic experience! Ambience even better than what I would assume a normal night would be since it was Fat Tuesday and they had a 4 piece jazz band. Crawfish Cheesecake appetizer and Etoufee can't be missed! We will be back! L read more

Absolutely fabulous! Service and atmosphere was impeccable. Our starter of (drawing a blank on name now...) Cajun Cheesecake was fantastic - a savory cheesecake served with a warm baguette, highly, highly recommend. For the first time ever, we both ordered the same soup and entrees so a limited review. :) But the sweet potato seafood bisque was lovely with a perfectly balance of a light spice/heat to it. We had the red snapper special that was served with lemon blue cheese potatoes that were absolutely devine. We capped it with a dark chocolate creme brûlée and key lime pie that continued to impress. I highly, highly recommend. read more

Louisianne's - Dark Chocolate Creme Brûlée. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

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Emeril Lagasse would have been disappointed. There was no Bam! during our visit to Louisianne's on 9/10/13. The good: my wife's company, the wine list, the evening's piano player, the salad, and the crawfish corn chowder. The bad: the thick, yellow, and salty cream sauce our mussels swam in and the worn out carpet on the stairs leading down to the restaurant. The ugly: The not so special blackened swordfish entrée with salty sides and the shrimp etouffee. The classic Cajun dish was a generous amount of white rice with salty ketchup sauce. :-( read more

I grew up Cajun so I was skeptical about coming here. This place is legit, from the gumbo, to étouffée, to jambalaya. Spot in Cajun my poppa would be proud. read more

Crab puffs are to die for!!! So good!!! I have only been here a few times for soup and crab puffs - mainly because alot of items on the menu are spicy!!(not a huge fan of spice) the hostess is sooo nice!!! Love this place!! read more

Louisianne's - The crab puffs!! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Grade: C Skip the overpriced, nasty Cajun food and go for the desserts! Very pricey. I plan to give this place another try soon. read more

Awesome food. Definitely a good place to eat if it is your first time in Madison, WI.

My husband and I went to Louisianne's recently after we sold our condo and got a Middleton Chamber of Commerce gift certificate from our real estate agent (Leslie Blum, she's great!). We wanted to use the opportunity to have a special date night and go somewhere a bit more upscale than we usually do. Having never been to Louisianne's in the 5 years that I've lived in Middleton, I suggested we try it out. I give the atmosphere of this place a solid five stars. Although it has an rather bland looking storefront, the inside of the restaurant is anything but. You walk into Louisianne's and immediately head downstairs. It's all stone and looks like you're walking into a cool cave or something. It's dark, but there's a lot of ambiance. I've been to New Orleans, and it definitely has that sort of vibe to it. It's romantic, fun, and not what you'd expect from the outside. I felt like we were on vacation while we were there. Also, there was a live jazz band playing and they were really rocking. It was awesome! We went at about 8pm on a Friday night had to wait about ten minutes for a table, which was fine. While we waited, we ordered drinks at the bar and watched the band. I had red wine, and my husband had Jameson on the rocks. We were seated and ordered the Pecan Crab Cakes as an appetizer. They were good, probably just 3 stars though, as they tasted a lot like other Midwestern crab cakes that I've had before. They were heavy on bread and light on crab...with a lot of Old Bay seasoning. Again, they weren't bad at all, but not spectacular. Next, we ordered some more wine and our entrees (more on those in a minute). We were given a choice of soup or salad with our entrees and we each ordered soup. They had two soups of the day: a shrimp -corn chowder (which I got), and a tomato-based pulled pork stew that was like chilli (which my husband had). Both soups were fantastic! Definitely 5 stars for the soup. I'll take a minute here to comment that I enjoy going to traditional restaurants from time to time, places where soup/salad and bread are included with your meal instead of everything being ala-cart. (It reminds me of dining in Wisconsin supper clubs as a child). By the way, the bread basket was delicious and was quickly replenished by the waitress after we ate all of the bread within 30 seconds of sitting down because it was warm and toasty (and served with soft butter) and we were starving! Onto the entrees! My husband absolutely LOVED his dish. He claims that it was possibly "the best thing I've ever had in a restaurant". He chose the Coffee Roasted Chicken, which featured a bed of (homemade) fettuccine topped with a coffee-crusted bone-in grilled chicken breast, in a "hazelnut, orange, ricotta sauce". I think there was spinach in it too. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the grilled chicken moist, and the sauce was rich and creamy. It almost reminded me of a Thai peanut sauce, but with hazelnuts instead. Although it sounded like something that could become cloyingly sweet, it was not. It had a nice subtle umami essence in addition to the sweetness. Delicious. 5 stars. The reason that Louisianne's is not getting a five star review from me, however, is due to my entree, which I felt was very underwhelming. We don't eat pasta at home for health reasons, so I usually get it when we go somewhere nice as a special treat. I chose the tasso and shrimp fettuccine because it was homemade pasta, and because it featured authentic New Orleans style ingredients (for the unfamiliar, tasso is basically spicy ham). The shrimp and tasso pieces in my pasta were well-cooked, but they were sparse. The dish also featured mushrooms, and they were fabulous...probably the best part. However, the pasta was supposed to have a "Creole mustard cream sauce", and it didn't really. The sauce was very light, and had little flavor. It was kind of sad, because I was really hoping to be wowed and I wasn't. I'd say my item was probably 3 stars, and would have been awesome if only the sauce had been a bit more pronounced and flavorful. The service was adequate. Nothing remarkable in either a good or a bad way. Summary: I'd definitely return. I think Lousianne's Etc. is a decently nice restaurant overall, and is great for special occasions. Their primary issue, from both my own experience as well as the reviews on Yelp, seems to be consistency. Some menu items are fabulous, and others are meh. The major problem with this is that Louisianne's menu is at a price point where people only go occasionally...so the restaurant basically has one shot to impress, and if they fail at that, guests won't return for a second chance. I think this explains why the Yelp reviews for Louisianne's are so polarized. read more

Experience summary: Cozy atmosphere with live music, friendly service, but high priced unauthentic dishes. Hi, As a disclaimer, I must admit I'm from Louisiana and lived over 25 years there between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Moved up to Madison/Middleton 5 years ago and have enjoyed this wonderful area very much, including its lovely people and food scene which was a surprise to me that there is so much variety and depth. I typically avoid eating cajun or creole outside of Louisiana, but after many friends told me I just HAD to eat at Louisianne's I decided to check it out with my girlfriend. The atmosphere was really nice and there was live music which is always a plus. Wasn't jazz like the site said, but enjoyable nonetheless. Service was friendly but rather slow, but probably just bc it was a busy night. The first thing that struck me about the menu was the frequent mix up between cajun and creole cuisine. These are two different cuisines/cultures/peoples/regions. (For example my grandma was Cajun, she grew up on a tobacco farm in the Acadians of southwest Louisiana and spoke old French). I'd totally expect this out of most restaurants outside Louisiana, but to be an upscale authentic cajun and/or creole restaurant and use these terms interchangeably is confusing to me. For instance, the "roasted shrimp" dish boasts "cajun seasonings" but then includes tomatoes. In general, creole food uses tomatoes, cajun food doesn't; that's the easiest way you can tell the difference between a cajun and creole jambalaya. There are exceptions (such as the cajun sauce piquant) but tomatoes were not vegetables immediately available to the Acadians region, so I don't know one Cajun shrimp dish with tomatoes (and there's a lot!). This combination with a wine reduction and Parmesan cheese is very out of place for Cajun gulf seafood. Simply put, Cajun food is based on country French cooking but with indigenous ingredients of south Louisiana, its home style cuisine. In contrast, Creole cuisine is more sophisticated fare, a melting pot of French, Spanish, Native American, Spanish and Italian cuisine, ie New Orleans. I could go on about the menu, but alas I'll just talk about what I actually ordered. I had the pecan catfish which appeared to be a pecan take on catfish amandine, akin to the famous creole dish trout amandine à la meunière. Unfortunately, the blackened catfish was overcooked with a pungent sauce. I'm not sure if they were going for a meunière which is a classic simple french sauce (butter, parsley, lemon), or something else. My girlfriend (a Wisconsin native) got the étouffée as this is her favorite dish when she visits Baton Rouge with me. Unfortunately, she could not finish half of it, as the roux was burned/bitter, the crawfish were tough, and perhaps she's gotten a bit spoiled down south (albeit she's not a picky eater). Almost forgot, for an appetizer we started with the barbecue shrimp. So, this is common mistake. Nola BBQ shrimp is sautéed in skillet with butter, lemon juice, creole spices, and Worcestershire. Ironically, it has little to do with BBQ. What we were served was shrimp with fancy barbecue sauce lol. Finally, a creole dessert menu without bread pudding... come on guys. Anyway, I guess I've ranted too long. I just wish there was a more authentic cajun and/or creole place here in Madison/Middleton because it deserves much more, especially for the high prices they put on these dishes! Overall, not a bad night though, we had fun and I finished my meal. I wouldn't say avoid the place or anything, just understand that from a local, the food appears rather far from, "The Flavor of New Orleans." Laissez le bons temps rouler! read more

All our friends had raved about the food & ambiance, so my wife & I finally decided to try Louisianne's. The decor is indeed cozy- like a nicely made-up cellar. There was plenty of room at the bar so we sat there before our reservation time arrived. Only two beers on tap, but both good local brews from Capital. Eventually sat at our table & perused the menu. Found many appetizers that sounded really good (including one of the specials that night) so we decided on sharing 2 apps and one entree... seemed like a good way to try a few items without getting too much food. App #1 (the special): gnocchi in a savory cream sauce with crawfish was very tasty. Seemed a bit light in the gnocchi (I think there were 5 or 6) but made up for it in sauce. Two thumbs way up. App #2: mussels in cream sauce... I had asked about the size of the mussels ahead of time and was told they were medium to large. They were in fact medium to small, which was a bit of a bummer because we probably would have gone with a different app had we known. But the flavors were good & we enjoyed sopping up the sauce with the bread. And the bread they serve is quite good. Two thumbs up. Entree: Crawfish Etouffe... I was excited to try this as I hadn't had etouffe in years. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. If you went to a friend's house for dinner and they served this you'd be psyched, but at an upscale Cajun restaurant for $20 you may be left underwhelmed. Two thumbs halfway up. The salad that came with was fresh mesclun greens, with a bleu cheese dressing that was chunky but bland. Midway thru our meal the jazz combo started up and sounded really good- definitely added to the atmosphere. For dessert we shared a slice of key lime pie... nice-tasting but no great shakes. It seemed to be thickened with gelatin and I suppose I prefer mine to be creamier, plus it was lacking in zing, but only mildly. Again, if your friend served it you'd rightfully congratulate them but for $6.50 it should be REALLY good. Our server was very nice & professional. Absolutely no complaints there. The nicest surprise came with the bill- only $70... and that included 5 drinks. We have concluded that the next time we go we'll sit in the bar area and have drinks & apps. read more

My Experience at Louisianne's was JUST OK. I have heard a lot of people talk about this place so I gave it a try. I went on a Friday night by myself and Sat at the Bar. Not really the type of place you can sit at the bar. It's very small, there is no television, and hardly any stools. They have live music on the weekends so the place was very loud. My Bartender was the only one behind the bar and the restaurant was pretty busy. So, as you can imagine my service was slow. I had the crab puff pastry and BBQ Shrimp as an appetizer. The Crab Pastry was very good. The BBQ Shrimp however were not. I was surprised they left the shell on the shrimp when they serve it. For my main entree I had the Coffee Crusted Chicken and a half order of jambalaya. They wouldn't let me have jambalaya as a side so I had to order half a plate of it If i wanted to try it. The Chicken was very moist and flavorful. A lot sweeter than I had anticipated but good. The jambalaya was very disappointing. Overall, I would say it was just ok. read more

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Celebrated a friend's birthday at Louisianne's on a wintry night, and it was a welcoming, bustling evening. Gwen is a great hostess and set the tone right away with her enthusiastic, personal and friendly greeting as I waited for my friend. The Catfish Louisianne's ($22) was tender and flavorful, I opted out of the spicy blackened Catfish. My friend enjoyed the blackened Mahi Mahi, the night's special. We shared a generous piece of their Key Lime pie and it was delicious with just the right tang of lime, and a cracker-crumb type crust vs pie crust. My first visit to Louisianne's, I was attracted because Johnny Chimes was playing piano. But it was hard to hear him from our seating near the kitchen and away from the room where he played. If you want to hear the music, best to request that or plan for time at the bar. It is a good atmosphere, lively for sure. Be aware that it is downstairs, a cellar location. We parked in lots nearby. read more

Louisianne's has seared it's place inside of my restaurant experience. The food is so good, that every time my girlfriend and I consider going to any other restuarant, we would have to consider the huge opportunity cost of not going to Louisianne's. The place is dungeon-esque, but not in a bad way. It's dimly lit, underground, but often times has a pianist setting the New Orleans mood. The food is incredible. Every time we go there we try to get something different, and we're floored by how good the meals are, and how much of it you get. The appetizers were delicious (we've had the platter for two, and the pulled pork crepes), the soup we've had with our entrees were amazing each time, with an intense flavor. Their specials change every time we've been there, and if they don't interest you, their regular menu is always exceptional. We've had the roasted shrimp, the tasso and shrimp fettucine, the maple-cured duck, the steak, the seafood au gratin, and each time not only did we get one delicious meal, but enough to have an amazing lunch the next day. The only con I can give Louisianne's is that they give you so much good food that you can never get to the desserts. This restaurant is the one that my girlfriend and I benchmark all other restaurants by, and before we go out to eat anywhere else, we have to strongly consider the consequences of NOT going to Louisianne's. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Madison. The shrimp etouffe makes think about New Orleans. Live jazz on weekends makes before & after dinner enjoyable. Worth finding in downtown Middleton read more

Terrible experience. We had a reservation and were barely greeted. Sat down and our waiter seemed completely out of it - tried to take our menus before we had actually ordered. My husband mentioned it was my birthday and he didn't say anything. We got the app platter for 2 and it was below average, besides the crab puffs which were pretty good. The table next to us finished their meals, paid, and left. We finished our wine. Another table came, ordered, and got their food. The waiter said "it looks like we put in your ticket a little late, probably my fault, it will be out in a minute". We said okay. The table next to us ate their entire meals, and our waiter was literally hiding in the kitchen to avoid telling us what was happening. Another waitress told the table next to us they had the same waiter and then took their orders saying he was "held up in the kitchen", pretty sure again avoiding us. We asked her for a status update and said "did our waiter say our food wasn't put in?" And she went on to explain how it was the salad person who messed up. We didn't really care who messed up, we just wanted someone to take some ownership and tell us when our food would be received. Meanwhile our waters were empty. We finally got our food and again, below average, especially for the cost. We talked to the manager. They offered us a free dessert - honestly what most places would just give me for it being my birthday. Finally, she offered to take off our wine from our bill. Food quality, cost, but most importantly service was terrible. Many better places you can go in Madison to spend the same or less for better food and much better service. They must get a good Middleton following or I have no idea how they stay in business. read more

I've been to many restaurants in Middleton, but this is by far my favorite, and for a number of reasons. The food was excellent: I had a scallop and shrimp special. The service was excellent: Seated promptly, waitress prompt, professional and spoke very clearly when it came to the specials. The atmosphere is unique: In the basement of a building, but you wouldn't think so when you're there. Piano player, Great Martini! So when you're in Middleton, I suggest you stop here! (And Marnie is correct on the raspberry vinaigrette dressing with actual raspberries in it!!) read more

I saw Lousianne's on the news one night. So I took my boyfriend there for our date night. We were extremely underdressed for the occasion. A co-worker had told me it was a little fancier than casual but we went totally casual anyway. Good news is, it had dim lightening. We had a drink at the bar and were quickly seated. I'm a vegetarian, so I tried a pasta dish while my boyfriend had steak. We had the goat cheese appetizer, it was better than I expected. It had a sauce to it that had a really unique taste to it. The entrees were good, I wouldn't say the pasta was worth the price and I wish I would have tried the vegetarian jambalaya. We topped off the meal with the White chocolate mousse for dessert. It was the best part of the whole meal, knocked my socks off. I would recommend this place, especially to meat eaters. The service was great, our waitress was timely. She checked in often and never hurried us to finish and leave. read more

In case you don't know, Louisianne's has started serving lunch, The good news is that it is inexpensive and delicious. I had a cup of shrimp bisque that was outstanding, and the grilled chicken po'boy tasted very fresh (the shredded romaine lettuce was much appreciated). The only bad news is the general ambience of the upstairs lunch area . . . rather dark and uninviting. read more

My husband took me here in our very first date (7years ago) and every year we make a visit. I am absolutely addicted to their crawfish cheesecake and my goodness the crab puffs are amazing. Every visit I contemplate getting a platter of the crab puffs for myself and no one else. The bartenders have always been outstanding with their recommendations and drink specials and extremely friendly when waiting for your table. I love the atmosphere and the waitresses are usually on point and keep our water glasses full which is my biggest pet peeve. Definitely make this a stop if you enjoy and intimate atmosphere with rich food. I am still keeping it 5 stars despite my one issue which is there has rarely (if any) been a menu change in the 7 years of me eating there. Their nightly/weekly specials --when available are delicious, too! read more

I took my wife to Louisianne's for her birthday dinner. The atmosphere was warm and cozy with a live piano player. The service at the bar and at our table were both outstanding. We both enjoy Cajun food. I can honestly say it is the best meal I have had in over a year. I had the jambalaya which was made with fresh meat and vegetables. My wife had the scallops with a white sauce and said her meal was exceptional as well. My only regret was we didn't have room for desert. One last surprise was the bill which was much lower than I would expect for an upscale restaurant with such good food and service. We will definitely be back soon :) read more