Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Poor House Bistro

    3.7 (1.4k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order Poor House Bistro Takeout or Delivery

    Poor House Bistro Photos

    Business Info

    POOR HOUSE BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Poor House Bistro

    Recommended Reviews - Poor House Bistro

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Crawfish Pasta
    Vidya K.

    We ordered food while we were out drinking at the speakeasy cellar next door. The bistro has live music as well which we could hear but something we want to try next time. We also had the Half Vegetarian Muffaletta which could feed more than one person. It was delicious, filled with vegetables and nicely toasted. Would love to go back and experience the ambiance in the restaurant with the music.

    Vicki B.

    3 stars for the food but 5 for the entertainment and bar vibe. We had dinner here last month. We went early'ish so there was parking in front, but there was a good amount of people, probably because an event (though thankfully not a Sharks game) at the arena. You ordered at the counter and they buzzed you when it was ready. We opted to sit in the bar area to listen to music but it was cold and made dining and people watching less fun than it could have been. They definitely needed some space heaters. The food was meh, possibly because it was tepid. The sandwich was decent, though could have used a side of jus and some salt. Points for a toasted roll. The gumbo (or red beans & rice, I forget which) was very lukewarm and needed some kick. The cornbread was dry. The beignets were okay but again, barely warm, and there was a ton of powdered sugar (don't let the photo fool you, there was an inch on the top and at least another inch in the bottom of the bowl). The entertainment and the bar crowd were the best though. I don't remember the band's name, but the average age of its members was in the 50s. They were jammin' and the audience was groovin'. So much fun. Would I go back for food? Probably not. But to hang out in the bar when it's warmer or they've added space heaters to hear fun music and have a couple of drinks? Absolutely!

    Attosa C.

    I was not a fan of Cajun food till I came here. The food was sooooo good! The service was very nice. Not too crowded. Good volume to have conversations. The outdoor area was nice and warm, even on Christmas week. Little pricey but very worth it.

    Jambalaya
    John O.

    Take with a grain of salt as I'm traveling, but very judgy of Creole/Cajun/NoLa restaurants. I'm a jambalaya chaser and that's my bar. The service was lightning quick and my jambalaya was ready before I could fill my water cup. This means they must keep it and probably some gumbo hot and ready to go. However, I think it was extremely mid. Running for the hot sauce, I accidentally poured waaay too much on my plate and it still could have taken more. The other people's food looked away better so I'd come back to try again, and I feel as though this would be a great spot for drinks, the outdoor area is huge.

    Patio dining and live music with old people who like to dance
    Gerald L.

    I'm no expert on New Orleans and Cajun food but I like the food here! I personally had The Poor House which comes with ham and roast beef. Great of you like a 'meaty' sandwich. Be prepared this thing will fall apart all over you. But messy be good too! I shared some of the crawfish pasta with someone. Creamy and yummy. AMA this is the best way to eat crawfish cuz otherwise they're too hard to peel! Shrimp po boy was good but I prefer grilled instead of this mattered and deep fried way. And the fries were hella top salty. They actually got my order wings which I didn't realize till the food was ready after 15 minutes. So I had to order again! But they made it the next priority so I'll give them service points for that. Had a few drinks... vodka shots and wine. I know weird combination right? About $10 bucks each. And I enjoyed their live band. Cool courtyard and festive atmosphere. In fact, a few folks dancing. Mostly older folks here. I'll come back on the right occasion.

    Chrystal L.

    Their food is delish! Love sitting outside and they have an outdoor bar. Lots of shady spots and fun for a large group. Our group loved everything we ordered.

    Cherry H.

    Food: *Fried Seafood Platter with 2 sides, we picked the cole slaw and cajun potato salad *Chicken and Sausage Gumbo *Aperol Spritz * Beer from Russian River, Narrative, and more Great hospitality. Live music until 9pm. Order food inside and seat yourself

    Dog meal
    Annabelle R.

    This casual and inviting restaurant serves an awesome menu of creole cuisine with a patio bar offering a good range of cocktails and beer. The venue also features live music entertainment almost every day of the week. I came by during Little Village's Big Easy Block Party & Beer Fest this past Saturday and enjoyed PHB's outdoor stage area filled with lively tunes and plenty of visitors. The bread pudding I ordered had a nice soft and spongy texture, and was creamy and buttery with just the right spice. And the staff was helpful and did a nice job handling the crowd with no shortage of workers on this busy day.

    BBQ shrimp
    Monica V.

    Came back as a group and the staff there is always so friendly. They came to check on us often. The food is always great. I like to try their specials. This time it was shrimp n grits.

    Janice J.

    came here on a weekend before the San Jose Sharks game. You order at the counter and they give you a beeper when your order is ready. They were playing live music which was cool while we hung out in the back with some friends. * my bf got the Red Beans & Rice - Simmered with ham hock, served with corn bread with andouille sausage for $18 * I ordered from the kids menu just because I love corn dogs. Corn dog served with french fries and a drink for $12. Some friends of ours got the (not pictured) Cajun popcorn - Tender shrimp corn meal coated with herbs & spices and fried, served with homemade creole remoulade for $16. This was tasty!

    Gumbo (Chicken & Sausage or Shrimp), Red Beans & Rice and the shrimp poboy
    Stephanie J.

    First time to this restaurant, friend of a friend is a bartender there - Kimberly , so fun, eager to help , quick to laugh! Probably the best part of the restaurant. To be honest , I am 100% Creole so my back ground with their " Creole" food was tainted . I give them A for effort and if you don't know any better ...we'll it was pretty good We started with chicken / sausage gumbo , red beans and rice and a shrimp poboy. Not enough favor in the beans , gumbo was fair and the poboy was definitely large with lettuce and pickles ( it's called dressed in New Orleans) but the shrimp were small , no tomatoes and slathered with a mustard sauce . No Sir! Mayonnaise only , it did it a poor service . But, it was a beautiful day , we sat outside and they had a live band . The bottomless mimosas were delicious!

    Food is alright
    Mere M.

    Good food. Good ambience. My son and husband loved it! Bottle of Cab $38 . Pricey as it's ok.

    left over beignets,smothered with powdered sugar
    Margie L.

    Prior to the game,we came here,there's live band and ambiance is filled with the smell of roasted garlic,i guess it's coming from next door.Staff are not that welcoming here,but we still gave it a try and ordered the simplest which is beignet.it was smothered with powdered sugar,without it,it was a tasteless dough,there's 3 in an order,we finished one and half,wasted our money.

    shrimp and grits

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    29 days ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John H.
    168
    189
    421

    11 days ago

    Love the fried shrimp poor boys here! Amazing food and unique location! Would highly recommend

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 4
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 2
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    The food is Fantastic!!! Michael was absolutely wonderful. The live music was enjoyable

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mere M.
    251
    113
    1600

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 2
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Makena S.
    20
    420
    334

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan B.
    0
    10
    0

    2 months ago

    Food was great, we had the muffuletta and the New Orleans sampler. It was a perfect place to hang before our basketball game.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Good vibe, good people, great cooks, great bartenders. Plus live jazx/blues music. Real neighborhood joint you just want to come back too

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C. S.
    0
    72
    366

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cali C.
    563
    222
    2380

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 35

    Poor House Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Poor House Bistro

    How's the parking during lunchtime on weekdays and weekends and when does the band play? Thx

    Is this place good for a date night?

    NO!

    Live music for the outdoor seating?

    Great band, great social distancing, great food, and a great safe time during Covid!

    Do fries come with the po boy, or do you order separately?

    Fries are sold separately

    What's the difference between orange stars and red ones on yelp?

    Yellow! If you add yellow to red you get orange! (it appears that Yelp rates 1 as yellow and 5 as red making orange 3)

    Does Poor House Bistro have an happy hour? If so, when is it and what are the specials?

    Yes

    When does Poor House Bistro have live (jazz, blues or acoustic) music?

    They have music most nights including week days. See calendar below: https://poorhousebistro.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PHB-February-2018-Calendar.pdf

    View All 11 Questions

    You might also consider

    Alter Ego Cocktail Club & Still OG - A Mexican gin to make a bartender special

    Alter Ego Cocktail Club & Still OG

    4.4(298 reviews)
    0.5 miDowntown
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Pet friendly

    This place is absolutely fantastic! I happened to stumble across it when looking for a cocktail bar…read morewith a good vibe. Not only are the cocktails special, the small bites menu is super tasty including the Shishito pepper skewers and the Takayoki. The staff are also super friendly and the bartenders are some of the best mixologists in town.

    Alter Ego and Still OG might just be the most cleverly conceived bar concept in the city. Small and…read moreintimate, yes -- but every inch of it is intentional. Let's start with the drinks. The cocktail menu is inspired by records, and you can feel the creativity in every sip. These aren't your standard bar pours -- they're clearly thought out and crafted with personality. If you're someone who appreciates a drink with a story behind it, you'll be in your element here. The live DJ on weekends takes the whole experience to another level. The music isn't background noise -- it's part of the atmosphere, and it hits right. What makes this place truly special is that you're getting two completely different vibes under one roof. Walk into Still OG up front and you get a casual, laid-back energy -- easy conversation, good company, no pretension. Then slip into the speakeasy in the back and the whole mood shifts. Alter Ego is a proper intimate lounge with their full bar, and it feels like a world away from the street outside. The transition between the two spaces is surprisingly seamless and genuinely fun to experience. And they're open late, which puts them in a rare category of places actually worth staying out for. Whether you're there for a chill night out or a proper evening, this place delivers both without making you choose.

    Photos
    Alter Ego Cocktail Club & Still OG - Silk Sheets and Sweets $19

    Silk Sheets and Sweets $19

    Alter Ego Cocktail Club & Still OG - Asteroid Blues

    Asteroid Blues

    Alter Ego Cocktail Club & Still OG - 6/21/2024 symphony in black (mocktail of kyushu coffee) SO GOOD BEST BLACK SESAME COFFEE EVER wish i could drink this every morning

    See all

    6/21/2024 symphony in black (mocktail of kyushu coffee) SO GOOD BEST BLACK SESAME COFFEE EVER wish i could drink this every morning

    Goodtime Bar - Pork Belly w/ caramelized oyster sauce, peach salsa, ngo gai, jimmy nardellos ($24)

    Goodtime Bar

    4.7(231 reviews)
    0.5 miDowntown
    $$

    It's always a good time at Goodtime Bar and tonight was an especially great experience thanks to…read moreChris. He was friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was taken care of without being over the top. Service like that makes a big difference--definitely coming back!

    if you're looking for a laid-back but still curated vibe, highly recommend paying Goodtime Bar a…read morevisit! My friend and I walked in on a Wednesday night and there were only a few seats filled / no wait time. You get your pick between a few tables indoors/outdoors, the bar, and a couch area which I felt really completed the community-forward space. We ordered at the bar and got a number to take to the table. You're able to sample a few things before deciding on which glass to commit to, which is always nice to have. All of the wines (tried whites, rosé and oranges) and food were amazing and really added to the overall experience! Still thinking about the tuna tostada and tom yum bucatini -- excited to pay them another visit to try more of their food menu. The service was consistent and was another huge plus on our experience. The workers kept up casual conversation and were extremely personable with us all night, especially since we were one of the last few visitors and the last table to leave. Definitely excited to bring more friends here in the future!

    Photos
    Goodtime Bar - Indoor seating area

    Indoor seating area

    Goodtime Bar - Arancini

    Arancini

    Goodtime Bar - A rich sparkling white that's not too dry

    See all

    A rich sparkling white that's not too dry

    Poor House Bistro - cajun - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...