I'm rather surprised by all the good reviews this place gets. I can only assume either that the reviewers have not tried much Indian food or that they are simply grateful to have some diversity of dining options in the desert of Hyde Park. The place has great "dive" character and the owners are charmingly moody--either friendly or grumpy depending. It's small and seating is limited. Truly a spot just to pop into briefly to address your hunger needs. Food is served on styrofoam or paper plates even if you dine in (yay environment). I've ordered their veggie combo special as well as various a la carte items. Everything was watery and lacking flavor (channa masala, dal, saag), the roti (flat bread) was dense and doughy, and the samosa was bland. Basically, the food lacks flavor and substance. It's a basic cost saving approach to cut sauces with water or broth to make them go farther, and that's what they do. When the sauce is on your plate, it separates into its various ingredients rather than staying together, running all over the place. I could taste no difference between the various dishes. I'm also used to paying around $10 for an all-you-can-eat buffet at many Indian restaurants. But I paid $10 here for a single plate of watery veggies. So I also tend to think it's way overpriced. I've never tried the cajun food there but maybe it's better. The fried chicken does look tasty. In sum, this place serves a basic function to fill your stomach if hungry, but not in a very memorable or enjoyable way. I shudder to think that this is the first (and maybe only) impression that many locals are getting of Indian food. That's a shame. read more

I LOVE this place. It looks like the most random hole in the wall from the outside and the concept is bizarre (Indian + soul food... hmm?), but the food is really delicious and the portions are plentiful (you get so many sides with the combo meal). Highly recommend: the butter chicken, the lentils, and saag paneer (spinach with cheese). All the food has some kick to it; have a box of kleenex handy! Plus, the owners are such nice people-- it makes you want to support their business. read more

Consistently excellent East African influenced Indian take out. There's something about the East African influence that makes theirs my favorite Indian food. Perfect anytime, especially for a sunset picnic at the beach. read more

The color inside Rajun Cajun, which results from the combination of pink neon lighting with neon yellow painted walls, probably doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. And neither does the combination of Southern soul food (fried chicken, corn muffins, sweet potatoes) with curries and mango lassis and tandoori chicken. From the minute you step through the door and stand basking in Rajun Cajun's electric orange glow, you are greeted with the rich smells of spices and curries mixed with burning incense, usually a Bollywood movie or something else playing on the television, Indian music, and the smiling friendly faces of the owners (who are there to serve their customers every single day). This place is one of my favorite places to eat in Hyde Park, not only because the food is consistently absolutely delicious (my favorites include the butter chicken and paneer), but also because it delivers a kind of escape-- from the noise of 53rd Street, from standard American fast food, from the cold in winter. Just stepping in here during February when the whole world seems cold and gray will make you feel warmer. I'm moving away from Chicago soon, and Rajun Cajun is one of the places I will miss the most! I hope I get to come back. read more

I started this review the day I ate there, which was in November...2010. I didn't finish it because I wanted to remind myself/give myself an excuse to come back before posting. Well dammit, I haven't been back and I don't know when I will be back in the area. So allow me to get this monkey off my back and then just remember me and my desire to return when you say your prayers at night. Hopefully, one day, my sweet darling Rajun' Cajun, we will be reunited. Why do I yearn so? Witness: +best chai ever? +tandoori chicken breast extremely generous & good - and like less than $3 +vegetable sides - chick pea & spinach = my dream side +real flatware, not plastic, for eat-in +friendly service So you see, if you enjoy your Indian fast food delicious, cheap, and delicious, you will enjoy the pants off of Rajun' Cajun. read more

Interesting dichotomy. The only soul food and Indian restaurant combo I've been to. It's my to go to Indian place on the southside. Went with potato's, chicken dish and rice. Tasty place. Samosa delicious. read more

Always appreciate vegetarian options, as I am not a fan of goat/lamb, too gamey tasting and the smell is not my pleasing. Food: samosas 3, cornbread 3, spinach w cheese 3, yellow rice 4, the dish w the chickpeas 4 service: 4 ambience: 3 Cleanliness: 4 Am happy to support mom and pop operated joints. read more

I want to rate these folks higher since they've been around so long but the food, while decent, wasn't great. I had the "lamb curry dinner", which was a ton of food for $10, basically giving you 2 entrees (one meat, one without), rice, samosa, and paratha. If it were my restaurant I'd change the paratha to chapati or naan to lighten the fat load and provide more bread to soak up the ample entrees. I personally like the fast-food atmosphere here, though I would love being able to eat off real plates etc. Still, a boon to Hyde Park--as a Logan Square resident I can appreciate how nice it is to have ANY Indian restaurant to go to. read more

Just wanted to clear the air here: this restaurant serves both soul food and indian food. if you're ever up for fried chicken with a side of curried lentils then you're in luck. We just had Indian which was very tasty. It was a bit spicy, so if you like really mild indian, then this place isn't for you as it all comes pre-spiced on the buffet. The quantity of food that you get is very reasonable for the $$ Will definitely return. read more

It was a snowy day in Chicago and I wasn't in the mood to go to my go-to Indian restaurant. I figured I'd give Rajun Cajun a try as a good friend mentions she goes there a lot. I ordered my chana masala, basmati rice, and 2 vegetable samosas. As I thought about my meal while typing this, I feel sick. The chana masala was more like chickpeas in tomato sauce. The rice tasted dirty....as if what it had been served with or had been sitting in hadn't been cleaned in a while. The samosas were okay- they were very spicy but not in a good way. My tongue was on fire and for no good reason. I can understand spicy and you can taste the spice but in this case my tongue was just....vibrating, for lack of a better term. I gave this place a try because it's the closest Indian restaurant for me, but I'll continue to make the trip to the North side. read more

I still haven't made it to Devon because this place is so close to school. It's really excellent, fast Indian food. And hey, if you have a hankering for collards and fried chicken, you can get that too. But I stick to the palak and mattar paneer. read more

The mango lassi is delicious! The Indian food is tasty too, and comes in pretty big portions considering the price. I think I paid less than $8 for more food than I should've eaten in one sitting. I had no idea what any of the dishes were called, so I just pointed and said "the potatoes...and whatever's next to them". Bottom line: Nothing fancy, but good cheap food. read more

Not bad, decided to try it out when I was down here a few weeks ago after years of hearing about this place. Tandoori Chicken was pretty good, and so was the samosa and curry(can't remember what it was called) that came with it. I'd gladly be open to returning, if I'm in the area again. BTW, did you know the owner tried a failed attempt to get customers to pronounce the place as 'ra-john ca-jun' when it opened, before he dropped that pronunciation? read more

Rajun Cajun is amazing. They have wonderful vegetarian and vegan options (in addition to the fried chicken, fish curry and other meaty dishes). The food is very filling and the portions are fairly reasonable. In particular, the chickpeas (chana masala-esque) and samosas are amazing, especially the spicy sauce for the samosas. Their fresh fruit juices make it even more incredible. The one downside? the rice is often overcooked or watery. But the amazing curries make up for the rice. For some odd reason, Rajun Cajun's food always tastes better had in a UofC campus cafe (ie Cobb, Swift). read more

This isn't the worst Indian food in the city, but it's not too far removed. I've been able to find better Indian in some pretty podunk cities (I'm talking the likes of Lafayette, IN and Toledo, OH), so it's absolutely scandalous that there isn't a legit Indian place anywhere on the South Side. Between the UofC and IIT alone, there's got to be a HUGE untapped demand. At least open an India House location or SOMETHING. Extra star because I didn't try the soul food and will give them the benefit of the doubt. read more

In all honesty, I would probably give this restaurant at least three stars for its concept alone. This is the place I tell people about when I try to explain Hyde Park as a neighborhood: a cafeteria-style restaurant with blindingly garish neon signs that serves Indian food and Soul food, side by side, while doing a side business in Bollywood movie rental. You can have peach cobbler with your mutter paneer. That is some funny sh*t right there. But it earns its fourth, real star from good food and good prices. As reviews indicate, the soul food is not the way to go. I've never tried that side of the menu, to be fair, but that mac 'n' cheese always looks sort of...coagulated. No, Yelper, you want the Indian food. The combo deals are great value-for-money. I recommend the saag paneer (spinach and cheese) and/or the aloo gobhi (cauliflower and potato); fortunately the combos let you do a little mix-n-matching. As noted below, no naan available - but this is a cafeteria, people. The key is quality, not quantity of selection, and their chapathis and samosas are good, fresh, and just the right amount of greasy. For the lassi afficianados, the mango lassis are very sweet and very orange - not sure how close they are to actual mangoes, but a delicious dessert drink nonetheless. read more

Wide variety of curry dishes, meat and VEGAN, yes I said vegan. Ask the wonderful people behind the counter, they will love to tell you that they use different oils for certain dishes and no dairy/meat based broths for certain veggie curries, inquire because everyday they don't have every curry available anyways. The fried chicken is delicious and incredibly moist, I recommend calling in your order, because they will always drop new chicken. There is some usually available in the cafeteria style food bar containing most of what they offer. Yet the chicken just dries out under the heat lamp, and the skin becomes way less crispy. There Mac & cheese is amazing, it's like KFC with thick noodles with creamy thick cheese sauce. Yet I will say, sometimes it's hit or miss, 20% off the time it's too runny and not cheesy tasting enough. Basmati rice, sweet potatoes, and corn muffins are really tasty too. They also sell semi-fresh juice(pre squeezed that morning or day before), they even have incense for sale on the wall left of the registers. I've heard its not super authentic, but remember it's Indian with American & Asian flare. So it's perfect for someone just trying Indian for the first few times, or with an Indian crave in Hyde Park. Very reasonably priced and with the remodel there is additional seating available. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Hyde Park. The food is cheap for the amount you get, and it's so good. I'm a vegetarian, and they have lots of options. I actually found out about this restaurant by a friend who all but dragged me there when he found out I had never tried their peas and paneer. If you go, you need to get some. Also the staff is very friendly. I got stuck here in a blizzard one time and they let me go back into the kitchen to use the bathroom. read more

After spending an evening at the Chicago Innovation Exchange, my friends and I decided to head across the street for a quick bite to eat. We were a little off put by the glowing neon sign, but decided to head in anyway. After immediately opening the door, a wave of incense hits you. You can see the serving area where they have the food heated for who knows how long. We each ended up ordering different items such as samosas and curry. I opted for vegetarian dishes like the chickpeas and the saag paneer. The dishes had a lot of spices, and I thought the saag paneer was pretty good. However, I don't know if I'd come back here. First, I don't know how long the food has been sitting in the buffet. Also, I'm pretty sure most of us had stomach aches after eating. Considering this is located in hyde park, it's decent, but I wouldn't consider it great Indian food. read more

I LOVE this restaurant and have been eating here for years. For the quality of the food and the value, you cannot beat it. The box specials are great, especially the vegetarian box and the lamb stew box. The chana masala is also a standout and I can't leave there without getting a mango lassi. It's fast, reasonably priced and absolutely delicious. Truly a treasure in Hyde Park. read more

There's, at best, two Indian restaurants on the south side of chicago. Rajun Cajun is on of them. Their samosas are good. The food is all pretty alright, but cmon... canned greens? Can't we get some real collard greens with our samosas? What's messed up is given the lack of indian/soul food fusion restaurants they could probably get 5 stars out of me real quick if they just up the ante. Up the ante, Please!!!!!!! Make that lamb the most succulent! Make those greens from scratch with some spice and some swine or smoked turkey! I'll give 5 stars to a cafeteria style in no time at all! I would kill to be able to give this place five stars! read more

I used to live around the corner, and now I miss having fast Indian food nearby. Everything I've ever had there has been tasty. I've never head any of the friend chicken or mac and cheese type options (why would you get these when there's Indian food?). Also, they don't sell them at the store (only at coffee shops near UChicago), but their chicken sandwich is also pretty good for the price. read more

WOW. was pleasantly surprised by this little place! Excellent service, great prices... and the food was generous and delicious. Wish there was more seating, but it's a great spot none-the-less. I recommend it for a cheap but good dinner. read more

One night my husband and I ordered delivery from here through GrubHub. The reviews seemed decent enough. A place that could potentially satisfy his craving for Harold's and my taste for Indian food that also delivered sounded too good to be true!! And it was!!! Ugh...where do I begin?? The fried chicken tasted like it was fried the day before. It was sooooo dry and cold. The chicken inside my butter chicken was equally dry. I could not figure this out because it was swimming in butter sauce. The mac and cheese he ordered tasted like straight up Kraft Velveeta. Coincidentally, I also thought the palak paneer tasted like the kind you buy in the foil packages at the grocery store. Nothing tasted remotely fresh. Even the stale cobbler tasted like some weird gulab jamun fusion. Why did they mess with such a perfect Southern food staple?? I really wanted to love this place, but sadly I didn't. The only forgiving thing is that you can order half-portions of stuff for cheap, so you don't feel guilty when you throw it out. Oh, and the naan . . .might be the only other decent thing about this place because it's ok. read more

An incredibly tasty, unpretentious, affordable, friendly place. It seems to be run by a single family, and there is great hospitality and warmth in my conversations with everyone behind the counter. They are family-friendly, and my wife and I have always felt comfortable bringing our two small children (ages 2 and 4), We have not tried the fried chicken, but we have sampled a number of both the meat and veggie options, as well as the mango lassis and the cornbread muffins (!) - they are all consistently tasty and the portions are huge. Ordering a butter chicken meal, plus a couple samosas and some muffins, feeds my whole family. Very generous helpings. All in all, this is a regular stop for my family, either to dine in or carry out. If you find yourself in Hyde Park, you should definitely go by for a meal! read more

Rajun Cajun is not Cajun. Nor is it particularly Ragin' (Rajun?) in terms of spice- it's definitely pretty tame as far as heat goes. But it is good. Don't go here expecting haute cuisine - the neon signs and truly eye-hurting color scheme should've been a hint for that - but if you want a good cup of butter chicken and chana masala, it's pretty rockin. I don't particularly eat the southern food here, even though that's Rajun Cajun's "thing". The fried chicken is not very good at all, and the mac and cheese is only ok. But the Indian food is quite good, and cheap as sin. read more

Whether you like your chicken fried or tandoori, Rajun Cajun in Hyde Park can set you up, quick, and usually for under ten bucks. Serving crazy amalgam of Indian and Soul food (no Cajun food though, as far as I can tell), Rajun Cajun is a perennial favorite of University of Chicago students and local neighborhood residents alike. The atmosphere is kitschy on a good day, and can be a touch seedy on a bad one. The space was quite obviously converted from a Subway a long time ago. It's lit with neon, and decorated with fake plants and thrift store prints. Upbeat Indian dance music pipes through the sound system. I find the atmosphere charming and quirky, but I have a pretty high tolerance for that kind of thing. If you prefer to dine in more flattering light, Rajun Cajun also offers brisk take-out business, or for the truly lazy, home delivery for a $2 fee. I eat here so often I've pretty much fetishized my usual spread -- Where else can you eat vegetarian Indian food with a side of cornbread while sipping an orange-flavored Fanta? I especially love the cauliflower curry, peas and panir and the samosas. I think the food is great, I love that it's family owned and operated, and I get a kick out of the bizarre mish-mash of cultures and flavors. Rajun Cajun is one of my favorite spots in Hyde Park to grab a quick bite. It's eclectic, unpretentious, cheap and the food is consistently good. One time I was in there when this super-tough looking guy in a do-rag came in to get fried chicken, except they were all out. "Tan-doori chicken? I don't know, man. OK, sure, gimme some of that." read more

This is a 5-star place and here is why... Yum. I loved the Lamb curry. It was not quite as spicy as I can handle it but it was spice enough to not kill my wife and keep me happy. Really good food. Based on food alone it would get 4 stars. However the owner dumping our trays for us, joking with us, and being overall very friendly PLUS the HUGE portion size on the dinner combos boosts this into 5 star land. Great food, I will be returning oft. read more

I have some conflicting views of Rajun Cajun, but obviously, they ultimately work out to 4 stars. +I've only ever had the samosas, which are delicious. -I've never been too inspired by the rest of the selection there, or the prices. +The owners and other employees are always really nice, patient, and helpful. +++++The reason I gave 4 stars instead of 3 is the MASSIVE MOVIE COLLECTION they have in the back. She said they have about A THOUSAND titles now. Why has barely anyone mentioned this in their review?? This is the best part of Rajun Cajun! -I do wish there were a more authentic, less neon/cheap-feeling, less oddly-titled Indian place in Hyde Park/the South Side as Devon is 100+ blocks away! read more

Comfort food at affordable prices? Come at me yo! But seriously, their dinner plates (meat+vegetable dish+samosa and wrap) can even make the poorest college students happy. A crap ton of food for like $10? I only wish I found you earlier. Anyways, their butter chicken is made fresh, so get that. Their tandoori chicken is extremely flavorful, and despite it looking like it's been sitting stale for a while, it was surprisingly tender. You can't go wrong with any of the vegetable dishes, but the eggplant one was my favorite. Oh, and their samosa was among the best I've had, with a perfect breading to filling ratio. Oh, and they've got mango lassi. One last thing though, there's not really any "Cajun" on the menu. They pretty much had fried chicken and labeled that as Cajun. I didn't have an issue with this, but just beware, in case you were expecting Jambalaya or something. read more

A combo meal with an extra samosa and extra side is the perfect amount to share between two people. The most perfect combination is butter chicken with spinach & cheese and peas & cheese. If you're feeling ambitious, you can rent a Bollywood movie & get your incense here, too. I've been coming here for years, and the food & service have been consistently great. When you order a dish you've eaten several times before and still unintentionally INHALE it because it is just that delicious, you know that you've found a gem. read more

Hmm.. not sure why this place got such good reviews.. maybe location and the lack of other Indian restaurants in the area. Anyways, got there at 3 pm and my bf and I had an 8 pm reservation at David Burke's. So we both shared the butter chicken dinner for $10. Got the following - Medium butter chicken - I thought it to be rather small, and usually i like the chicken shredded. However it was cubed, which made it taste dry. Also, the sauce itself.. I could do better than that and I'm chinese! Samosas - Smaller than what i'm used to from Devon. But on top of that, it's just a weird outer wrapping, not flaky at all. Med Veggie - OK.. we got the califlower Bismati Rice - OK, but I hope they don't mess that up. Would not go again.. read more

Don't know why this place gets positive reviews ....flavourless bland indian food ....worst butter chicken iv ever eaten ....cafeteria styled. ..poor ambience ....prices were ok ... Would not return .... read more

Rajun Cajun's been around Hyde Park for years, though I rarely ate there in its infancy. One day someone told me they had Indian, so I decided to check it out. This is as good as it gets for Indian food in Hyde Park. Well, if you're not cooking it yourself, anyway. The curries are good, the tandoori's good, the samosas are great. I hate they don't have naan (which is one of my favorite things to eat period). It's not the cheapest, but the quality's solid enough and they've got the market cornered in the area, so it is what it is. If it just focused on the Indian side of things, that'd be good enough to give it four stars. But this place has a schizophrenic side personality and insists on serving "soul food." One night I had the craving for saag paneer and fried chicken, so I thought, "What better place to go than Rajun Cajun?!?" While they excel in tandoori, they waste perfectly good chicken away in the fryer. It was bland, greasy and dry. The mac and cheese is maybe a click below Stouffer's frozen, and the greens are just okay. After that trifecta, I don't think I ever want to try any of their other "soul" offerings again. If they just focused on the Indian and made it better, this place would be great. As it stands, it's just alright. read more

Not sure what I was thinking by coming here. I got the butter chicken and the chicken wasn't even in chunks. The chicken was pea sized! Wtf chicken isn't that expensive. The sauce was mediocre and tasted like it came from a can. The vegetable samosa was decent. I wanted to try the chicken samosa but apparently those have to be ordered in advance. Whereas everything else is already cooked and stays heated on the counter. Also this place looked cheap but isn't actually. The curries don't come with anything, not even rice. So it forces you to spend at least $12 for a combo. This "indian" food is not worth $12. Take your money somewhere else and get a ton of authentic food instead. In terms of service, the man helping to scoop things definitely did not want us there. The cashier lady was friendly though. read more

Little yellow awning, deceivingly non-cajun cuisine... Rajun Cajun is my favorite Hyde Park restaurant. The ladies who run the place are super friendly, and they always have a nice, fresh selection of Indian curries and basmati rice. They've got a nice little combo going on where you can get a couple of hot dishes, rice, and a samosa that will warm your heart with Bombay dreams. These kids aren't stingy with the cayenne pepper and know how to make a curry that will clear out your sinuses faster than an ocean water enema (which, incidentally, does not clear your sinuses at all.) read more

This place gets four stars because it is what it is -- a little, cafeteria-style Indian restaurant with not a lot of seating, where your meal comes served with 100% disposable plates and sporks. The selection is limited. But that aside, it's one of the most noble establishments in Hyde Park. The food is delicious, and, according to my dad, relatively authentic. The "vegetarian meal" option is nice, but recently I've discovered the joy in ordering a large serving of an Indian dish paired with a side of the super-cheesy, cholesterol-heavy macaroni and a samosa with the "sweet" sauce. I'm pretty sure I could just eat five or six of those samosas as a meal. If you're looking for the Atkins Nutritional Approach, this is not the place to go. The Very Tasty approach? Absolutely. Not to mention the guys behind the counter are hilarious. read more

If you are looking to maxmize swiftness of service with nutritional value and price there is no better value than Rajun Cajun. Five minutes after walking in you can be walking out with a vegetarian meal (from real vegetables, not some processed soy garbage) made with love for less than 10 bucks. What more could you ask of a fast food place? This place is a neighborhood staple and I love them like family. My favorites include the cauliflower and potato, the chick peas and spinach, and the eggplant potato. Don't pass on the kidney beans if they are available. read more

So frustrating to read all of these glowing reviews. The truth is that this just isnt the indian food one would find on the North Side or Devon. In fact, it's nowhere close. The flavors are so incredibly bland that everythng tastes the same and its just a letdown every time (and Ive tried it several times, hoping that my tastebuds were to blame for the previous letdown). I hate that living on the South Side of Chicago means that one has to settle for sub par cuisine. read more

Great value, but the name is highly deceptive...rajun Cajun and it's Indian! They do have fried chicken and it's delicious, so that kinda goes with the name! Owners are friendly and the prices can't be beat! The Indian is also excellent, so treat yourself to this hidden gem! read more