OVERALL: 5-Star Family Run Restaurant that specializes in Cajun cooking.Table of 3 for an early Mother's Day celebration SERVICE: 5-STAR We were a table of 3 that ordered right before a large table of 11 came in. With only 2 staff that runs both front and back of house, all dishes were timed appropriately and we ate in stages with apps out first, entrees for all 3 of us, and then dessert. Super friendly service when ordering, running out dishes, and bussing the table. APPETIZERS: 5-STAR Corn Hushpuppies and large bowl of seafood gumbo was split by the table. Both were fantastic. Gumbo served with baguette to dip and hushpuppies served with remoulade sauce ENTREES: 5-STAR Shrimp PoBoy dinner with 2 sides Fired shrimp dinner with 2 sides Seafood Boil ala carte - crawfish, blue crab, corn on the cob. Personally if you're deciding between the shrimp poboy and fried shrimp dinner, go with the poboy. The poboy was absolutely overstuffed with fried shrimp. Remoulade sauce is good on the poboy with a few healthy of dashes Tabasco. DESSERT: 5-STAR Can I give the beignets more than 5-stars? These were fantastic. crispy outside, soft-pillowy inside beignets with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and side of caramel sauce to dip 20/20 will be coming back again very soon! read more

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For the most part the food is decent, the seasonal items need to be removed from the menu though. I was very disappointed in the cajun fries I ordered and the amount of grease that I brought home with me. Also wasn't a fan of how salty the fried green tomatoes were but the fried fish and shrimp poboys were hittin. read more

Swamp Cafe - The French fries came in a basket of grease at the bottom. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Gave "Swamp Cafe" a try, owned & operated by Chinese lived in Louisiana for 20 years, his gumbo & Po' boy style is a little different than the regular Cajun, but still ate-table and tasty, even his own invention of Boudin Tamale is bit off the mark. The best is his Beignets & Coffee using the mixings from Cafe Du Monde, the beignets is more freshener & softener than Cafe Du Monde & French Coffee's flavor is all over even you are not in New Orleans. read more

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No idea of its good or not. Tried twice in 2 weeks but always closed. All sites and recording days it's open. Don't answer phone to check if open. Don't waste time. read more

They owner is super friendly and it shows he loves the cook. The food is halal. I believe he may be the only Cajun halal place in Dallas area. The food did taste a little old imo but still was packed with a lot of flavors. read more

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I had the chicken po boy today. The chicken is very juicy, and tender. Food comes out fairly quick too. I had never had beignets before and they were very good. The doughy ones were the best. The owner is a nice fellow. Also a plus is the meats are halal so get your Muslim friends to try the food here! Ordered a cafe au lait on the way out with condensed milk. I will be back soon! read more

Swamp Cafe - Beignet! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I've been determined to try foods from small off the beaten path restaurants . I've been driving by for about a year now. Today I decided to stop in. It's kind of a hole in the wall place. But the food!!!!!! I tried Shrimp Etouffee. It was delicious, flavorful, and a little spicy. I was VERY surprised how good it was. I'll be back. read more

Swamp Cafe - Shrimp Etoufee - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Can't hate on the food, we were pleasantly surprised by everything we ordered... the hush puppies and jambalaya were table favorites.. Gluten free and vegan options were available. read more

I can't believe I'm just finding this place, it's sooo good!!! I ordered the Nola catfish basket, red beans and rice, and beignets.. Reminds me of Louisiana!! Everything was cooked so well! The chef was so friendly and welcoming. Really cool place! I will definitely be back to try more of the menu! read more

Swamp Cafe - Nola Fried Catfish Basket, Beignet, and Red Beans and Rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

For all the recommendations on Asian Grub Hub in DFW, NOW I GET WHY! This place looks very unassuming, but SO WORTH IT (caps was necessary). I'm no guru on all things cajun, but I am passionate about a good bowl of well-made, smoky gumbo. Swamp Cafe definitely does it right! My family has early roots in Louisiana, so we will randomly have cajun cravings. I am delighted to have this gem in Dallas, and I can't wait to *literally* write home about it. Seafood gumbo and crawfish étouffée - For a bowl at $12, they did not skimp on the seafood, which is more than I can say for the majority of places. The crawfish in the étouffée was *plentiful* (almost a crawfish per bite), making the experience all the better. Now I know that there are some personal preferences that people have for their ideal gumbo, but this place met my 2 favorite things: dark, smoky roux and...okra. I know that latter one is a controversial topic in the gumbo world. I do like okra in my gumbo, and I am not ashamed of it! I love this version, and I can't wait to take my sister here this weekend. read more

Swamp Cafe - Crawfish Étouffée - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I came to dinner with my friends and I throughly enjoyed the food. Everything was flavorful and the staff was very kind to us. The food stayed hot and fresh as we at every bite. They give you a nice portion as well so you may have to take some home read more

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I'm too lazy to write my usual blurb about non-Muslim owned/operated Halal restaurants but know this, the husband has a great story about his interactions with Muslims in China and the wife is extremely friendly, knowledgable and receptive. They've got more than just their food to make them stand out. Service wise there's not a lot to be said, the husband runs the back while the wife runs the front and they're both very friendly. Wife knows everything on the menu like the back of her hand and I haven't had an issue yet. As for their Cajun food, they've really got something special. Unless you have a friend from NOLA who's willing to cook it for you, you're not gonna get halal Cajun anywhere else in DFW. Be forewarned though, the flavor palette is completely different than what you'd expect from Mediterranean or South Asian cuisine where it's not about the stand out flavors but really how well they come together to satisfy your soul. Their Gumbo and Jambalaya both come out piping out and almost perfect, I just added some hot sauce. Their Po' Boys are on some nice crunchy rolls with fresh veg inside. I'm not the biggest fan of cat fish but you can't go wrong with the classic shrimp. They have a house made BBQ sauce that makes the whole thing sing. There's a lot of time and love that goes into the cooking here and I wouldn't have it any other way. I would end this review with a quirky French phrase but I'm too lazy to remember one so I'll leave you guys with a definitely recommend coming here so you can let your good times roll. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while, because the menu looks delicious. You can't really find Louisiana cooking in DFW that isn't a chain restaurant. The place was almost empty with Covid, except for one man eating a massive bowl of gumbo at a table in the corner. I ordered a muffuletta trying not to eat all fried food. It was okay, but nothing is crave again and not the best muffuletta I've had. I also had red beans and rice. They were bland. I also noticed that the owner had grabbed part of my order from a fridge in the corner of the store, which I thought was odd since he responded to other reviews saying everything is made fresh to order. If it was just me who ate, I wouldn't come back based on my food. My boyfriend got the Friday special and loved it. Maybe I just ordered wrong cause I stole one of those hushpuppies and they were incredible. He said the catfish poboy was great too. We had beignets and they were delicious. I did want to mention that I ordered online to go. The menu says they have Zapps chips, which we were both excited about. I know that they have them, because I waited in the store 10 minutes while they made my food but when I opened my bag at home it was Doritos. Why wouldn't you ask what chips I wanted since you have options? You can't just guess when you promote that you only have Zapps. We're open to trying it again but I want to try something else and I'd rather eat in so I can pick my own chips. Bonus: the restaurant smells great the second you walk in. I think that's why I was disappointed when it wasn't as great as I imagined. read more

Swamp Cafe - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

So, today is my mom's birthday and we usually go to Pappadeux's, but let me tell you: as long as Swamp Cafe is around, this is the new spot!! The decor is fun; it is filled with a ton of New Orlean's memorabilia. The owner (I'm assuming) was a one-man band, just as New Orleans is infamous for; he was the cashier, chef, bus boy, entertainment-- everything, and he was amazing at it! We really enjoyed his commentary and sharing a little bit of his life story with us. Now, the food -- so delicious and so plentiful. We got a variety of items and everything was great. I was concerned that I wouldn't be full, and the opposite happened. I've never received so much shrimp in a dish. Also, the oysters are huge! The only critique I have is that the oyster came whole and had parts that I am not use to chewing through/swallowing. Maybe it's the authentic Louisiana experience-- idk ‍. Nonetheless, 5 stars!! See you all again soon! read more

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Very kind and accommodating owner who stayed open late so we could have delicious beignets! He went above and beyond for us. We will definitely be back. Very authentic Cajun! read more

The best Cajun food I've had outside of Louisiana and definitely on par with some of the places I've had there. The rice was so fluffy and the fish was tender. Everything was seasoned just right. Owner was very friendly to us and told us how he started. He was very nice. I tried to come again but he wasn't open at the moment. But I'll be sure to come here when I'm craving good Cajun food read more

Omg what an amazing find! The owner and his daughter are great and the service is courteous. The chef is the owner and his daughter mans the front of the house, and they were both wearing masks and gloves, which was reassuring. He was very nice and showed us all the different organic meats and produce he uses in his creations. The muffelata, red beans and rice with beef sausage, Chicken po boy, shrimp po boy were all amazing. The portions are hearty with lots of authentic Cajun flavor. I highly recommend this place. Plus for those eat Halal, this places serves Zabiha halal. read more

Swamp Cafe - Daily Special---Muffuletta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Honestly, this is the kind of place I will never forget. The food is phenomenal. The portions are a bit big, but honestly? It doesn't matter. Chef David is a great guy. He's funny and helpful, but not in a forced kind of way, like in a Starbucks or Chick-file. The vibe is casual and comfy. One of the best places I have ever eaten at. Solid 10/10. read more

Chef David is a nice guy. Place is not clean and the food was bad. The chicken jambalaya- chicken was raw and there was no flavor. Even the chicken poboy was undercooked. I wish the food was better because chef David is a really nice guy, but the food was raw. read more

This place is really great, a hidden gem. The food was absolutely delicious! We tried the crawfish étouffée, catfish Po-Boy, red beans and rice, and beignets. The food was so fresh and tasty. The owner came to chat with us for a bit, he was a very interesting and passionate gentleman, you can really tell he loves what he does. When we told him how much we enjoyed the catfish, he explained how all of his meats are fresh and never frozen. Posting photos to show all of the food we ordered, but also wanted to post a photo of the fresh catfish to show y'all this food is high quality and everything is cooked to order. Also love that he has vegan options, and his meats are halal and kosher. Great spot, don't sleep on this awesome local restaurant. read more

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Ordered the crawfish étouffée. It was $12.00 . I took a picture and tried to capture the side best as possible. The food was GOOD but I felt I should have got more for $12.00. I ordered to go, so maybe if I dined in, I'd get more bang for my buck. I will return to try other items. read more

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With fond memories of visits to NOLA and my mamas southern roots, I was excited to check out this new spot on Trinity Mills. Upbeat blues were playing when I first entered this no-frills establishment which set a chill, laid-back tone for a much-anticipated lunch break. Staff eagerly greeted me and made sure to welcome me when they found out it was my first visit. Service was a little slow at the tail end of lunch but I was able to munch on some coleslaw and a side Caesar salad which came with the Tuesday, Shrimp Po'boy special. I am very pleased to say that the coleslaw had just the right ratio of carrot to cabbage and vinegar to mayo to sugar that I love. I don't enjoy coleslaws that are overly-mayo-forward and was so pleased that this spot hit it just right--reminding me of yearly trips to Georgia and the coleslaw often found at carry-out BBQ and cafeteria-style joints of the south. The Po-Boy was great too and even came with some extra fried shrimp on the side. I was thankful that the bread wasn't too thick but wished it were just a tad wider to hold onto the contents a little bit better. As it was, the French loaf was only about a shrimp and a half wide (which might explain why a few extra shrimp were included in the basket). Flavor was great and the fry on the shrimp was nice--they were piping hot when they came out! I was too full to eat the chips that came with the special but tossed them in the car to take home and share with my partner. They had a really nice kick! This is a spot I will happily return to and can't wait to try their other offerings. I'm so happy Swamp Cafe moved into the neighborhood with its yummy southern comfort food. read more

we were quickly sat down by the owner himself. he was very friendly as well as his wife who came in later and chatted with us for a little bit. we ordered Fried Mozzarella Sticks, Fried Mushrooms, Catfish Po'Boy, Seafood Combo and of course the Shrimp Etouffee. the food came very quickly even tho the owner was the only one working and cooking the food. it was freshly made and steaming hot. i was craving some serious Etouffee and Swamp Cafe didn't disappoint. these couple that owned the place are from NOLA and just moved here less than 5 years ago. the food was tasty and not too spicy for my 10 year old twin boys. after the meal i looked over to my youngest foodie son and said, "is this a 'we are definitely coming back' place"? he excitedly nodded his head. finally! i found my etouffee joint. it was hard to replace what i was used to in SF at the Hard Knox Cafe. i must say, this etouffee at the Swamp Cafe is much more tastier than Hard Knox's etouffee. read more

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Great halal Cajun food in dallas! Cute family owned restaurant - super nice and friendly. Such a great unique find for those who eat halal!

The food was incredibly delicious. I had the fried fish poboy. Amazing! The beignets & coffee was sensational. I'm from New Orleans & it was like I was sitting in a cafe in the French Quarter. The pictures of New Orleans was a great touch. read more

Swamp Cafe - Fantastic Crawfish Etouffee! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I give Swamp Cafe FIVE STARS easily for their seafood gumbo. It was absolutely delicious!! So flavorful, great price point, and good portion size. The depth of flavor from the roux was unreal. My fiancee is originally from New Orleans so he knows his stuff! He was raving about it as well. Crawfish étouffée was okay, I would prob skip out next time to try other menu items. Ambiance and service was great as well. The chef/owner has a lot of passion which is shown through his food. He was super nice and attentive checking up on us. Overall, I hope word spreads about this fantastic cajun spot!! read more

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I was excited to try Swamp Cafe!!! The gf, not so much. Should listened to her like usual. I wanted to try a little of everything and spent about $40 for lunch. Crawfish etouffee - slimy and tasted like murky water Bourbon Fried Chicken basket - hard and burnt outside, dry meat, 0 I mean 0 flavor, the bourbon sauce on the side was like from a store bought jar Red beans and rice - tasted ok-ish, mostly white rice Catfish Po Boy - 1 very thin sliced flank I don't see this place making it long term, def won't go back read more

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Diamond in the rough, owner and chef David was amazing . Took the time to show the menu and was able to choose from there the ingredients were so fresh loved it . We also were introduced to his wife somai I probably butchered the name sorry . But what a nice couple . Thank you guys ! read more

Saw someone posted beignets from a cafe in downtown Dallas. Well hello I'm not going there ! Too far. Searched online and was so surprised there's a nearby Cajun Creole cafe in Carrollton !! Went there to get dozen of beignets (of course) and jambalaya. They were so good mwwahhh . Beignets were a hit at my small gathering. Everyone was asking where I got them!! Owner was so friendly and welcoming. We went back there again to try more from the menu. My favorite one is Cajun shrimp ! Spicy and very good generous portion for the price. Definitely will comeback for more read more

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We got the catfish platter with a side of hush puppies and beignets. It was all wonderful.

This was not as advertised. The food was terrible. Their "gumbo" looked like slop. The ambiance was less than appealing and the service was lacking. I would never go back to this place. I didn't even eat the food I threw it away. read more

I stop by the business yesterday and Chef David welcome me and took care of me from that moment on. I ordered the crawfish etouffee and it was the Best I have had in this area. It beats some of the more well known Cajun establishments. I highly recommend if you work or live in that area to support the small businesses like Swamp Cafe. read more

This is my honest opinion from my experience at Swamp Cafe on Saturday, October 24, 2020. I am not taking any personal shots at the owners. I do not eat Zabiha-Halal frequently so this review may be biased. However, my friend, Zamun Murtaza, eats Zabihah Halal, and we generate a concise, yet thorough review for our readers. This review is tailored to those who want a "visual" walkthrough of what to expect when visiting a restaurant. If you do not wish to read about my full experience, feel free to scroll down and read how I rated the food below. VERIFIED - Owner buys meat from IndoPak's and Restaurant Depot. Preface: The chef/owner, David, was extremely friendly and to that point, we decided to ask him about his story and frankly why did he choose to use Zabihah meat at his restaurant. Grew up in Shanghai, China and lived in New Orleans for 30+ years - he learned about Zabihah Halal while growing up in China. David travelled to Xinjiang, where he learned how Uighur Muslims practiced the Zabihah halal method of slaughtering animals. With this knowledge, he only wanted to use Zabihah halal meat moving forward. After moving to New Orleans, he noticed that diverse groups of people would visit NOLA for the sole purpose of their Cajun food. As we all know, Cajun food usually consists of pork. He saw this as an opportunity to cater to everyone's dietary needs. As of today, he has succeeded. His entire menu is full of Zabihah Halal meat with no sight of pork and he serves a variety of seafood for those who opt for that. Review: Over the course of time, I have heard nothing but good things about Swamp Cafe and decided to try it with my friend, Zamun. I grew up in South Alabama and remember eating po-boys with my mom in the town of Bayou La Batre after she got off work. Cajun food is some of the best food in my opinion, the history behind it is so rich and considered a "melting pot" of different cuisines and flavors. I think I can speak for most Muslims when I say this but being able to try Gumbo without worrying about pork is a great experience. Overall Experience: 9/10 We ordered the following: Chicken Gumbo 20z - $7.99 Lamb Shank w/ Gumbo - $15.99 2 Shrimp Po Boys - $8.99 each Beignets (3 pcs) - $4.29 Cafe Au Lait - $3.29 Chicken Gumbo: 9/10 The chicken gumbo was served with a hearty amount of jasmine rice, which was greeted with a warm, toasted loaf of bread (pictured). At first, the aroma of the gumbo travelled through our face masks causing us to salivate over the toasted, blend of Cajun spices. We were so surprised by how the blend of flavors compliment each other. Lamb Shank w/ Gumbo: 10/10 As you can see, the picture below does not do it justice. The shank was slow cooked within the gumbo to the point where the meat falls right off the bone. Honestly, this was one of my favorite items off the menu. Highly recommend this dish if you are a lamb lover. Shrimp Po Boy: 9/10 As soon as I got it, all I could say was "Ohhhh boyyyy" The bread encompasses all the sandwich essentials - lettuce, tomato, mayo and fried shrimp (breaded with Cajun seasoning). You can expect about 7+ decently sized shrimp in just one sandwich. The only reason why we couldn't give it a full 10/10 was because of the sauce that was provided on the side. It was a little sourer than expected, which left a bitter aftertaste. All in all, I still would recommend. Beignets: 10/10 If you like sopapillas, this is literally the cherry on top of a wonderful Louisiana-rooted meal. Piping hot pastry served with a generous amount of powdered sugar and I would recommend adding a slight drizzle of honey to appreciate all the flavors of this dessert. Cafe Au Lait: 10/10 If you are familiar with Vietnamese coffee then you know that Cafe Au Lait is a very strong coffee. Be prepared to be knocked off your socks because this coffee is incredibly strong. It paired well with the hot beignets and deserves to be eaten together after your meal. Conclusion: This hole in the wall Cajun food joint in North Dallas welcomes people from all backgrounds. After this constructive analysis, Swamp Cafe has earned a place in our hearts. Southern Hospitality at it's finest. Additionally, I wanted to address the hospitality that David and his daughter provided. They took care of us and made sure our every need was met. In addition, he educated some fellow diners about the Zabihah Halal concept (which was explained to the tee.) I apologize for writing a novel, however, I wanted to provide this in-depth analysis of our experience. I wish the best for this business and hope to see it grow. **Please follow my Instagram @yuhungry_ for more in depth reviews! read more

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Here to share some love with this small business and community member. The food was good. Tons of crawfish in the etouffee and tasted fresh. I wished for a little bit more bold flavor, but didn't stop me from enjoying. Shrimp poboy did the job. Owner was very kind, and though he was chatting with another table a lot. He gave us some space since our kid was napping. I like the New Orleans decor. This place feels familiar to anyone who loves a little family-run place. read more

Food isn't great and depending what you order, it's not even good. Our group had shrimp po boys, jambalaya, gumbo and waffle fries. Shrimps we're decent good but nothing to go back for. Waffle fries were over cooked and mostly burned (similar to chick fil a for me). No one really liked their food. Hubs took rear of his home with the aim to finish and not waste it. Next day jumb and gumbo tasted metallic and not good at all. We decided to try the bignets. Not good either. Had zero flavor and all you could taste was the powdered sugar on top. And the sugar was PILED ON. We definitely won't be going back. Too bad the service was good. Really nice and friendly guy. I guess he was the owner. No one else in kitchen or dining room. Completely empty except us. Unfortunately the place probably gets enough business for halal eaters. But it's just not worth the time and money. Really hate but not surprised at all anymore when halal places have bad food and/or service but people keep going back just because 'halal'. read more

Everything was so FREAKING DELICIOUS. It was absolutely **chef's kiss** they do not skimp on the seafood one bit. Every single detail down to the portion sizes, homeyness, fat aS*s oysters, and the perfect bread to use as a vessel for said fat oysters was AMAZE. Definitely coming back to try more. We ordered the seafood gumbo, crawfish etoufee, oyster po boy, beignets and coffee. Such a big lunch and I feel as fat as the oysters but it was soo worth it! read more

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I've visited a couple times now and I'm a fan. The bread used on the shrimp po boys are nice, warm, and soft. The shrimp tastes really good and is pretty tender. Love their hush puppies, I typically get a basket of those with each order. Their beignets are more on the dense side vs flaky, but they still taste quite good. I did however get powdered sugar everywhere so I looked like scarface by the time I finished. read more

Went here after searching Yelp; sometimes I wish I wouldn't rely on reviews cause the ones for this place were misleading. Either I came on an off day or I have different taste. Got some of the fried baskets, gumbo, and etouffee. The fried fish was old and had no flavor. The fries were even older. The shrimp gumbo and crawfish etouffee were good, which is how they got 2 stars. There was only 1 person there to do the cooking and ordering and payments. I guess that is why the food was old and tasteless; all pre-made to get through the afternoon. I would not recommend this place. It's rather unfortunate because the gentlemen was nice. Perhaps an off day - go at your own risk. read more

Swamp Cafe - Inside - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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The food and service were so amazing! Chef and his staff are very friendly and love people. My friend and I are both from Louisiana originally and are cautious about "Cajun style" spots in DFW. We were both pleasantly surprised by the menu variety. This is authentic Louisiana food. Definitely recommend the Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp Poboy, Catfish & Shrimp basket, beignets and Cafe Du Monde coffee. read more

The BEST crawfish étouffée I've ever had in my life. Everything we ordered was fantastic, made fresh, and very reasonably priced. Chef David is so nice- we had an awesome conversation with him about how he started cooking and his time living in New Orléans. He gave us beignets on the house at the end of our meal, and they were delicious! Can't recommend coming here enough! read more