DASIA!! She is the BEST bartender 10/10 she is literally so kind and accommodating. Also drinks were amazing. The food was great and came out quick, pimento poppers were great! read more

We order Togo one time and it was so good I said I have to go back and try it sitting down, the atmosphere is super laid back but still a hint of class. It was such a good time we went on a Friday the food was delicious the greens with garlic sooo good the soup was great also. They had a live band w karaoke soooo good a little dance floor, drinks were good. Parking not the best but it's downtown Raleigh so you know what comes with that. Once we finished here we walked up the street and went to the club such a good time read more

Came here for dinner with friends. Great waitstaff, food was really good too! Location was awesome, right in downtown!

I was there for a quick bite to eat on my lunch break. Everybody was very chill and accommodating. I got dry rubbed wings and a side salad. What I ordered was very good. Wings were a good size and the salad was good as well. Next time I'm going to try their Louisiana inspired dishes for sure! Definitely recommend! read more

Drinks were good, chicken Gumbo wasn't too bad. However I didn't like it, it didn't taste anything like gumbo. Atmosphere wasn't all that either. read more

My dad had a party there last night. Service was slow, only 1 person for a large party of 30 (shot out to Loni), no communication with staff, GHETTO city girl vibes, claiming they're the manager (Abby), unprofessional looking staff with their belly button showing, skittle hair colors....will never go back. Between the service and food, it wasn't worth what my dad paid. I thought this was a higher end place. Not. Go to Clyde's chicken instead. read more

I really enjoyed my meal at The Big Easy. Our waiter was very patient with the group as we had one with many restrictions but we were able to find a dish that worked. I was excited to eat here as alligator was on the menu. I had crocodile many years ago and loved that so wanted to try alligator. They were so very good. Service was also very good here. The Big Easy is a place I'd return again. read more

See all

This is probably my favorite place in town for some spicy Cajun! Always can count on a flavorful dish with an extra kick! Love love love the Etouffee! And the rib eye just melted in my mouth. Closest thing to New Orleans cajun cuisine... read more

The Big Easy - Lobster and crab pasta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I cannot forget to mention that a cockroach ran past me while I was sitting at the bar eating my lunch. I am phobic of cockroaches and this just killed my entire appetite. They say every one cockroach you see, 100 more are behind the walls. Do not eat here! Drinks are also weak for the price and ESPECIALLY the sale price. I cannot speak for the previous staff, but I can tell you for certain the staff as of September 2021, are the most pretentious, obnoxious losers I've ever met. DO NOT VISIT NO MATTER HOW "CONVENIENT" THEY ARE. PS: I just took a look at the other reviews talking about what great ambience this is and everything... I don't think they are publishing a review for this particular place. It's in a plaza, with a few tables out front, and very little room inside because the bar takes up all of it. Not that there is hardly anyone ever there to work it. Clearly, those reviews were made by employees. You'll see if you don't listen. read more

I went to The Big Easy with my friends during restaurant week. It was $20 for a salad, entree, and an appetizer. We all decided to share, so I got quite a bit of their food. I have to admit I really liked their Cajun style food. I started off with the Caesar salad, which is pretty much what you would expect. For appetizers, we had the alligator bites crab stuffed poppers, and pimento cheese fritters. The alligator bites (yes it's real alligator) were my favorite because it's a little exotic. If I had to describe it, it tastes like salty chicken nuggets to me. The pimento cheese bites were a close second but the crab stuffed poppers were good too. For the entree, I got to try the jambalaya, crab cakes, shrimp creole, and crawfish etoufee. The crab cakes were my favorite, although the crawfish etoufee and shrimp creole were tasty as well. They all had a nice spice to it. The jambalaya was good, but the sauce was a little different for my tastes and the other entrees I had. Lastly for dessert, we got the bourbon street brownie, and we also checked in to yelp and got the free 3 beignets. The bourbon street brownie was amazing! It's a huge slice of brownie with pecans that melts in your mouth. The beignets were nothing too much to go on about for me. Overall, I recommend going here and doing there alligator bites, crab cakes, and brownie! read more

The Big Easy - Crab cakes! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Service was atrocious. It took 60-90 mins after we sat down to get our food. Their planning, operations and coordination sucks. Appetizers were mediocre. Main dishes were fine. Crab dip is not something I would recommend - It took an hour to get, and it tasted like it was sitting in a chaffing dish for 2-3 hours. We went Sunday for dinner. After finishing brunch service, instead of closing, the restaurant has dinner service. Team was exhausted, Food was gone. Nothing prepped and orders had to be reordered twice due to lack of communication between front of house and kitchen. Maybe it was a really bad bad day. Not sure. Despite poor performance by team, our server was nice. They have items on menu just not available. Shrimp Ettoufee is a favorite of mine, on menu but haven't had it available for a long time. Rule of thumb... don't have it on menu if you Don't plan to serve it. Generates customer dissatisfaction. Flavor profile... spice blends were not mellowed, a bit rough/harsh to taste, not properly tempered and stewed enough to make it a smooth taste. Don't waste your money... although very reasonably priced... it is not the New Orleans food I remember or have had. read more

I had been craving gumbo for a few days now and decided to drive down to Raleigh. I called earlier to see if there was a wait of any kind. The lady who answered the phone was VERY pleasant and said a party of 2 could walk right in. Once we arrived, there was no one at the podium but there were 3 employees cleaning a table. We waited for about 5 minutes and one of the employees cleaning the table finally came to seat us. No big deal. We finally get seated. We wait and wait and wait and wait. A gentleman behind us gets seated. A few moments later a waitress comes to take his order. We still sit and wait. No one even bothered to stop by the table and say they'll be with us in a moment or anything. After waiting some more, I go up to the hostess stand and asked her if someone, anyone will come take our order today. "Sure" she says. Minutes later a waitress comes with 2 waters and just stands here. No explanation of the menu. No mention of specials (if there were any). She just plopped 2 waters on the table and STOOD here. No conversation. No nothing. This was very off putting seeing that we had already waited so long for some kind of acknowledgment. My son didn't have a drink (besides water). I asked him if he ordered one and he said no because she didn't ask. I had to get up and go to the bar and ask a random waitress for a sweet tea. As for the food. I should've taken my hour and 1/2 drive somewhere else. The food was "ok" at best. But definitely not worth the hassle I went through to get it. Due to the service alone, we will not be coming back here. read more

What is safe to order and doesn't require scrutinizing the menu for allergens? Ceasars Salad right? Not here. My tomato-allergic companion ordered it and it came smothered in tomatoes, mistake right? Ask the wait person to correct and she disappeared for 4-5 minutes and reappeared to argue about the word tomato actually being on the menu. My companion can't eat it, no not even if they are removed, duh. I insisted the wait person take it away. Manager comes over "I understand that there is a problem". Don't call it a Caesar Salad if it has tomato on it. Manager "Our Caesar Salad has tomatoes". Begins to scold my companion for insinuating that Big Easy is looking low class about now. My meal is soggy 15 minutes later when the actual Caesar Salad arrives. Won't ever be back, there are high-class restaurants all over downtown Raleigh. read more

Alex was our server and she was great! She gave us excellent food and drink recommendations and was so very friendly! The food was fantastic as well, definitely recommend trying the egg rolls! read more

We went here last night and there was a band playing. The band was actually really good and played a variety of different music. Small crowd due to the rain; however, that allowed for faster service for the rest of us. Ordered a Moscow mule and a Red Bull and vodka. The late eats menu was a little pricey given that some places tend to discount later menu items, so I ordered the fries. The bartender let me choose where the fries would come out to so we didn't have to sit at a table waiting, which was nice. read more

The Big Easy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Contrary to many other reviews we had a quite decent lunch here on a busy Saturday afternoon downtown. Three of us sat at a high-top in the bar area and had very efficient service, despite how busy they got. I stole a taste of Dad's bowl of She-Crab soup and thought it was delicious! It came with two corn muffins. Did not try those, but Dad liked them. Husband seemed to enjoy his carbs...a big bready Shrimp Po-Boy, with a giant mound of very good fries. Trying to be a bit healthier, I chose the Grilled Shrimp Baton Rouge appetizer that came with a "house remoulade". Menu description said the shrimp was spicy. It was not. Spiced with cajun seasoning, yes. Grilled nicely. The remoulade was also spiced with cajun seasoning, and while it added to the shrimp, it had a slightly strange texture. Almost sticky. Not sure what that was about, but it didn't stop me from using it. Also had the side Greek Salad, which I know is all wrong in a Cajun place but again, it sounded like one of the healthier options. And yes the salad items were good, but the dressing also had a strange texture. Would have been better with just oil & vinegar. Like the variety on the menu. All the food we saw around us looked quite good and the whole place was bustling with happy-looking people. Would definitely go back. read more

See all

Great location. Love the ambiance inside. Our server was very attentive. Drinks were perfect and our meals were hot, delicious, and full of flavor! The sampler plate was really good so I could try several dishes in one meal. So good! Fish and shrimp was also very delicious! We will be back read more

See all

My family and I walked up and was greeted at the door. Waiter was very welcoming and friendly. Ordered our food for the kids and it came fast. Now it's time for the adults to eat. First order of business was the Backwoods Bourbon Punch for the wife and an Arnold Palmer for me. The drinks arrived and they tasted amazing. Now comes the food. Boom. Hello. The Half Catfish and Shrimp poboy with an appetizer of Oysters. The seasoning was on point. Each bite was perfect. The faces we made were comical because the food was soooo good. We chowed down like we hadn't eaten for days. We had to finish with the bourbon street brownie. Needless to say we will be coming back to this amazing establishment. The staff were great. They worked well with each other and with us as the customer. read more

The Big Easy - Www.charlescollective.com - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

One of the only places that accepted a large party last minute on a Saturday night thank you again! Our server was a new girl who knocked us out with no problem at all! The food was classic Cajun style! Reminded me a lot of a spot in Louisiana names "Walk-Ons". Would definitely hit up again if I'm in the city. read more

The Big Easy - Shrimp Po Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This was our first time here and let me tell you honey!!! On a Friday to get seated right away at 8pm is rare!! The General Manager was very visible and helping at each table, which I appreciated. Our server Olivia was new and she did an AMAZING job!! I ordered the catfish po boy and the catfish was seasoned to perfection and fried hard!! Don't sleep on the mac n cheese either!! The Big Easy, you did not disappoint. The food, ambiance, and friendliness all equal a perfect experience in my book! read more

The Big Easy - Hurricane! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The service could have been better, but my food took approximately 53 minutes to make it to the table from the time I ordered. The drinks they gave were really delicious, but I just assume it must be the cooks in the back that took a long time to make my meal. The waiter only came by to ask if we needed more drinks, but never to update us on why our food was taking almost an hour to come up. Food should never take that long to come out, but if they were running behind or short handed they should at least acknowledge the fact that it's taking forever. I have to give it 3 stars. I died of hunger three times before it came out. But I'm revitalized now. Sheesh that was a close one. read more

See all

Went here to grab a bite and after having a seat we were completely ignored. The bartender had to tell the waitress to get us a menu and we finally got our drinks and placed our order. After about thirty minutes I asked another employee to get my food in a to go plate. Needless to say it was cold, turns out it had been sitting there waiting for the waitress to bring it out. So disappointed in the staff definitely will not go back. read more

This place is always listed during Restaurant Week, and I have been meaning to come. When I finally did try this place, it wasn't during the Restaurant Week special. Bummer. Came here with a large party and was seated in the back - quite private from the rest of the restaurant. The venue is dark in lighting. Floor was sticky, like walking into a night club where alcoholic drinks have been spilled all over by dozens of drunk people, except this isn't a night club, it's dinner. You'd think they could at least mop the floor for dining purposes. Even my chair was getting stuck to the floor when I was trying to adjust it. Food-wise, there is a great menu selection. All the New Orleans classics are there - Jambalaya, Gumbo, Etouffee. Lots of seafood options. Started with the Stuffed Shrimp (5 shrimp stuffed with crab and fried, served over a creole sauce, with sautéed garlic spinach, $9.75). They look like Stuffed Crab Claws (a Chinese dish) served over salsa. It tasted better than I expected. Despite being indicated as spicy on the menu, it is barely spicy, as I had hoped. They are crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside. The sauce (whatever it is) nicely complements the stuffed shrimp. The spinach tastes great, very garlicky. I had to order the Crawfish Etouffe (crawfish sautéed in a butter roux with mixed vegetables and spices, served with rice and cornbread, $14.75). I had just recently watched a 9-year-old girl on Master Chef Junior create a stunning etouffe (pronounced as "et-two-fay"), and when I saw this on the menu, I just HAD to try it! The key feature is the smothering sauce, and this restaurant nailed it! The sauce was thick, creamy, buttery, and absolutely delicious! Goes much better with the cornbread than the rice, but they give you such a small piece of cornbread with the large plate of etouffe! A Taste of Louisiana comes with 3 small bowls (approx 8oz) of Jambalaya, Chicken Gumbo, and Red Beans and Rice plus Fried Shrimp or Gator ($13.75). The portions are disappointingly small. Yes, it's technically just "a taste," but it's an expensive tasting! I like the Red Beans and Rice the best, as simple as that sounds amongst the other samplings. Complimentary Beignets (5 fried hollow pillows of dough dusted with powdered sugar per plate) were given in honor of the birthday member of our party. A great finish to our meal! Overall, food was great, but pricey. Venue could be much cleaner, bathroom included. Service was lacking, it was easy to be ignored. The waiter wasn't too sure of the menu. When asked about details of a dish, the waiter was very vague. There was a saxophone Jazz artist playing. Nice musical addition. We made a request for him to play "Happy Birthday" for a friend, and he kindly obliged. read more

See all

Very good fried oysters. Fries over-fried though not burnt. All meats are fried or blackened. No grilled or baked choices. Friendly service. Quaint setting. Reasonable prices. read more

Loving all things New Orleans after a recent birthday trip I was happy to see this was in walking distance for a weekend stay with my other half. We decided to do outdoor seating and the weather was just right. We enjoyed an appetizer, two entrees, & a couple of drinks. The alligator bites were a first for us both so I can't say anything other than I felt they were salty and mustard sauce needs a change. I didn't get to try alligator in New Orleans so this was pretty dope. He ordered the burger and could barely finish it so I'd say it was worth it. I had the salmon medium cooked. Superb in taste. Moist and not overly cooked. Now the rice was lacking and I can't go any further than that. Green beans were sufficient but overall I felt my sides could use some work. I would say stop by and try something different. I hate I forgot to order beignets though I definitely miss that part of Nola. read more

See all

This is my favorite creole restaurant in Raleigh! All of their food is delicious and so full of flavor. My favorite dish is pretzel. I have to have it every time I go. The wings are another fav appetizer of mine. If you're in Raleigh you have to drop by downtown and try this place out. The food is great and the prices are really reasonable. The restaurant plays music you'd hear in the French quarter and all the servers and bartenders are really great too. It's jut an overall good vibe and great food. read more

See all

Great food and service December 2020. Had lunch on a Sunday...got the taste of La,. The gumbo was awesome, fried shrimp even better. Red beans/rice good, jambalaya ok, but a lil nervous on this one as it was cool/almost cold. 5 stars as they are staying open and serving quality food and safe service during this "pandemic". read more

Great food. My cousin took us to The Big Easy two years ago. This is one of Raleigh's hidden gems. The food is fresh and off the chain with Cajun flavor. I love the shrimp and grits. They are the best. The club sandwich is great and very filling. The chicken salad sandwich is also very good. The Big Easy has a large menu and daily specials. Great setting and atmosphere. Staff very friendly and helpful. They were helpful in showing me what to order and gave great advice on the food and specials. read more

I was brought to this downtown Raleigh restaurant for a evening of fun and comfort dining. As well as for my love of Cajun/Creole cuisines, you see my (I) family is from New Orleans, so I know good New Orleans food (flavor) when I taste it. I must say that I was pretty impressed with the decor. It made me feel like I was walking through the streets of the French Quarters, with memorabilia reminiscent of New Orleans Mardi Gras. The dining area was set to make you feel as if you were sitting in a courtyard, with painted murals of everything New Orleans. Like a portrait of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, Bourbon Street at night and many others. The dining area is clean and well maintained and close to the kitchen so the food is delivered hot. Which brings me to the food itself. I ordered the Crawfish Étouffée (well I did say wanted to see what this was made of), and I must say I was not disappointed. The crawfish didn't taste like it was frozen ,which is good because that was the first question I asked my server, if the crawfish was frozen or shipped fresh. To my luck they had just received a deliver that Wednesday and we dined there Thursday. The sauce was flavorful and well seasoned, my compliments to the chef. To make my visit feel more authentic I had the Hurricane cocktail and it was awesome. All in all, I can definitely say that I will be back here on my next visit to Raleigh and can't wait to try the other variety of dishes and of course another Hurricane. The one reason I gave this establishment 4 as opposed to 5 was because I felt the live bands should have played music more inline with New Orleans culture like Second Line, Blues and Jazz. read more

See all

We came here to celebrate my nieces graduation from NC State. We ordered two appetizers (pimento cheese fritters and crab poppers). They were Luke warm and the pimento was cold inside, so that was disappointifOur entrees were the hamburger, lobster ravioli, 2 crab pasta, crawfish étouffée, crab cakes, and the turkey club. The lobster ravioli was phenomenal, we would definitely rate it a 5. The burger was not so good, we would rate it a 3. The turkey club was good and packed with meat and toppings. The combination made for a really good and flavorful sandwich. The crab pasta was good, it could of used a little more seasoning. read more

See all

Food is amazing! Delicious and big servings. We came hungry for brunch and enjoyed it. Great service as well. Brought us everything we needed. Checked to make sure all was good. Excellent spicy Bloody Mary for me and margarita for my friend. We both ordered seafood platter. Can do half blackened and half fried. Will be back! read more

See all

The etouffe was awful. It was the worst ever. It's like brown gravy. There is no Cajun flavor at all. My husband picked up a takeout order. I brought it back because I just knew it was a mistake. The manager told me no mistake at all. This is how it looks and tastes. I didn't bother asking for a refund! The food is not authentic Cajun food. The ambiance inside seemed very nice but the Cajun dishes are horrible! read more

Super yummy food and patient and friendly staff. We had a large group and they worked with all of our crazy needs lol. Next time I'm in town, I will be back! read more

I really like this spot to chill, grab drinks, and some wings. Music choice is hit and miss but the Louisiana touch give a decent vibe. The bartenders I've had have been great! Opinions may vary though. read more

The Big Easy - Great bar/food. I've come multiple times now. Nice quick hangout. Have to try the hurricane! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Seated at a dark noisy sticky table in the bar evev though wr had a reservation and waited over 20 minutes to be served. Finally flagged a waitress down and she said "not my section." Eventually got an OK, at best, po boy with about 6 shrimp in it and some alligator bites that made my wife sick. Never going back. Waitress that finally came through was super and earned the second star. read more

First, service was pathetic. Serving sizes were very small, more specifically the so called Entrée of seafood gumbo was barely a bowl of soup. Crab cakes were sweet as a cookie. No crab flavor at all. Male bathroom was disgusting. One of two toilets worked. read more

Food was amazing, we got gumbo, jambalaya, etoufee, & catfish platter. Everyone loved their food. Seasoning was on point.

Shoutout to Bonnie for being an amazing waitress!!! I've never gotten my food so quick in my life. Great food and great drinks :)

In town, I visited this place because my partner wanted some hometown Louisiana style food. He ordered the mufallata (I may have spelled that incorrectly) with fries. I ordered grilled shrimp to share for appetizer, crab cake with sautéed garlic spinach, and Mac and cheese. We both had sweet tea as our beverages. The food was subpar. In particular, his fries were overcooked, fried hard, and very greasy. My spinach was so salty that I only had 2 spoons, my crab cake was heavy on the bread, and it was low on the lump crab and salty (I only ate 1 of the 2). The Mac and cheese were watery. He stated that his sandwich was also salty. So we figured whoever cooked was heavy on the salt that day and lacked on the other dishes. BUT, as we left, I started to feel sick to my stomach. We walked to the car, and I lost all that I ate on the sidewalk. I felt poisoned. My stomach was hurting, and I felt dizzy, sweaty, and ill. We couldn't even walk back to let them know something was wrong with the food because my stomach was hurting so bad, and my head started pounding. Before we could get home, my partners stomach started aching as well. Long story short, whatever they cooked with whether the food was bad or not, it caused major gastrointestinal symptoms. We will not eat here again, nor will we tell others. It's giving me a dirty restaurant and I wish we could get our money back. It's the next day, and my stomach still aches. read more

Have no idea because waited to be seated for 8 minutes and no one bothered to seat me. Looked at menu at hostess station, etc. So left and got something else to eat. read more