Table service was good but food was decent and not worth the money. Food was hot though. Ambiance was good for a place open so late.

Excellent bartender service. The best wings I have had around town and a very cool atmosphere and location. We had a table of 5 and everyone loved their food. read more

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

Stumbled across this place for a late date night and was pleasantly surprised. So much so that we brought our out-of-town friends whom loved the experience as well. read more

See all

The food was good. I had the jambalaya pasta and crab dip for my appetizer. The service however was slow. My group spent 4 hours at this restaurant and over half of that was spent waiting on our server. Cocktails were decent, a little too sweet for my liking. read more

Great food, great staff, great overall experience!! My friend and I were really craving some New Orleans food and found this as a suggestion online. Their online menu looked amazing so we decided to give it a try. Due to COVID-19, there really isn't much dine-in business going on, but when we arrived we were not the only ones. People were socially distanced, and the staff looked small but were very welcoming and appropriately wore their masks. Our waitress, Loni, was AMAZING!! Very hospitable and had great suggestions to what my friend and I would be craving. Like I've been saying in most of my reviews--amazing service is what distinguishes the GREAT from the rest!! Loni and the bartender had both recommended the alligator bites (which we had never tried before) as appetizers, and Loni came out with all of their sauces for us to try and see what we liked better. We sent some away and kept what we would use for the rest of the meal. Honestly, the standard gator sauce it comes with was my favorite, but we had also ordered pimento cheese fritters that were phenomenal on their own but even better with some basic honey (one of our sauces)!! Both were amazing and are highly recommended! I ordered the seafood gumbo as my entree and would highly recommend if you love seafood! My buddy got the A Taste of Louisiana, which he loved as well. We finished our evening meal with 2 orders of beignets which were not on the menu that we originally viewed. Loni hooked us up with some ice cream to make the perfect dessert combination. It was so good!! Definitely come check this place out and say what's up to Loni if you can get her!! read more

See all

Me and 4 of my friends just left here and it was an absolute MESS!! The waiter was horrible. Nice guy but not attentive AT ALL. Came to the table ONCE to give us the drinks we ordered, 2 of which weren't even from the bar and even then, we had to call him over. After visiting the bar, come to find out, he never put the order of drinks in. Then he comes over to tell us we can't get the food we initially order. So we have to reorder food. The manager was also full of crap. We waited OVER 2 hours for food that was never prepared. After we tell him we're leaving, the manager tells us that he's going to check what food they do have and he never returns. The waiter returns to tell us there is no food while everyone else around us is being served who came in AFTER us. I'll NEVER be back to this restaurant. Can't believe we just waited for over 2 hours and the food was never prepared. read more

I visited with my friend and wife on January 17, 2025 and I will not go back. This Resturant has gone downhill. The salmon was not seasoned, it was greasy and fishy. The sauté spinach was greasy and salty. My friend pork chop no seasoning and just a big chunk of meat. The chef that night needs to be fired! The food was not resturant quality. The waitress pleasant and bubbly however she did not take my complaint to the manager. Additionally the crab hush puppies she recommended a fried mess disgusting! And the food was not hot. read more

We've been going to this restaurant for 14 years. Since COVID as all businesses, they raised their prices. However, they've raised them again. But, raising prices AND drastically cutting your portion sizes is not good business. We were VERY disappointed to order some of our favorite dishes, paid more for them, only to still be hungry afterwards. We eat out often so we know we are paying more at all restaurants...but this was ridiculous. My "entree" salad had only a 1/2 egg. If someone orders an entree, and pay over $10, you should give them more than a small bowl of dry spinach, 1/2 of an egg and part of a tomato and a little bacon. I could make this a very long post about other issues, but I will stop there. The server was very nice, and the newer paintings of Prince and other artists was a nice add to the decor. However, we do not plan to return with those prices and portions sizes. Sad decision for us, as we've been customers here for a long time! read more

Even though the place is packed at night, the bartenders and servers have no problem getting food and drinks out. The food is good but is missing that true NOLA taste. Fridays and Saturdays are good nights to go for fun with friends as they host Karaoke and a DJ. 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

The holiday season is very busy and when I arrived there was confusion about seating that delayed my visit. What changed a bad start to an amazing experience was my server Alex! She genuinely felt bad that we were forgotten and turned everything around. I appreciate her going above and beyond to make things right. The food was delicious and we got there right when the music started and the atmosphere was friendly and fun. I will definitely go back but, now I know to ask for Alex. read more

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You know what always sounds really good? Cajun food. I had been meaning to dine at The Big Easy for quite a few months, and finally got the chance to go with a friend one day for lunch. We both went with a She-Crab Soup to start and A Taste of Louisiana for the entrée. A Taste of Louisiana comes with "A generous portion of jambalaya, chicken gumbo, red beans and rice and your choice of fried shrimp or gator." Gator is obviously the only right choice in this scenario. The She-Crab Soup arrived first and... No, it actually didn't. Despite the fact that the soup is premade, and the restaurant wasn't busy, our server seemed to have forgotten about the soup until the entrees came out. Not a big deal. The soup was still good, but nothing beyond what could be expected. I next dug into the Taste of Louisiana, and I think The Big Easy used the term "generous" rather generously. The gator bites were the highlight of the dish. They were absolutely delicious, and the portion just didn't seem quite enough. This seemed especially true when the gumbo, jambalaya and red beans could collectively be summed up by the word "meh." I can easily see myself returning for more of the gator bites, whether as an appetizer or as part of the Gator Po' Boy. Outside of that, my experience at The Big Easy proved to be rather underwhelming. read more

The Big Easy - A Taste of New Orleans - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

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

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

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

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

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