Wards is a hidden gem! It's all good. Fish, shrimp, crawfish, burgers, chowder and bread puddingatmosphere is great to watch a game or perfect after day on the lake. 10/10 read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole is a reasonably large restaurants in the woody outskirts of Hot Springs, AR. I thought my GPS was leading to someone's mama's house - that's how remote it was. Actually, it was a short drive from Lake Ouachita where we were staying. The only pitfall was the wait time on 7.20.2025 for our takeout. After 30 minutes, I lost track of how long we sat there. The employees were all real sweet, though, constantly checking on us. Here's what we enjoyed: Cajun shrimp (1/2 lb) = $12.50 Blackened catfish = $25.99 (not the best, but it was alright) 1/2 lb crab legs = $12.50 2 corn on the cobs = $2 boiled mushrooms = $1 (damn these were spicy lol) RATING BREAKDOWN Food: 4 | Service: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Price: 3 read more

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Food and service are unmatched. The only thing that keeps me from going back is the long wait times for a table during peak season.

This place was soooo good! We came to visit from Oklahoma! Definitely will be back again! Our waitress Gracey was AWESOME! Atmosphere was pleasant & casual! All the food we had definitely HIT after a 7 hour drive! read more

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Showed up a hour before closing .. half the tables were empty . Hostess told us she was not sitting anyone else but let her see where she was and would let us know . Another worker came up after we waited another 10 minutes and stared NO !! The sign says no we are not taking anyone else very rudely ! It is now 8:15 .. 45 minutes until they close and we are driving back into town to find dinner .. I will never set foot on this establishment again ! read more

A True Gem in Hot Springs - Wards Crawfish Hole is the Real Deal! We had the absolute pleasure of dining at Wards Crawfish Hole in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I can honestly say it was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had! We called last minute to see if they could accommodate us for a very special occasion -- my elderly mother-in-law's 77th birthday -- and not only did they say yes, they went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and cared for. In a world where genuine hospitality can be hard to find(we had a horror experience with Cajun Boilers), the customer service at Wards was exceptional. Warm, friendly, attentive, and completely authentic -- the kind of service that turns a good meal into a great memory. Now, let's talk about the food: absolutely out of this world. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and bursting with true Cajun flair. From the appetizers, fried okra, fried pickles and pork rinds, to the oysters- fresh blue points and grilled, to the Argentinian red shrimp, Cajun shrimp, to the gumbo, everything we tried tasted homemade with love and attention to detail. And the best part? Very reasonably priced for the incredible quality. It's no exaggeration to say this is hands down the best Cajun food in town -- possibly the best outside of Louisiana! And our family is from Cajun descent! Whether you're a local or just passing through, Wards Crawfish Hole should be at the top of your list. Delicious food, fair prices, and service that makes you feel like family -- what more could you ask for? We're already planning our next visit. Thank you, Wards, for making a special day even more unforgettable! read more

Service was excellent. Very friendly staff. My husband LOVED the atmosphere. Very casual and welcoming. He had the seafood platter that included crab legs and boiled shrimp, potatoes and corn. We all ate some off of that plate and it was delicious! I had frog legs which were absolutely the best. So tender and delicious! Our daughter had the Cajun pasta dish and loved it! Not too spicy. She will not eat food that is too spicy. We also ate appetizers of pickle planks and gator bites which were delicious as well. Highly recommend if you love a relaxed vibe and good food! read more

This is a great, local and out of the way place to eat-drink-and enjoy your evening. It's probably the best location in Hot Springs for boiled and fried seafood. Service is good and friendly and the inside is a rustic mix of seafood shack/dive sports bar. It's really perfect for this kind of place. Not pretentious, just focused on good food and service. I had the char grilled oysters which were excellent. Slightly more cheese than I would normally expect, but that's hardly an issue. Food was not inexpensive but seemed appropriately priced for the quality. The only surprise was the pricing on the pitcher of beer. Both me and my dining partner thought it was higher than we expected. All in all, I'll be back. Limited hours, so check before you go! read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole - Char-grilled oysters - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

We ate there on Friday night. Had the raw oysters on half shell, crawfish chowder, seafood gumbo and boiled crawfish. All was delicious. Our waiter was great, paced our food perfectly. A lively fun place, good place to bring family. Will be back! read more

Everything was fine; a sight never seen before & the grilled grouper was amazing... Krish A Taylor Chuck Hutton Toyota I-55 and Shelby Dr Ofc 901.345.3200 Cell 901.233.3330 https://blinq.me/bSzLsXyqNx4jXcbwL9Sz?u=FN_SLjA8 read more

Went here about a month ago the food was awesome as was the service and adult beverage

Food is excellent! So wonderful and delicious. Like the rustic cozy setting. Service was good and prompt

I had my birthday here I got a free bread pudding Shelby is an amazing waitress I love it here come any time!! read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole - Free birthday bread pudding - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

The food was just delicious. Everyone in our party was delighted with their meals. Our waitress was exceptional and very attentive. Loved the decor. read more

This place is legit so far off the beaten path, but worth a trip! They have their own parking lot & the place looks like a locals spot. And it definitely had mostly locals inside They were super busy but staff was attentive & friendly! They post their daily specials on the chalkboard in back & most everyone gets seafood here. We got a pound of crawfish & the combo platter with shrimp, crab, 2 potato & corn Fyi, rocky mountain oysters are not oysters on the half shell before you embarrass yourself like me :) Food came out pretty fast and we made a sufficient mess of ourselves peeling & cracking it all. It was plenty of food for 2, no leftovers though. Seasoning was excellent & everything served hot! read more

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Purchased a chicken tenders meal for my girlfriend and a shrimp po boy for myself. Developed food poisoning last night after eating it. 1 additional star for the price + service but you could not pay me to go back here read more

5 stars each for Service and the food. Fish, shrimp and perfect ribeye. Jessi tended our table. Great service! read more

The food is amazing. The staff is very nice. This is the only place we go to for seafood. The crawfish chowder is to die for.

The food was amazing. I highly recommend the crawfish boudin eggrolls. The service was good and it was a good atmosphere.

Great little "out of the way place". Advertised as a store, Wards is actually a restaurant. Clean and comfortable inside. The staff are attentive and friendly. Leans toward a Cajun menu with a great burger as well. We ordered the crawfish etouffee.... had great flavor and a lot of crawfish tails. Snow crab was flavorful and the fries are coated in a fishery like seasoning and are really good. Their crawfish are great but we just missed the end of the season for those. The fried shrimp are very fresh and have a light , crispy coating with great flavor. They also have, frog legs, alligator bites, boudin sausage, gumbo, and several other items. Prices are very reasonable and very generous portions. Fun place with good creole /Cajun food. Give it a try ... you won't be disappointed. read more

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The fried crawfish appetizer was very good. Also had the boiled crawfish that was perfectly spiced. The crawfish were a little small but that's not Ward's fault. Our server was excellent. Definitely will be back. read more

This restaurant was tucked away back in a neighborhood. The staff was friendly , the food was great and food prices are very reasonable

Catfish, crab legs, shrimp and more. If you're wanting some great Cajun seafood . They really know how to cook and you can taste the delicious. Make sure to check the specials board on the wall. We were checked on regularly by the great friendly folk as at Ward's The Crawfish Hole. A really nice place for dinner. read more

Service was terrific, food was great- crawfish was not in season, and prime rib was sold out. But we got got the ribeye steak- excellent. Coleslaw perfect. All the side were great too. Brought home dessert- bread pudding and key lime pie also great. Obviously a locals spot- worth a stop if I'm the area- we were visiting area- but will go back next time we are near. Will go early for the prime rib! read more

We started eating before I remembered to snap a picture. The crab legs were hands down the absolute best. Highly recommend. We were there on a busy night (1 ye new ownership anniversary), 2 hrs to get our food. However the service absolutely made up for it. Great staff who also seemed to enjoy working here. read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole - Cajun Platter and Fried Seafood Platter - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

Love the food and service here! Everything was perfect again!! All of the food was great! Perfect spice. read more

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So far, service is good. A cold Bud the start off with. Krista waited on us. You need to be going here because you won't just drive by. Horses and cows across the street. Food was very good. We got the small seafood platter and it was more than enough for both of us. Very friendly atmosphere. Need to cook the hush puppies a little longer. Still doughy inside. Overall very good for a Friday afternoon. read more

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The alligator bites and shrimp and grits is great! The fried platter is also very good! This is the place to go! Very clean and great service! read more

We stopped in here on a sat afternoon, a little off the beaten path .. but well worth it. I don't know we're to start, everything was excellent !! We started off with oysters on the half shell, when the wife asked if they had garlic butter, the waitress said she would check .. and they said they could make it... unlike the fisherman's wharf, who just flat out said NO. For the main course, the wife had the gumbo and I had the fish and shrimp dinner, the wife loved her gumbo... and there fried shrimp is to die for, differently not out of the box, the best we ever had. The service was also excellent, our waitress was very attentive. I would recommend the drive to anyone looking for great seafood read more

WOW this place is a complete joke we went there last night looking for some quality food and authentic Cajun. We checked the rating before we went and even though they had some awful ratings we went anyway, because it was close and we thought it couldn't be that bad. Well we was wrong. First we stood around like we was invisible for close to 30 min no acknowledgment at all not even a greeting ,drink or anything. However we was already there so after about 45 min we was acknowledged and seated. We thought wow that's over and couldn't get any worse. We was wrong again. They brought the food almost 30 minutes later and it was awful. Over cooked in one dish and raw in another and all dishes was cold. We will not ever be back here or recommend it to anyone at all not even an enemy. Beware of this place it's a joke in so many ways. read more

Not exactly the place I expected to find a restaurant but it was well worth it. The prices are very fair The service was fair at best (the only reason I gave 4/5*) The food was DELICIOUS!! I had seafood with crab and shrimp and others had fried fare. It was all top notch and left with our bellies full. Although we didn't order the crawfish it looked amazing and there were tons of people ordering it. I will definitely try it next time. read more

Great food, great service! You're going to want to come early because this place fills up fast. If you do end up having to wait, it is well worth it! read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole - Shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

So, starts off with a sign that says wait to be seated and then being told to sit wherever we'd like...not a big deal, honestly, but it kind of sets the stage for what to expect. Right off the bat, we tell the waitress we need separate tabs as my husband cannot pay for me on a business trip. We order drinks, and a boudin ball appetizer. I order once pound of crab and D orders a shrimp pasta dish. The two reasons I did not give this establishment 1 star are the sweet tea and the rolls. We never received our boudin balls, so I cannot comment on them. When our food came, his food looked amazing, as for mine... I received two very small clusters, the first of which was over boiled and filled with water. Hardly any meat in the cluster. The second was ok, but honestly nothing special. You order sides a la crate, so I got two potatoes and corn. The corn was your standard small niblet, the potatoes were flavorless boiled potatoes, not buttery as listed, no salt. Hubby's pasta was awful, cold, and did not taste fresh. The shrimp were tiny almost salad shrimp, and had that old fishy flavor. We reminded the young lady to separate the tabs, she did not. I would have complained but the server did not really check on us the entire dinner...I would avoid this place in my opinion. read more

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I would recommend to anyone who likes to eat every thing we had was amazing. We started with the fried alligator as an appetizer then we split the captain's plate the crab legs were good as well as the shrimp and the bodan. Everything was just a 10/10 and the staff were amazing they showed us how to peel the crab it was amazing. read more

Great food and awesome service .. really cool bar area as well with a bunch of TVs .. best seafood spot in hot springs

My girlfriend and I were camping outside of Hot Springs and stumbled on this restaurant. Extremely good food... crawfish are cleaned good and seasoned really well but not too salty! Really recommend the blue crab claw appetizer as well as the boudin balls! Extremely good food and great service! I used to live in New Orleans and can attest this is authentic Cajun/Creole food. Also really recommend the fried pies and bread pudding! read more

Ward's The Crawfish Hole - Crawfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

Excellent food! Everything we had was great. Of course the crawfish were excellent. Will definitely have it again when in Hot Springs!

Shrimp and grits were great. Two piece catfish, one piece was fishy. Blackened catfish was more of a fried or grilled in cornbread catfish with cream of mushroom soup and crawdads on top. For the price, not a place to go back to. Food took an hour after ordering. I asked and only one person I the kitchen. read more

Need I say more ?!!!! Can't go wrong with this place! And they have it all ! A little bit out of the way BUT worth the drive!!!

Didn't know segregation still existed in 2023. I was seated in a room away from people who weren't my color, with NO AC‼ There were only 8 people in TOTAL in the front dining area so there was no reason my family should have been seated in the back room away from others. Highly disappointed ‼ If you are like me ( African American ) I would not recommend eating here. Be blessed! read more