4. Restaurants

Cajun Cafe On the Bayou

8101 Park Blvd, Pinellas Park, FL, 33781
  • (727) 546-6732
  • Store is closed

Cajun Cafe On the Bayou Menu

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  • Tina K.

    Small, quaint, and charming, Cajun Cafe on the Bayou comes through with some delectable cajun/creole style grub. This restaurant is really one of a kind in the Tampa Bay Area. If you want a little slice of Louisiana riverside dining this spot is your place to go to. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor and waterside dining. Being as it is not very updated or modern, do not be swayed by the older decor. There is a superabundance of craft beer offerings as well as tasty Lousiana-style Cajun fare. The restaurant seems to cater to a more mature crowd and there are signs which indicated that you are not to use your cell phone while here, which would mean that they want their patrons to be present and enjoy the company they are with and their experience, not consumed by technology. As an avid Yelper this may be tough to contain your phone impulses but I suggest sneaking pictures anyways. I sat outside at a picnic table during my dining experience here and it was quite hot as it is Florida in the summer. Our table tried lots of the menu offering and everyone's entree was devoured. I myself had the crawfish étouffée (comes with rice) and found it to be tasty and well seasoned. We also had an order of the cornbread with crawfish to start and it was good as well. They offer three types of hot sauce so take advantage of you want to doctor your meal to have more of a kick. For dessert, we all dug into an order of the whiskey bread pudding. It was delicious and the perfect ending to cap off our meal. I look forward to trying the restaurant out again when I get the chance. I like the charm and rustic quality of the restaurant and how it offered a different scene from anything else you get in the Tampa Bay area. The restaurant also serves as a venue for beer festivals; most recently they hosted a sour beer and bacon festival this past Saturday (8/23/15) and there is a larger beer festival taking place on November 7, 2015. This type of atmosphere is a nice departure from other beer festival venues. For more information on the 10th annual Fall beer festival you may visit; m.facebook.com/events/15… or cajuncafeonthebayou.com

    (4)

  • Thuyen B.

    Hmmm...I know I reviewed this place already, where did it go?! Our dining experience here was ok. There are signs telling you to turn off your cell phones. I don't think this place is kid-friendly either unless they are well behaved. I came with my son to check this place out- good thing he is well behaved! Interior is decorated to feel like New Orleans which is cool. Server was pleasant enough...We ordered the crawfish cornbread, crawfish etouffee and my son ordered a chicken strip basket with fries. Cornbread was ok, kinda salty. But had a lot of crawfish in it. My etouffee was ok too. Big portion but seemed to be missing something. I brought the leftovers home for my husband and he thought the same thing. Clientele was an older crowd while we were there. It was early evening on a weekday. There was also seating outside the back it looked like. Which might be nicer in cooler months. Overall, a decent dining experience. Be careful coming in and out, the one way in is a long bumpy road to the restaurant and is very narrow. Will have to come back with the hubby and try some other menu items. The bread pudding looks tempting.

    (3)

  • Amber K.

    Stopped by while on vacation and loved his place. Sat out by the river and our waiter was super knowledgeable about the various local brews on tap. We were able to sample and try out a few local beers, which I love while traveling. The crawfish cornbread was good, a bit fishy as crawfish is but just the right amount of jalapeño heat. I had the Shrimp Creole which is pretty tomato based but had a good flavor & was the right amount of spicy. My fiancé had the Alligator Piquant which also was spicy and had more of a grilled flavor to it. Definitely not for the weak of heart! Spicy is legit! Good portion sizes, we took about a 1/3 of each home. We got the whiskey pudding to go, which was good later but I'm sure better freshly made. Definitely suggest people check it out!

    (4)

  • Dana S.

    Seriously love this place.The atmosphere, the food, the beer selection. Ive tried the shrimp, fried and grilled and both are great. The crawfish etouffee with rice is delicious. The meatloaf and gravy is so good too. Just plain ol' delicious Cajun food. Everything I've tried is so good and they have great selection of beers. They used to having fruli, this delicious strawberry beer but they don't anymore. If they got that back I'd be there at least once a month.

    (5)

  • Paul F.

    Great selection of local beers on tap. Authentic Cajun food and great service from Josh our waiter. Started with the crawfish cornbread followed by jambalaya and Cajun fries. Check it out you won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Abby A.

    Best Cajun food in town! I've been a few times and we always start off with the crawfish cornbread. I'm a big fan of their shrimp étouffée, and my boyfriend usually gets a 'Po 'Boy. They've got a great selection of beer and the service is always friendly. Not a great place to bring kids - because they are going for a tranquil vibe (there are signs on the deck to turn off cell phones and keep noise to a min). If you're in the mood for quiet, waterfront Cajun dining, then this is the spot.

    (5)

  • Larry C.

    i can completely understand the need of prohibiting all cell phones from the table while eating (as evidenced by the countless signs all along the wall warning you of their policy) as its meant to encourage conversation among your guests, but as a fellow yelper my hands were literally shaking from not being able to whip out my camera phone to take a picture of my food to post it up on this lovely site. damn you YELP for creating a monster out of me! oh well thank goodness im a rebel and thus explains the food pictures you see on my post anyways lol i did read the description of the kids running around and them being prohibited from making loud noises. although i commend their attempts at a peaceful and relaxing meal, for any parent that alone can be a challenging task to take on even in the confides of your own home. now for the food. for cajun restaurants in the bay area, the prices were relatively very reasonably priced & was packed full of flavor with each bite. i ordered the crab cakes which was pretty good and came with alot of meat (not too much bearding) which was appreciated. since its cajun food, each bite came with a little bit of a kick to it .... Louisiana style. The jambalaya & gumbo was pretty good as i had a sampling of that from the misses plate. mom ordered the catfish which also was pretty good and had a nice taste and fry to it. every table had at least 3 different types of hot sauces to accompany your meal which was pretty cool! the restaurant is also situated right by a lazy river which totally adds to the feel of the cajun restaurant. all in all not a bad experience as the wait staff was all very nice and catered to our table with the quickness. if you can get past the negative signage, your in for a hidden gem of a cajun treat!

    (4)

  • Tammy P.

    I've been coming here for over 19 years. The service is outstanding along with the food. Add the ambiance and music this is a must do on your list if you can't get up to Nawlins

    (4)

  • Justin M.

    The best food and atmosphere all in one. The shrimp, etouffee, and whisky bread pudding are the bomb!!!

    (5)

  • Marie S.

    Omg! The best I've ever tried! Crawfish Étouffée with catfish! Finished up with the bread pudding. Can't wait to return.

    (4)

  • Barry E.

    I've been coming here for years and love the food! All their Cajun specialties are great, but don't overlook the tail-on shrimp dinner (fried). They're so good, it's hard to imaging ordering shrimp anywhere else. The shrimp are cooked to perfection and it comes with a great remoulade sauce for dipping. And don't forget to save room for their amazing bread pudding. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of their weird, 20th century insistence that you don't use your cell phone at all. There are signs everywhere saying to put your phones away and if you dare take a call (even briefly before stepping out), the waitstaff will rudely tell you to turn it off. Unbelievable, but I put up with it because their food is so good.

    (4)

  • Crystal H.

    I absolutely freaking adore this place. It is tucked down on the water next to the Wagon Wheel flea market on Park Blvd and can be easy to miss if you don't know where it is. To get there, you have to find a small drive way and drive down into a bumpy parking lot that can be a pain when other cars are trying to navigate the space. It is well worth the effort. Cajun Cafe is very Kitschy. From the half New Orleans half swampland decor to the signs that are hung everywhere that threaten you to put your cell phones away. If you are caught using it, you may be ejected. There is also a humorous section on the menu that warns parents to control their children. Make sure you read it. :) Anyways, Cajun Cafe has a plethora of beer (both on tap and in bottles). My beer snob Husband is always happy to find some of his favorites here. The food however is the real star. I have been here twice now and tried a variety of things. I absolutely love the Alligator Piquant and have ordered it both times. It is a spicier dish that is packed full of flavor. It is also a huge helping that I normally end up happily eating half of for lunch the next day. I have also tried the gumbo, fried crawfish, sausage, fried green tomatoes, boudin balls and the whiskey bread pudding. They have all been delicious. The whiskey bread pudding is something that you MUST try when you visit. It is some of the best bread pudding I have ever had and it is perfect to share with a group (one or two people probably can not finish it. Our last visit four people verily tackled it). If you are looking for traditional cajun fare, Cajun Cafe on the Bayou is the place to go...just remember to be on your best behavior. :)

    (5)

  • Clara S.

    My FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD AS OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON!!!!! The food was amazing,.. the staff attentive. We sat outside on the dock overwater. Even in early September, there was a cool breeze coming off the water. We had the crab cakes, crawfish etouffe, and jumbalaya. Also,.. of course great local craft beer selection!! If you are looking for something hipster this isn't it,... this is a small hole in the wall with fantastic food and water views (of the canals). Exactly what hit the spot... I cannot wait to return.

    (5)

  • Jonathan Y.

    20 taps of local Florida beers? check Truly authentic Cajun food? check Great and knowledgeable service? check Best place I visited in Florida, and best meal I ate.. and to hear of these beer festivals they run, my mind was blown. Next visit to Tampa I'll take the drive out to Cajun Cafe again!

    (5)

  • Colleen C.

    Visited after a recommendation from a co-worker so had high hopes. I'm from Beaumont, Texas, heavily influenced by Louisiana only 30 minutes away, and lived in NOLA for three years. Catfish lagniappe was awesome, and even the rice was good. Crab cakes were okay but too heavily seasoned. Fried soft-shell crab was extremely over seasoned and dry. Bottom line - creole Cajun food can be spicy; however, over doing spice or salt does not make food Cajun. Back off on the salt and heat and concentrate on taste. Ruining seafood is a sin.

    (3)

  • Leonard C.

    Amazing this place is not more well known. Have been coming many gets and the food craft beers and overall atmosphere is just so awesome!

    (5)

  • Jenette S.

    This was the first time here. You get a little turned around looking for it. We accidentally turned into the wagon wheel parking entrance and were quickly confused on why we had to pay to eat and then realized it was next door so make sure to pay attention when you turn. It looks like a little bungalow you would see in New Orleans and it's right off the canal. It's a dive spot but it's cute inside with the Mardi Gras decor and signage all over. Once inside you can't see the road and you feel like you're really in the bayou. (yes I've been in a canoe in a bayou before so I know what it looks like people). They had a few Louisiana beers there in bottles. I got the abita purple haze- that's always a safe one coz a lot of places in town have it. Prices are moderate. I got the gumbo and side salad. The gumbo was good, it had just the right amount of spices and a kick at the end of every bite. Another person got the catfish stripes basket and they was good as well. The batter had seasoning and wasn't too batter filled. We also tried the crab cakes meal with jambalaya. Jambalaya didn't look too appealing it looked more dried out; luckily appearances don't speak for the taste. It was chalk full of flavor and spicy. I'm a stickler for good crab cakes and they have a really good one. You don't feel ripped off with the cake being full of fillers coz this had lots of lumps of crab. Thanks Cajun on the bayou for making an honest crab cake! :) didn't get to dessert but we will next time for sure!

    (4)

  • Pyra-Danny V.

    AMBIANCE MAKES THE FOOD TASTE BETTER Eating spicy seafood is best tasted outdoors (or any meal for that matter) Although Cajun's inside is large with plentiful, casual seating and many Beer-related décor to inspire conversation, the outside seating is best. Overhanging a stream and feet away from marsh trees, it's excellent seeing and hearing nature while you eat with a breeze on your face. But a dark screen also covers the patio (I guess to avoid people from jumping off) and can hinder a bit of the view. I saw at least three signs telling diners to turn off their phones or take calls away. It seems to work--diners around me were actually talking to each other. DECENT CAJUN FOOD: TOO MUCH Warning: Cajun newbie but I love the spices used. The Sausage combo all used the same spices and while all the Meat varieties tasted great overall, I would've preferred spices more catered specially to the various Meat types. The Fried Softshell Crab was very Breaded and became 'too much too quickly'--same with the Crawfish Etouffee. With every bite being filling, you begin to crave something to add variety to all the spiced-up bites. GREAT SERVICE GREAT BEER They love their Craft Beer here--the décor says it all as well as their yearly Beer-crazy festival. Their menu features MANY local breweries as well as many I haven't heard of. Even their servers wear shirts from brewers. And the service we've gotten has been very friendly and happy.

    (4)

  • R B.

    A friend/client ended up having the day off so we met at this restaurant between our respective areas. Sat outside and even though it was hot out it was still bearable sitting beneath the tin roof. I think in spring and fall it would be a perfect venue. We spilt some appetizers of fried okra and the Cajun Cafe Crab Cakes. The cakes are the bomb. My Gator burger was good but I'm reminded baby I don't eat gator all the time. The burritos my friend got were delicious. I would prefer to be served with good plastic drink wear instead of disposable cups. I know there's a deck but I also know there are plastic draft glasses that can be chilled like regular glass for the broad assortment of local craft beers available. I think 3 stars is to low and 4 to high but 3 1/2 wasn't an option.

    (4)

  • Amy B.

    I didn't personally love this place but Brandon thought it was pretty good! They had a lot of craft beer options, and he really enjoyed all of his meal. He had gator and gumbo and I had chicken and fried mushrooms. I personally thought the batter was too much, too much spice, but Brandon loves spicy things so he thought everything was tasty. Service was spotty but the waiter when he did attend to us was super nice and pleasant.

    (3)

  • Crystal S.

    The food is generally very good. The problem here is the service and attitude towards customers. Cell phone rule I understand. The anti-kid thing I do not understand. Being too afraid to take my son to this restaurant for fear that there is a slight chance he might have an off day and being kicked out (we would leave ourselves if this happened, but it is more embarrassing to be kicked out) we settle on ordering to-go. Now we are not even able to do that because they don't do certain menu items to-go anymore. So, if you are a parent there is no way to eat food from this establishment without the fear of being thrown out. I am not saying they need to be a family friendly restaurant. I am saying they need some common business sense and decent customer service.

    (2)

  • Eric S.

    Traveling around for work, I get to experience restaurants all over the country. This has to be one of the best Cajun/creole places I have been to. The alligator sauce piquant was amazing. If you like spicy, go for it. If the menu says "spicy," it is. This is my new go to place when in the Tampa area.

    (5)

  • Jerry H.

    This was one of the best meals I've had here, which, to me, have been kind of inconsistent over the years. The crawfish cornbread was fantastic. The cornbread was moist and flavor-filled and the crawfish were tender. My soft shell crab was good size and surprisingly spicy, but very good. My crawfish etouffee was very good and somewhat spicy. The beer selection was short on wheat beers, my preference, but we found one that worked. The service was very good. Not cheap, but worth it this time. A good meal and nice setting sitting out on the bayou.

    (4)

  • Jim S.

    Been coming here since they opened. The food is always great. I highly recommend the Alligator Sauce Piquant and bread pudding.

    (5)

  • Laura W.

    I visited Cajun Cafe with a group and wasn't sure what to expect. We sat outside, which I would highly recommend as the bayou is right next to the deck. This is a very casual place, so come as you are! I saw some people in bathing suits and we were in t-shirts and shorts. The beers on tap are good and plentiful. There are a number of fried appetizers, which were tasty but a bit greasy. We shared around, so I got to try several. I think the food is authentic, having visited New Orleans twice. Most breaded items are a little spicy, which I like. I do think they could introduce a few items for the menu that are not fried and try to have a few items that are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan, perhaps under the section of their menu called "Sandwiches and Lighter Fare". I think they have got the fried food right and it's time to move up to the next level and offer fresh items that are not fried if they have any interest in moving to a more complex menu. How about a Florida fruit salad with a citrus dressing? How about more than one basic green salad? There is a grilled cheese sandwich, but that doesn't move the menu to a higher level. The bread pudding is very good and large enough to share with one or two people. I highly recommend it! The server handled our large group well. If you are looking for mostly fried food in a fun atmosphere, you will enjoy Cajun Cafe. If you are looking for a more complex menu, go to downtown St. Pete or one of the upscale hotels on the beach.

    (3)

  • Diana B.

    Great food. I live in Illinois and I still remember this cafe. Crawfish cornbread was delicious. They had an amazing selection of beers on tap, most of them local. When I had relatives go to Florida I recommend this place. Great location great food and great beer. Service was just right, they didnt hover over your table and at the same time were there when needed. Plus it wasnt expesive! So Everyone should stop by!

    (5)

  • Kelleigh M.

    Meh-this rating is solely on their fried mushroom appetizer. For $8 definitely not worth it and nothing special. I won't be back any time soon.

    (2)

  • Dani I.

    First time here this past Saturday. Walked in and the atmosphere was really nice. It sits on the bayou. You have your choice of sitting inside or out. I had the salad with blackened gator bites with a side of remoulade. The remoulade was the best thing about my salad. My friend had the crab cakes with the rice and beans which I thought was OK. Now for dessert I literally had the best thing I've ever had in my life. The whiskey bread. You have no idea how amazing this thing tastes. I'll go back just for that. My food was good but I think I've come to the realization I'm just not a big fan of Cajun food so maybe my opinion shouldn't really count. One thing I'll say is the service was lacking. My waiter was not pleasant at all. One word responses. And frankly my dear, just didn't seem to give a shit. I can't remember his name either mike or Danny...Ok I get it...it was the day after halloween maybe people are hungover but shit, I'm hungover and tired at work 50 percent of the time. I still suck it up, put a smile on my face and hide the fact that I want to puke on everyone. I'll come back for the whiskey bread.

    (3)

  • Joel P.

    Went for the beer festival and stayed for the food, and more beer. Lets focus on the fact. Crawfish Cornbread is the food of gods, Cajun Cafe owns it. Boudin balls are classic cajun treats and if you dont know what Im talking about they will teach you with no questions asked! Fried Oyster Po Boys with juicy whole fried oysters? Hell Yes!! I love the spot right next to the flee market it is worth the trip and the beer on tap is mind blowing. I struggle trying to pick one of the beers from all the local breweries that they have on top regularly. The beer festivals they throw a couple times a year are epic as well. They earn 5 stars like it is nobodies business, unless they are a vegetarian. Best cajun in the bay! Cheers

    (5)

  • Gia H.

    I have visited this restaurant many times. I am not a fan. None of the food is tasty or authentic. The very first time, I went for a crawfish festival. The crawfish were bland. Tasted like they were just boiled in plain water. Pluses: If you go at a reasonably nice time of year weather wise, sit outside. The waterway along the side gives a swamp/bayou atmosphere. It's kinda cool. The bread pudding is inconsistent but the whiskey sauce on it is usually REALLY good.

    (1)

  • Mike Z.

    Two friends and I were here earlier this month for the beer festival hosted by the restaurant. As Tampa beer festival regulars, they'd been here before; this was my first visit. I mostly was here just for the beer festival but thankfully was able to try some of the food here and ended up enjoying it, even though Cajun food isn't my favorite. I did not go to the interior of the restaurant, since the festival was held in the outdoor patio/deck area. Therefore, I have no insight about that, nor can I provide commentary or a review of the restaurant's service. I did briefly interact with a few employees, however, and each of them seemed to be friendly and helpful. Many of the people with whom I spoke while here were people who were brewery employees and other people pouring the beers for the festival. The rear of the restaurant is where I spent the most time. The back deck area is right on a river (I think?) and we were fortunate to find a nice space to hang out over there. I'd like to check this out again if I visit the restaurant in the future and when there isn't a festival taking place. The food I tried here was good, but I don't know much about this style of cuisine and don't really have many in-depth details to provide. I really enjoyed the red beans & rice as well as another side (I don't remember what it was). I gave my pulled pork to a friend, since I don't really eat that stuff; he said it was very good. If I'm not mistaken, the restaurant regularly hosts beer festivals, so there likely are more of those to come. Even though I've been to only one of them here, I highly recommend checking out any/all of them in the future. There were some really, really good beers here during the festival earlier this month.

    (4)

  • Karen A.

    We've been wanting to try this place for a while; being suckers for genuine Cajun food and all, but the mixed reviews of how the staff treated their patrons made us hesitate. Let's get this out of the way right now. Yes, there are signs asking you to turn off your cell phone. When I walked in and read it, I immediately silenced mine. The man who greeted us, Duane, who was also our server saw me do this and just asked that if we received a phone call to please take it outside so as not to disturb anyone else. Seems fair enough, right? I mean, why should people have to be asked to use their own common sense and decency. We sat outside, which was so peaceful and a little cool in December. And thank goodness, no smoking anywhere!! We ordered the Cajun cornbread that had huge hunks of crawfish in it and fried green tomatoes as starters. I asked Duane to bring me some ranch for the tomatoes because the remoulade that comes with is mayo, cilantro, herbs and spices. Personally, I don't care for cilantro, so I didn't think I would like it. He happily brought the ranch, but also the remoulade (just in case). I tried a tiny bit and oh my goodness, it was delicious!! I couldn't even taste the cilantro! I ate it with the cornbread and the tomatoes and was looking around for something else I could put it on. It has a nice little kick to it! They should really think about bottling that! For dinner, I ordered the T-Red Catfish, which is fried catfish strips laid over a bed of rice with étouffée on top. It's one of their signature dishes. This was incredible! Perfectly breaded catfish and fried so the meat is tender and juicy and the outer is crispy. Even the étouffée sauce didn't make it soggy. This was a very large portion that I was unable to finish, but happily had for breakfast this morning. And it was just as amazing! My handsome dinner companion and birthday boy had the crawfish étouffée. An equally large portion with giant hunks of crawfish. He did a better job of finishing his, but still didn't leave room for dessert. So, we got some whiskey bread pudding to go. Amazingly, he had room after about 45 minutes. I'm not a bread pudding lover. This is something else entirely. I don't know what. I grew up in the South and I never cared for it, despite the tradition. THIS bread pudding however will make you want to slap your Granny for trying to force that other crap on you all these years! It's warm and gooey and crispy all at the same time and the vanilla sauce that you pour over it is heavenly. Mmmm... I'm also enjoying what's left of this for breakfast, too. All this food and my check was a little over 50 bucks. And there was a beer in there, too. We done good! And we'll be doing it again!

    (5)

  • Shaun L.

    This is by far the best food in the area!!! They have the best selection of Cajun food, craft beer, and the bread pudding in amazing! If you do not eat here on your trip to the area, you are truly missing out.

    (5)

  • Angela C.

    Love the beer menu and out door seating area. Never had a issue with any of my food orders and love the bread pudding!! Must have. Very casual atmosphere and live music on the weekends.

    (4)

  • Wade A.

    The food was ok. We had the alligator sauce piquant, and crawfish etouffe. Both were decent, not amazing, not awful, but decent. Portions were avearge. We also had fried green tomatoes as an appetizer, which were really good. For dessert we had the bread pudding. Now, I've been to New Orleans several times and had bread pudding there frequently. This was billed as being "the best people had ever had." Well those people had obviously never been to New Orleans, because this was merely ordinary. It was on the dry side, hardly any raisins, and the sauce had almost no bourbon in it. Regardless, I would rate this restaurant 3 stars, which I feel is all any restaurant that is merely ordinary merits, were it not for the amazingly slow service. Our waitress disappeared for periods of up to 30 minutes at a time. Our drinks sat empty following our appetizers for a solid 15 minutes. During that time she walked by several times, but never even made eye contact. And the place wasn't busy. There may have been 7 cars in the lot. So I knocked my rating down to 2 stars because of the poor service. I won't be in any hurry to go back. For $75.00 (including tip) for 2 people, save your money and go elsewhere. There's much better places to eat in the Bay area.

    (2)

  • Stephanie P.

    I loved everything about this place! From my first moment stepping in I was greeted by like 3 different employees and given great, attentive service. Looking through their menu I saw that they carry a great selection of craft beers from mostly local, FL breweries which is awesome! I settled for a sour ale from nearby Rapp Brewing and waited for the rest of my party taking in the relaxing view of the intercoastal right off the dock. I came for dinner and was dancing between getting the gator burger or a poboy; ended up with the burger and it was huge! Thin patty, a little greasy but in the perfect kind of way. I feel like the burger could do with a little sauce of some kind as it was a little dry with only the blackened seasoning. Asides from that, my side of fried okra was delicious and not at all slimy as okra is infamous for being when cooked incorrectly. The whole vibe of this restaurant is what makes me want to be a regular here every weekend. Their menu politely asks for you to not use your phone while dining and if you have children, please keep them quiet and respectful of other diners--such simple ideas but it really let me know their values and makes them stand out from other places. This is the perfect place for anyone looking for some solid, spicy cajun food and a place to relax with friends and family for a few hours, talking and catching up as the sun sets over the mangroves.

    (4)

  • Noah B.

    We have come here many times now and the service has always been great. Now the food: everything I have tried or actually ordered has been wonderful. The Boudin balls are so good. If you like sausage get the 3 link entrée and make sure one of them are the Maduro sausage.

    (5)

  • Kathie B.

    This place is a joke! If you have ever had true Cajun Food and the fun that goes along with the Cajun culture you will leave as I did feeling ripped off!!! Food was awful and the quite rudeness of this place will turn you off! Don't waste your money! If you have ever been to New Orleans and ate and enjoyed the "good time" feeling...run as fast as you can! I had no children with me but the notice on the menu about children and NO CELL PHONE USE!!! That's not Cajun!!!! As they say in New Orleans "let the good times roll" that's not allowed here!!! Just save your money and go to a real Cajun place!!!

    (1)

  • Melinda M.

    After reading reviews, we decided to give this place a try. The outside looks like a dive joint and upon entering there are signs asking that you turn off your cell phone. I can understand placing the phone on silent but turning it off completely is another thing. We placed an order to go. We ordered the crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo and bread pudding. The crawfish étouffée was ok. The crawfish was a little fishy. I've had at other places and you could taste the crawfish but not smell fishy. It was lacking something else. The jambalaya was a bit salty and nothing special. The gumbo was not good at all. No kick and there was no seafood etc like typical gumbo. Tasted burnt. It consisted of one piece of chicken, some kind of green and mainly all broth. I didn't even bother finishing it. We were given instructions of how to reheat the bread pudding. Bread pudding was hard and chewy. We will not be coming back. If you want really good gumbo and cajun food, you're better off going somewhere else.

    (3)

  • Nina M.

    I like the po boys, selection of craft beer, service, and atmosphere. You feel like you're literally stepping into a bayou/swamp area of LA when you visit the restaurant. My only complaint is that the prices for po boys are high. Why charge $13-15? I understand ingredients are fresh, but I've had fresher and more affordable po boys in NOLA. Overall, good LA style food.

    (4)

  • Shelle B.

    OMG it was terrible!!! I have been to New Orleans several times, and know good Cajun food. This was so SALTY I couldn't eat it! If you like salt and grease, this is your place, if you want EXCELLENT food go to Ricky Ps.

    (1)

  • Adam C.

    Cajun Cafe has the perfect trifecta of food, service, and atmosphere. The food is incredible with large enough portions to satisfy my never ending hunger, local beer on tap, and you can enjoy all this from the patio overlooking the freaking bayou! This is my go to restaurant in the area for taking visitors. Everyone I've ever taken here still raves about it. If you want an authentic Cajun experience, eat here! You will not regret it!

    (5)

  • Debbie V.

    We were really disappointed with not only the food quality but the service. We stopped for an early lunch having heard good things. Our server was absent. I finally got up with our empty glasses and waved someone down. It was obvious that the other male server in the indoor area wasn't even going yo look our direction. Consequently our food was cold and it took us almost an hour to have lunch.

    (2)

  • Eric S.

    After passing this place many times I decided it's about time I visited. Since I'm no expert in authentic Cajun food I'm gonna write this just as a food lover. The location is totally excellent pushed AGAINST THE WATER. Go EAT OUTSIDE! There's enough SHADE AND NETS TO PREVENT NATURE from killing you aka sunshine burning your skin or gators walking into your meal. These guys love their CRAFT BREWS--check out all the servers wearing shirts reppin local breweries. And of course their YEARLY, HUGE BEER FESTIVAL. (sad faces I've never gone). Oh yea--what about the food? I thought it was a HIT OR MISS. Cajun food normally has many spices--and the SPICES ALL WORKED WELL well when applied to the SEAFOOD or MEAT. But I WASN'T TOO CRAZY about all the FRIED SEAFOOD (yeah I know you can't have a seafood restaurant typically without breading and frying it all) but sometimes the BREADING WAS TOO MUCH. Like... how did my seafood disappear? Great as appetizers but too much for a meal.

    (4)

  • Scott Z.

    Fair food. Really weak service. Waited over 1 and 15 minuted to get entrees. Other parties had arrived, ordered, eaten and left before we received our food. Server apparently forgot to turn in our order, although it seemed - we were his largest party. Indifferent manager never came by table to check on us. My meal was eventually comped, as it was forgotten when the rest of the food eventually arrived. After we sought out the manager, he matter of factly said that he was only authorized to give us on comped dessert. Fail. Badly handled, chief. We weren't fishing for free stuff, but wanted to voice our concern. Our tab was over $200.00 and would have been more if we weren't treated so indifferently. Sad. Really wanted to like this place. No real reason to go back.

    (2)

  • Sylvester M.

    Great cajun food on a bayou. Excellent authentic Cajun food with a top notch beer selection. The owner is British and doesn't like bar stools. The also periodically have beer festivals that are recognised as some of the best in the country. We attend the Spring and the Fall Festival every year.

    (4)

  • Tiffany B.

    I was a bit iffy about this place when I first approached. It looks a bit questionable, to say the least. Our server was polite, but clearly a little overwhelmed. When a fellow server asked us if we needed help, our waiter loudly proclaimed that we were "his". Yikes. My first thought was "damn, he must really need the money to be that aggressive". Not exactly something you want to think about while you're enjoying a night out. As for the food, most everyone at our table was happy. Fried soft shell crabs? Yum. Gator burger? Very yum! Shrimp étouffée? Tasty, but a little too spicy for me. Frog legs? Blech. They tasted a little swampy, and the two people who ate them ended up with a stomach ache the next day. The whiskey bread pudding, however, was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I'd come back just for that. This place has 4 star potential, so I'll have to come back another time (I'm itching to try the crab cakes), stay away from the frog legs, and hope the service is a little better!

    (3)

  • Jennifer R.

    Excellent food and excellent service. Very tasty not too spicy. Definetly bh oing back.

    (5)

  • Gabby G.

    They had boiled crawfish. For a girl that misses them, that was a plus. Wish they would have been more seasoned. After that, not impressed with anything else.

    (3)

  • Richard K.

    Oh my God! We found this place by chance and I have to say, a little expensive, but Oh My God, what Great cajun food. Sit outside on a hot night, leave your kids at home, get most anything, and finish with the bread pudding. Really. We watched a dolphin swim past an alligator (I know, apparently the bayou is brackish enough for both to survive) while we ate the best cajun food ever. You go here, you're gonna get fat. And happy. Very pleased and happy. One of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I am so glad they are miles away from where I live, I couldn't take it if they were closer. I would be fat and poor. But so very happy. This place is like crack, try it and you will come back until some external force has to stop you. God, it's good!

    (5)

  • Nikki A.

    I love the authentic Cajun cuisine served up in this place. It is rustic and located on Cross Bayou. They cater to the nature lover in you; cell phone use and running children are seriously frowned upon. The Roast Beef Po Boy is divine. The Crab Cakes are some of the best I have eaten. The Etouffee is extremely delicious. The beer list is extensive and appreciated. If you are in need of a cold beer and some spicy food, this is the place for you.

    (4)

  • Jana M.

    unlike any other restaurant it's a trip to to a piece of tranquility with out leaving tampabay area. old school+ blue jean attire is accepted. the cajun menu is outstanding authentication of any dish especially crawfish jambalaya fried okra bread pudding cornbread etc. downfall the crafted beer menu which is excellent only if anything was in stock. several times they were out at least 1/2 of beers. im still curious to try their russian beer inside dining and an enclosed patio outdoors to relax and eat on a bayou.the waitresses are friendly and efficient and food comes out fast depending on time and day of week. you can stay and relax never a rush. it's a special place and worth judging yourself

    (4)

  • Jillian S.

    I had the best time here. Great beer selection, great service, and fantastic food. Some friends and I were in town for hunapuh's day at Cigar City in Tampa and decided to drive to St. Petersburg to try out Rapp Brewing. On the way over, my friend decided to check beer advocate to find a place to eat. (strange to search a beer site for food, but it worked and I'm grateful.) We were immediately impressed as we walked in and saw the crazy selection they had and a tap list with all Florida beers. As an appetizer my group and I shared some fried green tomatoes and an order of crab cakes. I was blown away. Crispy, flavorful and so fresh. For my entree I ordered the softshell crab with dirty rice. I unabashedly kept eating wayyy past my limit. I couldn't stop. It was that good. So far, this is the best cajun food I've had and best experience I've had at a florida restaurant. 10/10 would go out of my way to eat here again.

    (5)

  • Ed B.

    What a disappointment. Had been here a couple of times before and liked it but those were always off peak times. Arrived on a Sunday, was greeted at the door and told to sit anywhere. The choice was a huge table or an unbussed 4 top. Being by myself I chose the four top. That was over 20 mins ago, the table still hasn't been cleared and I don't even have a beer. I drove 15 miles from my hotel for nothing. I'm am writing on my iPhone in clear violation of their "turn them off". Such a waste. Now on the way out I just stopped at the desk to tell them basically everything I've just written. The heavy set bearded dude said, "oh sorry". Not "OMG can I get a beer for you right now and seat you and get food"

    (1)

  • Lisa C.

    On the Bayouuuuuu! Authentic and delish. Casual and throw down. This place ain't fancy! Don't expect it to be anything except really authentic Louisiana Cajun food. Ironically where the spot it located, it fits the bill so well. Sit outside on the water staring at the mangroves and you could almost swear you were really in the bayou. We started with the crawfish cornbread. Huge portion. We took half of it home and it warmed up well. It is stuffed with crawfish and definitely not skimpy on the bugs. Next - the hubby had 2 pounds of fresh bugs. Really good size, they were not tiny. Some places serve tiny bugs (crawfish/crardads for the less inclined to call them bugs). Not here - they are hearty and delish and FRESH. Suggestion: Add them on Facebook so you can see when the Crawfish are flown in fresh! I had the crabcake dinner. Two good cakes stuffed full of crab. Not a lot of filling. It was served with a side and I chose jamabalaya. I am so craving it again! That jambalaya was so delish - I think next time I am ordering a whole plate of it to get a good fix. Lastly - we ordered dessert. The Whiskey Bread pudding which should have it's own zipcode it's so huge. Five people could have feasted on the bread pudding. We put a good dent but there was no way we could finish it. The beer list is incredible. Tons of microbrews and lots of rare beers. Hubby was impressed. Wine list - not so good. Definitely need to add some more wines. I would DEFINITELY go back. It's very real and very casual which is sometimes what the doctor orders!

    (4)

  • Laurie B.

    Re visited the Cajun Cafe saturday evening for the Mardi Gras Party. Another great evening - Good food, great music and craft beers. Nowhere else quite like it - great waterside location, relaxed and very informal.

    (5)

  • Diane H.

    If you like craw fish, then this is your place. I, on the other hand do not like it. But there are enough other items on the menu to choose from. My friend let me taste her gumbo and I thought my mouth was on fire. But it was very good. Location is back from road on water. Very nice. Try the insane Whiskey Bread pudding for dessert. Enough for 3!

    (3)

  • Geoffrey L.

    I like this place. Informal but friendly, cajun food and a great location, where you can sit and look out over the bayou. Their beer selection is spectacular, with 15 different local craft brews on tap, and two pages of microbrews in bottles. Food is good, too.

    (5)

  • Mica F.

    This place is amazing! Fantastic food. Being from Chicago, I've been spoiled by having world class cuisine at my fingertips. It was nice to find something unique after relocating to Florida. Unique food from crawfish to fried oysters, cajun popcorn and alligator. The jambalaya and etoufee does not disappoint. A wonderful selection of beers. My children loved the food as well. Best yet, there's carryout! Shame that it's not open on Mondays & Tuesdays. Live music on Saturdays and the place is packed so unless you're going for the music, you may want to skip dinners plans.

    (5)

  • Maria Christina V.

    Passed by here on the way to the beach. Had no idea this place existed and had no intention of going here but decided to stop on our way home. The place is cute and fun. Right next to the water. We sat outside where they have covered areas with a fan so we didnt get too hot and it wasnt buggy. No sweet tea, only raspberry tea. Oh well. All of the craft beers from around the world looked appealing, but we decided not to order any, but I can see going back and getting one another time. We ordered the: Crawfish ettouffee and the shrimp poboy. The food was brought out promptly and was hot with generous portions. My poboy was enormous and had a delicous spicy mayo to put on top. I wish it had better condiments, like leafy lettuce and tomato instead of just shredded iceberg lettuce, but it had shoe string onion rings that were yummy. The cajun batter they use on the shrimp and onion rings was AMAZING! I devoured that poboy! I just wish it didnt cost so much. $13 for a sandwich? Damn Gina! My husband LOVED his ettouffee. It had lots of crawfish in it with white rice and some bread. But at $16, I doubt we would be able to afford to get it again. Food is good. Atmosphere is casual. Prices are a bit too high for me so 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Laura R.

    This is a nice little cajun eatery on the water; their jambalaya and whiskey bread pudding are the way to go. The best times to go are when they have (danceable) entertainment or during their twice annual beer tastings (highly recommended). It's a good place to meet up with friends, knock back a few beers and chow down on cajun style cuisine. In general, they cater to a blander palate, so make sure to grab a little hot sauce. I cannot recommend enough their twice annual beer tastings though - they serve the BEST of local brewing along with pretzels, cracklin's and bacon wrapped thingies - you really can't go wrong with these events, and I attend every single one. Someone here is doing something right.

    (3)

  • B. Nichole A.

    Cajun cafe on the bayou is authentic Cajun cooking with style. The environment is just as authentic. They consider the selfs to be a beer garden with a huge selection of craft beers you can't find anywhere else! With this being said they do not encourage children. To be honest they will ask unruly children to leave. On the outside porch you can dine on the water if you like. I have had many menu items without having anything I didn't like. Some favs are crawfish en-tu-fa, crawfish cornbread, beans n rice, gumbo, and my absolute fave their whiskey bread pudding! Yum!!! This place is very reasonably priced with great portions! They do craft beer events outside year round and the ticket price is usually inclusive of the food and beer which makes a great deal!

    (5)

  • MobsterSauce S.

    Fun place! Great location and scenery... love the bayou view and being able to sit outside on the screened-in deck. Fun decor and atmosphere... delicious food. The smoked amber jack spread was great, crabcakes yummy with a remoulade that had quite a kick! and some very flavorful dirty rice, and a wonderful tap list. Lots of good beers to try! We wanted to get the whisky bread pudding, but we were too full! So make note to make room! =) The little boys fishing across the bayou added to the ambiance - they have to be planted, right? They came out right at 6pm and back at 7pm. =) Very cute. Hysterical if it was entirely coincidental! Absolutely recommend! Can't wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Richard K.

    Yummy love the crayfish and the po'boys are delicious, took the bread pudding home cause we were stuffed and they gave us re heating directions which was a nice touch been a few times and great food and service every time.

    (5)

  • Anson M.

    On a nice sunny afternoon, the gf and I decide to make a trip over the bridge and hit a place neither of us had been to in a while. Average crowd for a Sunday mid afternoon. This place has become a craft beer joint, so we both order a pint of CCB Hopped on the high Seas IPA for $6. Underfilled and in PLASTIC cups. We were seated inside, mind you, not at a outdoor concert. Strike 1. Put in an order for boudin balls and the waiter informed us in a hurried voice (when we asked for a minute to peruse the menu) that a "big table of 20 people were coming and that would add an hour or the order" just so we knew to hurry the fuck up with our order. I almost called it a wash at that moment but unfortunately continued on. Ordered the jambalaya and crawfish cornbread plate and the gf ordered an oyster po'boy. Prices are a bit high considering ($10 for boudin balls $9 for a decent sized piece of cornbread with some crawfish in it, $13 for a po'boy with no sides etc) but if the quality were outstanding it'd be worth it. It wasn't. Jambalaya-luke warm and mediocre at best. Strike 2. Cornbread-lukewarm but tasty. Oyster po'boy -cold bread but otherwise delicious. This alone saved this from a one star review. After this, we still foolishly ordered bread pudding to go (how can you f' up bread pudding?)-wanted to take a bite and take it home so we asked for it boxed. Mistake-ice cold and pre packaged (hey, at least it came out quick) with the side of international delight vanilla creamer as a sauce (not sure if this is currently the practice, but I've seen them use that in the past, straight outta the bottle. no shit). Strike 3. I knew we shoulda went for Vietnamese at Ben Thanh or just stayed on the Tampa side of the bridge and eaten a stellar meal at the Refinery for about the same price. Won't get fooled again. Oh yeah, and that table of 20? They never showed up in the time we were there...weird.

    (2)

  • Thomas A.

    It's like a trip to Louisiana without the hassles of travelling! The location, which is set way back off the road, really makes you feel like you have been transported to the bayou. The décor inside is perfect and there is a sign at each table "NO CELL PHONE USE ALLOWED INSIDE THE RESTAURANT" (another nice touch to enable some escapism and relaxation). Top notch place for a fun date or night out - very different than most options around town. Love the food - and they have a great beer selection. The Crawfish Cornbread appetizer is a great way to get started (perfect size to share between 2 people). Everything tastes very authentic, and the crawfish is flown in daily from Louisiana in season. I've been here several times and loved everything I've had (catfish, beans & rice, Cajun sausage)...I don't think there are any bad options here. The service has been tip top on every visit as well, just a great experience. Protip: If you are a bread pudding fan (I am) - I highly recommend the Whiskey Bread Pudding for dessert.

    (4)

  • Virginia G.

    Thank You thank you! For banning smoking on the porch, which is esentially the main dining area here. Now us non smokers can enjoy our food and linger even longer over the great beer selection. You have to appreciate a place that states no smoking, please turn your cell phones off and don't let your kids run around like maniacs. As a childless adult I appreciate a place I can go where I dont' have to numbly smile at some "adorable" child someone else is too lazy to watch who wanders over to my table while i"m having a nice time with hubby. COmbine the rules with great food and atmosphere and you can bet I'll be back here! BTW...the spicy alligator is to die for and the bread pudding seems to be everyones fav.

    (4)

  • Kathy C.

    Enjoyed a relaxing lunch sitting outside in the shade with fantastic service. I ordered a crawfish po boy, which was delicious (lightly battered & fried, served on a hogtie roll with a spicy roumelade sauce & friend onion rings). I do not usually order fried food, however, their po boys are the exception. My husband had the crab cake wrap. The cake was full of crab meat and extremely flavorful. We travel to New Orleans every other year and the food at Cajun Cafe on the Bayou rivals our favorite restaurants there (and the zydeco music playing in the background is always fun).

    (5)

  • Jenni M.

    Anyone who doesn't give this place 5 stars is....well...I'll keep it to myself. My favorite place in Pinellas. The food is like crack. It's amazing

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    Outstanding food! Fried oysters, fried shrimp and fried crawfish were excellent. Wonderful beer selection and delicious bread pudding for desert. We'll be back!

    (5)

  • Dan N.

    Great food and the alligator dish is great and hot. Yum. The beer selection is nice. We went on a rainy day so it was a swamp in the parking lot but inside was nice.

    (4)

  • Will H.

    As a disclaimer, let me state that I am from Louisiana. I was born and raised there. I lived there until my early 30's. I have had some amazing Cajun and Creole food in my life. I moved to Tampa in 1999, with my wife who is from here. In the 14 years I have lived here, I have heard great things about Cajun Café on the Bayou and have wanted to try it for over a decade. Being an hour from where we live, we had not made it there until this weekend. We took advantage of their Mardi Gras Festival celebration. A decade of wanting to go here, the zydeco music, and all of the things I had heard, created a lot of expectations. This Restaurant has an amazing location that plays right into what they offer. They had a special where you got 2lbs of boiled crawfish for $18.00. We decided to start by splitting that with a couple cups of their gumbo ($6.00 each). The roux (base) of the gumbo to me was too dark. I lot of people like a nice rich dark roux, but this was overdone. It wasn't burnt, but it almost tasted like it was. If you looked past that, it would have had a good flavor but this is supposed to be a Cajun Restaurant and my wife made better gumbo from scratch the first time she tried. The boiled crawfish plate was pretty much what you would expect. These were some of the smallest crawfish I have ever eaten boiled. The largest one on the plate would have been one I would have thrown back into the bayou back when I was a kid going crawfishing. But this is Florida, and not Louisiana, so I am not going to allow the size of them to influence my review of them. The crawfish had a wonderful taste, but two things would have made it perfect. One, save the seasoning for the boiling pot and don't put it on afterwards. That doesn't season the crawfish; it only makes shelling them messier. Secondly, you have to PURGE the crawfish before you cook them. I am sorry, but there is no excuse for a restaurant not doing this. After we finished the gumbo and boiled crawfish we picked up our Cajun sampler plate. This plate was included with the $15.00 admission to the festival. The plate consisted of Creole Roasted Pork, Red Beans & Rice, Jambalaya, Crawfish Cornbread and Whiskey Bread Pudding for dessert. Because of the low cost, I wasn't expecting huge portions. It was most definitely a sampler, and there is nothing wrong with that. The Creole Roasted Pork was the best thing we had there. It was delicious, very tender with plenty of flavor. I would definitely order that dish if we ever go back. The Jambalaya was also very very good. It had chicken and sausage and was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Another winner if you ask me. The Red Beans and Rice were beyond pathetic though. With a couple of exceptions were I have burned Red Beans due to not being attentive, these were worse than the worst batch of beans I have ever cooked. They had very little taste at all and part of my rice was actually crunchy. The Crawfish Cornbread, which is a specialty of theirs, was just wrong on so many levels. Cornbread should be a little sweet, especially, if you're going to put crawfish in it. Yet it wasn't. Furthermore, all of the stuff they had put into it really messed up the texture that cornbread should have. As small as the sampler plate was, I didn't even bother finishing the 1" x 1" piece of cornbread I had. It just wasn't appealing at all. I won't review the Whiskey Bread Pudding, as that isn't something I like to begin with. I am not a big dessert person, and am very picky about the few that I do like. Overall, I was highly disappointed, but I am trying really hard to allow for my overly high expectations. It was good enough, that if we were coming back from the beach, we would stop there again, but I wouldn't drive an hour out of my way from home to go there. It looks like I am still trying to find a good Cajun place in Tampa.

    (3)

  • Susan D.

    This place is small and just what one would expect on a bayou. The food was super...we tried the Crawfish Cornbread, the Jambalaya, and the Crab cakes...all were big portions and delicious! Had to take the whiskey bread pudding home and made several desserts from that! You just have to stop by and try this place!

    (5)

  • Kawa T.

    Gorgeous little place tucked away next to the flea market. Huge craft beer selection, a nice mix of local drafts and bottles from around the country. We ordered the two deep fried soft shell crabs with a cup of jambalaya and it was quite delicious!

    (5)

  • Christopher S.

    I grew up in New Orleans, my sister was born there, and because of this, I know two things; good gumbo and good devil crab! I also know old school Mardi Gras. . I decided to make a taste stop after going to Wagon Wheel Flea Market just east of this place. When I go to a "Cajun" joint, I used the gumbo as a measuring stick. This place knows gumbo! Very well homemade quality. I think their Crawfish Cornbread is out of this world as well. I met the Brewmeister and complemented him on the over 100 choices they had to offer. A perfect place to just kick back and enjoy the food. I can't wait to return and try other items on the menu. My only problem is that Cajun food should not be priced as high as this! I understand if they price the beer but the food? Fact! I can make Cajun at home! I made 4 qts of fantastic Dirty Rice for a Super Bowl party this year. It got rave reviews. Who Dat? I can make everything but the mudbugs cheaper! :) Oh, here's the latest. I had the Crawfish Po Boy! Deelish!

    (3)

  • Shanna H.

    Excellent food and vibe. This place prides itself on creating a peaceful environment, where phones and loud, unruly children are not welcomed. Service is great as is the food. Expect traditional Cajun food that is consistent with what you would find in Louisiana. Definitely come during daylight hours to really take in the beautiful scenery.

    (4)

  • Christopher B.

    This is the best Cajun food I've had outside Louisiana and better than a lot I had in that state. Alright, the boudin balls were dry (isn't that fun to say?) and not spicy enough-much of the zing I would expect in the parishes has been muted for tamer palates-but that is the only peccadillo I can lay on this restaurant's account. The alligator in spicy sauce was built on the foundation of a lovely roux and really warmed the mouth. The crabcakes had a generous heft, excellent texture and flavor, and no shortage of blue crab. The real stand-out here came as a side dish; jambalaya. Tender chicken, thin-sliced sausage and a tangy base made this Cajun staple sing-I don't know if the menu featured a jambalaya entree, but, if so, I already know what I'm getting next time. Gosh, I love this place. A strict no-cell-phone policy and a manifesto about the importance of keeping one's children in line make me love it harder. For those who like hot sauce, there are any number of brick-colored swamp potions with which to punish the lips and tongue. Oh, and let's not overlook the extensive beer selection; French-Canuck Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (at 9% alcohol) isn't available just anywhere, for example, but they have it here. Everything about Cajun Cafe on the Bayou seemed just right; It didn't hurt that a savage little June squall blew in just after we arrived, dumping sheets of warm rain on the roof-instant atmosphere! When the rain hit, it chased some diners off the lakeside patio. I didn't sit out there only because I had seen the blackening sky to the west and felt the wind pick up; I knew what was coming. I know Florida. And these guys know Louisiana. Give it a try.

    (4)

  • Kiera B.

    My experience with this place was from attending their Crawfish Festival. You paid for the food through the purchase of tickets, each ticket costing a $1 a piece with average food items being ten tickets or more. I purchased $30 worth of tickets which turned out to be more than enough. My friend, her sister and I ended up sharing the main ticket item, the crawfish. They were very underseasoned and just not so great, which is tragic seeing as how this a CRAWFISH festival. I also ate some other menu items but they were forgettable. However, the atmosphere was very nice and the staff friendly so I'd be willing to give this place a second chance, but not for the crawfish.

    (2)

  • Jeff C.

    It is somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. I had fried catfish with crawfish etouffee loaded on top. Very flavorful. Probably the best cajun food in Tampa I can remember. A nice casual place.

    (4)

  • Manuel M.

    Everything on the menu is wonderful and they have the best bread pudding anywhere. My favorites are the smoked pork chops and the catfish t-red.

    (5)

  • Kathleen D.

    Love this place. Great location. TONS of beers to choose from. Love the Creole Pork Po' Boy. Nice thin, crispy fried onions on there and TASTY pork. Paul, the owner is so nice !! Great music. Very authentic, Fabulous food. LOVE the crawfish boil - makes your lips smile !!!! Really cool location right on the bayou. Perfect location! Love the whiskey bread pudding - the sauce is to die for. They have a super good alligator burger - it has a nice kick ! Check out their website - they are always having something fun there. Mardi Gras celebrations, Zydaco music, craft beer festivals, crawfish festivals. Oh, just go there - it's a fun place !!! LOVE the fact that this is an adult restaurant and rowdy kids will not be tolerated.

    (5)

  • Carol B.

    Look for it or you will miss it! We have been here a couple of months now & this is in the top 5 restaurants, that we have eaten in. The soft shell crab, topped the list of good food anywhere. We will take visitors to the Aera there anytime.

    (5)

  • Felipe G.

    I was pleasantly surprised by the Cajun Cafe. It has been there in Pinellas Park for quite some time and to be honest I totally wrote it off as the scary shack next to the dumpy Wagon Wheel Flea Market. From Park Blvd it looks like a dusty roadhouse where potentially seedy characters congregate. From what I had envisioned I wouldn't have been too surprised to find Patrick Swayze at the door bouncing unruly guests! Well it turns out the place is none of those things and is actually a great down to earth restaurant serving up some great Cajun-Louisiana cuisine. I am glad that I finally got the gumption to go try it out. I had their Shrimp Creole which was chock full of good sized Gulf Shrimp simmered in hot and spicy tomato sauce with onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Unlike most of their other dishes it was not thickened with roux. I love spicy/hot food (I get native Thai hot curries when going out), and usually take any menu comment about hot foods with a serious grain of salt. Stuff usually tastes pretty mild to me, so without even trying the Creole sauce I slathered a healthy amount of hot sauce on one side of my dinner. Well low and behold the sauce on its own was actually plenty spicy, and with the hot sauce it was perfect! I gotta say, and this is coming from a big pepper lover, great job on actually presenting food with spice and flavor! As a starter we had the fried mushrooms which were well fried and were actually baby portabellos instead of the typical tiny white mushrooms you come to expect. It came with a delicious spicy remoulade dipping sauce. I intend to go there again sometime soon and try out their other seafood dishes too especially the catfish and crawfish cornbread. Also, my vegetarian wife was very happy with the Mama Lynn's supper which consisted of Etoufeé Sauce over white rice, served with a side of Fried Veggies. She remarked several times at how good it was, and it is great to find a tasty vegetarian entree at place which is so heavily sausage, seafood, and meat centric. I'd probably give the place 3 stars based on everything so far, but the extra star definitely goes out to the craft beer selection they have. Now most of it is bottles only, as the draft list couldn't have been more than 7-10, but the bottle section was amazing and very well priced to boot. I had a really excellent big 750ml bottle of Victory Golden Monkey, which was a golden Belgium style ale from Pennsylvania. It was delicious paired with my spicy food and at 9.5% ABV was only $7.50. Fantastic! So, thanks to all the other positive Yelp reviews which gave me the courage to try this place out. They were spot on, and I suggest you give this place a shot too.

    (4)

  • Scott M.

    Very interesting authentic setting with good Cajun food. Atmosphere 90 (nothing fancy, but authentic) Service 75 Food 80 (very strong tastes, but isn't that Cajun !) Value 80 (good cuisine and setting match) If, and that is a big if, you like Cajun food this is one of the better eateries in Pinellas. Recommended,and after 5-6 visits, still a sound B. Did I mention the Whiskey bread pudding. An outstanding dessert selection.

    (3)

  • Tom G.

    Gator burger was yummy. Friendly service. huge selection of beers. Whiskey bread pudding omg is wonderful!

    (4)

  • Nick D.

    These guys have better cajun food than I've ever been able to find in NOLA. The crabcakes are dead on, crawfish are outstanding when there, dirty rice is the best I've had, sausages are outstanding, hand crafted, downright dangerous for your cholesterol levels. And the beer--they've got perhaps the best beerlist in town. The servers are not super-knowledgeable, but somebody there really has a handle on what's good. The hard part is choosing what to order out of their wide and excellent suggestion. Only drawback for me is that it's not the most kid-friendly place, so I try to go earlier in the evening before the crowds strike.

    (5)

  • Rich D.

    Stopped by here for the first time for a quick bite on a Saturday night, and it was not too crowded at all. It was my first visit, and I love the shack-type restaurants that are so common all over FL. Cajun Cafe delivers on that vibe and atmosphere very well. You can sit inside, but a nice break in the hot weather made sitting outside a must. Grabbed a table right by the water, which fortunately was right by the massive draft beer list sign which had at least 20 craft beers on it. Add to that the dozens of bottled beers they feature, and you've got plenty to choose from. Service was quick, and my waiter quickly came for my drink order. I decided to explore some local flavor so I ordered up a Cigar City Brewing Maduro Brown Ale. A nice choice as it rewarded me with roasty, toasty, chocolaty flavors. I can definitely see how this brew would match up with a good stick. It also gave me time to explore the expansive menu choices. I wished I was hungry enough to try a full meal of shrimp creole, or perhaps 1, 2 or 3 sausage links (which come in maduro-marinated beef & pork, chaurice creole, gator, crawfish, duck & chicken, pork boudin, or crawfish boudin) instead. But there simply wasn't room for it, so I wisely chose a bowl of well-seasoned creole gumbo instead. It really delivered on authentic creole flavor, which didn't have too much spice or heat to mask the great ingredients like chicken & andouille sausage. The white rice was fluffy and delicate, too. The excellent service continued throughout the meal, with the wait staff regularly checking in for any needs. After a lighter beer cooled off the spicy creole flavors, I was fully satisfied. I've definitely bookmarked Cajun Cafe for followup visits when I'm in St. Pete. Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4 Note: Cajun Cafe's hours change by the season, so heads up: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (December 25-May 31) 11:30am through 9pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (June 1- December 24) 11:30am-2 and 5-9pm Saturday & Sunday 11:30am-9pm Closed Monday and Tuesday

    (4)

  • B R.

    Let me begin by saying that Cajun Cafe when it comes to food deserves four stars. With that being said one cant ignore that the prices are a little steep, which takes them down one star. I like the food here, very authentic. I love their étouffée, the fried green tomatoes, they have great poboy's, and their whiskey bread pudding is great. As I said I think their food is very good and their staff is friendly. My guess to their high prices is that they probably know that there is no competition around. If you want Cajun food in this area this is the only place to go. We still eat here about once a month but if it was more affordable I would definitely put it in the weekly rotation. I recommend that if you have the cravings for this delicious type of food you try it out, but come prepare to spend lots of your hard earned money.

    (3)

  • Roger D.

    Well, it is kind of its own thing around these parts. We can't vouch for the authenticity of their food, because we don't really know much about cajun cuisine. The boudin balls were by far our favorite part of the meal. We had the fresh crawfish, but it wasn't really our thing. The setting is neat. The service was alright. Our server was okay, but the busboy was muttering about his job while cleaning the table next to ours. There was nothing to draw us back. The end.

    (3)

  • kelli u.

    I have eaten here several times and it only gets better with each visit. The Duck Sausage and Alligator Sausage are to DIE for. Made and shipped direct from Louisiana. You have got to try the Craw fish Cornbread, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The jambalaya is so good it would make Marie Laveau dance a jig. There are too many beers in house too count (this is a good thing). What else can I say except it has to be the best Cajun food this side of Louisiana. Before you go you have to try the bread pudding with a cold Youngs Double Chocolate Stout it will make you cry for joy. Dress cool the AC isn't strong and the spices are.

    (4)

  • Cathy S.

    Duck sausage. Get it. Also, I love that this place won't let you use your cell phone and pretty much discourages kids. The beer selection is amazing, the food is beyond tasty and well-prepared, and if there's any way you have room left, get the whiskey bread pudding. The crawfish cornbread is also worth walking through fire for (and, yes, I know it's poor form to end a sentence with a preposition, but the food is so good it's destroyed my will to write properly.) This is not a place for people who don't like spicy food, by the way. I don't just mean hot, I mean cooked with spices.

    (4)

  • Meredith M.

    Sucked on crawfish on the Bayou and it was a perfect night! The outdoor, screened-in patio is the perfect setting alongside the bayou which I'm sure has an alligator or two. I loved all the food here from the alligator bites to the crawfish to my po boy! Can't wait to come back! It's a true Florida treasure.

    (4)

  • Diane D.

    Great Cajun food, an amazing beer list, a wonderful taster flight for sampling the beer and the whiskey bread pudding is to die for! This is a fun place to go with a group of people and order a big old spread of food!

    (4)

  • David G.

    Simply awesome if you love cajun food! This is also one of those places you go to when its "cooler" outside as opposed to 94 degrees and humid on an August day. The location is perfect (a bit off the road and you will miss it if youre not paying attention) and when you're missing LA and new orleans, you come here for great fare, great music and great times.

    (4)

  • Alberto S.

    This place was pretty good. not great but not bad. they had some weird rule about not having kids and not having cell phones on. why? anyhow Id go again food was good.

    (3)

  • Grant R.

    I will start with the food was pretty good and authentically seasoned. Everything is spicy (which I don't mind but don't let them tell you it isn't because it all is). The good part ends there. The minute you walk in it feels unwelcome. Signs everywhere telling you not to use your cell phone, turn off your cell phone, everywhere. It isn't for looks it is the rule there. I do feel that sometimes cell phones are distracting and rude but at a very casual cajun themed cafe I don't need a list of rules telling me not to, besides isn't this supposed to be a somewhat celebratory feeling atmosphere like New Orleans? It isn't at all at Cajun Cafe. 20 years I have driven by and stopped to find this out. It doesn't stop there either.. Don't bring kids here! Yelp says Kid Friendly and it is not. I was completely offended by the full page of rules in front of the menu telling people with exclamation points that they don't offer a kids menu! (emphasis added per their rules in the menu) and that if your kids are not acting according to their expectations, they will ask you to leave as if this is some fancy snobby restaurant. Half of the first page of the menu is about kids and how they will kick them out. I can understand that in some establishments this would be the expectation but this place has faded painted arrow signs and tries to be all Cajun but then has rules everywhere and the person who wrote the menu should be fired or get out of hospitality for being so crass. They are so bad and threatening my wife worried anytime our toddler even talked (he was good the whole time but god forbid he wasn't we felt unwelcome). Taped signs on fans and wall a/c units everywhere with "don't touch" like a grumpy old man owns the place. I found the atmosphere drab and boring and they painted over all the ceilings that were falling in like a cheap rehab was done to salvage the place. It had no real theme at all, inside at least. The server had no personality, he tried to be nice but it seemed fake. To sum it up this New Orleans trip wasn't fun at all for any of my party especially after the first impressions you get front door to table to menu. I think there is new ownership or management here because there is a real identity crisis going on. The bar is covered up an closed down so no bar seating for those looking for that and they try to have special micro/local brew beers but then there is no list except a faded out chalk board that hasn't been updated in ages that you have to walk up and stand in front of to decide what you want but can't read half the thing. It is a shame because I think this place has potential, or had it at one time and despite somewhat decent food, the service, bad vibes from all the rules (which are not meant to be funny, they're serious) and the fact that it was 90 degrees indoors at our table ruined the experience. I guess this place may be for some people but not me or my party again. My first bad review, not easily earned.

    (1)

  • Rob W.

    Love the atmosphere of being on the bayou. There is an amazing selection of beer available here. The food was a bit hit and miss. I did not care too much for their crab cakes. I liked the concept so I was able to get over that little disapointment and give it 3 stars.

    (3)

  • J. Daniel B.

    Authentic Cajun food. Will be back for sure. Cooky hours so check before you go.

    (4)

  • Alicia W.

    I love all things rice and beans and spicy related. Oh this place is perfect! AND, they encourage parents to leave screaming kids at home; so just leave them at home regardless. One never knows when the whiny screaming beast will emerge from a child. Mine is usually pretty well behaved, so maybe its me who turns into the beast when she starts to meltdown... Hmmm... Let's leave that for Dr. Phil. Love, love, love this place. Yes, the parking lot needs some work and entirely too many times I've turned into the flea market and had to turn around, but once inside and cell phones off (they will make it a point to interrupt your call...its awesome) bring on the food! Huge helpings and all so delicious! Get the cornbread FO SHO! If you have room at the end get the bread pudding too, but DEFINITELY get the red beans and rice. Just get a bowl of it. I usually fancy it up and go for the burritos (fries are so good too), but really that's just more carbs that take away from the carbs I'm already enjoying and need more room for...so just get a bowl...maybe a salad too...or not. But the salads are good too...good lettuce; not that iceberg stuff that is useless to eat. The brewskies are cold and they have some local brews to chose from, but if you just want a Mich Lite (seriously, who drinks Mich Lite anymore) you can get that too. The digs are awesome too. Beads everywhere. Zydeco music! Walls covered in stuff to look it if you should so happen to take a break from eating. Floors are creaky and uneven and there's outside seating on the water where once we saw some guys sitting in lawn chairs fishing (love Florida). Find them on Facebook to keep up with the Festival schedule; Mardi Gras, Crawfish Festival (14 years running), beer festival... There's always something happening it seems; wish I had more babysitters. Just go... Grab a brew and eat some Cajun food. You'll go back...and 86 the tortilla too... Mmmmm, red beans and rice...

    (4)

  • Mark M.

    Used to love going to this place but not anymore. The food is still good like always, but it is expensive and the portions has shrunk. This place is not kid friendly but they prefer to treat their patrons like kids (signs about no cell phones) while providing as one reviewer said "piss poor service".I would avoid this place like a wild alligator.

    (2)

  • Cjp P.

    Great service. Friendly atmosphere. Food authentic. Truly a Cajun experience. Take it from a Cajun...

    (4)

  • R P.

    I was born in Lake Charles, LA and grew up in Beaumont, Texas, so I'm coonass thru and thru. This is by far the best Cajun food outside of that region. The Alligator Sauce Piquant is off the charts. Great beer selection to top it all off.

    (5)

  • Jeff M.

    Where else can you get bugs (crawfish) in Pinellas Park? This place has great Cajun food, and one of the best craft beer lists in Saint Petersburg. They also fly in their sausages from Louisiana, and they are tremendous. Plus its located on a beautiful part of Joe's creek, giving it a very authentic cajun vibe. Crawfish, sausages, and Abita beer in my back yard keeps me happy when I'm not in NOLA.

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    Our first experience with Cajun Cafe On The Bayou did not go well. Just because they were having bands play that particular night we were told we had to pay $20 to park just to go inside to eat. We had not planned to stay to listen to the music. Plus, they had a particular area roped off just for people that were there for the music that did not include all of the inside restaurant area. However, we would still have to pay $20 to park so we decided to come back on a different day. Despite our negative 1st encounter, we thought we would give them one more try. On this particular Saturday, we arrived at Cajun Cafe On the Bayou 15 minutes before the lunch menu ended. We placed our drink order and proceeded to look at the menu. We noticed that there was a lunch and a dinner menu. The wait staff brought our drinks and left before they could take our food order. The wait staff did not come by our table again until after the time for the lunch menu had ended. We were then told we were "too late" to order from the lunch menu - we would have to order from the dinner menu; however, while waiting on someone to return to take our food order, we realized that the only dishes we wanted just happened to be on the lunch menu. Well, we couldn't order those items because our "food" order had to be placed before the time ended, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR 15 MINUTES AND HAD ALREADY PLACED A DRINK ORDER. In what other restaurant do you order your drinks separate from your food order?????? We felt since we had placed the drink order that would go with our meal, we should have established our time (for ordering). The manager did not think so and was not very friendly when we inquired about the policy. "We could order from the dinner menu items and that was it". She let us know in no uncertain terms that she did not care whether we stayed or left and she certainly did not care that we had driven over 40 miles one way to dine at her restaurant. Her venomous look at us as we left without ordering made us realize that our decision to leave was correct - to begin a dining experience with such outright inconsideration for the customer surely meant there was no way this was going to get better. They tried to force us to choose from the more expensive menu; thus, our impression of the cost of a meal there (also from reviewing the menu while waiting on service). We should have taken a clue from the first time we visited when we couldn't eat unless we paid $20 for parking. As I said earlier, we live over 40 miles one way from this restaurant and we will not be back.

    (1)

  • Andy F.

    I love eating outside by the water. This place has great Cajun food, although the service is very slow and it is a bit pricy. It's almost like they only have one or two fryers in the back, which isn't good when the place is crowded. However, there's a great craft beer selection. The crawfish and gator offerings (sausage, po' boy, etc.) are delicious. Wish they had a better selection of hot sauces.

    (3)

  • Meghan B.

    Pulling up to this place can be a little intimating, but once you walk in you are pleasantly surprised. You definitely feel like you are in the Bayou if you sit on the outside deck. For the area it has decent Cajun food. They have live music during the weekend, which I am sure can be fun if its not too hot to sit on the deck. The staff was very friendly and helpful, especially since I am not a HUGE Cajun food eater and have some food limitations. I would recommend stopping in if you are in the area and are craving Cajun.

    (3)

  • Jeff L.

    I like the food here, although I felt it was somewhat overpriced. On some days, you can get crawfish. This is one of the few places you can get gator meat as an appetizer and as main entrees. The gator ettouffee is not bad, although I'm pretty sure that they threw in some salsa from the jar to make that sauce. Their gator bites for appetizers are a good choice and their corn bread is good too. Service is good too. I was considering giving it four stars, but the prices are too high (20-25% more than what I had expected to pay). Then again, there aren't many cajun restaurants in this neck of the woods, so I guess they can charge higher prices.

    (3)

  • VL K.

    Pretty solid Cajun food with a great n'awlins vibe. I mean, it's actually on a bayou- love it. Their beer selection is very solid, which was an unexpected treat. Their food was pretty decent, not the best in the world, but a-ok. The crawfish etoufee was awesome, and their cornbread was pretty good. Bottom line, this is a good option if you're hankering for some cajun food with a great atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Georges L.

    Good food, good times.

    (4)

  • Brian T.

    Been here several times and have had a chance to try a little of just about everything. There have been a couple of disappointments but overall the food is great. The boiled crawfish were small and over-priced and the roast beef po-boy would have been better without fried onions and cabbage. Probably a little overpriced for what it is. However the red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, crawfish cornbread, gumbo, catfish nuggets, jambalaya are all excellent. Be sure to, at least try, to save room for the bread pudding!

    (4)

  • Michael T.

    Best Cajun in town.... Give me some crawfish and a beer and I'm set....

    (5)

  • Tina K.

    Small, quaint, and charming, Cajun Cafe on the Bayou comes through with some delectable cajun/creole style grub. This restaurant is really one of a kind in the Tampa Bay Area. If you want a little slice of Louisiana riverside dining this spot is your place to go to. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor and waterside dining. Being as it is not very updated or modern, do not be swayed by the older decor. There is a superabundance of craft beer offerings as well as tasty Lousiana-style Cajun fare. The restaurant seems to cater to a more mature crowd and there are signs which indicated that you are not to use your cell phone while here, which would mean that they want their patrons to be present and enjoy the company they are with and their experience, not consumed by technology. As an avid Yelper this may be tough to contain your phone impulses but I suggest sneaking pictures anyways. I sat outside at a picnic table during my dining experience here and it was quite hot as it is Florida in the summer. Our table tried lots of the menu offering and everyone's entree was devoured. I myself had the crawfish étouffée (comes with rice) and found it to be tasty and well seasoned. We also had an order of the cornbread with crawfish to start and it was good as well. They offer three types of hot sauce so take advantage of you want to doctor your meal to have more of a kick. For dessert, we all dug into an order of the whiskey bread pudding. It was delicious and the perfect ending to cap off our meal. I look forward to trying the restaurant out again when I get the chance. I like the charm and rustic quality of the restaurant and how it offered a different scene from anything else you get in the Tampa Bay area. The restaurant also serves as a venue for beer festivals; most recently they hosted a sour beer and bacon festival this past Saturday (8/23/15) and there is a larger beer festival taking place on November 7, 2015. This type of atmosphere is a nice departure from other beer festival venues. For more information on the 10th annual Fall beer festival you may visit; m.facebook.com/events/15… or cajuncafeonthebayou.com

    (4)

  • Thuyen B.

    Hmmm...I know I reviewed this place already, where did it go?! Our dining experience here was ok. There are signs telling you to turn off your cell phones. I don't think this place is kid-friendly either unless they are well behaved. I came with my son to check this place out- good thing he is well behaved! Interior is decorated to feel like New Orleans which is cool. Server was pleasant enough...We ordered the crawfish cornbread, crawfish etouffee and my son ordered a chicken strip basket with fries. Cornbread was ok, kinda salty. But had a lot of crawfish in it. My etouffee was ok too. Big portion but seemed to be missing something. I brought the leftovers home for my husband and he thought the same thing. Clientele was an older crowd while we were there. It was early evening on a weekday. There was also seating outside the back it looked like. Which might be nicer in cooler months. Overall, a decent dining experience. Be careful coming in and out, the one way in is a long bumpy road to the restaurant and is very narrow. Will have to come back with the hubby and try some other menu items. The bread pudding looks tempting.

    (3)

  • Clara S.

    My FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD AS OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON!!!!! The food was amazing,.. the staff attentive. We sat outside on the dock overwater. Even in early September, there was a cool breeze coming off the water. We had the crab cakes, crawfish etouffe, and jumbalaya. Also,.. of course great local craft beer selection!! If you are looking for something hipster this isn't it,... this is a small hole in the wall with fantastic food and water views (of the canals). Exactly what hit the spot... I cannot wait to return.

    (5)

  • Amber K.

    Stopped by while on vacation and loved his place. Sat out by the river and our waiter was super knowledgeable about the various local brews on tap. We were able to sample and try out a few local beers, which I love while traveling. The crawfish cornbread was good, a bit fishy as crawfish is but just the right amount of jalapeño heat. I had the Shrimp Creole which is pretty tomato based but had a good flavor & was the right amount of spicy. My fiancé had the Alligator Piquant which also was spicy and had more of a grilled flavor to it. Definitely not for the weak of heart! Spicy is legit! Good portion sizes, we took about a 1/3 of each home. We got the whiskey pudding to go, which was good later but I'm sure better freshly made. Definitely suggest people check it out!

    (4)

  • Dana S.

    Seriously love this place.The atmosphere, the food, the beer selection. Ive tried the shrimp, fried and grilled and both are great. The crawfish etouffee with rice is delicious. The meatloaf and gravy is so good too. Just plain ol' delicious Cajun food. Everything I've tried is so good and they have great selection of beers. They used to having fruli, this delicious strawberry beer but they don't anymore. If they got that back I'd be there at least once a month.

    (5)

  • Eric S.

    Traveling around for work, I get to experience restaurants all over the country. This has to be one of the best Cajun/creole places I have been to. The alligator sauce piquant was amazing. If you like spicy, go for it. If the menu says "spicy," it is. This is my new go to place when in the Tampa area.

    (5)

  • Jerry H.

    This was one of the best meals I've had here, which, to me, have been kind of inconsistent over the years. The crawfish cornbread was fantastic. The cornbread was moist and flavor-filled and the crawfish were tender. My soft shell crab was good size and surprisingly spicy, but very good. My crawfish etouffee was very good and somewhat spicy. The beer selection was short on wheat beers, my preference, but we found one that worked. The service was very good. Not cheap, but worth it this time. A good meal and nice setting sitting out on the bayou.

    (4)

  • Jim S.

    Been coming here since they opened. The food is always great. I highly recommend the Alligator Sauce Piquant and bread pudding.

    (5)

  • Larry C.

    i can completely understand the need of prohibiting all cell phones from the table while eating (as evidenced by the countless signs all along the wall warning you of their policy) as its meant to encourage conversation among your guests, but as a fellow yelper my hands were literally shaking from not being able to whip out my camera phone to take a picture of my food to post it up on this lovely site. damn you YELP for creating a monster out of me! oh well thank goodness im a rebel and thus explains the food pictures you see on my post anyways lol i did read the description of the kids running around and them being prohibited from making loud noises. although i commend their attempts at a peaceful and relaxing meal, for any parent that alone can be a challenging task to take on even in the confides of your own home. now for the food. for cajun restaurants in the bay area, the prices were relatively very reasonably priced & was packed full of flavor with each bite. i ordered the crab cakes which was pretty good and came with alot of meat (not too much bearding) which was appreciated. since its cajun food, each bite came with a little bit of a kick to it .... Louisiana style. The jambalaya & gumbo was pretty good as i had a sampling of that from the misses plate. mom ordered the catfish which also was pretty good and had a nice taste and fry to it. every table had at least 3 different types of hot sauces to accompany your meal which was pretty cool! the restaurant is also situated right by a lazy river which totally adds to the feel of the cajun restaurant. all in all not a bad experience as the wait staff was all very nice and catered to our table with the quickness. if you can get past the negative signage, your in for a hidden gem of a cajun treat!

    (4)

  • Tammy P.

    I've been coming here for over 19 years. The service is outstanding along with the food. Add the ambiance and music this is a must do on your list if you can't get up to Nawlins

    (4)

  • Justin M.

    The best food and atmosphere all in one. The shrimp, etouffee, and whisky bread pudding are the bomb!!!

    (5)

  • Marie S.

    Omg! The best I've ever tried! Crawfish Étouffée with catfish! Finished up with the bread pudding. Can't wait to return.

    (4)

  • Barry E.

    I've been coming here for years and love the food! All their Cajun specialties are great, but don't overlook the tail-on shrimp dinner (fried). They're so good, it's hard to imaging ordering shrimp anywhere else. The shrimp are cooked to perfection and it comes with a great remoulade sauce for dipping. And don't forget to save room for their amazing bread pudding. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of their weird, 20th century insistence that you don't use your cell phone at all. There are signs everywhere saying to put your phones away and if you dare take a call (even briefly before stepping out), the waitstaff will rudely tell you to turn it off. Unbelievable, but I put up with it because their food is so good.

    (4)

  • Crystal H.

    I absolutely freaking adore this place. It is tucked down on the water next to the Wagon Wheel flea market on Park Blvd and can be easy to miss if you don't know where it is. To get there, you have to find a small drive way and drive down into a bumpy parking lot that can be a pain when other cars are trying to navigate the space. It is well worth the effort. Cajun Cafe is very Kitschy. From the half New Orleans half swampland decor to the signs that are hung everywhere that threaten you to put your cell phones away. If you are caught using it, you may be ejected. There is also a humorous section on the menu that warns parents to control their children. Make sure you read it. :) Anyways, Cajun Cafe has a plethora of beer (both on tap and in bottles). My beer snob Husband is always happy to find some of his favorites here. The food however is the real star. I have been here twice now and tried a variety of things. I absolutely love the Alligator Piquant and have ordered it both times. It is a spicier dish that is packed full of flavor. It is also a huge helping that I normally end up happily eating half of for lunch the next day. I have also tried the gumbo, fried crawfish, sausage, fried green tomatoes, boudin balls and the whiskey bread pudding. They have all been delicious. The whiskey bread pudding is something that you MUST try when you visit. It is some of the best bread pudding I have ever had and it is perfect to share with a group (one or two people probably can not finish it. Our last visit four people verily tackled it). If you are looking for traditional cajun fare, Cajun Cafe on the Bayou is the place to go...just remember to be on your best behavior. :)

    (5)

  • Jenette S.

    This was the first time here. You get a little turned around looking for it. We accidentally turned into the wagon wheel parking entrance and were quickly confused on why we had to pay to eat and then realized it was next door so make sure to pay attention when you turn. It looks like a little bungalow you would see in New Orleans and it's right off the canal. It's a dive spot but it's cute inside with the Mardi Gras decor and signage all over. Once inside you can't see the road and you feel like you're really in the bayou. (yes I've been in a canoe in a bayou before so I know what it looks like people). They had a few Louisiana beers there in bottles. I got the abita purple haze- that's always a safe one coz a lot of places in town have it. Prices are moderate. I got the gumbo and side salad. The gumbo was good, it had just the right amount of spices and a kick at the end of every bite. Another person got the catfish stripes basket and they was good as well. The batter had seasoning and wasn't too batter filled. We also tried the crab cakes meal with jambalaya. Jambalaya didn't look too appealing it looked more dried out; luckily appearances don't speak for the taste. It was chalk full of flavor and spicy. I'm a stickler for good crab cakes and they have a really good one. You don't feel ripped off with the cake being full of fillers coz this had lots of lumps of crab. Thanks Cajun on the bayou for making an honest crab cake! :) didn't get to dessert but we will next time for sure!

    (4)

  • Pyra-Danny V.

    AMBIANCE MAKES THE FOOD TASTE BETTER Eating spicy seafood is best tasted outdoors (or any meal for that matter) Although Cajun's inside is large with plentiful, casual seating and many Beer-related décor to inspire conversation, the outside seating is best. Overhanging a stream and feet away from marsh trees, it's excellent seeing and hearing nature while you eat with a breeze on your face. But a dark screen also covers the patio (I guess to avoid people from jumping off) and can hinder a bit of the view. I saw at least three signs telling diners to turn off their phones or take calls away. It seems to work--diners around me were actually talking to each other. DECENT CAJUN FOOD: TOO MUCH Warning: Cajun newbie but I love the spices used. The Sausage combo all used the same spices and while all the Meat varieties tasted great overall, I would've preferred spices more catered specially to the various Meat types. The Fried Softshell Crab was very Breaded and became 'too much too quickly'--same with the Crawfish Etouffee. With every bite being filling, you begin to crave something to add variety to all the spiced-up bites. GREAT SERVICE GREAT BEER They love their Craft Beer here--the décor says it all as well as their yearly Beer-crazy festival. Their menu features MANY local breweries as well as many I haven't heard of. Even their servers wear shirts from brewers. And the service we've gotten has been very friendly and happy.

    (4)

  • R B.

    A friend/client ended up having the day off so we met at this restaurant between our respective areas. Sat outside and even though it was hot out it was still bearable sitting beneath the tin roof. I think in spring and fall it would be a perfect venue. We spilt some appetizers of fried okra and the Cajun Cafe Crab Cakes. The cakes are the bomb. My Gator burger was good but I'm reminded baby I don't eat gator all the time. The burritos my friend got were delicious. I would prefer to be served with good plastic drink wear instead of disposable cups. I know there's a deck but I also know there are plastic draft glasses that can be chilled like regular glass for the broad assortment of local craft beers available. I think 3 stars is to low and 4 to high but 3 1/2 wasn't an option.

    (4)

  • Amy B.

    I didn't personally love this place but Brandon thought it was pretty good! They had a lot of craft beer options, and he really enjoyed all of his meal. He had gator and gumbo and I had chicken and fried mushrooms. I personally thought the batter was too much, too much spice, but Brandon loves spicy things so he thought everything was tasty. Service was spotty but the waiter when he did attend to us was super nice and pleasant.

    (3)

  • Crystal S.

    The food is generally very good. The problem here is the service and attitude towards customers. Cell phone rule I understand. The anti-kid thing I do not understand. Being too afraid to take my son to this restaurant for fear that there is a slight chance he might have an off day and being kicked out (we would leave ourselves if this happened, but it is more embarrassing to be kicked out) we settle on ordering to-go. Now we are not even able to do that because they don't do certain menu items to-go anymore. So, if you are a parent there is no way to eat food from this establishment without the fear of being thrown out. I am not saying they need to be a family friendly restaurant. I am saying they need some common business sense and decent customer service.

    (2)

  • Jonathan Y.

    20 taps of local Florida beers? check Truly authentic Cajun food? check Great and knowledgeable service? check Best place I visited in Florida, and best meal I ate.. and to hear of these beer festivals they run, my mind was blown. Next visit to Tampa I'll take the drive out to Cajun Cafe again!

    (5)

  • Colleen C.

    Visited after a recommendation from a co-worker so had high hopes. I'm from Beaumont, Texas, heavily influenced by Louisiana only 30 minutes away, and lived in NOLA for three years. Catfish lagniappe was awesome, and even the rice was good. Crab cakes were okay but too heavily seasoned. Fried soft-shell crab was extremely over seasoned and dry. Bottom line - creole Cajun food can be spicy; however, over doing spice or salt does not make food Cajun. Back off on the salt and heat and concentrate on taste. Ruining seafood is a sin.

    (3)

  • Leonard C.

    Amazing this place is not more well known. Have been coming many gets and the food craft beers and overall atmosphere is just so awesome!

    (5)

  • Paul F.

    Great selection of local beers on tap. Authentic Cajun food and great service from Josh our waiter. Started with the crawfish cornbread followed by jambalaya and Cajun fries. Check it out you won't be disappointed!

    (5)

  • Laura W.

    I visited Cajun Cafe with a group and wasn't sure what to expect. We sat outside, which I would highly recommend as the bayou is right next to the deck. This is a very casual place, so come as you are! I saw some people in bathing suits and we were in t-shirts and shorts. The beers on tap are good and plentiful. There are a number of fried appetizers, which were tasty but a bit greasy. We shared around, so I got to try several. I think the food is authentic, having visited New Orleans twice. Most breaded items are a little spicy, which I like. I do think they could introduce a few items for the menu that are not fried and try to have a few items that are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan, perhaps under the section of their menu called "Sandwiches and Lighter Fare". I think they have got the fried food right and it's time to move up to the next level and offer fresh items that are not fried if they have any interest in moving to a more complex menu. How about a Florida fruit salad with a citrus dressing? How about more than one basic green salad? There is a grilled cheese sandwich, but that doesn't move the menu to a higher level. The bread pudding is very good and large enough to share with one or two people. I highly recommend it! The server handled our large group well. If you are looking for mostly fried food in a fun atmosphere, you will enjoy Cajun Cafe. If you are looking for a more complex menu, go to downtown St. Pete or one of the upscale hotels on the beach.

    (3)

  • Diana B.

    Great food. I live in Illinois and I still remember this cafe. Crawfish cornbread was delicious. They had an amazing selection of beers on tap, most of them local. When I had relatives go to Florida I recommend this place. Great location great food and great beer. Service was just right, they didnt hover over your table and at the same time were there when needed. Plus it wasnt expesive! So Everyone should stop by!

    (5)

  • Kelleigh M.

    Meh-this rating is solely on their fried mushroom appetizer. For $8 definitely not worth it and nothing special. I won't be back any time soon.

    (2)

  • Dani I.

    First time here this past Saturday. Walked in and the atmosphere was really nice. It sits on the bayou. You have your choice of sitting inside or out. I had the salad with blackened gator bites with a side of remoulade. The remoulade was the best thing about my salad. My friend had the crab cakes with the rice and beans which I thought was OK. Now for dessert I literally had the best thing I've ever had in my life. The whiskey bread. You have no idea how amazing this thing tastes. I'll go back just for that. My food was good but I think I've come to the realization I'm just not a big fan of Cajun food so maybe my opinion shouldn't really count. One thing I'll say is the service was lacking. My waiter was not pleasant at all. One word responses. And frankly my dear, just didn't seem to give a shit. I can't remember his name either mike or Danny...Ok I get it...it was the day after halloween maybe people are hungover but shit, I'm hungover and tired at work 50 percent of the time. I still suck it up, put a smile on my face and hide the fact that I want to puke on everyone. I'll come back for the whiskey bread.

    (3)

  • Abby A.

    Best Cajun food in town! I've been a few times and we always start off with the crawfish cornbread. I'm a big fan of their shrimp étouffée, and my boyfriend usually gets a 'Po 'Boy. They've got a great selection of beer and the service is always friendly. Not a great place to bring kids - because they are going for a tranquil vibe (there are signs on the deck to turn off cell phones and keep noise to a min). If you're in the mood for quiet, waterfront Cajun dining, then this is the spot.

    (5)

  • Joel P.

    Went for the beer festival and stayed for the food, and more beer. Lets focus on the fact. Crawfish Cornbread is the food of gods, Cajun Cafe owns it. Boudin balls are classic cajun treats and if you dont know what Im talking about they will teach you with no questions asked! Fried Oyster Po Boys with juicy whole fried oysters? Hell Yes!! I love the spot right next to the flee market it is worth the trip and the beer on tap is mind blowing. I struggle trying to pick one of the beers from all the local breweries that they have on top regularly. The beer festivals they throw a couple times a year are epic as well. They earn 5 stars like it is nobodies business, unless they are a vegetarian. Best cajun in the bay! Cheers

    (5)

  • Gia H.

    I have visited this restaurant many times. I am not a fan. None of the food is tasty or authentic. The very first time, I went for a crawfish festival. The crawfish were bland. Tasted like they were just boiled in plain water. Pluses: If you go at a reasonably nice time of year weather wise, sit outside. The waterway along the side gives a swamp/bayou atmosphere. It's kinda cool. The bread pudding is inconsistent but the whiskey sauce on it is usually REALLY good.

    (1)

  • Mike Z.

    Two friends and I were here earlier this month for the beer festival hosted by the restaurant. As Tampa beer festival regulars, they'd been here before; this was my first visit. I mostly was here just for the beer festival but thankfully was able to try some of the food here and ended up enjoying it, even though Cajun food isn't my favorite. I did not go to the interior of the restaurant, since the festival was held in the outdoor patio/deck area. Therefore, I have no insight about that, nor can I provide commentary or a review of the restaurant's service. I did briefly interact with a few employees, however, and each of them seemed to be friendly and helpful. Many of the people with whom I spoke while here were people who were brewery employees and other people pouring the beers for the festival. The rear of the restaurant is where I spent the most time. The back deck area is right on a river (I think?) and we were fortunate to find a nice space to hang out over there. I'd like to check this out again if I visit the restaurant in the future and when there isn't a festival taking place. The food I tried here was good, but I don't know much about this style of cuisine and don't really have many in-depth details to provide. I really enjoyed the red beans & rice as well as another side (I don't remember what it was). I gave my pulled pork to a friend, since I don't really eat that stuff; he said it was very good. If I'm not mistaken, the restaurant regularly hosts beer festivals, so there likely are more of those to come. Even though I've been to only one of them here, I highly recommend checking out any/all of them in the future. There were some really, really good beers here during the festival earlier this month.

    (4)

  • Wade A.

    The food was ok. We had the alligator sauce piquant, and crawfish etouffe. Both were decent, not amazing, not awful, but decent. Portions were avearge. We also had fried green tomatoes as an appetizer, which were really good. For dessert we had the bread pudding. Now, I've been to New Orleans several times and had bread pudding there frequently. This was billed as being "the best people had ever had." Well those people had obviously never been to New Orleans, because this was merely ordinary. It was on the dry side, hardly any raisins, and the sauce had almost no bourbon in it. Regardless, I would rate this restaurant 3 stars, which I feel is all any restaurant that is merely ordinary merits, were it not for the amazingly slow service. Our waitress disappeared for periods of up to 30 minutes at a time. Our drinks sat empty following our appetizers for a solid 15 minutes. During that time she walked by several times, but never even made eye contact. And the place wasn't busy. There may have been 7 cars in the lot. So I knocked my rating down to 2 stars because of the poor service. I won't be in any hurry to go back. For $75.00 (including tip) for 2 people, save your money and go elsewhere. There's much better places to eat in the Bay area.

    (2)

  • Karen A.

    We've been wanting to try this place for a while; being suckers for genuine Cajun food and all, but the mixed reviews of how the staff treated their patrons made us hesitate. Let's get this out of the way right now. Yes, there are signs asking you to turn off your cell phone. When I walked in and read it, I immediately silenced mine. The man who greeted us, Duane, who was also our server saw me do this and just asked that if we received a phone call to please take it outside so as not to disturb anyone else. Seems fair enough, right? I mean, why should people have to be asked to use their own common sense and decency. We sat outside, which was so peaceful and a little cool in December. And thank goodness, no smoking anywhere!! We ordered the Cajun cornbread that had huge hunks of crawfish in it and fried green tomatoes as starters. I asked Duane to bring me some ranch for the tomatoes because the remoulade that comes with is mayo, cilantro, herbs and spices. Personally, I don't care for cilantro, so I didn't think I would like it. He happily brought the ranch, but also the remoulade (just in case). I tried a tiny bit and oh my goodness, it was delicious!! I couldn't even taste the cilantro! I ate it with the cornbread and the tomatoes and was looking around for something else I could put it on. It has a nice little kick to it! They should really think about bottling that! For dinner, I ordered the T-Red Catfish, which is fried catfish strips laid over a bed of rice with étouffée on top. It's one of their signature dishes. This was incredible! Perfectly breaded catfish and fried so the meat is tender and juicy and the outer is crispy. Even the étouffée sauce didn't make it soggy. This was a very large portion that I was unable to finish, but happily had for breakfast this morning. And it was just as amazing! My handsome dinner companion and birthday boy had the crawfish étouffée. An equally large portion with giant hunks of crawfish. He did a better job of finishing his, but still didn't leave room for dessert. So, we got some whiskey bread pudding to go. Amazingly, he had room after about 45 minutes. I'm not a bread pudding lover. This is something else entirely. I don't know what. I grew up in the South and I never cared for it, despite the tradition. THIS bread pudding however will make you want to slap your Granny for trying to force that other crap on you all these years! It's warm and gooey and crispy all at the same time and the vanilla sauce that you pour over it is heavenly. Mmmm... I'm also enjoying what's left of this for breakfast, too. All this food and my check was a little over 50 bucks. And there was a beer in there, too. We done good! And we'll be doing it again!

    (5)

  • Shaun L.

    This is by far the best food in the area!!! They have the best selection of Cajun food, craft beer, and the bread pudding in amazing! If you do not eat here on your trip to the area, you are truly missing out.

    (5)

  • Angela C.

    Love the beer menu and out door seating area. Never had a issue with any of my food orders and love the bread pudding!! Must have. Very casual atmosphere and live music on the weekends.

    (4)

  • Stephanie P.

    I loved everything about this place! From my first moment stepping in I was greeted by like 3 different employees and given great, attentive service. Looking through their menu I saw that they carry a great selection of craft beers from mostly local, FL breweries which is awesome! I settled for a sour ale from nearby Rapp Brewing and waited for the rest of my party taking in the relaxing view of the intercoastal right off the dock. I came for dinner and was dancing between getting the gator burger or a poboy; ended up with the burger and it was huge! Thin patty, a little greasy but in the perfect kind of way. I feel like the burger could do with a little sauce of some kind as it was a little dry with only the blackened seasoning. Asides from that, my side of fried okra was delicious and not at all slimy as okra is infamous for being when cooked incorrectly. The whole vibe of this restaurant is what makes me want to be a regular here every weekend. Their menu politely asks for you to not use your phone while dining and if you have children, please keep them quiet and respectful of other diners--such simple ideas but it really let me know their values and makes them stand out from other places. This is the perfect place for anyone looking for some solid, spicy cajun food and a place to relax with friends and family for a few hours, talking and catching up as the sun sets over the mangroves.

    (4)

  • Noah B.

    We have come here many times now and the service has always been great. Now the food: everything I have tried or actually ordered has been wonderful. The Boudin balls are so good. If you like sausage get the 3 link entrée and make sure one of them are the Maduro sausage.

    (5)

  • Kathie B.

    This place is a joke! If you have ever had true Cajun Food and the fun that goes along with the Cajun culture you will leave as I did feeling ripped off!!! Food was awful and the quite rudeness of this place will turn you off! Don't waste your money! If you have ever been to New Orleans and ate and enjoyed the "good time" feeling...run as fast as you can! I had no children with me but the notice on the menu about children and NO CELL PHONE USE!!! That's not Cajun!!!! As they say in New Orleans "let the good times roll" that's not allowed here!!! Just save your money and go to a real Cajun place!!!

    (1)

  • Melinda M.

    After reading reviews, we decided to give this place a try. The outside looks like a dive joint and upon entering there are signs asking that you turn off your cell phone. I can understand placing the phone on silent but turning it off completely is another thing. We placed an order to go. We ordered the crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo and bread pudding. The crawfish étouffée was ok. The crawfish was a little fishy. I've had at other places and you could taste the crawfish but not smell fishy. It was lacking something else. The jambalaya was a bit salty and nothing special. The gumbo was not good at all. No kick and there was no seafood etc like typical gumbo. Tasted burnt. It consisted of one piece of chicken, some kind of green and mainly all broth. I didn't even bother finishing it. We were given instructions of how to reheat the bread pudding. Bread pudding was hard and chewy. We will not be coming back. If you want really good gumbo and cajun food, you're better off going somewhere else.

    (3)

  • Nina M.

    I like the po boys, selection of craft beer, service, and atmosphere. You feel like you're literally stepping into a bayou/swamp area of LA when you visit the restaurant. My only complaint is that the prices for po boys are high. Why charge $13-15? I understand ingredients are fresh, but I've had fresher and more affordable po boys in NOLA. Overall, good LA style food.

    (4)

  • Shelle B.

    OMG it was terrible!!! I have been to New Orleans several times, and know good Cajun food. This was so SALTY I couldn't eat it! If you like salt and grease, this is your place, if you want EXCELLENT food go to Ricky Ps.

    (1)

  • Adam C.

    Cajun Cafe has the perfect trifecta of food, service, and atmosphere. The food is incredible with large enough portions to satisfy my never ending hunger, local beer on tap, and you can enjoy all this from the patio overlooking the freaking bayou! This is my go to restaurant in the area for taking visitors. Everyone I've ever taken here still raves about it. If you want an authentic Cajun experience, eat here! You will not regret it!

    (5)

  • Debbie V.

    We were really disappointed with not only the food quality but the service. We stopped for an early lunch having heard good things. Our server was absent. I finally got up with our empty glasses and waved someone down. It was obvious that the other male server in the indoor area wasn't even going yo look our direction. Consequently our food was cold and it took us almost an hour to have lunch.

    (2)

  • Eric S.

    After passing this place many times I decided it's about time I visited. Since I'm no expert in authentic Cajun food I'm gonna write this just as a food lover. The location is totally excellent pushed AGAINST THE WATER. Go EAT OUTSIDE! There's enough SHADE AND NETS TO PREVENT NATURE from killing you aka sunshine burning your skin or gators walking into your meal. These guys love their CRAFT BREWS--check out all the servers wearing shirts reppin local breweries. And of course their YEARLY, HUGE BEER FESTIVAL. (sad faces I've never gone). Oh yea--what about the food? I thought it was a HIT OR MISS. Cajun food normally has many spices--and the SPICES ALL WORKED WELL well when applied to the SEAFOOD or MEAT. But I WASN'T TOO CRAZY about all the FRIED SEAFOOD (yeah I know you can't have a seafood restaurant typically without breading and frying it all) but sometimes the BREADING WAS TOO MUCH. Like... how did my seafood disappear? Great as appetizers but too much for a meal.

    (4)

  • Scott Z.

    Fair food. Really weak service. Waited over 1 and 15 minuted to get entrees. Other parties had arrived, ordered, eaten and left before we received our food. Server apparently forgot to turn in our order, although it seemed - we were his largest party. Indifferent manager never came by table to check on us. My meal was eventually comped, as it was forgotten when the rest of the food eventually arrived. After we sought out the manager, he matter of factly said that he was only authorized to give us on comped dessert. Fail. Badly handled, chief. We weren't fishing for free stuff, but wanted to voice our concern. Our tab was over $200.00 and would have been more if we weren't treated so indifferently. Sad. Really wanted to like this place. No real reason to go back.

    (2)

  • Sylvester M.

    Great cajun food on a bayou. Excellent authentic Cajun food with a top notch beer selection. The owner is British and doesn't like bar stools. The also periodically have beer festivals that are recognised as some of the best in the country. We attend the Spring and the Fall Festival every year.

    (4)

  • Christopher B.

    This is the best Cajun food I've had outside Louisiana and better than a lot I had in that state. Alright, the boudin balls were dry (isn't that fun to say?) and not spicy enough-much of the zing I would expect in the parishes has been muted for tamer palates-but that is the only peccadillo I can lay on this restaurant's account. The alligator in spicy sauce was built on the foundation of a lovely roux and really warmed the mouth. The crabcakes had a generous heft, excellent texture and flavor, and no shortage of blue crab. The real stand-out here came as a side dish; jambalaya. Tender chicken, thin-sliced sausage and a tangy base made this Cajun staple sing-I don't know if the menu featured a jambalaya entree, but, if so, I already know what I'm getting next time. Gosh, I love this place. A strict no-cell-phone policy and a manifesto about the importance of keeping one's children in line make me love it harder. For those who like hot sauce, there are any number of brick-colored swamp potions with which to punish the lips and tongue. Oh, and let's not overlook the extensive beer selection; French-Canuck Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (at 9% alcohol) isn't available just anywhere, for example, but they have it here. Everything about Cajun Cafe on the Bayou seemed just right; It didn't hurt that a savage little June squall blew in just after we arrived, dumping sheets of warm rain on the roof-instant atmosphere! When the rain hit, it chased some diners off the lakeside patio. I didn't sit out there only because I had seen the blackening sky to the west and felt the wind pick up; I knew what was coming. I know Florida. And these guys know Louisiana. Give it a try.

    (4)

  • Kiera B.

    My experience with this place was from attending their Crawfish Festival. You paid for the food through the purchase of tickets, each ticket costing a $1 a piece with average food items being ten tickets or more. I purchased $30 worth of tickets which turned out to be more than enough. My friend, her sister and I ended up sharing the main ticket item, the crawfish. They were very underseasoned and just not so great, which is tragic seeing as how this a CRAWFISH festival. I also ate some other menu items but they were forgettable. However, the atmosphere was very nice and the staff friendly so I'd be willing to give this place a second chance, but not for the crawfish.

    (2)

  • Jeff C.

    It is somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. I had fried catfish with crawfish etouffee loaded on top. Very flavorful. Probably the best cajun food in Tampa I can remember. A nice casual place.

    (4)

  • Manuel M.

    Everything on the menu is wonderful and they have the best bread pudding anywhere. My favorites are the smoked pork chops and the catfish t-red.

    (5)

  • Kathleen D.

    Love this place. Great location. TONS of beers to choose from. Love the Creole Pork Po' Boy. Nice thin, crispy fried onions on there and TASTY pork. Paul, the owner is so nice !! Great music. Very authentic, Fabulous food. LOVE the crawfish boil - makes your lips smile !!!! Really cool location right on the bayou. Perfect location! Love the whiskey bread pudding - the sauce is to die for. They have a super good alligator burger - it has a nice kick ! Check out their website - they are always having something fun there. Mardi Gras celebrations, Zydaco music, craft beer festivals, crawfish festivals. Oh, just go there - it's a fun place !!! LOVE the fact that this is an adult restaurant and rowdy kids will not be tolerated.

    (5)

  • Carol B.

    Look for it or you will miss it! We have been here a couple of months now & this is in the top 5 restaurants, that we have eaten in. The soft shell crab, topped the list of good food anywhere. We will take visitors to the Aera there anytime.

    (5)

  • Scott M.

    Very interesting authentic setting with good Cajun food. Atmosphere 90 (nothing fancy, but authentic) Service 75 Food 80 (very strong tastes, but isn't that Cajun !) Value 80 (good cuisine and setting match) If, and that is a big if, you like Cajun food this is one of the better eateries in Pinellas. Recommended,and after 5-6 visits, still a sound B. Did I mention the Whiskey bread pudding. An outstanding dessert selection.

    (3)

  • kelli u.

    I have eaten here several times and it only gets better with each visit. The Duck Sausage and Alligator Sausage are to DIE for. Made and shipped direct from Louisiana. You have got to try the Craw fish Cornbread, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The jambalaya is so good it would make Marie Laveau dance a jig. There are too many beers in house too count (this is a good thing). What else can I say except it has to be the best Cajun food this side of Louisiana. Before you go you have to try the bread pudding with a cold Youngs Double Chocolate Stout it will make you cry for joy. Dress cool the AC isn't strong and the spices are.

    (4)

  • Cathy S.

    Duck sausage. Get it. Also, I love that this place won't let you use your cell phone and pretty much discourages kids. The beer selection is amazing, the food is beyond tasty and well-prepared, and if there's any way you have room left, get the whiskey bread pudding. The crawfish cornbread is also worth walking through fire for (and, yes, I know it's poor form to end a sentence with a preposition, but the food is so good it's destroyed my will to write properly.) This is not a place for people who don't like spicy food, by the way. I don't just mean hot, I mean cooked with spices.

    (4)

  • Meredith M.

    Sucked on crawfish on the Bayou and it was a perfect night! The outdoor, screened-in patio is the perfect setting alongside the bayou which I'm sure has an alligator or two. I loved all the food here from the alligator bites to the crawfish to my po boy! Can't wait to come back! It's a true Florida treasure.

    (4)

  • Felipe G.

    I was pleasantly surprised by the Cajun Cafe. It has been there in Pinellas Park for quite some time and to be honest I totally wrote it off as the scary shack next to the dumpy Wagon Wheel Flea Market. From Park Blvd it looks like a dusty roadhouse where potentially seedy characters congregate. From what I had envisioned I wouldn't have been too surprised to find Patrick Swayze at the door bouncing unruly guests! Well it turns out the place is none of those things and is actually a great down to earth restaurant serving up some great Cajun-Louisiana cuisine. I am glad that I finally got the gumption to go try it out. I had their Shrimp Creole which was chock full of good sized Gulf Shrimp simmered in hot and spicy tomato sauce with onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Unlike most of their other dishes it was not thickened with roux. I love spicy/hot food (I get native Thai hot curries when going out), and usually take any menu comment about hot foods with a serious grain of salt. Stuff usually tastes pretty mild to me, so without even trying the Creole sauce I slathered a healthy amount of hot sauce on one side of my dinner. Well low and behold the sauce on its own was actually plenty spicy, and with the hot sauce it was perfect! I gotta say, and this is coming from a big pepper lover, great job on actually presenting food with spice and flavor! As a starter we had the fried mushrooms which were well fried and were actually baby portabellos instead of the typical tiny white mushrooms you come to expect. It came with a delicious spicy remoulade dipping sauce. I intend to go there again sometime soon and try out their other seafood dishes too especially the catfish and crawfish cornbread. Also, my vegetarian wife was very happy with the Mama Lynn's supper which consisted of Etoufeé Sauce over white rice, served with a side of Fried Veggies. She remarked several times at how good it was, and it is great to find a tasty vegetarian entree at place which is so heavily sausage, seafood, and meat centric. I'd probably give the place 3 stars based on everything so far, but the extra star definitely goes out to the craft beer selection they have. Now most of it is bottles only, as the draft list couldn't have been more than 7-10, but the bottle section was amazing and very well priced to boot. I had a really excellent big 750ml bottle of Victory Golden Monkey, which was a golden Belgium style ale from Pennsylvania. It was delicious paired with my spicy food and at 9.5% ABV was only $7.50. Fantastic! So, thanks to all the other positive Yelp reviews which gave me the courage to try this place out. They were spot on, and I suggest you give this place a shot too.

    (4)

  • Tom G.

    Gator burger was yummy. Friendly service. huge selection of beers. Whiskey bread pudding omg is wonderful!

    (4)

  • Nick D.

    These guys have better cajun food than I've ever been able to find in NOLA. The crabcakes are dead on, crawfish are outstanding when there, dirty rice is the best I've had, sausages are outstanding, hand crafted, downright dangerous for your cholesterol levels. And the beer--they've got perhaps the best beerlist in town. The servers are not super-knowledgeable, but somebody there really has a handle on what's good. The hard part is choosing what to order out of their wide and excellent suggestion. Only drawback for me is that it's not the most kid-friendly place, so I try to go earlier in the evening before the crowds strike.

    (5)

  • Rich D.

    Stopped by here for the first time for a quick bite on a Saturday night, and it was not too crowded at all. It was my first visit, and I love the shack-type restaurants that are so common all over FL. Cajun Cafe delivers on that vibe and atmosphere very well. You can sit inside, but a nice break in the hot weather made sitting outside a must. Grabbed a table right by the water, which fortunately was right by the massive draft beer list sign which had at least 20 craft beers on it. Add to that the dozens of bottled beers they feature, and you've got plenty to choose from. Service was quick, and my waiter quickly came for my drink order. I decided to explore some local flavor so I ordered up a Cigar City Brewing Maduro Brown Ale. A nice choice as it rewarded me with roasty, toasty, chocolaty flavors. I can definitely see how this brew would match up with a good stick. It also gave me time to explore the expansive menu choices. I wished I was hungry enough to try a full meal of shrimp creole, or perhaps 1, 2 or 3 sausage links (which come in maduro-marinated beef & pork, chaurice creole, gator, crawfish, duck & chicken, pork boudin, or crawfish boudin) instead. But there simply wasn't room for it, so I wisely chose a bowl of well-seasoned creole gumbo instead. It really delivered on authentic creole flavor, which didn't have too much spice or heat to mask the great ingredients like chicken & andouille sausage. The white rice was fluffy and delicate, too. The excellent service continued throughout the meal, with the wait staff regularly checking in for any needs. After a lighter beer cooled off the spicy creole flavors, I was fully satisfied. I've definitely bookmarked Cajun Cafe for followup visits when I'm in St. Pete. Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 4 Note: Cajun Cafe's hours change by the season, so heads up: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (December 25-May 31) 11:30am through 9pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (June 1- December 24) 11:30am-2 and 5-9pm Saturday & Sunday 11:30am-9pm Closed Monday and Tuesday

    (4)

  • B R.

    Let me begin by saying that Cajun Cafe when it comes to food deserves four stars. With that being said one cant ignore that the prices are a little steep, which takes them down one star. I like the food here, very authentic. I love their étouffée, the fried green tomatoes, they have great poboy's, and their whiskey bread pudding is great. As I said I think their food is very good and their staff is friendly. My guess to their high prices is that they probably know that there is no competition around. If you want Cajun food in this area this is the only place to go. We still eat here about once a month but if it was more affordable I would definitely put it in the weekly rotation. I recommend that if you have the cravings for this delicious type of food you try it out, but come prepare to spend lots of your hard earned money.

    (3)

  • Roger D.

    Well, it is kind of its own thing around these parts. We can't vouch for the authenticity of their food, because we don't really know much about cajun cuisine. The boudin balls were by far our favorite part of the meal. We had the fresh crawfish, but it wasn't really our thing. The setting is neat. The service was alright. Our server was okay, but the busboy was muttering about his job while cleaning the table next to ours. There was nothing to draw us back. The end.

    (3)

  • Grant R.

    I will start with the food was pretty good and authentically seasoned. Everything is spicy (which I don't mind but don't let them tell you it isn't because it all is). The good part ends there. The minute you walk in it feels unwelcome. Signs everywhere telling you not to use your cell phone, turn off your cell phone, everywhere. It isn't for looks it is the rule there. I do feel that sometimes cell phones are distracting and rude but at a very casual cajun themed cafe I don't need a list of rules telling me not to, besides isn't this supposed to be a somewhat celebratory feeling atmosphere like New Orleans? It isn't at all at Cajun Cafe. 20 years I have driven by and stopped to find this out. It doesn't stop there either.. Don't bring kids here! Yelp says Kid Friendly and it is not. I was completely offended by the full page of rules in front of the menu telling people with exclamation points that they don't offer a kids menu! (emphasis added per their rules in the menu) and that if your kids are not acting according to their expectations, they will ask you to leave as if this is some fancy snobby restaurant. Half of the first page of the menu is about kids and how they will kick them out. I can understand that in some establishments this would be the expectation but this place has faded painted arrow signs and tries to be all Cajun but then has rules everywhere and the person who wrote the menu should be fired or get out of hospitality for being so crass. They are so bad and threatening my wife worried anytime our toddler even talked (he was good the whole time but god forbid he wasn't we felt unwelcome). Taped signs on fans and wall a/c units everywhere with "don't touch" like a grumpy old man owns the place. I found the atmosphere drab and boring and they painted over all the ceilings that were falling in like a cheap rehab was done to salvage the place. It had no real theme at all, inside at least. The server had no personality, he tried to be nice but it seemed fake. To sum it up this New Orleans trip wasn't fun at all for any of my party especially after the first impressions you get front door to table to menu. I think there is new ownership or management here because there is a real identity crisis going on. The bar is covered up an closed down so no bar seating for those looking for that and they try to have special micro/local brew beers but then there is no list except a faded out chalk board that hasn't been updated in ages that you have to walk up and stand in front of to decide what you want but can't read half the thing. It is a shame because I think this place has potential, or had it at one time and despite somewhat decent food, the service, bad vibes from all the rules (which are not meant to be funny, they're serious) and the fact that it was 90 degrees indoors at our table ruined the experience. I guess this place may be for some people but not me or my party again. My first bad review, not easily earned.

    (1)

  • Rob W.

    Love the atmosphere of being on the bayou. There is an amazing selection of beer available here. The food was a bit hit and miss. I did not care too much for their crab cakes. I liked the concept so I was able to get over that little disapointment and give it 3 stars.

    (3)

  • J. Daniel B.

    Authentic Cajun food. Will be back for sure. Cooky hours so check before you go.

    (4)

  • Mark M.

    Used to love going to this place but not anymore. The food is still good like always, but it is expensive and the portions has shrunk. This place is not kid friendly but they prefer to treat their patrons like kids (signs about no cell phones) while providing as one reviewer said "piss poor service".I would avoid this place like a wild alligator.

    (2)

  • Alicia W.

    I love all things rice and beans and spicy related. Oh this place is perfect! AND, they encourage parents to leave screaming kids at home; so just leave them at home regardless. One never knows when the whiny screaming beast will emerge from a child. Mine is usually pretty well behaved, so maybe its me who turns into the beast when she starts to meltdown... Hmmm... Let's leave that for Dr. Phil. Love, love, love this place. Yes, the parking lot needs some work and entirely too many times I've turned into the flea market and had to turn around, but once inside and cell phones off (they will make it a point to interrupt your call...its awesome) bring on the food! Huge helpings and all so delicious! Get the cornbread FO SHO! If you have room at the end get the bread pudding too, but DEFINITELY get the red beans and rice. Just get a bowl of it. I usually fancy it up and go for the burritos (fries are so good too), but really that's just more carbs that take away from the carbs I'm already enjoying and need more room for...so just get a bowl...maybe a salad too...or not. But the salads are good too...good lettuce; not that iceberg stuff that is useless to eat. The brewskies are cold and they have some local brews to chose from, but if you just want a Mich Lite (seriously, who drinks Mich Lite anymore) you can get that too. The digs are awesome too. Beads everywhere. Zydeco music! Walls covered in stuff to look it if you should so happen to take a break from eating. Floors are creaky and uneven and there's outside seating on the water where once we saw some guys sitting in lawn chairs fishing (love Florida). Find them on Facebook to keep up with the Festival schedule; Mardi Gras, Crawfish Festival (14 years running), beer festival... There's always something happening it seems; wish I had more babysitters. Just go... Grab a brew and eat some Cajun food. You'll go back...and 86 the tortilla too... Mmmmm, red beans and rice...

    (4)

  • Cjp P.

    Great service. Friendly atmosphere. Food authentic. Truly a Cajun experience. Take it from a Cajun...

    (4)

  • R P.

    I was born in Lake Charles, LA and grew up in Beaumont, Texas, so I'm coonass thru and thru. This is by far the best Cajun food outside of that region. The Alligator Sauce Piquant is off the charts. Great beer selection to top it all off.

    (5)

  • Diane D.

    Great Cajun food, an amazing beer list, a wonderful taster flight for sampling the beer and the whiskey bread pudding is to die for! This is a fun place to go with a group of people and order a big old spread of food!

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    Our first experience with Cajun Cafe On The Bayou did not go well. Just because they were having bands play that particular night we were told we had to pay $20 to park just to go inside to eat. We had not planned to stay to listen to the music. Plus, they had a particular area roped off just for people that were there for the music that did not include all of the inside restaurant area. However, we would still have to pay $20 to park so we decided to come back on a different day. Despite our negative 1st encounter, we thought we would give them one more try. On this particular Saturday, we arrived at Cajun Cafe On the Bayou 15 minutes before the lunch menu ended. We placed our drink order and proceeded to look at the menu. We noticed that there was a lunch and a dinner menu. The wait staff brought our drinks and left before they could take our food order. The wait staff did not come by our table again until after the time for the lunch menu had ended. We were then told we were "too late" to order from the lunch menu - we would have to order from the dinner menu; however, while waiting on someone to return to take our food order, we realized that the only dishes we wanted just happened to be on the lunch menu. Well, we couldn't order those items because our "food" order had to be placed before the time ended, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR 15 MINUTES AND HAD ALREADY PLACED A DRINK ORDER. In what other restaurant do you order your drinks separate from your food order?????? We felt since we had placed the drink order that would go with our meal, we should have established our time (for ordering). The manager did not think so and was not very friendly when we inquired about the policy. "We could order from the dinner menu items and that was it". She let us know in no uncertain terms that she did not care whether we stayed or left and she certainly did not care that we had driven over 40 miles one way to dine at her restaurant. Her venomous look at us as we left without ordering made us realize that our decision to leave was correct - to begin a dining experience with such outright inconsideration for the customer surely meant there was no way this was going to get better. They tried to force us to choose from the more expensive menu; thus, our impression of the cost of a meal there (also from reviewing the menu while waiting on service). We should have taken a clue from the first time we visited when we couldn't eat unless we paid $20 for parking. As I said earlier, we live over 40 miles one way from this restaurant and we will not be back.

    (1)

  • Andy F.

    I love eating outside by the water. This place has great Cajun food, although the service is very slow and it is a bit pricy. It's almost like they only have one or two fryers in the back, which isn't good when the place is crowded. However, there's a great craft beer selection. The crawfish and gator offerings (sausage, po' boy, etc.) are delicious. Wish they had a better selection of hot sauces.

    (3)

  • Meghan B.

    Pulling up to this place can be a little intimating, but once you walk in you are pleasantly surprised. You definitely feel like you are in the Bayou if you sit on the outside deck. For the area it has decent Cajun food. They have live music during the weekend, which I am sure can be fun if its not too hot to sit on the deck. The staff was very friendly and helpful, especially since I am not a HUGE Cajun food eater and have some food limitations. I would recommend stopping in if you are in the area and are craving Cajun.

    (3)

  • David G.

    Simply awesome if you love cajun food! This is also one of those places you go to when its "cooler" outside as opposed to 94 degrees and humid on an August day. The location is perfect (a bit off the road and you will miss it if youre not paying attention) and when you're missing LA and new orleans, you come here for great fare, great music and great times.

    (4)

  • Alberto S.

    This place was pretty good. not great but not bad. they had some weird rule about not having kids and not having cell phones on. why? anyhow Id go again food was good.

    (3)

  • Jeff M.

    Where else can you get bugs (crawfish) in Pinellas Park? This place has great Cajun food, and one of the best craft beer lists in Saint Petersburg. They also fly in their sausages from Louisiana, and they are tremendous. Plus its located on a beautiful part of Joe's creek, giving it a very authentic cajun vibe. Crawfish, sausages, and Abita beer in my back yard keeps me happy when I'm not in NOLA.

    (4)

  • Jeff L.

    I like the food here, although I felt it was somewhat overpriced. On some days, you can get crawfish. This is one of the few places you can get gator meat as an appetizer and as main entrees. The gator ettouffee is not bad, although I'm pretty sure that they threw in some salsa from the jar to make that sauce. Their gator bites for appetizers are a good choice and their corn bread is good too. Service is good too. I was considering giving it four stars, but the prices are too high (20-25% more than what I had expected to pay). Then again, there aren't many cajun restaurants in this neck of the woods, so I guess they can charge higher prices.

    (3)

  • VL K.

    Pretty solid Cajun food with a great n'awlins vibe. I mean, it's actually on a bayou- love it. Their beer selection is very solid, which was an unexpected treat. Their food was pretty decent, not the best in the world, but a-ok. The crawfish etoufee was awesome, and their cornbread was pretty good. Bottom line, this is a good option if you're hankering for some cajun food with a great atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Georges L.

    Good food, good times.

    (4)

  • Brian T.

    Been here several times and have had a chance to try a little of just about everything. There have been a couple of disappointments but overall the food is great. The boiled crawfish were small and over-priced and the roast beef po-boy would have been better without fried onions and cabbage. Probably a little overpriced for what it is. However the red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, crawfish cornbread, gumbo, catfish nuggets, jambalaya are all excellent. Be sure to, at least try, to save room for the bread pudding!

    (4)

  • Michael T.

    Best Cajun in town.... Give me some crawfish and a beer and I'm set....

    (5)

  • Nikki A.

    I love the authentic Cajun cuisine served up in this place. It is rustic and located on Cross Bayou. They cater to the nature lover in you; cell phone use and running children are seriously frowned upon. The Roast Beef Po Boy is divine. The Crab Cakes are some of the best I have eaten. The Etouffee is extremely delicious. The beer list is extensive and appreciated. If you are in need of a cold beer and some spicy food, this is the place for you.

    (4)

  • Tiffany B.

    I was a bit iffy about this place when I first approached. It looks a bit questionable, to say the least. Our server was polite, but clearly a little overwhelmed. When a fellow server asked us if we needed help, our waiter loudly proclaimed that we were "his". Yikes. My first thought was "damn, he must really need the money to be that aggressive". Not exactly something you want to think about while you're enjoying a night out. As for the food, most everyone at our table was happy. Fried soft shell crabs? Yum. Gator burger? Very yum! Shrimp étouffée? Tasty, but a little too spicy for me. Frog legs? Blech. They tasted a little swampy, and the two people who ate them ended up with a stomach ache the next day. The whiskey bread pudding, however, was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I'd come back just for that. This place has 4 star potential, so I'll have to come back another time (I'm itching to try the crab cakes), stay away from the frog legs, and hope the service is a little better!

    (3)

  • Jennifer R.

    Excellent food and excellent service. Very tasty not too spicy. Definetly bh oing back.

    (5)

  • Gabby G.

    They had boiled crawfish. For a girl that misses them, that was a plus. Wish they would have been more seasoned. After that, not impressed with anything else.

    (3)

  • Richard K.

    Oh my God! We found this place by chance and I have to say, a little expensive, but Oh My God, what Great cajun food. Sit outside on a hot night, leave your kids at home, get most anything, and finish with the bread pudding. Really. We watched a dolphin swim past an alligator (I know, apparently the bayou is brackish enough for both to survive) while we ate the best cajun food ever. You go here, you're gonna get fat. And happy. Very pleased and happy. One of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I am so glad they are miles away from where I live, I couldn't take it if they were closer. I would be fat and poor. But so very happy. This place is like crack, try it and you will come back until some external force has to stop you. God, it's good!

    (5)

  • Jana M.

    unlike any other restaurant it's a trip to to a piece of tranquility with out leaving tampabay area. old school+ blue jean attire is accepted. the cajun menu is outstanding authentication of any dish especially crawfish jambalaya fried okra bread pudding cornbread etc. downfall the crafted beer menu which is excellent only if anything was in stock. several times they were out at least 1/2 of beers. im still curious to try their russian beer inside dining and an enclosed patio outdoors to relax and eat on a bayou.the waitresses are friendly and efficient and food comes out fast depending on time and day of week. you can stay and relax never a rush. it's a special place and worth judging yourself

    (4)

  • Jillian S.

    I had the best time here. Great beer selection, great service, and fantastic food. Some friends and I were in town for hunapuh's day at Cigar City in Tampa and decided to drive to St. Petersburg to try out Rapp Brewing. On the way over, my friend decided to check beer advocate to find a place to eat. (strange to search a beer site for food, but it worked and I'm grateful.) We were immediately impressed as we walked in and saw the crazy selection they had and a tap list with all Florida beers. As an appetizer my group and I shared some fried green tomatoes and an order of crab cakes. I was blown away. Crispy, flavorful and so fresh. For my entree I ordered the softshell crab with dirty rice. I unabashedly kept eating wayyy past my limit. I couldn't stop. It was that good. So far, this is the best cajun food I've had and best experience I've had at a florida restaurant. 10/10 would go out of my way to eat here again.

    (5)

  • Ed B.

    What a disappointment. Had been here a couple of times before and liked it but those were always off peak times. Arrived on a Sunday, was greeted at the door and told to sit anywhere. The choice was a huge table or an unbussed 4 top. Being by myself I chose the four top. That was over 20 mins ago, the table still hasn't been cleared and I don't even have a beer. I drove 15 miles from my hotel for nothing. I'm am writing on my iPhone in clear violation of their "turn them off". Such a waste. Now on the way out I just stopped at the desk to tell them basically everything I've just written. The heavy set bearded dude said, "oh sorry". Not "OMG can I get a beer for you right now and seat you and get food"

    (1)

  • Richard K.

    Yummy love the crayfish and the po'boys are delicious, took the bread pudding home cause we were stuffed and they gave us re heating directions which was a nice touch been a few times and great food and service every time.

    (5)

  • Shanna H.

    Excellent food and vibe. This place prides itself on creating a peaceful environment, where phones and loud, unruly children are not welcomed. Service is great as is the food. Expect traditional Cajun food that is consistent with what you would find in Louisiana. Definitely come during daylight hours to really take in the beautiful scenery.

    (4)

  • Lisa C.

    On the Bayouuuuuu! Authentic and delish. Casual and throw down. This place ain't fancy! Don't expect it to be anything except really authentic Louisiana Cajun food. Ironically where the spot it located, it fits the bill so well. Sit outside on the water staring at the mangroves and you could almost swear you were really in the bayou. We started with the crawfish cornbread. Huge portion. We took half of it home and it warmed up well. It is stuffed with crawfish and definitely not skimpy on the bugs. Next - the hubby had 2 pounds of fresh bugs. Really good size, they were not tiny. Some places serve tiny bugs (crawfish/crardads for the less inclined to call them bugs). Not here - they are hearty and delish and FRESH. Suggestion: Add them on Facebook so you can see when the Crawfish are flown in fresh! I had the crabcake dinner. Two good cakes stuffed full of crab. Not a lot of filling. It was served with a side and I chose jamabalaya. I am so craving it again! That jambalaya was so delish - I think next time I am ordering a whole plate of it to get a good fix. Lastly - we ordered dessert. The Whiskey Bread pudding which should have it's own zipcode it's so huge. Five people could have feasted on the bread pudding. We put a good dent but there was no way we could finish it. The beer list is incredible. Tons of microbrews and lots of rare beers. Hubby was impressed. Wine list - not so good. Definitely need to add some more wines. I would DEFINITELY go back. It's very real and very casual which is sometimes what the doctor orders!

    (4)

  • Laurie B.

    Re visited the Cajun Cafe saturday evening for the Mardi Gras Party. Another great evening - Good food, great music and craft beers. Nowhere else quite like it - great waterside location, relaxed and very informal.

    (5)

  • Diane H.

    If you like craw fish, then this is your place. I, on the other hand do not like it. But there are enough other items on the menu to choose from. My friend let me taste her gumbo and I thought my mouth was on fire. But it was very good. Location is back from road on water. Very nice. Try the insane Whiskey Bread pudding for dessert. Enough for 3!

    (3)

  • Geoffrey L.

    I like this place. Informal but friendly, cajun food and a great location, where you can sit and look out over the bayou. Their beer selection is spectacular, with 15 different local craft brews on tap, and two pages of microbrews in bottles. Food is good, too.

    (5)

  • Mica F.

    This place is amazing! Fantastic food. Being from Chicago, I've been spoiled by having world class cuisine at my fingertips. It was nice to find something unique after relocating to Florida. Unique food from crawfish to fried oysters, cajun popcorn and alligator. The jambalaya and etoufee does not disappoint. A wonderful selection of beers. My children loved the food as well. Best yet, there's carryout! Shame that it's not open on Mondays & Tuesdays. Live music on Saturdays and the place is packed so unless you're going for the music, you may want to skip dinners plans.

    (5)

  • Laura R.

    This is a nice little cajun eatery on the water; their jambalaya and whiskey bread pudding are the way to go. The best times to go are when they have (danceable) entertainment or during their twice annual beer tastings (highly recommended). It's a good place to meet up with friends, knock back a few beers and chow down on cajun style cuisine. In general, they cater to a blander palate, so make sure to grab a little hot sauce. I cannot recommend enough their twice annual beer tastings though - they serve the BEST of local brewing along with pretzels, cracklin's and bacon wrapped thingies - you really can't go wrong with these events, and I attend every single one. Someone here is doing something right.

    (3)

  • Maria Christina V.

    Passed by here on the way to the beach. Had no idea this place existed and had no intention of going here but decided to stop on our way home. The place is cute and fun. Right next to the water. We sat outside where they have covered areas with a fan so we didnt get too hot and it wasnt buggy. No sweet tea, only raspberry tea. Oh well. All of the craft beers from around the world looked appealing, but we decided not to order any, but I can see going back and getting one another time. We ordered the: Crawfish ettouffee and the shrimp poboy. The food was brought out promptly and was hot with generous portions. My poboy was enormous and had a delicous spicy mayo to put on top. I wish it had better condiments, like leafy lettuce and tomato instead of just shredded iceberg lettuce, but it had shoe string onion rings that were yummy. The cajun batter they use on the shrimp and onion rings was AMAZING! I devoured that poboy! I just wish it didnt cost so much. $13 for a sandwich? Damn Gina! My husband LOVED his ettouffee. It had lots of crawfish in it with white rice and some bread. But at $16, I doubt we would be able to afford to get it again. Food is good. Atmosphere is casual. Prices are a bit too high for me so 3 stars.

    (3)

  • B. Nichole A.

    Cajun cafe on the bayou is authentic Cajun cooking with style. The environment is just as authentic. They consider the selfs to be a beer garden with a huge selection of craft beers you can't find anywhere else! With this being said they do not encourage children. To be honest they will ask unruly children to leave. On the outside porch you can dine on the water if you like. I have had many menu items without having anything I didn't like. Some favs are crawfish en-tu-fa, crawfish cornbread, beans n rice, gumbo, and my absolute fave their whiskey bread pudding! Yum!!! This place is very reasonably priced with great portions! They do craft beer events outside year round and the ticket price is usually inclusive of the food and beer which makes a great deal!

    (5)

  • MobsterSauce S.

    Fun place! Great location and scenery... love the bayou view and being able to sit outside on the screened-in deck. Fun decor and atmosphere... delicious food. The smoked amber jack spread was great, crabcakes yummy with a remoulade that had quite a kick! and some very flavorful dirty rice, and a wonderful tap list. Lots of good beers to try! We wanted to get the whisky bread pudding, but we were too full! So make note to make room! =) The little boys fishing across the bayou added to the ambiance - they have to be planted, right? They came out right at 6pm and back at 7pm. =) Very cute. Hysterical if it was entirely coincidental! Absolutely recommend! Can't wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Anson M.

    On a nice sunny afternoon, the gf and I decide to make a trip over the bridge and hit a place neither of us had been to in a while. Average crowd for a Sunday mid afternoon. This place has become a craft beer joint, so we both order a pint of CCB Hopped on the high Seas IPA for $6. Underfilled and in PLASTIC cups. We were seated inside, mind you, not at a outdoor concert. Strike 1. Put in an order for boudin balls and the waiter informed us in a hurried voice (when we asked for a minute to peruse the menu) that a "big table of 20 people were coming and that would add an hour or the order" just so we knew to hurry the fuck up with our order. I almost called it a wash at that moment but unfortunately continued on. Ordered the jambalaya and crawfish cornbread plate and the gf ordered an oyster po'boy. Prices are a bit high considering ($10 for boudin balls $9 for a decent sized piece of cornbread with some crawfish in it, $13 for a po'boy with no sides etc) but if the quality were outstanding it'd be worth it. It wasn't. Jambalaya-luke warm and mediocre at best. Strike 2. Cornbread-lukewarm but tasty. Oyster po'boy -cold bread but otherwise delicious. This alone saved this from a one star review. After this, we still foolishly ordered bread pudding to go (how can you f' up bread pudding?)-wanted to take a bite and take it home so we asked for it boxed. Mistake-ice cold and pre packaged (hey, at least it came out quick) with the side of international delight vanilla creamer as a sauce (not sure if this is currently the practice, but I've seen them use that in the past, straight outta the bottle. no shit). Strike 3. I knew we shoulda went for Vietnamese at Ben Thanh or just stayed on the Tampa side of the bridge and eaten a stellar meal at the Refinery for about the same price. Won't get fooled again. Oh yeah, and that table of 20? They never showed up in the time we were there...weird.

    (2)

  • Thomas A.

    It's like a trip to Louisiana without the hassles of travelling! The location, which is set way back off the road, really makes you feel like you have been transported to the bayou. The décor inside is perfect and there is a sign at each table "NO CELL PHONE USE ALLOWED INSIDE THE RESTAURANT" (another nice touch to enable some escapism and relaxation). Top notch place for a fun date or night out - very different than most options around town. Love the food - and they have a great beer selection. The Crawfish Cornbread appetizer is a great way to get started (perfect size to share between 2 people). Everything tastes very authentic, and the crawfish is flown in daily from Louisiana in season. I've been here several times and loved everything I've had (catfish, beans & rice, Cajun sausage)...I don't think there are any bad options here. The service has been tip top on every visit as well, just a great experience. Protip: If you are a bread pudding fan (I am) - I highly recommend the Whiskey Bread Pudding for dessert.

    (4)

  • Mark M.

    Outstanding food! Fried oysters, fried shrimp and fried crawfish were excellent. Wonderful beer selection and delicious bread pudding for desert. We'll be back!

    (5)

  • Dan N.

    Great food and the alligator dish is great and hot. Yum. The beer selection is nice. We went on a rainy day so it was a swamp in the parking lot but inside was nice.

    (4)

  • Virginia G.

    Thank You thank you! For banning smoking on the porch, which is esentially the main dining area here. Now us non smokers can enjoy our food and linger even longer over the great beer selection. You have to appreciate a place that states no smoking, please turn your cell phones off and don't let your kids run around like maniacs. As a childless adult I appreciate a place I can go where I dont' have to numbly smile at some "adorable" child someone else is too lazy to watch who wanders over to my table while i"m having a nice time with hubby. COmbine the rules with great food and atmosphere and you can bet I'll be back here! BTW...the spicy alligator is to die for and the bread pudding seems to be everyones fav.

    (4)

  • Kathy C.

    Enjoyed a relaxing lunch sitting outside in the shade with fantastic service. I ordered a crawfish po boy, which was delicious (lightly battered & fried, served on a hogtie roll with a spicy roumelade sauce & friend onion rings). I do not usually order fried food, however, their po boys are the exception. My husband had the crab cake wrap. The cake was full of crab meat and extremely flavorful. We travel to New Orleans every other year and the food at Cajun Cafe on the Bayou rivals our favorite restaurants there (and the zydeco music playing in the background is always fun).

    (5)

  • Jenni M.

    Anyone who doesn't give this place 5 stars is....well...I'll keep it to myself. My favorite place in Pinellas. The food is like crack. It's amazing

    (5)

  • Susan D.

    This place is small and just what one would expect on a bayou. The food was super...we tried the Crawfish Cornbread, the Jambalaya, and the Crab cakes...all were big portions and delicious! Had to take the whiskey bread pudding home and made several desserts from that! You just have to stop by and try this place!

    (5)

  • Kawa T.

    Gorgeous little place tucked away next to the flea market. Huge craft beer selection, a nice mix of local drafts and bottles from around the country. We ordered the two deep fried soft shell crabs with a cup of jambalaya and it was quite delicious!

    (5)

  • Christopher S.

    I grew up in New Orleans, my sister was born there, and because of this, I know two things; good gumbo and good devil crab! I also know old school Mardi Gras. . I decided to make a taste stop after going to Wagon Wheel Flea Market just east of this place. When I go to a "Cajun" joint, I used the gumbo as a measuring stick. This place knows gumbo! Very well homemade quality. I think their Crawfish Cornbread is out of this world as well. I met the Brewmeister and complemented him on the over 100 choices they had to offer. A perfect place to just kick back and enjoy the food. I can't wait to return and try other items on the menu. My only problem is that Cajun food should not be priced as high as this! I understand if they price the beer but the food? Fact! I can make Cajun at home! I made 4 qts of fantastic Dirty Rice for a Super Bowl party this year. It got rave reviews. Who Dat? I can make everything but the mudbugs cheaper! :) Oh, here's the latest. I had the Crawfish Po Boy! Deelish!

    (3)

  • Will H.

    As a disclaimer, let me state that I am from Louisiana. I was born and raised there. I lived there until my early 30's. I have had some amazing Cajun and Creole food in my life. I moved to Tampa in 1999, with my wife who is from here. In the 14 years I have lived here, I have heard great things about Cajun Café on the Bayou and have wanted to try it for over a decade. Being an hour from where we live, we had not made it there until this weekend. We took advantage of their Mardi Gras Festival celebration. A decade of wanting to go here, the zydeco music, and all of the things I had heard, created a lot of expectations. This Restaurant has an amazing location that plays right into what they offer. They had a special where you got 2lbs of boiled crawfish for $18.00. We decided to start by splitting that with a couple cups of their gumbo ($6.00 each). The roux (base) of the gumbo to me was too dark. I lot of people like a nice rich dark roux, but this was overdone. It wasn't burnt, but it almost tasted like it was. If you looked past that, it would have had a good flavor but this is supposed to be a Cajun Restaurant and my wife made better gumbo from scratch the first time she tried. The boiled crawfish plate was pretty much what you would expect. These were some of the smallest crawfish I have ever eaten boiled. The largest one on the plate would have been one I would have thrown back into the bayou back when I was a kid going crawfishing. But this is Florida, and not Louisiana, so I am not going to allow the size of them to influence my review of them. The crawfish had a wonderful taste, but two things would have made it perfect. One, save the seasoning for the boiling pot and don't put it on afterwards. That doesn't season the crawfish; it only makes shelling them messier. Secondly, you have to PURGE the crawfish before you cook them. I am sorry, but there is no excuse for a restaurant not doing this. After we finished the gumbo and boiled crawfish we picked up our Cajun sampler plate. This plate was included with the $15.00 admission to the festival. The plate consisted of Creole Roasted Pork, Red Beans & Rice, Jambalaya, Crawfish Cornbread and Whiskey Bread Pudding for dessert. Because of the low cost, I wasn't expecting huge portions. It was most definitely a sampler, and there is nothing wrong with that. The Creole Roasted Pork was the best thing we had there. It was delicious, very tender with plenty of flavor. I would definitely order that dish if we ever go back. The Jambalaya was also very very good. It had chicken and sausage and was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Another winner if you ask me. The Red Beans and Rice were beyond pathetic though. With a couple of exceptions were I have burned Red Beans due to not being attentive, these were worse than the worst batch of beans I have ever cooked. They had very little taste at all and part of my rice was actually crunchy. The Crawfish Cornbread, which is a specialty of theirs, was just wrong on so many levels. Cornbread should be a little sweet, especially, if you're going to put crawfish in it. Yet it wasn't. Furthermore, all of the stuff they had put into it really messed up the texture that cornbread should have. As small as the sampler plate was, I didn't even bother finishing the 1" x 1" piece of cornbread I had. It just wasn't appealing at all. I won't review the Whiskey Bread Pudding, as that isn't something I like to begin with. I am not a big dessert person, and am very picky about the few that I do like. Overall, I was highly disappointed, but I am trying really hard to allow for my overly high expectations. It was good enough, that if we were coming back from the beach, we would stop there again, but I wouldn't drive an hour out of my way from home to go there. It looks like I am still trying to find a good Cajun place in Tampa.

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :Closed
  • Mon : Closed
    Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes

Cajun Cafe On the Bayou

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