Disappointing. I was hoping for some of that cooking the south is known for and got a pale imitation. Small portions to add insult. Won't be going back.
(2)
Chelsie O.
We went here while we were in Louisiana for the weekend, not knowing where any good restaurants are. I was very happy with the food and the service. I had the Seafood Gumbo and Shrimp Etouffee and it was amazing! Will definitely go back when we go to LA again!
(5)
Reagan T.
I came here for my birthday was really was not impressed.... I was hoping for really good Cajun food, but it was mediocre.... Let's start off! I came with a party of four, including myself. I got sweet tea which was really nice. We all got an appetizer of mini meat pies and fries that were really good and the best thing we got!! I ordered Shrimp Creole. It was very tomatoey and not really good. It was the tomato sauce and shrimp all over a bed of rice. I really did not like it at all. My mother got a crawfish shirley, I think, and it was really great! I wish I had gotten than. Our waitress was really nice, but I noticed the other waitresses were just sitting around and texting on their phones which bothered me. It was OK
(3)
Matt A.
In some ways, I really wanted to give this place 5 stars. In others, I really wanted to give them 3 stars. So I settled on 4. The atmosphere was good. The staff attentive and pleasant. I got the po'boy that was half shrimp, half oysters and some seafood gumbo. The taste was really something I'd never had before, the frying of the seafood wasn't so battered down you couldn't taste the food, the bread was nice and soft and tasty, etc. If I had just had this, I'd probably give it a 5 stars (maybe 4 1/2, because I would've liked more shrimp and oysters in the poboy, but that's ok...). I had the seafood gumbo, which was pretty "meh". Not real distinctive flavor, not really all that much seafood in it, so "meh". Overall, a decent experience. If I were in town longer, I'd likely go back...
(4)
Caitlin M.
We ate here yesterday. I was pretty Disappointed. The appetizer sampler was pretty good. My boyfriend and I decided to share everything so we ordered the stuffed catfish and the seafood platter. We ordered mini corn dogs for out little one. The corn dogs and seafood platter sucked. Everything was very dark and tasted like burnt grease. Also the platter was mostly onion rings and fried crawfish tails, 2 pieces of catfish, 2 oysters, and about 4 fried shrimp. We took a piece of bread pudding home with us, which was okay but pretty bland. Service was great. Our bill was about 60 bucks and we left terribly disappointed. I'll never be back.
(2)
David G.
I also wanted to give this place 5 stars. I ordered the crawfish pate with onion rings. Many of the burnt pieces of batter had nothing in them. Onion rings where okay. Salad mediocre. Ice tea was hot. To disgusted to write clever review. This place will not get a second chance to gouge me on a poor excuse for a meal, and I always give a place a second chance.
(2)
David L.
This is our second time eating here in two days. .... the food is really good. Almost like having a home cooked meal away from home. Brittany (our server) was awesome! We found a new favorite spot in Ruston.
(5)
JJ S.
"Ponch", as the locals call it, is usually hit or miss. It's owned by the same people that own Log Cabin and Cheeburger Cheeburger. The food can vary on how it's cooked. It's very small and not in a great location. The owners put it in downtown Ruston across a street from the railroad tracks. So it's very loud. Don't go here often due to that.
(3)
Travis T.
Great place. Not recommended if you don't know how Cajun food is supposed to taste. The only down side to "Ponch" is that they don't have an everyday cook. It has multiple cooks so the taste can vary. I eat there frequently so the reason it gets four stars is because it's good food, not great food. Wait staff is usually good. Friendly people too. Ponchatoulas also has a great night scene and has good drink specials The only other down side is that the staff when bussing or restocking supplies have no regard for the customers that are also walking and will pretty much run you over if you don't move.
(4)
Brent C.
Was hoping that the negative reviews were not the norm, but alas I was wrong. Came in crawfish at 6 PM and they were out. Okay, plan B. order fried oyster and red beans and rice. Oysters were barely edible, more breading than oysters. The red beans were okay, but not spectacular. My dining partner had the white chocolate bread pudding and it was delightful.
(2)
Rebecca C.
Ponchatoulas is cleverly known as the Best Food in Ruston and was named so on a handout I was given of the local places to eat when I moved here. For a special celebration, a group of us came here and were easily set up. Reservations are helpful too. The place is nothing fancy, and has a huge bar area (although I'd rather go to Sundown next door for that) but the food is where they stand out. All sorts of Cajun Louisiana food: creole, etouffee, jambalaya, crab cakes, poboys, and more. I can't wait to go back and try something else.
(4)
Preston M.
I went to Ponchatoulas to grab some food after a LA Tech game. The bulldogs won, so the place was full of students celebrating. I however, was eating with my parents, so I got an iced tea and put my back to them so that I wouldn't feel left out from the party. I ordered the stuffed catfish (stuffed and topped with crawfish etouffee) and it was fantastic. I had trouble making room for extra hush puppies. We took more food home in to-go boxes than we were even able to eat. SO MUCH FOOD. We had to wait for a bit (it was a Saturday night) and they do not exactly have room to stand/sit around so we ended up sitting on a bench outside until they had room for us. I will definitely be back next time I go to Ruston.
(4)
David F.
After several visits to Ruston I was finally able to make it to this establishment and was not disappointed. The service was excellent and the ambiance light and upbeat adding comfort to the comfort foods they so aptly serve. The platters and poboys we ordered were delicious and priced moderately. The sampler appetizer was a nice sampling of Cajun cuisine that, although not as authentic as some purists would like, gave everyone an opportunity to experience a meat pie and boudin balls. The bread pudding with nuts and caramel sauce could put you in a sugar induced comma, but in a very good way. Overall a very nice experience with very upbeat and personable staff.
(4)
Bryan M.
Not bad for Ruston... Mostly fried food... The Eatouffe not that good. Shrimp is good.. good drink specials
(2)
Robbie H.
When I go to Ponchatoula's I always get the boiled crawfish. Best I've ever eaten. If it's not crawfish season I recommend (in order of my preference): Cheese Fries, Crawfish Shirley, Seafood Platter, Shrimp PoBoy and either Chicken Fried Chicken or Chicken Broussard (CFC and Broussard are specials, but usually available just ask). Now the lone knock in my opinion on this place is it's salads. It's mostly Iceberg with other lettuces, cucumbers, etc thrown in. Unfortunately it tastes like it came out of the bag lettuce you get at Walmart / Sam's. I know they can jive it up, and if they do you'll be able to take your mom and wife there without hearing how all that's good on the menu is fried food.
(5)
Michael G.
I travel to Monroe, LA quite a bit and I always make it a point to stop here for dinner at least once during my stays. I think the crew of co-workers I travel with enjoy it too as they never protest the suggestion. I ordered the crawfish etoufee a couple years ago and have never strayed from the amazing cajun dish. This place is well known for it's cajun style and I couldn't imagine a substitute. I have modified my dinner selection by adding fried catfish as a side which I feel is a good complement. The atmosphere is kinda like being in a converted basement. The ceiling has exposed floor joists and there is a lot of wood present. I think it gives this place a kind of coziness though. Ponchatoulas is located near Louisiana Tech so it can get pretty packed at later hours so plan accordingly.
(4)
Becki B.
Very Disappointed!!! This has been our favorite Ruston restaurant but today two people at our table were served burned shrimp and crawfish platters We sent them back and the shrimp platter came back golden brown while the crawfish platter was still overdone! Our waitress took it back again and was very gracious and apologetic for the food. I did not reorder after two burned platters! The kitchen manager named Katie stated that I had to pay since they cooked two platters and told me I should have at least eaten the onion rings! We ended up having to pay for the meal that was not edible! I felt bad for our waitress who tried to do the right thing!
(1)
Allison A.
5lb bucket of crayfish for $20 something bucks? Right on! Our waitress said she could easily eat 3lbs on her own, so sharing that big bucket between my friend and I was perfect. We finished every last boiled head of those little suckers. Perfectly spiced! The sides were excellent, too, but really, come for the crayfish!!
(4)
Betsy O.
Friendly service and authentic cajun food. Portion size is pretty good for price.
(4)
Flora F.
My local connections tell me this place is an institution in Ruston, and the name is adorable, but I wouldn't come here for the food. The rice was slightly crunchy, the beans hadn't spent enough time with the seasonings between the can and the plate, the meats tasted odd, and the etouffee tasted more like thickener than crawfish or anything else. The peach tea was strangely funky. The salad was sad and dry. The flavors aren't entirely off--they're in the ballpark--just as long as you don't pay too much attention.
(2)
Teresa N.
Enjoyed Ponchatoulas on a long trip back to Texas. Food was excellent. Staff was courteous and quick (Brittany). We enjoyed it all!
(4)
Hesham A.
Great bread putting
(3)
Jamie H.
I've been to Ponchatoulas many times and prefer the lunch specials. My favorite used to be fried shrimp with the best French fries.
P K.
Disappointing. I was hoping for some of that cooking the south is known for and got a pale imitation. Small portions to add insult. Won't be going back.
(2)Chelsie O.
We went here while we were in Louisiana for the weekend, not knowing where any good restaurants are. I was very happy with the food and the service. I had the Seafood Gumbo and Shrimp Etouffee and it was amazing! Will definitely go back when we go to LA again!
(5)Reagan T.
I came here for my birthday was really was not impressed.... I was hoping for really good Cajun food, but it was mediocre.... Let's start off! I came with a party of four, including myself. I got sweet tea which was really nice. We all got an appetizer of mini meat pies and fries that were really good and the best thing we got!! I ordered Shrimp Creole. It was very tomatoey and not really good. It was the tomato sauce and shrimp all over a bed of rice. I really did not like it at all. My mother got a crawfish shirley, I think, and it was really great! I wish I had gotten than. Our waitress was really nice, but I noticed the other waitresses were just sitting around and texting on their phones which bothered me. It was OK
(3)Matt A.
In some ways, I really wanted to give this place 5 stars. In others, I really wanted to give them 3 stars. So I settled on 4. The atmosphere was good. The staff attentive and pleasant. I got the po'boy that was half shrimp, half oysters and some seafood gumbo. The taste was really something I'd never had before, the frying of the seafood wasn't so battered down you couldn't taste the food, the bread was nice and soft and tasty, etc. If I had just had this, I'd probably give it a 5 stars (maybe 4 1/2, because I would've liked more shrimp and oysters in the poboy, but that's ok...). I had the seafood gumbo, which was pretty "meh". Not real distinctive flavor, not really all that much seafood in it, so "meh". Overall, a decent experience. If I were in town longer, I'd likely go back...
(4)Caitlin M.
We ate here yesterday. I was pretty Disappointed. The appetizer sampler was pretty good. My boyfriend and I decided to share everything so we ordered the stuffed catfish and the seafood platter. We ordered mini corn dogs for out little one. The corn dogs and seafood platter sucked. Everything was very dark and tasted like burnt grease. Also the platter was mostly onion rings and fried crawfish tails, 2 pieces of catfish, 2 oysters, and about 4 fried shrimp. We took a piece of bread pudding home with us, which was okay but pretty bland. Service was great. Our bill was about 60 bucks and we left terribly disappointed. I'll never be back.
(2)David G.
I also wanted to give this place 5 stars. I ordered the crawfish pate with onion rings. Many of the burnt pieces of batter had nothing in them. Onion rings where okay. Salad mediocre. Ice tea was hot. To disgusted to write clever review. This place will not get a second chance to gouge me on a poor excuse for a meal, and I always give a place a second chance.
(2)David L.
This is our second time eating here in two days. .... the food is really good. Almost like having a home cooked meal away from home. Brittany (our server) was awesome! We found a new favorite spot in Ruston.
(5)JJ S.
"Ponch", as the locals call it, is usually hit or miss. It's owned by the same people that own Log Cabin and Cheeburger Cheeburger. The food can vary on how it's cooked. It's very small and not in a great location. The owners put it in downtown Ruston across a street from the railroad tracks. So it's very loud. Don't go here often due to that.
(3)Travis T.
Great place. Not recommended if you don't know how Cajun food is supposed to taste. The only down side to "Ponch" is that they don't have an everyday cook. It has multiple cooks so the taste can vary. I eat there frequently so the reason it gets four stars is because it's good food, not great food. Wait staff is usually good. Friendly people too. Ponchatoulas also has a great night scene and has good drink specials The only other down side is that the staff when bussing or restocking supplies have no regard for the customers that are also walking and will pretty much run you over if you don't move.
(4)Brent C.
Was hoping that the negative reviews were not the norm, but alas I was wrong. Came in crawfish at 6 PM and they were out. Okay, plan B. order fried oyster and red beans and rice. Oysters were barely edible, more breading than oysters. The red beans were okay, but not spectacular. My dining partner had the white chocolate bread pudding and it was delightful.
(2)Rebecca C.
Ponchatoulas is cleverly known as the Best Food in Ruston and was named so on a handout I was given of the local places to eat when I moved here. For a special celebration, a group of us came here and were easily set up. Reservations are helpful too. The place is nothing fancy, and has a huge bar area (although I'd rather go to Sundown next door for that) but the food is where they stand out. All sorts of Cajun Louisiana food: creole, etouffee, jambalaya, crab cakes, poboys, and more. I can't wait to go back and try something else.
(4)Preston M.
I went to Ponchatoulas to grab some food after a LA Tech game. The bulldogs won, so the place was full of students celebrating. I however, was eating with my parents, so I got an iced tea and put my back to them so that I wouldn't feel left out from the party. I ordered the stuffed catfish (stuffed and topped with crawfish etouffee) and it was fantastic. I had trouble making room for extra hush puppies. We took more food home in to-go boxes than we were even able to eat. SO MUCH FOOD. We had to wait for a bit (it was a Saturday night) and they do not exactly have room to stand/sit around so we ended up sitting on a bench outside until they had room for us. I will definitely be back next time I go to Ruston.
(4)David F.
After several visits to Ruston I was finally able to make it to this establishment and was not disappointed. The service was excellent and the ambiance light and upbeat adding comfort to the comfort foods they so aptly serve. The platters and poboys we ordered were delicious and priced moderately. The sampler appetizer was a nice sampling of Cajun cuisine that, although not as authentic as some purists would like, gave everyone an opportunity to experience a meat pie and boudin balls. The bread pudding with nuts and caramel sauce could put you in a sugar induced comma, but in a very good way. Overall a very nice experience with very upbeat and personable staff.
(4)Bryan M.
Not bad for Ruston... Mostly fried food... The Eatouffe not that good. Shrimp is good.. good drink specials
(2)Robbie H.
When I go to Ponchatoula's I always get the boiled crawfish. Best I've ever eaten. If it's not crawfish season I recommend (in order of my preference): Cheese Fries, Crawfish Shirley, Seafood Platter, Shrimp PoBoy and either Chicken Fried Chicken or Chicken Broussard (CFC and Broussard are specials, but usually available just ask). Now the lone knock in my opinion on this place is it's salads. It's mostly Iceberg with other lettuces, cucumbers, etc thrown in. Unfortunately it tastes like it came out of the bag lettuce you get at Walmart / Sam's. I know they can jive it up, and if they do you'll be able to take your mom and wife there without hearing how all that's good on the menu is fried food.
(5)Michael G.
I travel to Monroe, LA quite a bit and I always make it a point to stop here for dinner at least once during my stays. I think the crew of co-workers I travel with enjoy it too as they never protest the suggestion. I ordered the crawfish etoufee a couple years ago and have never strayed from the amazing cajun dish. This place is well known for it's cajun style and I couldn't imagine a substitute. I have modified my dinner selection by adding fried catfish as a side which I feel is a good complement. The atmosphere is kinda like being in a converted basement. The ceiling has exposed floor joists and there is a lot of wood present. I think it gives this place a kind of coziness though. Ponchatoulas is located near Louisiana Tech so it can get pretty packed at later hours so plan accordingly.
(4)Becki B.
Very Disappointed!!! This has been our favorite Ruston restaurant but today two people at our table were served burned shrimp and crawfish platters We sent them back and the shrimp platter came back golden brown while the crawfish platter was still overdone! Our waitress took it back again and was very gracious and apologetic for the food. I did not reorder after two burned platters! The kitchen manager named Katie stated that I had to pay since they cooked two platters and told me I should have at least eaten the onion rings! We ended up having to pay for the meal that was not edible! I felt bad for our waitress who tried to do the right thing!
(1)Allison A.
5lb bucket of crayfish for $20 something bucks? Right on! Our waitress said she could easily eat 3lbs on her own, so sharing that big bucket between my friend and I was perfect. We finished every last boiled head of those little suckers. Perfectly spiced! The sides were excellent, too, but really, come for the crayfish!!
(4)Betsy O.
Friendly service and authentic cajun food. Portion size is pretty good for price.
(4)Flora F.
My local connections tell me this place is an institution in Ruston, and the name is adorable, but I wouldn't come here for the food. The rice was slightly crunchy, the beans hadn't spent enough time with the seasonings between the can and the plate, the meats tasted odd, and the etouffee tasted more like thickener than crawfish or anything else. The peach tea was strangely funky. The salad was sad and dry. The flavors aren't entirely off--they're in the ballpark--just as long as you don't pay too much attention.
(2)Teresa N.
Enjoyed Ponchatoulas on a long trip back to Texas. Food was excellent. Staff was courteous and quick (Brittany). We enjoyed it all!
(4)Hesham A.
Great bread putting
(3)Jamie H.
I've been to Ponchatoulas many times and prefer the lunch specials. My favorite used to be fried shrimp with the best French fries.
(3)Janice W.
Regional menu selection was inviting and the items ordered, File Gumbo and Crawfish Étouffée were tasty, but served lukewarm which greatly diminished the enjoyment. Casual atmosphere was good for family.
(3)