Top Cajun Creole restaurants in United States

Dakar NOLA ★ 4.9

Dakar NOLA in New Orleans is James Beard winner Serigne Mbaye's Senegalese Creole tasting room in a Carrollton cottage, the 2024 Best New Restaurant.

Commander's Palace ★ 4.8

Commander's Palace in New Orleans is the 1893 Garden District grande dame on Washington Avenue, the Brennan family flag with turtle soup, jacket-required.

OrderThe turtle soup with sherry tableside. It has been on the menu since the dining room opened in 1893.

TipBook the upstairs Garden Room for the live courtyard view; the dress code requires collared shirts at dinner.

Dakar NOLA ★ 4.8

Dakar NOLA in New Orleans is Serigne Mbaye's James Beard Best New Restaurant winning Senegalese Creole tasting room, relocated in 2025 to a Carrollton.

OrderThere is no choice; the tasting menu rotates with the season. The jollof course is the anchor.

TipTickets sell out within days of release. Sign up for the newsletter for booking-window alerts.

Commander's Palace ★ 4.8

Commander's Palace in New Orleans is the 1893 Garden District grande dame, a Brennan family Creole flagship with turtle soup since opening and Sunday jazz.

Compere Lapin ★ 4.7

Compere Lapin in New Orleans is Nina Compton's James Beard winning Caribbean Creole room inside the Old No 77 Hotel on Tchoupitoulas, with goat curry.

OrderThe curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, on the menu since 2015.

TipThe bar runs walk-in; the kitchen sends the same menu and the cocktails are sharper than most of the city.

Saint-Germain ★ 4.7

Saint-Germain in New Orleans is the Michelin-starred ten-course tasting menu inside a Bywater double-shotgun from chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith.

OrderThere is no choice; the ten-course is what they serve. Add the wine pairing.

TipReservations open monthly. If you can't get a seat, the wine garden out back takes walk-ups and serves bottles with snacks.

Compere Lapin ★ 4.7

Compere Lapin in New Orleans is Nina Compton's James Beard Caribbean Creole room inside the Old No 77 Hotel on Tchoupitoulas, with goat curry on a Bocuse.

Mosquito Supper Club ★ 4.7

Mosquito Supper Club in New Orleans is Melissa Martin's Uptown communal-table Cajun room in an 1898 cottage on Dryades, with a fixed Bayou Lafourche menu.

Restaurant Iris ★ 4.6

Chef Kelly English's Restaurant Iris in Memphis moved to Poplar Avenue in 2022 with a tighter menu of New Orleans Creole built on Mississippi seafood.

OrderCrawfish and grits with andouille; a Sazerac to start.

TipLunch service was added with the move; the four-course tasting menu is the steady bet at dinner.

Mosquito Supper Club ★ 4.6

Mosquito Supper Club in New Orleans is Melissa Martin's Uptown communal-table Cajun room in an 1898 cottage on Dryades Street, with a single fixed Cajun menu.

OrderThe crab stew and shrimp boulettes; the menu is fixed and arrives in courses.

TipReservations open the first of the month for the next month. Book the moment they appear.

Domilise's Po-Boys ★ 4.6

Domilise's in New Orleans is the 1918 family-run po-boy counter on Annunciation Street at Belle Castle Uptown, with fried shrimp and oyster po-boys.

OrderThe fried shrimp po-boy, dressed, with hot sauce.

TipCash and local-card only at the counter; the kitchen closes when the bread runs out.

Brigtsen's ★ 4.6

Brigtsen's in New Orleans is Frank and Marna Brigtsen's 1986 Victorian-cottage Creole Acadian room near the streetcar terminus, a Paul Prudhomme alumnus.

Lucile's Creole Cafe ★ 4.5

Lucile's Creole Cafe serves beignets, Eggs New Orleans and homemade gumbo out of a creaky house on Meldrum Street in Fort Collins, mornings only.

OrderBeignets first, then Eggs New Orleans with grits

TipStart with an order of hot beignets for the table; the Pain Perdu is the sweet main worth the queue.

Cochon ★ 4.5

Cochon in New Orleans is Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski's James Beard winning Cajun room on Tchoupitoulas, an ode to whole-hog cookery in a converted.

OrderThe cochon with turnips and cracklins. Then the rabbit and dumplings.

TipCochon Butcher around the corner sells the same charcuterie at a counter; cheaper and equally good for lunch.

Herbsaint ★ 4.5

Herbsaint in New Orleans is Donald Link's 2000 St Charles Avenue flagship, a Louisiana French bistro with the streetcar passing the front window and a duck.

OrderThe Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice. Pair with a Sazerac.

TipSit at the bar for the streetcar view and faster service; the kitchen sends the same plates.

Liuzza's by the Track ★ 4.5

Liuzza's by the Track in New Orleans is the Bayou St John lunch counter near the Fair Grounds that invented the BBQ shrimp po-boy, still the room's anchor.

OrderThe BBQ shrimp po-boy, invented on this very counter.

TipCash only at peak; check the Jazz Fest schedule, the room turns into a circus on festival weekends.

Parkway Bakery and Tavern ★ 4.5

Parkway in New Orleans is the 1911 Mid-City po-boy room on Hagan Avenue near Bayou St John, a German-built corner shop with roast beef debris and a screened.

OrderThe roast beef po-boy with debris, dressed. Add a beer.

TipThe back garden patio runs cooler in summer; the counter line is faster than the wait staff.

Restaurant August ★ 4.5

Restaurant August in New Orleans is the 2001 modern Creole flagship in an 1830s Tchoupitoulas warehouse, originally John Besh and on the 2025 Michelin Guide.

Brenda's French Soul Food ★ 4.5

Brenda's French Soul Food in San Francisco is Brenda Buenviaje's Creole counter on Polk Street, with crawfish beignets and a strong brunch shrimp and grits.

OrderA flight of beignets: plain, chocolate, granny apple and crawfish.

TipNo reservations; arrive at 09:00 sharp or join the digital waitlist that opens at 08:30.

Seraphine ★ 4.4

Seraphine is a Michelin-recommended Cajun and Creole restaurant at American Tobacco Campus. Crawfish etouffee and Southern cocktails are the draw.

OrderCrawfish etouffee, Fried green tomatoes, Beignets

Seraphine ★ 4.4

A Michelin-recommended Cajun and Creole restaurant at American Tobacco Campus. Louisiana flavours and NC sourcing; the terrace view is the best seat.

Crawfish and Noodles ★ 4.4

Crawfish and Noodles in Houston is Trong Nguyen's Viet-Cajun room on Bellaire Boulevard since 2008, the country's defining Viet-Cajun crawfish boil.

OrderA pound of crawfish (in season Feb to June), the blue crab in house garlic butter, salt-pepper shrimp.

TipCrawfish are seasonal. October to January menu pivots to blue crab and Dungeness. Cash card surcharges apply.

Brigtsen's ★ 4.4

Brigtsen's in New Orleans is Frank and Marna Brigtsen's 1986 Victorian-cottage Creole Acadian room near the streetcar terminus, a Paul Prudhomme alumnus.

OrderThe shell-bean and crawfish stew, on the menu since 1986. Then the file gumbo.

TipDinner only, Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. The whole restaurant is one cottage; book ahead.

Elizabeth's Restaurant ★ 4.4

Elizabeth's in New Orleans is the Bywater corner cafe at Chartres and Gallier that invented praline bacon, with pecan sugar lacquered slices on a breakfast.

OrderThe praline bacon, ordered as a side with the redneck eggs Benedict.

TipNo reservations. Arrive by 09:00 on weekends or wait an hour for the brunch turn.

Atchafalaya ★ 4.4

Atchafalaya in New Orleans is the Louisiana Avenue Creole room on the Garden District edge, known for a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and the duck hash.

OrderThe duck hash with sunny eggs; build a Bloody Mary at the bar.

TipSaturday and Sunday brunch with live music; arrive 09:30 or hold for the 13:00 turn.

Antoine's ★ 4.4

Antoine's in New Orleans is the 1840 St Louis Street dining room, the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States and the birthplace of Oysters.

Bourbon n' Toulouse ★ 4.3

Bourbon n' Toulouse ladles etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo over rice on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's counter-service Cajun habit and a family business since 2004.

OrderCrawfish etouffee, Gumbo

TipOrder at the counter and grab a porch table; vegan and gluten-free pots are always on the board.

Bourbon n' Toulouse ★ 4.3

Bourbon n' Toulouse ladles etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo over rice on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's counter-service Cajun habit and a family business since 2004.

OrderCrawfish etouffee, Gumbo

TipOrder at the counter and grab a porch table; vegan and gluten-free pots are always on the board.

Lou Lou on Market ★ 4.3

Lou Lou on Market took over the former Decca space on NuLu's East Market, a New Orleans-rooted Louisville dining room running shrimp and grits and Bananas.

Coop's Place ★ 4.3

Coop's Place in New Orleans is the Decatur Street Cajun dive open since 1983, with rabbit and sausage jambalaya, fried chicken and a Chicken Tchoupitoulas.

OrderThe rabbit and sausage jambalaya. Add the Chicken Tchoupitoulas if you have appetite.

TipCash-friendly dive bar atmosphere; the kitchen runs late and pairs with Abita on tap.