The 15 Best Cajun Restaurants In The South

Cajun food has a long and fascinating history, developed by Acadian immigrants who were expelled from British-controlled Canada in the 18th century. Many relocated to Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns, and over the centuries crafted a unique cuisine that spread across America in the 1980s.

But even if you don't know the untold truth of Cajun food, chances are you've enjoyed dishes like gumbo or boudin. Just how much you've enjoyed them, though, may depend on where you ate them. Not every Cajun restaurant is the same. Far from it, in fact, especially since the real difference between Cajun and Creole food is lost to many, even in the restaurant business. In order to get a true Cajun experience, you need chefs and restaurants that know how to do it right.

That usually means heading down South. Naturally, the preponderance of excellent Cajun experiences can be found in Louisiana, but also across the Gulf Coast and the broader South. Here's a look at the best restaurants where you can eat some of the iconic Cajun foods you have to try before you die. As the legendary Cajun chef Justin Wilson would say, "I guarantee!"

One of the most acclaimed Cajun restaurants in the world is Cochon in New Orleans, Louisiana. Cochon opened in 2006, just a few months after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It's the brainchild of chef Donald Link, who grew up eating Cajun dishes made by his grandparents, and chef Stephen Stryjewski.

In 2007, Cochon was nominated for a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant, and Link won the James Beard award for Best Chef: South. In 2011, Stryjewski also won the James Beard award for Best Chef: South. The accolades haven't stopped. In 2025, Cochon earned a Bib Gourmand recognition from the Michelin Guide.

The word "cochon" is French for "pig," so naturally, it is prominent on the menu in various forms. Beyond dishes like country ham, you can also order things like catfish courtbouillon, chicken and andouille gumbo, and more. "This place is just special. I dreamed about the entree for weeks after I had it," gushed one diner on Yelp. "It's the best Cajun cuisine in NOLA."

cochonrestaurant.com

(504) 588-2123

930 Tchoupitoulas St Ste A, New Orleans, LA 70130

Johnson's Boucanière in Lafayette, Louisiana, may have opened in 2008, but its history and legacy stretch for decades. The original Johnson's Grocery was opened by the Johnson family in nearby Eunice in 1937, becoming the first commercial vendor for boudin, the signature Cajun-style sausage. Though it closed in 2005, family members opened Johnson's Boucanière in 2008, and to say it's been a success is a vast understatement.

Named by Food Network as the best BBQ in Louisiana, Johnson's Boucanière has become a Cajun dining destination. It's a standout among the many amazing Cajun restaurants and eateries that make Lafayette the true center of Cajun cuisine. Just ask the customers. "I am a local Cajun who grew up eating Sunday BBQ dinners from our local meat market," wrote one reviewer on Yelp. "Those fond memories are now just disappointing reminders that I could have been eating here all along."

johnsonsboucaniere.com

(337) 269-8878

1111 St John St, Lafayette, LA 70501

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it's estimated that some 100,000 Louisiana evacuees moved to Houston, bringing Cajun cooking and culture to the forefront of its dining scene.

Chef Esther Lewis-Bernard, owner and proprietor of Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food, has been described as the queen of Cajun and soul food cuisine. At the heart of the restaurant, which opened in 2008, are the authentic Cajun recipes Lewis-Bernard learned from her mother. Now, she is carrying on the family tradition, with her children working alongside her in the family restaurant. "This is more than a restaurant," she told The Houston Defender. "This is a legacy."

At Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food — considered one of the best soul food restaurants in the U.S. — the menu includes classic Cajun dishes combined with soul food offerings. Reviewers in particular singled out the oxtails covered in gravy as a must-try dish. "Have you ever had oxtails that were so tender that the meat was just about falling off the bone? And were seasoned so perfectly that you couldn't stop thinking 'these are the best oxtails I've had in years'?" wrote one fan on Yelp.

estherscajunsoul.com

(713) 699-1212

5007 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77018

Meat is a mainstay of the Cajun culinary experience. In particular, various cuts of pig are prominent in Cajun cuisine, forming the backbone of its classic boudin and boudin blanc sausages. But no matter what kind of meat you like, you'll find the best version of it at Toups' Meatery in New Orleans.

Chef Isaac Toups grew up steeped in Cajun heritage, as his family has been in Louisiana for over three centuries. He's distilled that legacy of institutional knowledge into unparalleled expertise. Toups has been nominated for the James Beard award for Best Chef: South three times, and it shows in a menu that includes everything from lamb, beef, and chicken to pork, duck, crab, and more.

Feeling indecisive? No problem, just get the Meatery Board, which has a selection of multiple meats and comes highly recommended by customers. "They have a great mix of classic Cajun and fun experimentation going on with their menu you won't get at other places in New Orleans," raved one diner on Yelp.

toupsmeatery.com

(504) 252-4999

845 N Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Cajun chefs have spent centuries turning the natural bounty of the Gulf Coast into delicious dishes. And if you're in the mood for some authentic Cajun seafood, look no further than Taranto's Crawfish in Biloxi.

Named the number one Cajun and Creole restaurant on the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Tripadvisor reviewers, Taranto's Crawfish features much more than some of the best crawfish you'll ever have the pleasure of eating. Shrimp? Oysters? Catfish? Crab? It's got the works. Want some seafood gumbo or a shrimp po' boy? Well, it's got those too, and once you eat them, you won't forget them, as Taranto's Crawfish features some of the freshest catches around.

"If Poseidon himself opened a restaurant, it'd look a lot like this," gushed one foodie on Yelp. "I came in with [10] fingers and left with crab-scented happiness under every nail."

facebook.com/p/Tarantos-crawfish-poboys-seafood-100064877344567

(228) 392-0990

12404 John Lee Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532

Originally opened in 1992, Gabrielle Restaurant quickly became a cornerstone of New Orleans cuisine. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Forced to close its doors, the end of Gabrielle Restaurant seemed to be another sad reminder of everything that was lost in the flood.

In a cruel twist of timing, chef Greg Sonnier had just been named a finalist for the James Beard award for Best Chef: Southeast when Katrina hit. But in 2017, after a long 12-year break, he and his wife, pastry chef Mary Sonnier, finally reopened Gabrielle Restaurant. Routinely cited as serving some of the best Cajun food in New Orleans, in 2024, Gabrielle Restaurant's gumbo was voted by the readers of The Times-Picayune as the best in the city, with over 250,000 votes. 

"Two friends had cups of gumbo and I was vaguely embarrassed by how much bowl scraping went on," wrote one devotee on Yelp. "Clearly, no one wanted to miss a single drop of that gumbo."

gabriellerestaurant.com

(504) 603-2344

2441 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Deep in the heart of Texas is the city of Waco, and anchoring Waco's Cajun cooking scene is Cajun Craft. The name fits, which is evident from the accolades the restaurant has earned, including being featured on the cover of Waco's Magazine for the delicious and authentic po' boys that landed it the award for the best Cajun food in the city.

The food at Waco's Cajun Craft is made from scratch, and the venue itself extends that authentic vibe, as the restaurant is located in a repurposed 1950s-era auto shop. Dig into dishes like crawfish poutine, fried gator bites, and catfish Atchafalaya for real Cajun flavors.

"This place is simply amazing. The food is the best [Cajun] I've ever had," wrote one reviewer on Yelp. And another diner paid Cajun Craft the ultimate compliment, writing, "This just tasted incredibly authentic to us as if we had been invited to dinner at the home of a fantastic generational home cook." You can't get better than that.

cajuncraft.com

(254) 754-3869

601 S 11th St, Waco, TX 76706

Nestled in a bend in the Mississippi River just on the western outskirts of New Orleans, Louisiana, is the town of Harahan. That's where you'll find Seither's Seafood, home of some of the most authentic Cajun food you'll find in the New Orleans area — or anywhere else, for that matter.

A Food Network favorite that was spotlighted on Guy Fieri's TV series "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," Seither's Seafood is the brainchild of chef Jason Seither. He's taken all the classic Cajun recipes from his childhood and turned them upside down. There's even a section on the menu called Chef's Crazy Creations where you can sample some of his wilder dishes, with names like The Totem Pole and The Volcano.

Dining at Seither's also won't cost you an arm and a leg, and the vibe is very much "local hangout hotspot" rather than "upscale fancy-pants." "We had some fabulous food in NOLA," wrote one reviewer on Yelp, praising Seither's for its quality, affordability, and the size and freshness of its oysters.

seithersseafood.com

(504) 738-1116

279 Hickory Ave, Harahan, LA 70123

Ranked by Tripadvisor as the top-rated Cajun restaurant in New Orleans, Olde NOLA Cookery is located right at the heart of the action on Bourbon Street. Hungry from a day and night of partying down? No worries, Olde NOLA Cookery is open until 1 a.m. every day to make sure you get the Cajun cooking you need to keep going into the wee hours. 

Its menu is stacked with classic Cajun dishes. Think crawfish étouffée, blackened shrimp po' boys, seafood gumbo, and much more. Not sure exactly what you want? Try the Taste of New Orleans combo, which has a sample of all the region's favorite flavors. You can even add blackened gator to your dish if you're feeling it. "This tiny restaurant was terrific," wrote one Yelp reviewer. "Probably the best, most authentic Cajun cuisine I've ever had."

nolacookery.com

(504) 525-4577

205 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

One of the most fascinating fusion cuisines to come out of the past few decades is Viet-Cajun. In the late 1970s, thousands of Vietnamese refugees settled along the Gulf Coast, learning Cajun recipes from their new neighbors. Then, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many of these families had to relocate again, with a large population settling in Houston.

The result was a boom in what's come to be known as Viet-Cajun cuisine. One of the most popular and acclaimed Viet-Cajun restaurants anywhere isn't in Houston, or even Louisiana, but rather in Atlanta, Georgia: Bon Ton. Named one of the best restaurants in the Atlanta area by Atlanta Magazine, Bon Ton also landed on top of the list of the best Cajun restaurants in the area.

Want to try blackened catfish or fried shrimp banh mi? Bon Ton has you covered, and then some. "The Cajun twist on the banh mi was [amazing]," gushed one customer on Yelp. Yum!

bontonatl.com

(404) 996-6177

674 Myrtle St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, Louisiana looks like the kind of place you'd stop at on a road trip to use the bathroom and buy some beef jerky. But this unassuming store holds a secret: It sells some of the best po' boys in the world.

Named the top restaurant in all of the U.S. for budget dining by Tripadvisor, Olde Tyme Grocery has also been cited as one of the top mom and pop restaurants in the country, not to mention one of the top Cajun eateries in Lafayette, the capital of Cajun country. And it all comes back to those amazing po' boys, which have a fascinating history and have been a specialty of Olde Tyme Grocery since 1982.

"Best damn [po' boy] in [Louisiana]!" raved one reviewer on Yelp, adding, "It looks like the neighborhood spit out a house with magical sandwiches!" Another passionate diner added, "Best [po' boy] I've ever had. Been around a long time and I can see why. It's a no frills just damn good food."

oldetymegrocery.com

(337) 235-8165

218 W St Mary Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70506

John Folse is known as a pioneering ambassador of Cajun and Louisiana cooking around the world, bringing his authentic bayou flavors to the likes of Japan, China, and France during the 1980s. Those are just a few of the culinary adventures that led the Louisiana Legislature to name him Louisiana's Culinary Ambassador to the World.

But you don't necessarily need a passport to try Folse's world-famous food, because he currently oversees Restaurant R'evolution in New Orleans. There, he serves up what Restaurant R'evolution describes as "modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine." These fusion dishes distill Louisiana food culture into innovative, upscale dishes, including Death by Gumbo, the Pig Out charcuterie board, and a Cajun buttered crab, which is served with quail eggs and andouille.

Folse's visionary cooking has turned Restaurant R'evolution into a social media sensation. "The food at Restaurant R'evolution was simultaneously authentic and innovative," one reviewer wrote on Yelp. "All of the ingredients were [top-notch] and [the] dishes were all cooked and seasoned to perfection."

revolutionnola.com

(504) 553-2277

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Located in the Bellevue neighborhood on the southwestern edge of Nashville, Voodoo Gumbo was opened by brothers Joel and Herb Tassin in 2017. Natives of New Orleans, the pair decided to relocate to Nashville in the wake of a hurricane. They brought with them the tastes and flavors of their childhood, recreating the Cajun cooking they grew up with for the people of Tennessee.

The result was an immediate hit, as Voodoo Gumbo quickly became a standout dining experience for locals and tourists alike. During an appearance on Tennessee Crossroads, Herb Tassin said, "One of the nicest compliments we get from people from New Orleans and south Louisiana is, 'This is authentic, this is legit, this is just like back home.'" A string of glowing reviews online features similar sentiments. "Best Cajun food outside of NOLA," wrote one diner on Yelp, adding, "Close your eyes and you'd think you were on Bourbon Street."

voodoogumbo.biz

(615) 902-3166

7114 Hwy 70 S #109, Nashville, TN 37221

Located just up the Mississippi River from Cajun country, Little Rock has a thriving Cajun dining scene. At the center of it all is The Faded Rose, the restaurant credited with bringing Cajun cuisine to Little Rock more than 40 years ago.

And the food has only gotten better since The Faded Rose opened in 1982. Zac David, son of founders Ed and Laurie David, told About You magazine, "Hurricane Katrina brought a lot of people up from Louisiana that appreciate the food and know it really well. This led us to up our game because the customer is much more knowledgeable about the food. We have to stay focused on giving people the best product we can."

It's paid off. "The [po' boy] was the best I have ever had," wrote one customer on Yelp, "even out of the ones I had in New Orleans!" And another gushed, "The Faded Rose is incredible! The fried green tomatoes are fantastic, the blackened [redfish] is insane, the gumbo is perfect, and the bread pudding is... NUTS!"

thefadedrose.com

(501) 663-9734

1619 Rebsamen Park Rd, Little Rock, AR 72202

Located across the bay from Mobile, Alabama, the Gulf Coast town of Daphne has become something of a foodie haven. With a deck that looks out over the bay, Boudreaux's Cajun Grill offers amazing sunset views, ambiance matched by the quality of the authentic Cajun food.

Winner of a slew of regional awards under its belt, Boudreaux's Cajun Grill offers up classic dishes like crawfish étouffée, blackened catfish, and a variety of po' boys, with much of the seafood fresh caught off local shores. According to some, the Cajun cooking at Boudreaux's Cajun Grill is even better than what you can find in New Orleans. "I was amazed at how good the food was here," wrote one chuffed Yelp reviewer. "100x more authentic than anything I tried in the French Quarter. Maybe the best Cajun restaurant I've been to."

boudreauxscajungrill.com

(251) 621-1991

29249 US-98, Daphne, AL 36526

To determine the best Cajun restaurants in the South, we looked at restaurants that identify as primarily Cajun rather than Creole. As a result, though fusion restaurants with Creole or other influences were included, we ruled out any restaurants that put the emphasis on the Creole side of things above Cajun.

We also took into consideration local and national industry awards, as well as professional reviews and online ratings. We wanted to find restaurants that had achieved a consensus of excellence among people of all walks of life. Whether or not the food is delicious and authentic was our bellwether throughout.