I've been waiting forever to review this place! First of all, look at that picture. Cluttered and cute, am I right?
So starting in about November of last year I went on a gumbo kick. I just wanted good gumbo all the time- that's not too much to ask, is it? Well, one day I was looking on Yelp.com for some good cheap restaurants and I stumbled across Evangeline Cafe- a small Cajun restaurant off of Brodie Lane, and there was only one thing on my mind:
GUMBO!
So Drew and I got in the car and drove on over to this place for lunch- it was pretty crowded but there was no wait for a table and we were seated right away. I don't think I got a lemonade the first time we went there, but I've had it since, and their lemonade deserves a mention- it's delicious and tangy and sweet and everything you'd want a lemonade to be.
Now...Evangeline's has a whole list of appetizers- I've yet to try the alligator bites, BUT I WILL. I like to consider myself something of a connoisseur of fried pickles....and Evangeline Cafe might have the best I've had yet. And I grew up in the same city as Riverpoint, which got famous on HGTV for their fried pickles. The pickles at Evangeline's has just a little bit of spice to it that makes them irresistible- and a must have every time we go.
Their menu, at first glance, can look a bit pricey- especially for a college student. The trick to Evangeline's is to go at lunch- they have lunch specials that are delicious and cheap! Without fail I get the combo that is a Po-Boy of your choice (fried shrimp for this girl!) and a cup of either gumbo or red beans and rice (Your guess to which one I choose!). The first time we went, Drew got the fried catfish Po-Boy, which he liked. I had a bite of his and devoured mine, and my vote lies with the shrimp, but I'm just not a big catfish person.
When you get a Po-Boy, you have a choice of sauce to try on it. Go for the Evangeline Sauce- it's sort of like a Thousand Island Dressing- orange and tangy. It's not overpowering in the slightest, so you're still able to taste whatever you got as the primary ingredient in the sandwich, again, I recommend the fried shrimp.
Their gumbo.
Is.
Amazing.
In all seriousness, their gumbo is seasoned to deliciousness and just the right mix of rice, broth (is that what it's called?), and chicken and sausage. It's probably my current favorite thing ever. I wish I could describe it more, but I just can't find the words. All I know is that I'm always really sad when I'm done with it.
My only complaint about Evangeline's-- and I mean it, my ONLY complaint-- is that it's normally pretty busy, which means that the waitstaff can get pretty tied up. I've never had an awful experience with this, but it's something to keep in mind if you're in a hurry.
The lunch combos at Evangeline Cafe range anywhere from $6-$8, depending on what you get. They're only available Monday-Saturday (Evangeline's is closed on Sundays) from 11-3, so you have plenty of opportunities to try them out. My normal ticket here is around $15 dollars....a little pricier than some places, but still doable on occasions for a college student, and completely worth it.
They have live music here almost every night, I think. So if you'd like to catch some music, try this place out at night- the baskets and gumbo are still under $10.
My rating is 5/5, because I love this place so much. Drew and I have been back here several times since we first tried it, and there's a reason for that- delicious food and a great, fun atmosphere!
Evangeline Cafe
