Bud's Louisiana Cafe

Bud's is so fire.It's tucked away in an office park but don't let that fool you - it's some of the best food I've had in SD. Service was attentive and kind and the restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere.We ordered the creole caviar, shrimp and grits sub for cheesy grits, and fried catfish. The shrimp and grits were amazing. The shrimp was juicy and the sauce was delicious with the grits tying everything together. Probably the best shrimp and grits I've had lol. We'd never heard of creole caviar but my partner loved it - he said it was rich in umami and paired really well with the French bread.Check them out and you won't be disappointed.

This place is an absolute hidden gem in San Diego. It's in a small business area near Kearny Mesa. The restaurant is small but very inviting. The wait staff were all very nice. I got the Blackened Catfish with a side of Red Beans and Rice. The first bite of both were so flavorful and had the perfect mix of spices to them. My GF got the Fried Catfish which was also fried perfectly and was very good as well. The only negative I had was that the restaurant adds on a 4% surcharge without stating it on the menu. I was told by my waitress that it is for the staff's health benefits. I'm fine that this is what it goes to, but I was under the impression that it was a law to state a surcharge was being added to all bills in California.

This was absolutely what I hoped for and maybe even more than I expected. We ordered a special, fried cheese grits, which was perfect. PERFECT I SAID. The creole caviar was, and it almost brought my review down to four stars. But the entrées. ... the entrées. We got a taste of New Orleans, pasta jambalaya, and Mardi Gras pasta. All exactly as you would hope they would be. Granted, I don't have a creole/Cajun background so I'm kind of a blank slate. But this blank slate completely satisfied. One of my party is incredibly particular about her Cajun food and said she would give it a 9 out of 10. I mean. C'mon. Ambience for dinner was very nice and relaxed, lowered lights so somewhat romantic but not stuffy. super friendly service. Dessert was just right. Amazing. It was the only thing I managed to get pictures of. And Katie our waitress was fantastic.

This place was great for a weekday lunch with plenty of indoor and shaded outdoor seating on the patio. Lots of iconic southern dishes to choose from, including po boys, gumbo, jambalayas and more. I had the crawfish etouffee and that was absolutely a great choice. The service was friendly and I didn't mind that because it was quite busy, that the food took a little bit to come out, it was nice to enjoy sitting on the patio with an Arnold Palmer.My etouffee was fantastic, full of chunks of crawfish tail and I mashed the little scoop of rice into the sauce to soak it all up. Not a drop was left on the plate and I was stuffed, which was unfortunate because I didn't leave room to try the desserts. I had a bite of the blacked catfish po boy and while the fish was cooked well, there was a lot of seasoning where it was a bit too salty for my taste.

Crawfish étouffée was so good here! I also had the fried catfish with the "Taste of New Orleans." It's hard to find good Creole food anywhere outside of New Orleans, but I think we have a winner here!Our server (I think it was Rigo?) was excellent! Super enthusiastic, friendly and attentive! The hostess (don't know her name) wasn't friendly at all, and was too loud when telling the servers to bus tables... was a weird vibe with her.The beignets were meh. Definitely nothing like Cafe Du Monde, but can't really go wrong with heavily sugared fried dough, can we?

Friday lunch with the ladies. Service was excellent today. Our waiter was patient and well informed. Substituting a side for my friend was done with a smile. Love their sweet tea. I ordered the Louisiana chicken and it was as tasty as ever! The restaurant was clean and even though we were close to the entrance the AC was working quite well on the hot day.

WOW! What a hidden gem in San Diego, and a very delicious, flavorful, and beautiful gem! Definitely check this place out for your next Cajun craving!Tucked away and hidden in an industrial complex, Bud's Louisiana Cafe serves amazing southern dishes for reasonable prices! Interior is elegant with nice artworks, but still casual enough for everyone. Service was great all around.$8.50 Cup Seafood Bisque...creamy, tasty, and filled with seafood!$8.50 Cup Seafood gumbo...fragrant, tasty, and filled wit seafood!$26 Taste of New Orleans...a huge generous portion of Crawfish Etouffee! There were a solid 12-15 crawfish tails, all tender and juicy, over rice, and covered in the flavorful sauce, that was a perfect amount of spiciness. $22 Blackened Catfish...perfectly cooked with the sweet, juicy, gamey catfish meat, with a lovely butter Cajun seasoning on top, so good! Nice green beans and rice along side it.

After several visits & trying different dishes each time, I must say this place is consistently wonderful! The quality & quantity of food is certainly a great value with comforting, delectable flavor. I enjoy pairing my food with iced tea - sometimes sweet, sometimes half unsweetened. Both ways perfect. The Taste of New Orleans, Mardi Gras Pasta, Crawfish Etoufee, Chicken & Grits, Alligator Sausage + Fried Pickles, Creole Caviar, and probably a few other things... have EACH been really great! Dessert:Obviously, beignets! Duh...these are the perfect texture & I love the strawberry on the sideThe banana pudding is delicious tooI usually enjoy sitting outside on the patio, but today we were seated inside, which was pleasant as well. Each time we have had good service by different people & I'm glad to see that is also consistent. If you're looking for Louisiana food, this is a must visit! If you're unfamiliar with Créole vs Cajun food, I will say this is kind of a middle ground between the two with a slight edge on the Cajun side, but you'll be satiated regardless!I'm Créole myself & this is a solid favorite spot

Wow, found a go-to spot for southern (comfort) food in SD! Food was amazing, service was great, vibes & ambiance were on-point. I like what they did with the space!We ordered the jambalaya pasta, catfish plate, cajun jambalaya, crawfish bucket, and beignets for dessert. Yum! Definitely planning to come back to try their other dishes.

Well, approaching the restaurant I couldn't see it because of all the cars. But once we parked I could smell the good eating that was about to take place. The place when you walk in is full of awards. The host at the register has a perfect smile and personality. Started with the seafood Gumbo. It was very good, I wished it had a little more seasoning. However, everything was cooked to perfection; from the shrimp that melted in your mouth to the sausage which was immaculately tender to the rice and even roux. That was so so good. Now we are waiting on the beinet. I could not check in because my son set the reservation.