The Free Man

The food was undoubtedly good but the live music and drinks are the stars of the establishment!!

This is not a "Cajun cafe". This is a straight up bar that happens to serve Cajun food, apparently as an afterthought.I went there with a work colleague November 5, 2024 around 10:00 PM after a work-related conference at The Westin Downtown Dallas at One Main Building.Parking is a nightmare. You're either going to go to the paid lot and spend $13+ for two hours, or park on the street. Either way, you're spending that just to get in the door, but wait...You won't get in the door because there's a cover charge for the band. $10 per person. So $20.We're up to $33 and we're not even seated at a table to eat yet, which is the only reason we even showed up.We ordered the Hot Crab Dip, Chicken Sandwich, and Crawfish Pasta. Reasonably priced, right? Around $63. Not too shabby for two entrees and an appetizer.The Hot Crab Dip is just crab mixed up with Philly cream cheese and some melted cheddar on top, served with some bread. It was totally pasasble and nothing at all to be impressed by.My friend's chicken sandwich was great though. She gave me a bite. The bread was delicious and soft and warm, the chicken was fried to perfection and had good flavor.Unfortunately, that bring us to the crawfish pasta. Awful. The sauce was broken like a Ming vase in a house full of five-year olds. Just a ton of visible oil. It had clearly separated and the cook - I refuse to use chef, because no chef would countanace that disaster - had no clue how to fix it.I probably could have dealt with all that, since the band that night was pretty good. ENTIRELY too loud, though. My friend and I had to yell at each other just to talk, and we mostly gave up and just ate in silence instead. Turn the damn volume down to 50% of whatever you guys have it at. People that want to hear the band will move closer to the tables. People that want to eat won't have to scream at each other, but... and here's the massive BUT:There's a "minimum gratuity" charge of 20.00%, which YOU CAN'T SEE, because the little portable card reader with display doesn't show that. So I ended up tipping our server 25% of our bill - $15 - ON TOP of the 20% they charge.And let me clue the management in something. "Gratuity" cannot be a "minimum" nor can it be a "requirement". That's called a "SERVICE CHARGE". A "required" tip isn't a tip, it's a fee.Couple all that together and you have a miserable experience that I caution everyone to avoid.The only reason to go here is if you want to listen to music and drink. That's it. Do not go here for food. Do not go here to hang out and talk - you *will not* be doing that at all, because no one will be able to hear you.If you want actually good Cajun food, get in your car, ride the hour to Boo Ray's of New Orleans. This ain't it, chief.

Whenever I'm downtown this always the #1 spot to eat good food, listen to some Spoken Word, Music, dancing, and overall great vibes. Mary was our server and she was the sweetest, also had some nice vocals on her as well. She got up on stage and shared some musical flows with us (the crowd) and customers. There's a $10 cover charge so please be aware. Always a vibe and big radiant energy when I'm here. Lastly, our Cajun wings (can't order all flats) but I did ask for extra crispy and they were succulent wings. We loved them...our fries were nice and crispy too. I've never had a bad food order or dining experience here. Glad this spot was introduced to me almost four years ago today. Still one of my Favs. 10/10

If you love music, you will love this spot. They always have great jazz. It never fails. Every time we come we discover something new. The food is traditional creole. The gumbo is amazing. The drinks are pretty classic bar drinks. Nothing too fancy here, but always really good. The staff is nice and helpful.You come for the music, and stay for the food.

My wife and I visited The Free Man Cajun Bar and Lounge today, and we were blown away by the delicious food and welcoming atmosphere. We started with the Boudin Balls, which were sausage with rice, breaded, and fried to perfection. At $14.95, it was a great deal for such a tasty appetizer.For our main courses, my wife ordered the Hot Chick, a spicy fried chicken breast served with gravy over rice. It came with a side, so she opted for a salad. The dish was priced at $18.95 and was worth every penny. I tried the Crawfish Pasta, which featured crawdads in a rich, creamy sauce over pasta, topped with grilled or blackened chicken. At $28.95, it was a bit pricey, but the flavors were so amazing that I didn't mind.To drink, my wife had a sweet tea that was very southern-like, with a hint of lemon and a surprising berry taste. It was a refreshing complement to our meal.One thing to note is that a 20% gratuity is added to your bill, so be aware of that when dining here. Despite this, we highly recommend The Free Man for anyone looking for delicious Cajun food in a lively atmosphere.

The FOOD! Ok I went here for a birthday late night sitting. The bands were actually decent tonight. The food was horrible. Actually the blackened shrimp cocktail was decent. A little spicy but decent. The shrimp étouffée was horrible. The shrimp were too salty and the sauce had way too much pepper. Being from Louisiana no one would approve. If it wasn't for the cornbread I could not have swallowed the third of the meal I did mange to eat. All in all my birthday night was a 3out of 10. I should've stayed in the house. A waste of 80 bucks. The service was mid for a busy Saturday night. The one bartender could barely keep up tonight. Also I ordered a bottle of wine thinking I could drink a glass or two and take it home with me. Nope. The freeman doesn't allow it for some reason unknown to me. The pizza place two doors down allows it but ok. Listened to a couple of songs, put my cost on and walked downstairs a the street to Angry Dog got a burger and went home. Happy freaking birthday to me

Live music so there's a cover at night but so worth it! I had gator bites and also the shrimp basket. seasoned well and was great for a late night bite. The vibes are un matched! Such a vibe for those who enjoy music and soul & a great relaxed night: grown ppl who know how to vibe. Computer love was being sung by a live soulful band as me and my date drank our drinks and ate. Service was nice and quick, at the time we went they were only doing their fried items. I'd definitely be back on a nice Saturday night for that live music and vibe!

My cousin has a singing gig here tonight (and last month) and we had a great time. I never covered food, but the drinks and service were nice

Bad service we sitting at the bar an the lady's just looking passed us OMG I just saw a roach crawling on the beer refrigerator on the bud light side I wonder what the kitchen look like

If you are looking for live music this place is the place to be, just eat before you go!! Idk who they have in the kitchen but the beans and rice was tomato based and the fried catfish was just oily with no flavor. I will say the Caesar salad was really good, we added chicken and shrimp. Our server was Russel he was kind and attentive and was sure to update us on the status of our order. So again Music yes, food meh unless you want a salad