The Best Cajun/Creole in Indianapolis

Trap Got Sol & Jerk Junkies

★★★★☆ 4.1 (30)

"The jerk ribs and cabbage were well seasoned and the portion size was generous (6 ribs). THE RED BEANS & RICE. This is what I'll be craving in a few weeks. It's rich (good dark roux) and full of beans and perfectly cooked sausage and chicken. The rice underneath is perfectly cooked as well. So much flavor. I look forward to coming again to try more stuff! I took away 1 star simply because the burger, fried fish, and fries were good but not amazing. But if you ask me, that's your fault for ordering the boring stuff (kids, right?). If you stick it's the jerk and Cajun items on the menu you will be very happy with yourself."

DATS

★★★★☆ 3.7 (135) • $

"I was a little worried based on some of the reviews, but decided to give it a try because the friend I was having lunch with wanted to try it. We arrived at 12:30 on a Sunday and the place was empty...more worried....I ordered the gumbo and was pleasantly surprised by the flavorful sausage and tender chicken in a nicely seasoned thick soup served over rice. The buttery toasted bread seemed the same as that served at the Indianapolis chain that bears a similar name. The quality of my gumbo was also similar to that Indianapolis chain. I don't know if maybe Dats went through a rough patch a couple of years ago and that they've now stabilized things? Service was fast, and the mardi gras decor was fun."

Bugatti’s Ultra Lounge

★★★☆☆ 3 (45)

"As I sit here enjoying my leftover Alfredo Turkey Leg (it's that big) and reading other reviews--I think to myself: do they enjoy frozen pre-made cuisine from chain restaurants or do they not know that real, southern style quality comfort food takes a little time! We stepped into this establishment for my husband's birthday, with a reservation for our party of 7 were seated promptly and kindly by Ray and treated like FAMILY. It was happy hour (until 8PM!!!) so all drinks & apps were half off and we ordered it all. Henny glazed wings () & shrimp, chicken street tacos, salmon bites, the huge shareable cocktails + frozen daiquiris, tequila shots, spiked vodka lemonade (). Highly satisfied 10/10 and we were just getting started. For our entrees we ordered: the steak with Mac & cheese and seasoned fries for my husband (), I had the Alfredo Turkey leg () and that Alfredo sauce had a perfect Parmesan + slighty seasoned fresh taste that was giving well trained chef/"what is a can?" energy. Our friends got the lamb chops with dirty rice (dirty rice is the only thing that could use more flavor) + a Caesar salad. And someone else got the Surf & Turk a seafood stuffed & smothered Turkey leg (). Even our friend that is notorious for complaining could not complain! It was all so good. Finally we enjoyed banana pudding that was out of this world and I don't even like banana pudding like that. And cheesecakes. All around this place is fire, I will recommend to anyone I meet and we can't wait to come back for brunch. I read the other reviews about food being slow, but if you can't spend the $$$ on the amazing drinks and apps while you wait for the best lamb chops in the Tri-state (bar The Capitol Grille) then just say that. If your date is not providing the stimulating conversation needed to sustain you until the meal comes out, don't blame Bugatti's my baby!"

Chef Borels Kitchen

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"I've passed Chef Borels Kitchen so many times and finally stopped in after seeing the large "Ox Tails" sign out front. You have to order on-line, which is easy to do--- just go up to the window and the pleasant lady inside will give you a paper ad that includes a QR code. Alternatively, you can go to their online site and place the order. So, back to the Ox Tails....I was surprised by the price-- close to $25, and with tax and an added "service fee," it ended up close to $30, but I went ahead and ordered the special lunch consisting of ox tails, greens, beans & rice, potato salad and a cornbread muffin. The meal was brought to my car (no seating there). Everything tasted spot on, though I added (and was happy I did) Louisiana Hot Sauce rather than use the red pepper blend they tossed in the package. The oxtails were tender (though some had more fat than meat) but the meal included a good amount of chopped oxtail meat too. The sauce was perfect-- not over-seasoned and obviously made with care. I'm not a big potato salad fan, but it was delicious too. The quantity was more than I could eat in one sitting and will be great for leftovers and another meal. I don't know that all their meals are of similar quantity, likely not. I look forward to trying their gumbo and their fried catfish soon. Bottom line is that Chef Borels is first-class and, for me, the best Cajun/Creole in Indianapolis."

Juicy Seafood - Beech Grove

★★★★☆ 3.6 (81)

"Crab shells that actually crack!? Amazaballs! Service was spot-on! And ambiance was relaxed and not ruahed."

Uptown Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (755) • $$

"The Uptown is a bit of a landmark cafe located in beautiful downtown Bloomington. It has been cranking delicious diner food for many, many decades. I dined on a weekend in late April, so a bit of a tardy review. Parking is by app pay in a parking lot behind, or off the street I believe also app pay. I was seated quickly by a hostess and provided a menu. My friendly waitress had water out before I even asked. I requested coffee which was returned in minutes. My order was biscuits and gravy with egg on top was turned around in about 10 minutes and a coffee refill was performed. My dish was great! Biscuits seemed fresh and gravy tasty. My bill was provided and turned around quickly. I thought the meal was a good value. If I return the Uptown Cafe is high on my list and hopefully for lunch next time."

BrewRiver Creole Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.8 (575) • $$

"10/13/2024. Visited Brew River for the first time. Service , ambiance, and food were all good. I was a bit disappointed that the cheese spread appetizer came with crackers instead of the 16 Brixx Crostini advertised on the menu, but maybe that's a Cajun thing.This place is a good choice for a nice evening out."

Clough Crossings

★★★★☆ 3.7 (48) • $$

"Great good great service. Cozy, casual romantic American fare. Food was well seasoned and came out quick. We had a seasonal flatbread, I had a couple $5 margs for their Thursday bar special (they were perfect), he had a burger with everything and I had the pan roasted chicken sub mashed potatoes instead of rice. Delicious!"

Louis’ Cajun Seafood

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (22)

"This is a great seafood option in the area. They have options of what level Cajun spice or no spice like garlic butter or lemon. We got the snow crab and shrimp boil. It comes with a red potato and small corn on the cob. It's pretty messy but they give you a bib and gloves. Plus a wipe for after you meal. A small bucket to place you crab shells and shrimp shells in. They also have options of Po boy sandwiches and fried fish and other fried food options. Smaller dine in area. Staff of following Covid protocols. If you are wanting some seafood but not wanting to fried stuff at captain D's or Long John Silvers. This is a much better and tastier option. They give you some crab crackers for your crab legs but some of those little crab forks or crab cracking hook would be helpful. A good plus at this location is Greaters is next door for dessert."

The Rusty Gator

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (16)

"Tried this for the first time recently and enjoyed what I had. I got the classic burger, and though it was twice as thick as it needed to be, it was still pretty good. The beef was of good quality. The fries were also really good. My wife had a different experience, as she got the buffalo chicken sandwich and said it "tasted like nothing." She said that even the buffalo sauce itself was incredibly bland, which should never happen on that kind of sandwich. The staff was nice, and the decor was pretty unique. It's like a tamer version of the old Cajun Shack that used to be in Bedford. Ultimately, I'd go back and try more of their actual Cajun items to see how those are."

Crafty Crab Kenwood

★★★★☆ 3.9 (50)

"We have been waiting for quite some time to get to Crafty Crab because of the closure of Juicy Crab in Tri-County. Crafty Crab did not disappoint. The sauce was great, the crabs were excellent, the clams were seasoned to perfection. Quick, fast, highly attentive service and the whole layout of the restaurant was perfectly "under the sea" designed. The food didn't disappoint because it was hot, order correct, and absolutely tasty. I would love to give this restaurant a 5 star experience but the bathroom was absolutely not at the standard commensurate to the service and cleanliness of the inside of the restaurant. I would strongly recommend a dedicated staff member to periodically clean the inside of the restrooms. Lastly, the quantity of the sauce seemed to be intentionally low. You had to pay $2.99 for extra sauce. Not a big deal because the sauce is absolutely ESSENTIAL to the Crafty taste (and it's a darn good taste). Serve the meals with at least enough sauce to cover the contents inside the bag."

Juicy Seafood Indy - Castleton

★★★★☆ 3.8 (132) • $$

"We came in one evening for dinner. The atmosphere is rustic with dark wood tones and loud RnB music.We were greeted promptly and sat, we waited for a while before our waitress come over to greet up and take our drink order. While she was speaking to us she was looking around the room making it hard to hear her over the loud music.We ordered a cup of the New England clam chowder for a starter and a combination seafood boil with the juicy special (all of their sauce flavors).We waited for quite a bit and a man headed to our table with a steaming hot metal tray of seafood, our waitress called over to him that we had ordered the chowder for a starter. He turned around and a few minutes later we had our chowder. It was served steaming hot and tasty.Unfortunately, after we finished our chowder, they brought out the same seafood that they had tried to serve us before just no longer hot.The pan of seafood arrived and it contained mussels, petite crab legs, shrimp, lobster tail, corn, and potatoes. There was at least an inch or more deep of a butter liquid in the bottom of the pan which made everything quite messy.The overall flavor was good, but the quality and the size of the seafood made it just okay. The best part of the boil were the potatoes and the corn if which there were only a few pieces.It's a good start, maybe just an off night. I would have preferred our dinner served steaming hot, with no liquid in the bottom of the tray."

Louis Cajun Seafood

★★★★☆ 4.2 (6)

"The portion size and flavor of the food is good, however, if you list catfish on your menu, that's what I expect. Not Swai! Also, I called in my order and was told it would be ready in 10-15 minutes. I didn't go to pick it up for 20 minutes, and it still wasn't ready. I was late for work.."

Million’s Crab Boiled Seafood

★★★★☆ 3.7 (76)

"what a great deal for lunch! 12-3 m-f you can get a half a pound of crab legs or shrimp boil with an egg, potato and corn. i got the millions special sauce mild. delish! i really wanted to try the seafood bread but they ran out. also, fyi they will no longer be offering mild tea. our waitress did a great job and i loved the mini barrels as light fixtures!"

Allyn's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (240) • $$

"Allyn retired and sold the place to the Fireside Pizza guy, Sam. We love Fireside, so I wasn't worried that Allyn's was going to be in great hands. We confirmed that with a visit Saturday night. I had the blackened swordfish, which came with two sides. I picked the macar and cheese and a side salad. Everything was as yummy as ever. Go support this local business, and visit Andrew behind the bar."

Crab99 Bar & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (291) • $$

"Honestly this is one of the best seafood spots that I have been to. I was here for a huge conference and I see why the word got out quickly about Crab99. By the time we made it, there was a huge crowd of people waiting to be seated. It took us 45 minutes to be seated, but once we were the service was great and we received our food pretty quickly.The ambience is super casual. The music playing, people dancing, the bar is lively, etc. The service was really great as well. Every staff member we encountered that day was very pleasant. Now on to the food! Yummy! Literally one of the best if not the best seafood boil I've had. The sauce, size of the crab legs, lobster, and shrimp, etc. I truly enjoyed. Plus, they give you so much! I created my own bowl, so everything was priced separately. Loved it!"

Shaking Crab

★★★★☆ 3.6 (48) • $$

"I'm not a fan. Overall the food was not that great and the service was terrible. There are other seafood restaurants in Indianapolis that I would recommend opposed to this restaurant. Upon arriving to the restaurant there was a lot to take in. This business lost a star right off the bat due to service. I'm not sure her affiliation to the restaurant but a short woman came out from the kitchen and began to argued with not one but two different customers. The customer simply informed her that they did not receive a ordered item. Both women showed her their receipt. The staff member was very rude with these paying customers about getting them when they needed.In addition, the young lady who was taking orders did not appeared that she didn't want to be there at all. At the time she had her headphones in her ears to complete personal phone call. As a result, she was not really checking on orders for customers a who had been waiting on ordered food for quite some time.Loss of the other stars has to do with the food. Once I got the food in my car I noticed a very "Chinese food restaurant" kind of smell from my order. This was slightly concerning but I figure I would give everything a good try. I ordered the combo combination of snow crabs and shrimp (heads off). When I got home and open the bag that the food comes in due to the sauce, I noticed that the shell of the shrimp was completely on which included the legs of a shrimp. Upon eating the shrimp I could tell that the seafood was of poor quality. It's hard to really put my put on but at times I felt the shrimp was older. The seafood was not as fresh as other restaurants with the same offering provides. Onto the snow crap - they was just okay. The sauce was completely overbearing even though I received the mild sauce. The sauce wasn't butter. I will say there was a large offering of shrimp but again the quality of the shrimp was not great. Honestly, I couldn't get through it. The sauce completely made the dish was completely overbearing, especially to the corn on a cob. The sauce it did accommodate the potato, however. Overall, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the food I had eaten. Out of all the seafood restaurants stand-alones I've tried in a similar fashion this is probably the worst I've tried. I will definitely not be back based on the food taste, the food quality, and the horrible service."

The Jazz Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (274) • $$

"I've long wanted to check out Indy's iconic The Jazz Kitchen, easily one of our best spots for live jazz since it first opened in 1994. It's got a national reputation for its live jazz performances (including national acts), wonderful cuisine, and top-notch atmosphere. Part of my hesitation has always been the parking situation in this area of what is essentially on the line of SoBro and Broad Ripple. It's always been street parking along with some options across the street at Fresh Market. They all seem to perfectly co-exist, however, and I was grateful that someone else was driving so I could really check out the scene for possible future visits. Street parking directly in front went away with the addition of a bus line, though street parking continues to exist. We parked in the Fresh Market area and they seem to have plenty of parking. As a wheelchair user, I find unpredictable parking a bit harrowing and it can get in the way of my attendance at a venue. The other modest disclaimer here is that I was at The Jazz Kitchen for a special event rather than a traditional concert/dinner situation. This was an awards ceremony with food options and a live DJ in place of live music. I will admit that it felt weird to have my first experience here not include jazz. First off, the venue is beautiful with amazing acoustics. It definitely gets a bit loud and as a speaker (and one of the presenters for this event) you definitely hear any conversations in the crowd. However, hearing the acoustics immediately made me want to attend a concert here. If I understood the venue correctly, and it was set up differently for this event, the main area is to the left when you enter. There's a center bar and an area to the right for those who don't want to attend the concert (but will actually hear the music). I was in the main area and food was set up in the back area. I was impressed that the stage had a small ramp set up, though I'm not sure if this was a Heartland thing or a Jazz Kitchen thing. Regardless, as a wheelchair user it was appreciated (it wasn't quite ADA and I did end up needing a little assistance - a combo of its grade and my lack of strength from recent surgery). The venue was set up nicely - even full, it was surprisingly accessible for the most part. There's some side rows that would not be wheelchair friendly, however, wheelchair options are pretty plentiful here. The restrooms are a bit narrow, however, I was able to get in them. There were two urinals and one stall. It's not perfectly accessible, though it's certainly very workable and better than a ton of music venues. Servers were friendly and every employee I met was a delight. I was able to get iced tea - since I had surgery recently, I was playing things pretty safe. I tried a couple of the food options (shrimp and a jerk chicken option) and both were amazing. I had a hard time not going back for more. I was also impressed with how quickly servers handled a toppled over bottled water - I suppose for a jazz club I shouldn't be surprised that it was smooth.During good weather, they have some outside options. The entryway is a bit narrow - this made it a bit difficult to depart since you had to pass a "red carpet" where photos were happening, but for daily event management it makes sense. The Jazz Kitchen tends to be an evenings only establishment with concert costs separate from dinner (think like a comedy club where there's often a minimum for drinks/food in addition to the show). While I'm still a bit intimidated by the parking situation, this was a blast and I'll no doubt be back."

Mr. Crab House

★★★★☆ 4.2 (71)

"This place got a full star for service and again makes me wish Yelp gave 1/2 star options because I'd give them a solid 4.5. I had a HORRIBLE experience with DoorDash so I ended up having to go pick up the part of my order they forgot. The staff at Crab House was excellent at remaking my order and even let me try their special house creamy sauce (which is DELICIOUS! try it). The Perfect Storm catch meal is HUGE and the food was well cooked. It easily could serve 2 people with lots of crab, shrimp and an abundance of mussels. The whiting basket was good, though the fish could have used a bit more seasoning. Inside this place is taking social distancing measures and wasn't crowded. The bar area was large they appeared to have some good drink specials. I will definitely visit again."

Wild Crab Fort Wayne

★★★★☆ 4 (37)

"This place is a lot like the storming crab. What I liked that is better than the storming crab is that you can add on things to your seafood boil meal. You can add on fries, extra shrimp and sausage, boiled eggs...lots of additions. Market price for the crab, lobster, and snow crab legs was very high but you can get a 1/2 lbs of them for mostly under $20 which was nice to round out a Cajun boil. My wife had a shrimp basket and liked it. The draft beer wasn't available on this trip but bottled was available. Only bottled beer that was not a standard lager was Shock Top. Not much has changed from the original Scotty's brew house. Still has the TVs with sports, huge bar, and same floor layout."

Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux - Purdue Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3 (21)

"When I was up at Purdue, meeting one of my alumni, and told them that they could pick the place we eat; she suggested walk on's, I had never been before so I was excited to try a new place, they have different options, I decided to go with the buffalo wings and fries, it was a delicious meal! With great service! I would check them out again! Loved the sports bar vibe!"

Juicy Seafood - Pendleton Pike

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (24)

"We were looking for lunch in the Sunnyside Road area which was not the usual spot. We did not want to wait a long time to get food and was unsure if Juicy Seafood had a lunch special and could serve up good food quick which was our 2 requirements on this day.Juicy Seafood used to be a Bob Evans restaurant. Slated to open December 2021, they finally opened January 2022. I remember driving pass when it was closing and figured that it would not become another restaurant anytime soon since the Pendleton Pike area seemed to be growing slowly. When I saw the banner for Juicy Seafood, I thought that it was a smart move since the there was no other seafood boil restaurant in the area for it to compete with. This was my first visit to any Juicy Seafood. I was surprised at how different the resturant looked from when it was a Bob Evans. After being greeted by the hostess, we asked if we could sit in the bar area for speed service. There are about 3 booth areas in the bar area and the bar area has a 5-6 bar seats. A full service bar with a few signature cocktails are featured. John was a bartender/server was very quick at taking our order and bring it to us. The ladies' restroom was out of soap and the young lady at the front desk promptly made sure it was taken care of. Because I as delayed ordering my food, I would say that it is a good place for lunch because we were out in less than 1 hour still. I ordered a friend shrimp basket with 6 shrimp with waffle sweet potato fries and my SO ordered the fried catfish basket with cajun seasoned fries. At less than $10 for lunch, it's a deal. To top off the lunch I ordered the long island ice tea that John told me was on special for the day. For my 1st time ever visiting a Juicy Seafood, I definitely would visit again especially for lunch because of the specials and quick service."

Laveau

★★★★☆ 4.2 (42)

"New Orleans food restaurant. Not crowded. Fantastic food and great service. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and obviously worked there a while. We started off with boudin balls and french fries debris pouton with braised ribs on top. Very large portions. My son and I got the fried platter with catfish, crawfish and shrimp. It came with two sides. The sides were huge! I chose Gumbo and Jumbalaya. We ended up with leftovers. My wife got the tour of new orleans, jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp etouffe. For dessert we got the excellent bread pudding and biscuit shortcake with berries. This restaurant is part of the Cincinnati distillery."

Knotty Pine On the Bayou

★★★★☆ 3.9 (264) • $$

"Lots to choose from in menu items. Great gumbo and oysters. Good service and friendly staff."