Austin Gem. Located right on Shoal Creek with a small but free parking lot. It has great good, friendly service, tvs and wonderful outdoor patio. It's a must during crawfish season.

Shoal Creek Saloon Cajun in Austin is great! I have driven by multiple times with the giant New Orleans Saints helmet on the roof and finally stopped on! I’m glad I did. They have a great patio and would be fun to come here for a Saints game. We ordered the crawfish queso (highly recommend), crawfish and a bowl of crawfish étouffée. The bread pudding sounded great but I was too full to have it. I’ll be back.

Awesome bar that is totally devoted to Saints and LSU Tigers! Every TV in the place had the Saints game on even when two TX teams were playing at the same time slot. Great LA food!

+3

Fries the way i love them and crawfish seasoned nicely if you dont want yours super spicy. Great view of the turtle and fish from the outside seats.

Have only been for crawfish nights, and highly recommend as a visit in Austin. Great beer list, cool vibes and the crawfish, shrimp and sausages were just as you’d expect. Spicy, fresh and plentiful.

Amazing service and the only thing that topped it was the food! WOW! I had Grits and Shrimp and it blew my mind! The dishes I saw heading to other tables also looked incredible! Portions were MASSIVE! Shoal Creek Saloon is a solid 5 stars.

Stephanie was the best and made the experience so much fun, make sure you ask to sit with her. Highly recommend this place, great food and obviously service was amazing!

Big fan! Came for happy hour and sat at the bar. Bar staff was pretty hilarious. Would call it a clean, nice dive bar. $4 Texas (or maybe just Austin) vodka's was nice! We had a bunch of oysters and some jambalaya and enjoyed it all. Fun bar. Get a lemon drop from the girl who brags about her lemon drops!

It is one of Austin's best local seafood spots. Food is always fresh, drinks are strong, and servers are helpful and smiling. I love to sit in the back patio and have some boiled crawfish.

Delicious! Garlic shrimp is a must if you like a little kick. Porch overlooks Shoal Creek in a peaceful corner of West Austin. Definitely recommend!

Great place to eat crawfish! They’re delicious and personally I only found the corn/potatoes and head of them spicy. Otherwise, dig in! Definitely recommend gloves if you don’t like getting your hands dirty

The porkchop was grilled to perfection. My server recommended and he was right. Sat out side with my dog and had a great time.

+4

this place is my dad's favorite restaurant in austin. i hadn't been in almost 8 years but it was still as good as i remember!

Amazing food. Great staff

I set myself on fire here and no one cared. The fried green tomatoes were really good too. I think they let children drink alcohol here.

AMAZING!! I traveld to Austin, TX for one night for a flight, i wanted some seafood, googled this hidden gem and was blown away by the food and service!!! Im from New Orleans and this is pretty darn close!!

Heidi is amazing, best service around. BEST CRAWFISH IN AUSTIN.

The bestest Boudin sausages ever. Very authentic Cajun food. Love the service, drinks and FOOD. Definitely give it a try!!

Crawfish was on point! Nice atmosphere! Oysters on chill!

The food was delicious and the weather was nice enough to sit on the patio.

+1

Excellent REAL Cajun food. New Orleans flare with the nicest wait staff ever.

Best crawfish boil in Austin! Their gumbo and étouffée are top notch. Always 10 out of 10. Casual, laidback vibes!

Crawfish - Cajun style by a creek this is what a Cajun crawfish boil should be (in a downtown setting.) (I have a different top spot for “Viet-Cajun” crawfish.) Come hungry leave happy - every time. I love how there is more Cajun boil seasoning on the table. I like to add it to my drawn butter to kick up the heat. Pro tip: ask for gloves to eat your crawfish with. I also will use a take out bag as a makeshift bib.

+2

Great crawfish. Very well spiced. Good size and corn and potatoes were delicious. On a good day you can sit on the patio and enjoy Shoal Creek and watch sports on a tailgate..

+2

Everything I've had so far here has been nothing but great. Not sure why I hadn't been coming here sooner. New fave lunch spot! Get their marinated wings extra crispy, so good! Cabin chicken already was pretty good too!

When the zydeco bumps and the crawfish flow, it feels like home (east Texas). Check out the patio in back to relax and watch a game. The staff is great, too! A little birdie told me they will have crawfish 'til 4th of July.

Very good Cajun restaurant! Authentic and delicious. Glad we were able to catch one of the crawfish boil days, and had to come back again for the seafood fry basket and duck gumbo the next day. Everything was very good.

Spicy chicken burger tastes similar to Popeyes but Shoal Creek kicks it up a few notches & this is a fantastic spicy fried chicken!! Everything they serve is delicious. We've been coming here since they opened & it's always 🔥🔥🔥!!

It can be difficult to find a seat on the patio sometimes as it stays busy, but we got the perfect little table with a view of the creek this time. There's always plenty of indoor seating every time I've gone. Parking lot is small but there is plenty of street parking by the nearby park, which is a very short walk. The crawfish boudin balls are my favorite appetizer. Definitely go during crawfish season and get the boil! Cooked perfectly with great seasoning. Our server was friendly, and offered some great suggestions for how to order our crawfish. We spent quite a bit, but had several cocktails so it was expected to add up. Have been here several times in the past and will definitely be back!

Wanted a fast light bite and decided to try out this place. It was good, but quiet l. Food was excellent (jambalaya and seafood Po boy ) and wifey was thrilled with a jalapeno Margarita. I just had draft beer. 🤣

Iconic Austin casual eatery. Service was fairly quick, food was good however the meatloaf plate came out cold while the pork chop and veggies was hot. When asked, the server took my plate back to warm up the food and came back out quickly and warm as it should have been. Everything was tasty.

Good indoor and outdoor areas to eat and the food is definitely worth it. Big portion size too! You can tell they make it with love I would have added five stars, but I had asked for their new order of nachos, but they turned out to be like tostadas instead. Now don't get me wrong.It tasted very good, but they weren't nachos.They were tostadas

We eat here often, today we showed up with six people and had a variety of entrees. Everything from oyster po' boy, fried pickles, boudin, Cajun Alfredo, garlic shrimp and fried catfish. The Alfredo was the least popular and the most popular was the garlic shrimp.

+2

Love coming in here but could yall please add your crawfish delivery back on uber eats!!!!!!!! I’ve noticed you have them in now but they aren’t available for delivery. Thank you so much!

Excellent service. Surprisingly good food and great prices at Happy Hour. AC vent blew directly on us at our favorie table...very uncomfortable. Chilly outside. Freezing inside.

We love their crawfish boil and fried green tomatoes. The atmosphere outside by the creek is really nice! They do run out of crawfish during busier days while it is in season so go early if you’re trying to get some. We got about 1lb per person plus some potatoes and corn and it was perfect. The crawfish meat is relatively small so we usually get 1lb of shrimp too to make sure we are full.

Not a fancy place but comfortable environment and good Cajun food. A long standing venue for LSU fans. By day the veranda provides a lovely space for dining by the creek with a view of downtown. Free parking.

Dylan was phenomenal. Best bar tender ever. Food and atmosphere is great. No complaints. I will definitely be going back.

Amazing food, service was amazing, and the view of the city was beautiful. Love the laid back vibe. Highly recommend.

+6

Always enjoy this place! The patio on the creek is nice, even when it’s hot, due to plenty of shade. I had the shrimp gumbo and it was very good. My partner had the fried catfish and I especially loved the hush puppies he got. (Shrimp creole would be a nice addition to the menu - just sayin’ ). I’ve also had the salad with a tuna steak added and loved that.

What an awesome place to eat lunch, I would recommend coming early. They get busy fast. 4 pounds of crawfish. It was delicious so happy I made the choice to drive over here today.

sara hensley

Happy hour bar for locals. Patio in spring is one of a kind

Robert Hutchins

It's a must try. Nice people. Good beer and better food.

Emily Faulkner

We recently rediscovered Shoal Creek after several years. Since we’ve last visited, there must be a new chef/kitchen staff. Our last four visits (in 3 weeks!) have been great! The boudin balls before were ok, but they were often dark and overdone. This time around, the boudin balls have a light & crispy batter and have the perfect amount filling and spicy sauce. Delicious! It’s been fun to come watch football on Sundays and take advantage of happy hour prices. We’ve had friendly service throughout, with exceptionally great service today from Stephanie! We’ll continue our new Sunday tradition!

Matthew Hoffman

Not too big, but big enough for a nice crowd... all on the porch, from what I noticed. I just moved to Austin, so sat at a table alone, but it beat sitting at my place alone 😁...

Fabian Salazar

We visited Austin from San Antonio for an errand and didn't want to deal with paying for parking or dealing with reservations etc. Found Shoal Creek on accident and was pleasantly surprised with the vibes and laid back feel. Found parking right up front and staff was friendly. Able to watch the Astros rout the Braves while having a decent Cajun meal. Glad to still find a nice Texas gen in the center of the city.

Lyn MsHollywood

The part I set at reminded you of a saloon. They also had a sideroom plus a outdoor patio. The food was good and our waitress. I loved her honesty.

Dr. Ken King

Never disappoint, even after five years later returning from out of state. Brittany N. at the bar was amazing and super Texas Friendly. My catfish meal was to die for, even better after all these years. Dr. K. King

Arianna Dial

My husband chose to eat here for his birthday. He enjoyed the crawfish, and I loved their tenders. My daughter struggled to find something soft to eat as she'd just had oral surgery. Our server, while she did a good job, she never smiled and seemed uninterested in general. The front parking is difficult if you are not an experienced driver. Overall, I wish that he would have picked somewhere else.

Chuck Guilhas

Shoal Creek Saloon: Cajun Chaos and Crawfish Perfection Stepping into Shoal Creek Saloon on South Lamar feels like stumbling into a Cajun fever dream—smack in downtown Austin, with the namesake creek winking at you from the patio like a tipsy uncle. This place is a vibe, but if you’re expecting McDonald’s speed during peak hours, you’re dreaming harder than a Cowboys fan trying to get to the Super Bowl. Owner Ray Canfield’s all about cooking to order, so settle in with a cold one and let the good times roll—laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all! Crawfish season here is a religious experience. I ordered boiled crawfish, and they hit the table faster than you can say “Who Dat?”—hot, fresh, and seasoned like a love letter to my Cajun roots. None of that greasy garlic nonsense or over-dusted mudbugs you find elsewhere; these were straight-from-the-Atchafalaya-Basin simple, the kind of perfect boil I’d fight a gator for. The fried crawfish boudin balls? Crispy, spicy pillows of joy that could make a grown man cry. And the Gulf oysters? Plump, briny gems that outshined every coastal shack I hit this year. The burgers and seafood never disappoint—always solid, like a trusty pickup truck. But fair warning: if you’re allergic to New Orleans Saints SWAG, you might clutch your pearls. The place is draped in black-and-gold pride, and I swear the jukebox plays “Sweet Caroline” with a Cajun accent. Don’t let it spook you—Ray’s built a joint where everyone’s welcome to get their Cajun on. The patio’s a gem, with Shoal Creek murmuring nearby, adding quirky charm to the chaos. Service can mosey when it’s slammed, but the baristas—er, bartenders—keep the vibes high. Pro tip: come for the crawfish, stay for the people-watching. This ain’t just a saloon; it’s a Texas-sized slice of Louisiana soul.

+7

Marlene

Checked out this place while in Austin for the weekend and they had really good crawfish. The service was great and the outdoor area looked really nice, too bad we didn’t know about it until after we were done with our food. Definitely worth the visit.

+2

Affee Johnson

We loved our experience here! One of our first stops in Austin! Our server was honest and spot on! Great catfish, shrimp, soup, jambalaya and fried chicken! Loved every bite!

Troy Ham

Pork chops were superb! Green beans and mashed potatoes were just as well. I think that was the best bread pudding I've ever had, and I've had it over in New Orleans but this was the best. Great staff. Perfect service. Thanks for the love. Will be back soon.

+38

Great food and local beers. Lots of TVs for football with sound on for the game. \n\nStephanie was awesome at taking care of us.

Great food and local beers. Lots of TVs for football with sound on for the game. \n\nStephanie was awesome at taking care of us.

This place has always been the best. Chicken fried chicken is a perfect meal. Ice cold beers. Classic.

We were there Thursday, Jan. 23rd between 4:50 - 6:15 pm. Happy hour timeline. Not busy at all, plenty of room inside & outdoors. We sat inside. \nSmall parking area & looked like a shady area, but…

Tried Shoal Creek Saloon for the first time with friends tonight and we got a plethora of dishes offered here. We are just in heaven about everything that we tried. Some highlights are the crawfish q…

We just happened upon this restaurant, and what a lucky happenstance! We chose to sit outside on the patio, overlooking Shoal Creek. There are some big turtles in that creek! We ordered the Large …

We just happened upon this restaurant, and what a lucky happenstance! We chose to sit outside on the patio, overlooking Shoal Creek. There are some big turtles in that creek! We ordered the Larg…

Never disappoint, even after five years of dining of returning from out of state. Brittany N. at the bar was amazing and super Texas Friendly. My catfish meal was to die for, even better after all …

Never disappoint, even after five years of dining of returning from out of state. Brittany N. at the bar was amazing and super Texas Friendly. My catfish meal was to die for, even better after al…

The best dish we had was shrimp remoulade. It’s fried green tomatoes with shrimp and is delicious! The duck gumbo was okay, but the roux is too thick and not very tasty. The fried pickles were great. Excellent outdoor seating on the bank of Shoal Creek near downtown. Parking was difficult.

People and service were kind, quick and friendly. Outdoor patio and view of water and turtles is nice. Gumbo, Jambalaya, and fried shrimp were mediocre.

Food is amazing!!! For a place not near water, the crawfish is good! Service is fast, multiple servers checking on you at all times. Full bar and great margaritas!

I’ve been to Shoal Creek twice this spring for their crawfish boil and it is very good. The back patio has a lovely view of the creek and the park with the city behind. Service is quick and efficient and their iced tea comes in a huge glass. I love that. Twice I had their 1.5lb crawfish boil special that came with 1.5 lbs of crawfish, corn on the cob, a red potato, and some andouille sausage. Melted butter was $.50 extra but added sometime nice to the corn and potato especially. The crawfish was fresh and had a great spice level without masking the flavor of the crawfish. Everything was cooked perfectly and reasonably priced. It’s now become my second favorite place for crawfish because I think Catfish Parlour has slightly better crawfish but Shoal Creek wins for better ambiance and easier to get to location. Will be back!

Service was slow. I came here because I read review on amazing juicy pork chops. Sadly disappointed that mine was dry and over cooked. When I was asked how everything was, I told them about it but they didn't even say anything. Why ask if you're not going to address an issue when it's brought up?

+1

Food and service was great. Crawfish could have been seasoned better. It was hot but missing flavor. Crawfish boudin and fried pickles hit the spot though!

Good spot with a scenic view of a creek running through downtown. The burger was enjoyable, not outstanding, but not bad either. Parking can be a pain with how small the lot is, but the fries are good, and the service was good as well!

Great crawfish boil and IPA on tab hear. It's a dive bar, so don't expect high end dining experience but honest good value tasty food.

This place has the best gumbo I've ever had! They cam even do a combo with smoked duck, sausage and shrimp. The catfish was ok but the beans were room temp. They were good after I had the server warm them up. And IPA on tap hit the spot! Interesting artwork and atmosphere. I definitely reccomend this place.

I've met a good friend here several times. I can't eat shellfish so I kind of limit my options when I go there. But it's always good. My wife especially loves the fried boudin balls. Being where it's located, parking is extremely limited.

Great food. Personally, it's some of the best fried shrimp I've had. I've never eaten anything there I didn't like. The wife loved the coleslaw enough to ask for the recipe.

Solid Cajun food with a nice patio view of Shoal Creek. Fried seafood plate with shrimp, oysters and crawfish is tasty, and not greasy. Also recommend the red beans and dirty rice. Parking can be tough to find when busy. Staff is always friendly.

Everything here is fresh and reasonably priced. Love the vibe. Wish we could tasted everything on the menu!

Nice place for food and drinks or to meet friends. Nice little patio out back. Service was good! Food good, but not great. Had small muffalatta and it was plenty of food for one! Husband had 4,piece fried catfish plate. Would recommend recommend this place for casual dining and friendly service.

We’ve been coming here for years and love the crawfish and the atmosphere and the service staff is incredible! Today however, I saw a server make a simple mistake about “connecting to the wrong WiFi” and she was absolutely ripped a new one in front of the entire indoor dining room by her manager, who was wearing a Boston Red Sox hat. She was so sweet and we were so gutted to see how she was treated so publicly over a simple mistake. Please do better.

Nancy Reed

Fun and yummy. Service was great. We went back a second time. Enjoyed watching football and appetizers.

G. Eric Kaiser

It was a busy day apparently. We were unsure where to sit or if we could seat ourselves. We finally sat ourselves. We had to wait a little bit to get service, but the server was apologetic and kind. The food was worth the wait! My son LOVES crawfish. He got 2lbs of it and ate every one! The atmosphere is probably the second best part. It was a beautiful day in March and we enjoyed the outdoor eating.

+2

Judy Rienye

It was my first time visiting this place. My husband likes it so I decided to try it. I really liked the laid back atmosphere. They have inside and outside seating, on a beautiful day, there was a long waiting list for outside seating. We however sat inside, the food was good and the service was great. For some reason we felt sick after a couple of hours. All the same, I wouldn't mind going back and trying again. The one downside is the parking. It's pretty small, and right off a busy street. Otherwise a good hangout spot.

+3

Pretty frustrated with their to go orders. This is the third time I've ordered on uber eats and have had multiple missing items. Decided to try their gumbo and was a little disappointed as it was pre…

Great food!!!! But terrible service took so long to get anything done and it wasn't even busy

This was my third visit and it was good. Everything about it, good. When you get there it looks like parking is cumbersome. However, there is a lot for their customers just two lots over that has a…

Pretty good food, Amazing service, an old rustic feel to the restraint like a sports saloon.

The day that I was there ,the Saloon puts the word Mud in MUDbugs, it has been decades that I had dirty crawfish.

We decided to check this place out on a Thursday evening because my wife was craving some crawfish. We lucked up and got a spot in their small parking lot and it was packed! We waited about 20 minu…

This is a saints bar. This means that they should be playing the saints game on the tvs on a Sunday, not soccer. Came here to watch the saints/philly game and ended up having to wait for them to ch…

Enjoyed the view of the water, turtles, ducks while enjoying the food. Not enlighted cajun but satisfied an itch. redfish was cooked perfectly, a cup of jambalya that was different but tasty. …

Enjoyed the view of the water, turtles, ducks while enjoying the food. Not enlighted cajun but satisfied an itch. redfish was cooked perfectly, a cup of jambalya that was different but tasty. Th…

Enjoyed the view of the water, turtles, ducks while enjoying the food. Not enlighted cajun but satisfied an itch. Redfish was cooked perfectly, a cup of jambalya that was different but tasty. Th…

Enjoyed the view of the water, turtles, ducks while enjoying the food. Not enlighted cajun but satisfied an itch. Redfish was cooked perfectly, a cup of jambalya that was different but tasty. Th…

Being a Crawfish Boil Enthusiast I was very excited to try them here. Unfortunately very disappointed. I ordered the 3lb crawfish. The Crawfish was undercooked, the taste was so bland not even adding seasoning made up for it. My husband had a cup of the jambalaya. While I appreciated the attempt on a lighter take on it when it came to taste, pretty much the same, bland. He also had the Garlic Shrimp. Now that was on point! Very tasty & generous amount of shrimp. Daughter ordered the Cajun Alfredo with chicken. Also not the most flavorful. Bland, bland when it came to flavor. The dessert, Pecan Brownie was delicious and warm. Cocktails were meh. Now the service was great all around. The staff is friendly and attentive. They were trying their best to keep up with the cleaning after the Happy Hour rush. All in all a one time experience, unfortunately 😕

This place definitely did not live up to the hoopla.based on a feedback I was getting from the locals this was a go-to spot for crawfish. It definitely lacked flavor. as you can tell by the photo, Whoever was cooking the crawfish must have been a rookie. Because my crawfish come when they're cooked they are bright red. and I've been cooking and eating crawfish for over 20 years. I didn't even eat them I just ate my other items and left. But I'm giving it three stars because the wait staff was friendly and the beer was cold. My recommendation, order something else besides the boiled crawfish

I went and tried Shoal Creek Saloon because I heard they have the best crawfish in Austin and they do! However, there was a water bug STARING at us the whole time we ate, crawling around back and forth from our table to another part of the restaurant the entire time.. AND there were two baby water bug/roaches crawling all over my daughters food and I didn’t notice until I picked up her food because I was about to take her leftovers home. Gross! I told the manager and all he said was “yeah the waterbug problem is really bad out here” no apology or anything. Other than that, our server was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. I’m considering going back to this place next crawfish season because the bugs crawling all over my daughter’s food really grossed me out and a simple apology goes a long way.

The staff is kind and atmosphere seems nice. The Cajun gumbo unfortunately was not good .it tastes earthy like as if it was burnt. No Cajun seasoning at all

I along with a party of two recently dined at Shoal Creek Saloon. Despite all of the stellar reviews I left a little disappointed. Firstly I ordered the Boudin Balls as an appetizer for $9 and received three golf ball sized boudin balls. They were very tasty, I was just surprised by how small they were. For the entree I ordered a fried seafood basket with breaded crawfish, shrimp, and chicken. My plate wasn't terrible or inedible, but the breading wasn't very crispy. On a good note, our waitress was very nice and attentive. I wouldn't totally rule out Shoal Creek, but I wouldn't trip over myself to visit again. Perhaps in the future I'll have a better experience.

Really wanted to enjoy this place as I work right across the street. Ordered the catfish basket, fries were not included (not going to lie this upset me since it’s apart of the regular no basket), red beans and rice was good. Cajun gumbo was solid as well. However, I feel the bread pudding portion shouldn’t outdo a catfish basket, which in all honesty. Did. Bread pudding was solid not best but solid for a bar. Wish the catfish fillets were a little bigger too, felt more like catfish nuggets & wouldn’t hurt to add some spices to the mix or even just salt. I will give it another try but I felt it was lacking. Won’t go all out like I did last time since this time was kinda underwhelming.

Ordered 3 pounds of crawfish with corn, potatoes, and sausages and the garlic soup. The crawfish was decent though spicier than I would have liked. But I'm not big on spicy foods. It was also a bit pricey ($22 for 3 lbs). If you have access to a kitchen, I would recommend going to Fiesta or any grocery store and boiling your own crawfish. It's MUCH cheaper. But unfortunately our Airbnb didn't have a stove. Garlic soup was good.

Seating - Tables and Booths are offered as well a Bar and an outdoor patio area Look- The restaurant has a sports bar feel to it with plenty of TVs around showing some of the best sports and news channels. I watched almost an entire UFC broadcast while I ate. What we ordered - Fried Pickles (Starter)/ Catfish Plate with Fried Okra & A Fried Chicken Sandwich with Fries. Taste- The fried pickles came to the table hot and delicious in under 10 minutes of ordering. The chicken sandwich was cooked well, but lacked flavor (I doubt it was even seasoned). The fires were hot but soggy and didn't really taste like anything. The Catfish was cooked very well but suffered from the same lack of seasoning. Overall, I enjoyed the mood this restaurant provided but the food leaves alot to be desired for the price.

Leticia Marquez

Nice atmosphere, especially the patio. I have been going here for lunch for years. But today was my last time. I got a roast 4' roast beef sandwich with no chips or fries, a cup of gumbo and tea. And I spent $35 with tip - RIDICOULOUS! The gumbo was good but not sure worth the $9/cup. For this much lunch money - I should get multiple refills of tea, some chips or some side and the roast beef cannot be some saucy meat that looks like it came out of a crockpot. Sorry Shoal Creek - I used to love you but not anymore.

Cynthia Guerra

Great service clean atmosphere tvs at tables the nachos were crispy and gooey cheese 🧀 beans were evenly distributed jalapeño needed more spice in my opinion, the chicken fried steak was on the dry side and lacked flavor , I’d go back to try their famous catfish

Food is insanely greasy and barely seasoned, tasted like eating a sponge of grease. Cant speak for the crawfish, my friends all seemed to enjoy it. Staff was incredibly nice and helpful. Prices are a…

food is insanely greasy and barely seasoned, tasted like eating a sponge of grease. Cant speak for the crawfish, my friends all seemed to enjoy it. Staff was incredibly nice and helpful. Prices a…

Food is insanely greasy and barely seasoned, tasted like eating a sponge of grease. Cant speak for the crawfish, my friends all seemed to enjoy it. staff was incredibly nice and helpful. Prices are…

Food is insanely greasy and barely seasoned, tasted like eating a sponge of grease. Cant speak for the crawfish, my friends all seemed to enjoy it. Staff was incredibly nice and helpful. Prices are…

I went and tried Shoal Creek Saloon because I heard they have the best crawfish in Austin and they do! However, there was a water bug STARING at us the whole time we ate, crawling around back and f…

I went and tried Shoal Creek Saloon because I heard they have the best crawfish in Austin and they do! However, there was a water bug STARING at us the whole time we ate, crawling around back and f…

crawfish was a bit pricey but a good size. came here forgetting it's March Madness so I had to wait about an hour for an outside reservation but it was an enjoyable time so I didn't mind the delaye…

⭐️⭐️ Shoal Creek Salon :Review I really wanted to love this place, but unfortunately the food just wasn’t great, which is why I’m giving it a 2 out of 5. 🍤 Food: We paid about $22 for a 1 and half-pound shrimp platter that came with corn, a potato, and sausage. The shrimp were extremely small (less than an inch) and didn’t taste fresh like advertised. Flavor-wise, it was mildly spicy but overall bland and not enjoyable. We also tried the queso with chips and shrimp, and the shrimp in the queso honestly didn’t taste good and wasn’t to my liking at all. That said, the Cajun Boiled Shrimp platter during happy hour was actually very good 👍 10/10. The shrimp were better quality, the portions made sense, and the flavor was there. If you come here, that’s the one thing I’d recommend food-wise. 🥤 Drinks: The root beer (Abita brand) was amazing made with Louisiana sugarcane, caffeine free, and super smooth. Definitely a highlight. 💁‍♀️ Service: The service was exceptional truly some of the best customer service I’ve experienced. Every staff member was welcoming, kind, and attentive. Real Southern hospitality. You can choose where you want to sit, and there’s even a designated “quiet” section. 🌿 Atmosphere: The space itself is nice and comfortable. It was mostly quiet during our visit, though it did get loud when a large group came in but that’s not on the restaurant or staff. ✨ Final Thoughts: The owners and staff are so sweet and genuinely kind, and the service alone is worth mentioning. Unfortunately, the food quality didn’t match the price or expectations, which is the main reason for the low rating. Great service, great people but the food needs improvement.

After a long day of biking along Austin and the river, my partner and I stumbled upon Shoal Creek enticed by its picturesque location right on the riverbank. While the setting and atmosphere were undeniably charming, our dining experience left much to be desired. Regrettably, the food fell short of expectations, as it appeared to be predominantly ultra-processed and pre-cooked, merely reheated in a microwave. This approach to culinary preparation lacked the freshness and quality one would hope for, especially after a day of outdoor activity. While the convenience of grabbing a quick bite or a refreshing bottle of Coke may be appealing in such a scenic spot, I would caution against expecting anything more than basic sustenance from the menu. ….terrible wine. For those seeking a memorable dining experience to complement their picturesque surroundings, this restaurant may not be the ideal choice.

Fun atmosphere but some of the worst-tasting, dirtiest crawfish I've ever been served! They had all the dirt remaining on their undersides - hadn't been purged at all! Bland, no taste - gross. And at $11.50/lb, they should have been excellent.

Beer was skunked, crawfish was like chewing gum. I’m going to guess they have the crawfish in a giant pot and cook it all day long. The crawfish is so overcooked and they don’t serve it in bags. Crawfish you can push your finger through the shell and the meat is rubbery and grey. The beer is all skunked when on draft. If you go by the bathrooms the beer kegs are all sitting there. I’m guessing they have the beers in a walk-in fridge then move to the bar then hook up for the draft when the current draft keg is empty. Poorly run establishment, maybe the owner or manager’s first time running a bar?

T

Horrific service from a young blonde server 1/22 7 pm-9 pm. We asked about one of our appetizers 3 times when I know she forgot to put it in. She was clueless about everything, didn’t clear our table and left it with dishes. She kept playing with her hair and was rude to my friend when she was confused about the sides she was ordering.

Parker Legston

Seasoning was decent, but do not come here for crawfish. The crawfish were so tiny — and it wasn’t just me thinking that. Three different groups near us were complaining too. It’s definitely not worth $15 per pound for what you get. Honestly, some of the smallest crawfish I’ve ever seen. To make it worse, the gumbo tasted like pure smoke, like someone dumped liquid smoke straight into it. I genuinely don’t understand how this place has 4 stars.

Haakonson

Incredibly overpriced bland sysco truck food with tiny portions. Waitress wass slow with service and disinterested. The Cajun Gumbo was incredibly bland and for 16 usd for a TINY portion. Also gave us a beer that wasn't even full. This place is a joke, go somewhere else.

AVOID at all costs. Place is less than impressing. Unfortunately wanted to try it out with some friends, while waiting for others they ran into the bar pizza spot up against the parking lot, within…

AVOID at all costs. Place is less than impressing. Unfortunately wanted to try it out with some friends, while waiting for others they ran into the bar pizza spot up against the parking lot, within…

Beware of parking in lot at West Ave. if you go anywhere else even for 3 minutes. They will boot your car and extort $100. to retrieve your car. It seems like a scam since the Central Parking guard lays in wait to slip on that boot. Anyone else experience that? Not customer or community friendly at all.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. My boyfriend and I sat for 20 minutes without a single person acknowledging us. We had to flag down the manager just to get drinks, and he pointed to the waitress who was supposed to be helping us, a young redheaded woman working the patio. She had walked by us multiple times, and I said “excuse me” twice to her twice, but I guess she couldn’t hear me? After 20-25 minutes of being completely ignored, she finally came over to ask if we needed anything, at that point, we were fed up and asked to close our tab to leave. What made this experience even more uncomfortable is that we were the only non-white people on the patio, and it’s hard not to wonder if that played a part in how we were treated. Maybe she judged us based on our tattoos or assumed we wouldn’t tip well, but there’s absolutely no excuse. We were seated front and center in her section, there is no way she didn’t see us and her manager pointed us out. The whole situation was unprofessional, rude, and honestly humiliating. I’ve never felt so disrespected while dining out. I will not be coming back, and I’d strongly advise others to think twice before giving this place your business.