![Shrimp Creola [Jumbo Shrimp, Seafood Stuffing w/ Tomato Beurre Blanc sauce, Rice & Veggies]](http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/v-oawvBFOBBdl_9GOnle7Q/xss.jpg){kind=small}
- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Creola
Category: Restaurants Cajun/Creole Cajun/Creole [Edit]
344 El Camino RealSan Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 654-0882
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
450 reviews for Creola
Review Highlights
"The Crawfish Hush Puppies were wonderful."
(in 54 reviews)
"their "Taste of New Orleans" and "Shrimp Creola."
(in 46 reviews)
"I highly recommend the bread pudding."
(in 88 reviews)
Loading...
450 reviews in English
-
Review from Jenna L.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/16/2012
We had a Groupon for this place, so we decided to go check it out. It was a Friday night, so it was pretty busy, but luckily we had made a reservation so we got seated as soon as we walked in. After our trip to New Orleans last year, we have fallen in love with Cajun food, so we couldn't wait to try everything. This place was really pricey, but with the Groupon it wasn't too bad. We tried to not get too much food, but as always, we ordered quite a bit :)
We had the
Crawfish Hushpuppies - really good and light
Vanilla scented Lemonade - CRAZY but good
The special: Red fish with Crawfish Etouffee and Seafood Stuffing
A Taste of New Orleans - Crawfish Etouffee and Soft Shell Crab
Overall, it was really good for a one-time visit. I might go back for a special occasion, but it's way too pricey for just the casual dinner. Even with the Groupon we spent more than we wanted to. The food was pretty decent though - I wouldn't say AUTHENTIC, but still really good in it's own way. Love cajun food. Love it love it love it. -
Review from Wendy K.
Mountain View, CA
2/5/2012
Just had a great meal at Creola. My friends mentioned that this place had pretty good food. I was skeptical because there were a lot of deals for this place, but I went ahead and bought a Trubate.
My bf and I went on a Saturday night. Th restaurant was not packed but I would recommend a reservation. Overall, the flavors were good but this is not a place for value-dining. It is an over priced restaurant and you may want to find another deal before walking in. We will definitely come back for the food but not for the ambiance / prices.
Bread: Free bread with butter. Our first batch was luke warm but the second batch was nice and warm. I think all restaurants should make an effort to warm bread up
Vanilla Lemonade: More ice than drink. Good flavor but REALLY small
Hush Puppies: Fresh / Good Flavor. The crawfish was in the sauce and not inside the hush puppies
Taste of New Orleans: Softshell crab was delicious and the etouffee was good. It is not worth $24 though - I think at most they should charge $16 - $18 bucks
Daily Special: Bass was good - again slightly over priced given ambiance. Would recommend it being charged $20 max not $25
Service was friendly. -
Review from Heather s.
San Mateo, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Bookmarked for awhile - we finally headed there on a mid-week evening with OpenTable reservations.
Not exactly what I'd expect from a Cajon/Creole restaurant. Mellow quiet ambiance felt a little outdated. Service was slow and all dependent on two waiters. It was a good 45minutes from being seated until our entrees appeared.
The food made up for it though. My husband ordered the MARDIGRAS MENU (only available M-Thu) - a choice of appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert for $30. The OYSTERS EN BROCHETTE were unique bacon wrapped oysters fried and served with remoulade sauce. The house salad was mandarin oranges and walnuts over spinach with a poppy seed vinaigrette, which was fair. But the real star of the show was the JAMBALAYA with ham and andouille sausage with a great spice over rice with a large side of smoked chicken that was juicy and tender. The BREAD PUDDING dessert was just average.
Now, I'm not a fried chicken girl, but I had to get the BRINED FRIED CHICKEN ($18) after reading the reviews. Fantastic, perfectly breaded, fried chicken that managed to be moist and tender. Three large pieces was plenty filling, along with the sides. Mashed potatoes and green beans were pretty standard. But the goat cheese and jalapeño corn bread was definitely unique - the cheese filling being the perfect subtle flavor to complement the jalapeño's pop.
I wish the ambiance and service were better at these prices. -
Review from Mikala T.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am literally sitting at the restaurant ad I write this review. This place is absolutely horrible! The service is super slow and the waiter was very impolite. He never asked us once during our dinner how we were doing and how was our food. To top it off, It took us 30 minutes to get our dessert! I will never dine here again!
-
Review from Valerie V.
Burlingame, CA
2/3/2012
I've been to Creola in the past but it had been a few years since I had been. I bought an OpenTable deal as an excuse to visit once again. The food and service was ok. I ordered the Shrimp Creola and my friend ordered the Fried Chicken. The Chicken was excellent but the Shrimp Creola was disappointing. The food also came out so fast that I wonder if it had been microwaved. The stuffing for my dish was lukewarm and unappealing.
The server pressured us to get two desserts and when it was time to settle the bill, my friend put in a gift card I suspected was not valid to use with the Opentable Deal. She could have just told us nicely instead of huffing and puffing and giving us attitude.
I wish I could say I'd be back but I'm not so sure. -
Review from Erin T.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
When I heard this was a cajun restaurant I had ideas of a loud, fun atmosphere with lots of fried fish. I was a little surprised to to find that Creola is actually quite a nice restaurant with incredible food!
I decided to try out a few smaller plates so I started with the hush puppy caesar and then had the crab cakes. The salad was not especially exciting itself but the hush puppies really added something great. And the crab cakes were, hands down, the best I have ever had! I still dream about them. I highly recommend!
And if you are a fan of red wine, try the Kali Hart pinot noir. It was exceptional! All in all a really great meal. It is a perfect spot for a special occasion with your significant other or even a group. -
Review from Lindsey J.
Foster City, CA
Updated - 1/31/2012
I am so happy to see that they have brought back the lunch hours on the weekdays. BUT I am not happy that they have completely changed their menus though. They do not have the escargot or the tuna poki appetizers. Nor do they offer the Taste of New Orleans Flash fried Soft Shell Crab and crawfish Etouffee :( BOO because that was my fave!! They do however, still offer the crawfish Etoufee so I guess I have a reason to still come here.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/24/2010
WOW love this place!! They have great drinks (Tasty & Strong!!) Good appetizers like escargot and… Read more »
-
-
Review from C. Ann B.
San Carlos, CA
2/6/2012
This review is for the Living Social that the restaurant offered. I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time and thought the Living Social was a good opportunity. I realize now that I should've checked the expiration as it had expired Jan 24th. Why such a short timeframe? Now I'm so irritated that I won't give it a chance.
-
Review from Virginia M.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
A friend invited me to make the long drive down here (she had purchased a coupon) and we were both very surprised and delighted. Very plain looking outside, somewhat underwhelming, but it was neat and tidy inside and complimentary. It smelled divine! It was a cold, rainy January day, and the warm bowl of jumbalaya was SOOO good, perfectly done. The hush puppies were outstanding, broken in half and smeared with butter dosed with honey and cracked black pepper. My friend had red beans and rice topped with sausage and chicken -- beans cooked perfectly (NOT easy to do). And the dessert -- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Pie --Lordy, Lordy, with a cup of chickory coffee, aahhh. Fresh food, nicely prepared, good portions, clean surroundings; simplicity is sometimes all you need.
-
Review from Grace L.
South San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012
Mhmm Creole food, just thinking of all the spices and herbs just tickles my spine thinking about it.
This is a quaint and quiet restaurant. I think it's suppose to look more homey on the bayou type of restaurant. At least that's what I'm guessing. A lot of older folks (55+ and up) come here, so don't expect a hip trendy place like NOLA is.
My husband and I have been here several times but only on a yelp or groupon type of promotion. It's pretty pricey and we don't think it's entirely worth coming without a Yelp or Groupon type of promotion.
We've tried the Shrimp Bourbon Street appetizer. It's just deep fried shrimp with orange sauce on the side. From what I remember it only came with around 4 tiny pcs of shrimp. It left more to be desired but it wasn't that great of a dish.
The bread and balls of butter they give you here is magical, not sure why, just super soft bread makes a tasty appetizer.
Each time we come, my husband and I order the same exact entree. Why change when you've got a good thing going? My husband gets the Cajun Jambalaya which is very flavorful rice with a piece of roasted chicken on the side. He loves it and from the few bites that I've eaten it's pretty good and flavorful.
I always order the Taste of New Orleans which always disappears way too fast for me. Soft shell crab deep fried with creamy shrimp and crawfish etouffee. Eat your heart out NOLA. But the sauce of the etouffee is sooo good I could eat an entire plate of it.
We've ordered the beignets here and they're super small and not many pieces once again, but delicious. More crisp than NOLA. -
Review from Irina s.
San Jose, CA
1/10/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
After weeks and weeks of waiting to eat here and use our groupon, my bf and I finally made it out to Creola. I hate to say it, but it was a huge disappointment all around.
I looked up the menu and was excited to try the hush puppies and bacon wrapped oysters. Both of these selections turned out to be really greasy and heavy; I took a few bites and felt full and sick. My bf, not being a fan of seafood, was happy to see that there was a filet mignon option; said it was really blah and that for that price (28$) it should have been much better.
Not sure what was going on since everyone around us seemed to be raving about how delicious their food was. I guess we might have ordered the wrong things but I really doubt we will be back to try out the other menu options. -
Review from Sonny S.
Redwood City, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Crawfish hush puppies, Cajun Jambalaya, Finally time to eat!
This place is decent... -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
I don't have too strong of an opinion on creola. We had dinner here last night and the food was certainly solid. we had the jambalaya, the catfish, and the snapper special. the jambalaya was not great, but the other two dishes were pretty good. the catfish wasn't particularly special. the snapper was delicious though- the etouffe was delicious and went really well with the fish and rice. it also comes with a small side of green beans which was nice, but i wished there were more since the food was so rich. for dessert, we shared the beignets which were delicious but SO much powdered sugar. i especially liked the mango coulis that came with it.
i did love the warm crusty bread they served while you wait for your food. service was pretty good, too. I think the only thing i didn't like that i thought the food was a little overpriced. -
Review from Erin P.
San Carlos, CA
1/3/2012
I have only been here a handful of times, but when I leave I wonder why I don't go more often!
The portions are generous and always tasty. Jumbalaya is my most recent favorite, sausage and chicken & just the right amount of kick to spice it up. If you catch them on the right day, you may luck out with alligator on the menu! (The chef only has it when he can find high quality meat.)
The decor could be updated, but it is cozy and usually a quiet, relaxing environment. -
Review from Shannon N.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 12/6/2011
Returned here on Sunday to use a Groupon. We arrived at 5:30 and were the second table seated in the restaurant. The other table had a very attentive female server. We had a very inattentive male server who really couldn't have cared less about our dining experience. It made no sense - we were his *only* table, but clearly he was more interested in staying near the front of the restaurant and chat with other employees instead of checking in on his sole table.
Onto the food:
I had the crawfish etouffee. This is my favorite creole dish, and they do it pretty well here at Creola. It was fairly rich, with a little bit of a kick, and chock full of crawfish.
Husband had the fish special which had some of their seafood stuffing and also some of the etoufee (but with shrimp as well). It was okay. Both of us would've appreciated some bread to use for the extra sauce on our dishes, but our server only came by to take our plates away when we had finished.
Without the Groupon, this would've been $50 - and this was definitely not a $50 dining experience. I don't need to be fawned over, but a server should at least check in with a table once after bringing their food. Because of his service, we declined to order dessert here and instead picked up something else on the way home. Disappointing.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/1/2008
I went here a lot about five years ago but we stopped going when I moved away from that area. I was… Read more »
-
-
Review from Mike V.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've enjoyed this place for a few years now and the service and quality of the food remains consistently high. And the bacon wrapped oysters are a monthly vice I can't help but indulge in. But the fact that they now cater has me actually looking FORWARD to my next office party!
-
Review from Emily R.
West Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend picked me up in San Jose and since we were in the area and it was about dinner time, he yelped for a good place to eat and that's how we found ourselves at Creola. We were warmly greeted and seated very promptly. Creola is cajun, which makes me think of seafood... and gumbo. Since we were there, I probably should have ordered creole food but the pork chop caught my eye and I had to get it. My boyfriend got the paella. His paella was rather yummy, especially the spicy sausage bits. But I've had better. And my pork chop was good and everything was tasty but it was considerably tougher than I am used to. Now being the weak and hungry girl I was, I was having difficulty reslaughtering the meat with my knife. It's hard to cut like a lady when the meat puts on a tough act and doesn't cooperate. My elbows began sticking every which way as I attempted to saw my way through for bite sized portions. Thinking back, I should have just picked up that bad boy and gnawed like the savage I am. BUT Creola is a nice, pretty little restaurant that looks like it's good for dates and bad for savagery.
Overall, the food was good. The service was great. I would recommend it to people who are in the area and looking for a nice spot for a dinner date. But for me it's too far out of the way and "good" sometimes isn't good enough. -
Review from Oren R.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2011
The food is OK-ish albeit somewhat pricey. The food in New Orleans is way better of course.
The service, however, is sub-par.
Either something happened to our waiter today, or he hates his job, or he just didn't like us. Whatever it was, he was very antipathic.
I was hungry and had a groupon, so we stayed.
I will not have a groupon for that place in the future, nor is the area missing other options for food.
Thanks Creola, but no thanks. -
Review from Sheldon S.
Millbrae, CA
Updated - 11/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We went to this place after having a previous positive experience. The food was pretty good for the most part (despite our raw chicken! more on that later!) The waitress left something to be desired, it was very difficult to get her attention to the point that I eventually gave up. When we needed the waitress to return our pink, uncooked chicken to the kitchen she was very callous about it. They did refund the amount of the chicken without us having to ask. Our friends that had the shrimp and jambalaya enjoyed it and the jalapeno cheese corn bread that came with the chicken was also pretty good. There was a yelp 20% discount advertised that we were not able to use when we went.
Overall, the food here was good, not stellar, given our brush with salmonella but the service was definitely lacking. Maybe this place has gotten away from the southern hospitality?1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/7/2011
We came here on a whim - sat down in the quaint cozy restaurant. The wait staff was very attentive.… Read more »
-
-
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
11/24/2011
Got the Spicy Blood Mary $8. It was too bitter for me.
The Gumbo soup was good but the andouille sausage lacked flavor. Too boiled down?
The Taste of New Orleans - It was too buttery for me; I ended up bringing leftovers home.
The dessert - Chocolate cake? was good.
We came here with no reservations; Reservations are highly recommended.
Groupon saved me $20.
Not sure if I'd be back. -
Review from Patrick Z.
San Mateo, CA
11/23/2011
Great stuff. We did lunch.
Jambalaya: Excellent. The grilled Chicken fillet on top of the Jambalaya was grilled to perfection. How often do you notice that a Chicken fillet fresh off the grill is tender juicy and fresh.
Gumbo: Very Good with lots of shrimp and great seasoning. -
Review from Yun C.
10/20/2011
My work has ordered food from Creola before and I really liked their food that I kept mentioning the restaurant to my bf.
We went on a Monday night, the restaurant had about 6 other tables (table of 2 to 4) which I thought not too bad of a business in the sleepy San Carlos neighborhood.
The hostess was very friendly and we were very excited to have a great dining experience after long weeks at work, we both just finished some deadlines. Unfortunately, after we sat down we grew more and more disappointed with Creola, especially their service.
There were two servers and one buzz boy (total of 7 tables)...I think it should be manageable...unfortunately not for them!!! We felt really neglected after they took our orders.
We ordered:
- Appetizer: Deep Fried oyster wrapped with bacon served with some kind of mustard+mayonnaise based sauce. $7
- Appetizer: 1 cup of seafood gumbo $8
- Entree: Fried Chicken served with goat cheese corn bread, mashed potatoes and sauteed string beans $18
- Entree: Tour of New Orleans, shrimp and crawfish etouffee and deep fried soft-shell crab served with rice. $25
- 2 NOLA beer $4.50 each
We've been to NOLA and we really enjoyed the food there. Here at creola, the oysters were delicious...the best of the night..but the gumbo was just flat..and salty...it's not as good as the one I had at Deanie's (or even other restaurants) in NOLA.
The fried chicken and the etoufee were just ok... everything seemed to have a monotone taste.. saltiness..that's it...It lacked the complexity and richness of creole food that we had in NOLA.
The food was not as bad as the service. The table next to us.. seemed to be getting much more care and superior service than our table.. It really offended me (seriously)..maybe because we were both young???! so they thought we don;t have sophisticated palette and wouldn't spend as much?? The server kindly described almost everything on the menu (without being asked)..while for us...the server seemed rush to take our order and only gave a short answers to my questions about the food.
We were going to get dessert.. however, the server was nowhere to be found.. and when we saw him, he was busy visiting other tables without checking on us. Our table was already cleared and the buzz boy gave us the dessert menu..so the served should have known that we were ready for dessert!! After being "passed by" three times by the server, we decided NOT TO order dessert and take our business elsewhere.
There are many other places in the same price range that offer better food and better service. It's a shame that they neglect servicing young people. Based on our experience that night, we're really reluctant to dine at Creola again. -
Review from Brent T.
San Carlos, CA
11/22/2011
Yummy.
The food here is excellent. I've been here a couple times now and every time the food has been great, they also make some very enjoyable cocktails.
The crawfish hush puppies are one of the best items on the menu.
The decor is a bit lacking and the carpet could really stand to be replaced but I honestly didn't really care given how good the food was. -
Review from Rachel W.
Oakland, CA
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm writing their 420th review but I think I bring a unique perspective. 1) Fam bam is from New Orleans. 2) I grew up in the neighborhood where the restaurant sits.
The food here is authentic high end Creole/Cajun fare. While the menu is not elaborate, its stocked with the staples of any solid creole diet. jambalaya, crawfish, hush puppies, fried chicken, etc. The ingredients used are fresh!
The service was impeccable. We did not wait one second to be seated, get water/bread, appetizer, more water/bread, food, dessert, coffee etc.
Although the atmosphere is not festive like New Orleans, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to impress a spicy Creole or non-Creole date!
Les bons temps rouler encore! -
Review from Cecelia E.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I'll keep this review brief and to the point:
It isn't as good as it used to be five or six years ago. The food is good, just not exceptional or something to write home about. Being from the south, I can definitely say that this restaurant does not capture the New Orleans-style food essence. They definitely need to analyze what has changed over the past 5-6 years and go back to what was working in the past. -
Review from Agustinus T.
San Carlos, CA
10/31/2011
Used OpenTable coupon here and was taken care efficiently. It can't be combined with other deals including their prix fixe menu. Surprisingly full on a weeknight.
Cajun Jambalaya : love it. Very tasty with just right spices & sauce with perfectly grilled juicy chicken on the side.
Taco shimi : good except that the mushroom was a a bit too sweet.
Fried oyster with bacon: my friend said the bacon was a distraction.
Seafood gumbo : good but nothing special.
Beignet: forgot to ask to have the sugar powder separately. quite good but still doesn't beat the ones from Louisiana Kitchen's in Berkeley.
Came again for their lunch menu which is cheaper but smaller portion.
Chicken and waffle (breast): crispy yet not greasy.. yummy. the waffle is about 25% of regular size and pretty standard.
Cajun Jambalaya: just like dinner but smaller portion. I think if I want to have this, I'd go during lunch next time. -
Review from Alice C.
Updated - 10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just want to update after a long overdue dinner revisit.
This is a fancy New Orleans style restaurant. It ain't homey like Picadilly up in Foster City, but it has its merits. Sometimes we all deserve to be pampered with nice service :)
The cocktails here are excellent and strong, which is a nice surprise since a lot of fancy restaurants in the bay area tend to skimp a bit on the alcohol. In my experience, if a restaurant cares about the bar, their food is going to be pretty decent as well.
We started with the complimentary bread and butter. The bread is very well baked, crisp and flavourful...definitely one of the best comp breads I've had.
The fried chicken is out of this world. I don't recall liking fried chicken this much and just go to KFC when I crave some. However, this takes it a notch up -- the skin is very crispy but the meat remains moist and tender....and no undercooked looking bits at all! The jalapeno corn bread that comes with the meal...fiery and creamy at the same time.
The mister also enjoyed the jambalaya. It was served with a spice-rubbed chicken, and it's very interesting to compare my fried chicken with it. Two completely different preparations, and yet both of them come out very flavourful and delicious.
If I have to nitpick something, there's a lack of greens on either dinner plates. But who am I kidding, this is New Orleans food, right?Listed in: Food Places To Visit Again in…, Lunch (sit-down) Places near…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/10/2009
Went there for lunch with coworkers. We ordered a variety of things -- crawfish, po boys,… Read more »
Comment from Edwin C. of Creola 7/11/2009
Thanks for the review Alice. Funny you mentioned about the… More » -
-
Review from Noelle T.
Menlo Park, CA
1/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Great service, atmosphere and food. The hush puppies are very good. My dining companion had the fried chicken and loved it. Limited parking is the only downside.
-
Review from Dinah-maria M.
Belmont, CA
11/14/2011
I went to dinner here with my parents and two good family friends the other night. I had read very good things about Creola - about the food as well as the service - and decided this would be the perfect place to enjoy some quality family time.
The food was delicious (5 out of 5 stars), but the service was extremely disappointing! Our server never even said "hello" or "good evening" at the start of the dining experience... He just came up to the table with his note pad and greeted our big smiles with a "what can I get you?". haha We chuckled when he walked away and agreed that was an odd greeting. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning of his awful service. He pretty much ignored us the entire night!
I worked as a server for 4 years and know what it's like during a crazy dinner rush, but jeeze louise - it's never so crazy that you can't take 10 seconds to check in on your table. lol Other servers came over to bring us bread (so yummy!), refill our water, remove our plates, etc. The main server only came back twice - once because I requested to look at the wine list and then again to bring us our bill. No "hope you enjoyed your meal", "have a great night", "join us again soon" etc. How rude. haha
My family and I are easy going people, but we all agreed - the service was pretty terrible. http://Opentable.com offers a 30% off deal at this place when you pay $10 in advance to lock in a reservation. For this reason, I will give it a second chance. Fingers crossed that we don't end up with the same server (better known as Mr. Grumpy)! =) -
Review from Maya S.
9/24/2011
I only found out about CreoLa because of a Google Offer. I'm glad I swooped up the offer because my bf and I were in need of a NOLA food fix. We came here for dinner which began with fresh, fluffy, warm bread served with cute mini balls of butter. We ordered:
Abita Purple Haze: Raspberry wheat beer. Just as good as it was in New Orleans!
Oysters en Brochette: Three really tiny pacific oysters wrapped in bacon, flash fried. The bacon totally overpowered the oysters and I couldn't tell I was even eating an oyster. Also, I bit into a toothpick that was left in one of the oysters from the cooking process which was very unpleasant. This appetizer was a real let down.
Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken: Three pieces of fried chicken served with jalapeno bleu cheese cornbread, green beans and mashed potatoes. As other yelp reviews mentioned, this dish is a special not on their regular menu. I could definitely taste the effect of the brining process which made the chicken soooo moist and flavorful. The buttermilk batter was perfectly crunchy. I do not like bleu cheese but the flavor was delicious in the cornbread and paired very well with the jalapeno flavor that really came through. The green beans were cooked and salted perfectly but the mashed potatoes were a bit bland. Like my bf said, this chicken puts others to shame.
Taste of New Orleans: Crawfish and shrimp etouffee sitting next to a soft shell crab. If you are craving seafood, please get this dish. You get plenty of chunks of crawfish and shrimp in the etouffee. The soft shell crab is indescribable. It's crunchy, soft, moist, juicy and just flavorful. You almost feel bad eating it because it looks too nice sitting next to the etouffee.
Combo Pie: One small round pie (perfect for 2) with a vanilla wafer crust, chocolate AND peanut butter mouse, topped with freshly whipped cream, peanuts, chocolate drizzle, and raspberry sauce. The pie is decadent but light. One of thee best desserts I have ever had.
Our waiter was nice and courteous but some of the other wait staff look too serious and unfriendly. The restaurant has an old feel to it with its tables covered in white, drawn curtains, some seating with pillows, a wooden plank ceiling and really big windows which makes for a nice, calm restaurant ambiance without being too fancy. I will definitely be returning especially for their crawfish hushpuppies! -
Review from Peter T.
Mountain View, CA
12/29/2011
Came here in Nov for our anniversary dinner and i had the crab cake and jambalaya. The chicken in the jambalaya was extra tasty; wished i had more. Flavors were good but the rice was on the dry side. Would defintely want to come back to try more of their dishes. Lunch menu looks quite interesting.
-
Review from Zsheron I.
Hayward, CA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had dinner here with my fiance and I must say we love love loved it! This is my second Louisiana style restaurant that I have been too and I was very pleased.
The waiter was very informative about the specials and he sold me on it. For appetizers:
-A cup of gumbo (huge) considered it is called a cup.
-Crawfish Hushpuppies - So good they were gone in a quick minute.
For our Entrees:
-Brined & Breaded Fried Chicken
-The taste of New Orleans, which consisted of seafood etouffee & deep fried softshell crab.
Prices are a tad bit overpriced but well worth spending for.
All the dishes were great. Too bad the fried chicken was only on special. I pitched to the waiter to let the Chef know that they should put it on the menu.
My overall experience was wonderful and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family. -
Review from Tomas P.
10/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Excellent food and menu. The atmosphere is also really nice. I've been here for two special occasions and have always left feeling pleased with my experience. Their Turbo Dog ale is one of my favorite beers. Unfortunately their beer list has no descriptions and the waiter doesn't seem to know much about beers.
The hushpuppies are good but seem $1-2 overpriced for what you get. I only detected 1 piece of crawfish in each hushpuppy. I had the special, red fish with etouffe, and it was better than the other two entrees I've tried here. -
Review from Dean W.
9/17/2011
3.5 Stars
My bff has been telling me about this place, he was raving about the three course dinner for $30 and says I must try it. I looked at the menu and while certain things enticed me, I wasn't sure it was right for my gf so I skipped it for the time being. Then my gf saw a Groupon for Creola and she bought it thinking I wanted to go.
So we went earlier tonight and it was good. It didn't blow me away but the food was good. First off, it's not that pricey, about what you would pay for people at a decent restaurant ($60 or so). The gf ordered the bisque and the sashimi tacos. The former was very good with bits and pieces of shrimp and crab meat I think; it was perfect for dipping the bread in. Only downside was the soup was on the smaller side. The tacos were interesting, with mushrooms at the bottom, I'm not sure what to make of it. I didn't think it was great nor did I think it was bad, so somewhere in between.
I ordered the lavender peach salad and Sunday chicken. The salad was a bit over dressed for my liking but the lavender peach which had tiny hints of lavender was too cooked for me. The Sunday chicken was very smooth, not every day you get a piece of chicken like that. The corn bread that came with it was a real winner. It's not like the traditional corn bread you get at House of Prime Rib. It felt more like potato cakes with pieces of corn in there.
Service was good, waiters and I think the gentlemen who was the owner were all very nice. I believe I'll come back another time to get their three course menu. -
Review from iliana b.
San Lorenzo, CA
12/18/2011
My Fiance and I came to Creola last night after getting a deal on Trubates and totally loved our experience!
The place has a very cozy, home like feel yet elegant. To start I had the Hush Puppies and my fiance had the Bourbon Shrimp. Both were good but my fiance said he liked my hush puppies a lot more. For my entree I had the Taste of New Orleans and he had the Catfish. We both loved our dishes! Mine was buttery, a bit rich but really great. I loved the presentation and the portions were pretty good. My fiance loved his Catfish, he was a bit nervous, worried that it would be greasy but it was not at all! He cleaned his plate with no problem!
After being quite full we waited a bit to decide on dessert but ended up getting the beignets! They were really great with the perfect amount of fruit, whip cream and sugar powder!
I really loved my experience here at Creola and I can't wait to find another great deal so that I can come back soon! -
Review from Fannie S.
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service = friendly, quick.
Food = delicious. We enjoyed the 4-course New Orleans special dinner. ($70 on Deals, for $100 of food). Red drum = winner!!
Bread at the table = piping hot. And butter to go with it. (If you want olive oil and vinegar, ask for it...)
Spicy, savory, and filling.
I think we'll be back for more seafood.... -
Review from Andy H.
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The single greatest Creole dining experience ever. The Corn Hushpuppies might be better than anything I ever ate in Louisana. The Crawfish Etoufee was absolutely delicious, and the bread pudding was unique and tasty (not traditional at all)
The service was super friendly, pretty, and attentive. The owner was also extremely attentive, even as he had a 50 person DAR party going on in the back room!
They server Dixie Lager (which is hard to find and is an excellent special tasting beer) perfect to prepare your palette for the Chicory that you better order after your meal. My favorite part of the meal was where I told my server to "Bless Her Heart" because she pronounced Chicory as Cherokee.
I cannot wait to go back and devour the rest of the menu...high quality ingredients and executed perfectly.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!! -
Review from Marcy J.
Redwood City, CA
12/4/2011
In the past I used to really enjoy Creola. I had not been there in about 2-3 years and we purchased a LivingSocial deal a while ago so I figured we would redeem it. You weren't allowed to use the deal on their Prix Fixe meal (which is dumb if you ask me) and so we had to order a la carte, which was fine. We had the crayfish hush puppies. Now maybe I am wrong but I could have sworn in the past they were hush puppies that had little pieces of crayfish inside, but this came and it was 4 hush puppies with some crayish sauce around them. They were undercooked and kind of doughy. Mr Q ordered a $10 salad with poached pear. REALLY skimpy portion for $10 we both thought. I had a cup of the seafood gumbo. It was on the specials menu so I figured it must have more seafood than a normal gumbo. It didn't unless you count shrimp..which gumbo usually has anyway. It had a rich flavor but the gumbo was pretty watery and more like a soup, sad to say. Also, our waitress, who seemed a little....off, came to the table holding the gumbo with a towel. The corner of the towel was immersed in my bowl of gumbo. She didn't say anything about it and just pulled it off quickly like I wasn't gonna notice there was a towel in my food. That alone almost put me off eating.
We both ordered the fried chicken. It was a hot mess. My breast piece was again undercooked & the skin/crust was not edible. The thigh and leg piece were overcooked and dried out and I couldn't eat them. Against my better judgement we ordered a bread pudding for desert and when it came it was basically a custard with a crust of bread on the top. I really don't remember the food being this bad in the past. Maybe it was an off night but I was not impressed at all and most likely won't be coming back. -
Review from Ashley C.
San Mateo, CA
10/4/2011
Been there several times now and just recently last Sunday! Love this place but this last visit was a bit askew! This visit overall rated a 3-star.
* * * * * Atmosphere
* * * * * Food
* * * * Pricing
* * Service
Usually get pretty good service there but this past Sunday was rather odd or should I say our Server was rather off. Not the usual friendly and welcoming behavior. Maybe he didn't appreciate his section for the evening.
Didn't really go over the specials nor did he even greet us. It was just "ready to order!" with an attitude and in all honesty...I was ready to ask for another server! I actually got better service from the bus person.
I still like dining here but next time we come, I will be sure to not have this person again as our server. -
Review from Melanie B.
Santa Clara, CA
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I LOVE this place! The ambiance is nice and the waiter was on top of his game. He always came by to check on us and even suggested a couple of items that were on and off the menu.
We started off with the crab bisque, so yummy! Then, we had the crawfish hushpuppies (must order so flavorful), and we shared the fried chicken with mashed potatoes entree. The cornbread was so delicious with feta cheese and jalapeno in the middle.
I will definitely be back for some Cajun food!
