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Categories: Southern, Cajun/Creole [Edit]
Neighborhood: Southeast PortlandMon-Tue. 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri. 3:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Going back with friends I must say it was even better this time around. The only drawback was crawfish were unavailable and they were out of crab. The etouffe was just as wonderful as the 1st time,
in addittion we had blackend shrimp and catfish, the dirty rice, red beans and rice, the jambalaya and their special tonight of shrimp and grits. Everything was absolutely great. I'm notching it down a star from my 1st review because we can't do 1/2 stars, and there were 2 things wrong tonight. The dirty rice while good was cooled off while the rest of the food piping hot. The 2nd thing, is simply it has been so dark on both sides of the place, that it's hard to find light to read the menus.
Both things were minor, and in no way take away my belief that they deserve more then 4 stars. We'll definitely be back and bringing friends too!
I reviewed the Crafish King when we were up in Seattle and gave it 4 stars. My Brothers Crawfish… Read more »
One of my odd hobbies, that will never make it onto a resume, is crawfish wrangler. This interest came about rather accidentally when I moved to Tualatin many years ago, which hosts the nation's oldest crawfish festival. Take that, Louisiana.
Actually festival lore says that Tualatin's claims of crawfish supremacy so aggravated our southern rivals that a voodoo curse was placed on the festival. But somehow the festival has survived and thrived for over 50 years and will be held once again this weekend on the banks of the Tualatin River. Laissez les bons temps rouler... let the good times roll!
So while others may have an unfulfilled craving for crawfish, I have it coming out of my ears. One of my boys is a river rat so he likes nothing more than pulling up a trap with the little critters out of the river by our house. Do that twice a day for a few weeks in your work clothes and it starts to get a bit old... and smelly. The other downside is that it is a lot of work for mom (or usually dad) to harvest the crawfish meat.
So I was happy to let the chefs at My Brother's Crawfish take care of the preparation when I selected the crawfish étouffé for my meal. It was a satisfying dish and the roux was good but not overly spicy. The cornbread on the side was excellent, but my favorite part of the meal had to be the hushpuppies we ordered as an appetizer. They had a nice spicy kick.
I don't know what I was expecting for décor, but it was odd to have southern food in what is essentially a sports bar with a huge projection screen dominating one wall. And rather than rooting for the hometown Blazers, the staff seems partial to the Houston Rockets' Yao Ming.
My overall rating is 3-1/2 stars. Food was fine, but not quite special enough for me to include it in my recommended or rave categories. Our service got off to a slow start, but once we placed our orders, it picked up from there. And I must say, when I'm in this part of town I'm a bit distracted, since my mind and taste buds tend to focus on all the Asian restaurants in abundance along 82nd.
"New Orleens."
"Newerlins."
"N'awrlins."
There we go. Now that I've correctly pronounced the infamous city in which this food type is based, I can go on with my review.
When I visited the gigantmo amount of family members I have crawling around New Orleans last year for a wedding, I KNEW that I wanted to fill up on as much authentic cajun cooking as my little stomach (and big eyes) could possibly handle. I basically stood in my auntie's kitchen, held out my arm, and said, "hit me!" I was ready to be a Cajun food junkie. And man, oh, man, did I OD.
Fast forward a year, and I find myself at MBC in the little promenade on 82nd. I'm familiar with this area, because it's located next to Karma Cafe, which I frequent. I pop in and find a seat at the bar, where the server is slinging drinks to his regulars. It's comfortable and familiar, and I like the ambiance. It's low key, but definitely NOT what I was expecting when first parking my car (I was anticipating a Subway sandwich-type layout, but it turned out to be more trendy hipster).
The ULTIMATE dish: Crawfish, rice, and cornbread. That's what I ate growing up with my cousins, and seeing as to how I find difficulty in finding crawfish at other Portland "cajun" restaurants, MBC gets an extra star for even carrying it.
The cornbread was definitely what I was craving and hit. the. spot. The crawfish turned out to be pretty good, but the rice seemed overcooked. With crawfish, something that is VERY important in its preparation is proper seasoning; I can't tell which seasoning this crawfish dish was lacking, but it definitely was lacking something. And I eat rice everyday, so maybe I was being picky about the rice being a tad chewy (which = overcooked), but nonetheless, I was able to eat it.
Overall: The fact that MBC offered me a little taste of New Orleans, a pretty good dish (at moderate prices), and a fun atmosphere makes me a fan (and returning customer) of theirs.
So yes, the next time I'm feeling the withdrawal pangs of crawfish, I'll definitely come here for my hit.
The food was definitely delicious. I had the crawfish etouffee - yum. Decent spice (although it could have been spicier), good flavor and filled with a LOT of crawfish. The rice was fine - it's white rice after all, so what can you say about that? The cornbread would have been really good had it not been nuked. It had the perfect amount of corn taste and right amount of moisture - not too much, not too little. Problem is the nuking... it got a little rubbery after a couple minutes. I would rather it not be hot than have it turn to rubber. The crawfish boil was pretty damn good too - decently spicy when you order spicy. But again - it probably could have been spicier.
The service was fine - nothing too terribly special, but nothing horrible either. He didn't come around much - would have liked to get a water fill-up at some point... but overall acceptable service.
Pretty good place to get your crawfish craving out of the way... and the prices are pretty good too.
This place is great. Not much for atmosphere, but the food is delicious. The crawfish boils are great, but I'm partial to the étouffée.
I've been here twice, and the only things i've ordere are the crawfish boil and pop or beer.
The crawfish boil (spicy, with potatoes and corn {very worth the extra $$} and a side of corn bread) makes me want to travel to New Orleans. It was fun to eat them and it treated my tastebuds well.
One thing is that - the spicy broth might have ben a BIT too spicy as my taste buds might've benefited from a fire extinguisher or a glass of milk. Water, pop and beer definitely didnt help!! but milk wasn't an option then I went with beer!
I tried my friends mild broth and she said to her, it tasted really spicy still but to me, it tasted way to salty!! I wonder if a mix of both wouldd taste good?
I hate the lighting inside there. I don't understand it and both times that I've gone in I sat at the table that seems to have decent light other than the bar.
As a side note, I've read a bunch of the reviews and I just wanted to let everyone know that I got about 2 refills and wasn't charged for refills so maybe they have changed the rule? If so, then AWESOME! it makes me happy!
Service, both times friendly and they seem to treat the others just the same. It looks like they are able to recognize the regulars and that they seem to be able to carry on good conversations with them!
Other then the couple con's, i love this place. I crave it while I'm in Vancouver, BC and heading down there JUST for that happens.
I went there cause I was craving for crawfish soooo bad!!! I compared it to what I had in Sacramento and I am sorry to say that I didn't quite enjoy it as I had hoped...first off, no one picked up the phone when I was told that we can call our order in (I called approx. 5 times) and second...it took 20 mins or so for the waitiress to sit us at the front door...the flavor was okay...
The Wife and the Tax Deduction and the Bro-In-Law and myself decided to heed the siren call of many Yelpers and try MBC. The Wife and I (pretax deduction) honeymooned in New Orleans in 2001 and have had a thing for the place and its cooking ever since (the first night of our honeymoon was one for the ages, one day I will try and Readers Digest it for you all).
We went on a Saturday night just after sundown and the first thing we noticed when we walked in was, it was dark in there. We felt our way to an open table when the server brought us menus. Thank goodness for my cell phone because that was the only way I could read the menu. I saw light fixtures up in the ceiling I wondered why they refused to use them.
It boils down to this (pun intended) we were very disgruntled with the service we received. I can understand slow service from time to time but when people who came in 20 minutes after us got their food, and we had a hungry tax deduction on our hands, that made me have to get up and find the server and ask for the kid's food. She brought it right away which tells me it was sitting ready to go for a bit. Other tales of service let downs ranged from having to snag ketchup, salt and napkins off other tables. Asking questions and waiting 15 minutes for an answer for questions you would think someone working at a place called MY BROTHERS CRAWFISH would know, like, "Do you have Crawfish today?"
The starters we ordered were buffalo wings and catfish bites. The catfish was excellent. The wings, well if you read my review for the Peach Tree Restaurant in Hazel Dell and the Pygmy Chicken? Well it was back, this time five or six scrawny pieces of pygmy chicken. It tasted great, there just was not enough of it.
Dinner was up and down. The Crawfish Etouffe was really good. The gulf shrimp boil was also quite good. The blue crab was a complete and total rip off. Now maybe I am not learned in the ways of a Texas Blue Crab, after all it has the name Texas in it right? Texas means, "Big" to me. I have story after story of Texas and Big in the same sentence. Just not enough meat for the effort involved. Now the corn on the cob in the shrimp boil? Just awesome! I was loving that. But when three people pay $75 for dinner and leave feeling like they need a trip through a burger joint drive thru to fill up there is something wrong.
Drinks were the biggest disappointment, and I am talking nonalcoholic drinks. A place that serves spicy food limits you to ONE REFILL?! Really? Honest? I know something about cola vending, that glass of soda or tea cost you about 23 cents, you charged me $2.00. At least serve me something bigger than a pint glass stuffed with ice like the northern Arctic icepack. Any restaurateur needs to rethink that old school thinking. My kids two glasses of milk were $4.00. Also, the women's bathroom I am told was pretty bad, while the men's was acceptable. The final straw, it was the weekend and NO BEIGNETS! (We cured that by a trip down the street to Krispy Kreme, while no Cafe Dumonde, was a great dessert)
I really wanted to believe that this place would be a monumental addition to romantic places for the Wife and I to relive the heady early days of marriage. Oh well, for now I can do better and much cheaper in my kitchen thanks to the Zatarains people and their fine products.
So I'd been talking nonstop about crawfish ever since I went to Montoge and my boyfriend had had enough!:) So we finally drove all the way to the other side of the city to check out My Brother's Crawfish. I'd seen it written up in a couple of foodie magazines, and I was pretty darn excited. They definitely didn't let me down!
This place is a gem! Hidden away in a tiny little shopping center, I would have totally missed it without directions!
It was a very quiet Monday, and Josh and I were the first customers in besides a few friends of the bartender. Our server was super nice, and helped us pick out some oysters on the half shell, a crawfish boil with corn on the cob, and catfish bites with a couple pints of delicious local beers.
To be honest, next time I'll skip the catfish and corn and just go for more oysters and crawfish! THE BEST oysters I have ever had! I was genuinely surprised, because I've had oysters at a lot of fancy-shmancy restaurants and paid a pretty penny for them. These oysters were far more reasonably priced and tasted straight out of the water!
The crawfish were also unbelievable! Big and juicy, just like I love! And the boil was spicy and rich and just so darn flavorful! You know I love nothing more than digging into food with my bare hands, so a pile of messy paper towels later, I'm walking out of there with big burning smile on my face!:)
Definitely going back! Josh hasn't heard the last of this yet!
Blue-collar meet hipster. Hipster meet blue-collar. Now that we have introductions out of the way let's talk more about the inside of My Brother's Crawfish.
Two tattooed hipsters were showing their plumber's cracks up at the bar, drinking vodka and watching monster truck mash on T.V.
On one wall is several Bud Light posters. But then on another wall is that big IKEA poster of New York City. While we were there, a boy working there fired up Ragtime on the music system. Something for every taste, I suppose!
Oh, the food. The steak bites appetizer ($7) was pretty good, but we wonder if it was supposed really to be served at room temperature.
The "mushroom mix" appetizer ($2.50) was seasoned nicely with lots of garlic, chili and a little marjoram. But what was weird about it was that there was four raw quartered mushrooms in a huge bowl of the sauce. After the mushrooms were eaten, there was still this huge bowl of sauce. Why so much sauce? Also, it would have been better if they had cooked the mushrooms at least a little bit.
I'll try to not resort to calling the cole slaw ($2) bad names. Still, I don't know if was the slaw's slimy texture or a combination of the texture and its ultra sweet/vinegar flavor, but neither JP or I could eat more than a bite of the stuff. Just say no!
JP ordered the shrimp gumbo ($12). He didn't care for it and picked the okra out. I ordered the chicken and sausage jambalaya (also $12). It was decent. It's presentation on the white rectangular plates was actually nicely done (but didn't I see this same chinaware at Lunchbox Laboratory last Sunday?).
Our waitress seemed responsive, but food was sure slow coming out of the kitchen.
JP would come back to try a catfish filet sandwich, but I'd take a rain check.
Let me just state for the record - I have never eaten crawfish in New Orleans so I can not compare to that. What I am comparing to is the crawfish I ate at The Boiling Crab (Garden Grove CA locations, http://www.theboilingc...) where the crawfish is served smothered in one of four seasoning sauces, or all 4 mixed together, resulting in flavors that explode in your mouth, permeate the corn that is dunked in the sauces and flavors the chunks of sausage floating amongst the crawfish.
I was sadly disappointed in the crawfish at My Brother's Crawfish. I so wanted to find a great place in Portland, and from the reviews, my expectations were high. I ordered 2 lbs, spicey, with sausage and corn. When the dish arrived, it looked OK, though the corn was evenly yellowed, when I expected it to be mottled with the colors from the boil liquid. Same with the sausage, also probably not steeped in the boil sauces and spices. The initial bite of crawfish was spicey (which I like) but the flavor fell flat. It did not taste bad, I'm not saying that. It just didn't explode with flavors. The little flavor it did have was just unimpressive. The corn was, well just corn with no flavor other than corn. The sausage was tasty, but as any sausage might be. It was not packed with flavors from the boil.
The waiter/bartender (Brad) was super-friendly, and the environment was great, what one might expect. Unfortunately -- compared to The Boiling Crab -- MBC disappointed me.
This place is totally a dive, but so what? Yes it's in a strip mall, and yes the bathroom is in a back hallway that is super sketchy, shared by the other stores in the strip mall, and yes there was a stack of boxes taller than me that I walked past, but the food is good, and I can walk there from my house! The ambiance is laid back and a little dark, but with the right crowd, that would be a very good thing. The server was this super cute boy with great ink and hair, and he actually was a good waiter, which helps.
The food was satisfying, but a little off the make when it comes to authentic cajun food. It was almost too "clean". There was no grease and the veggies were still crunchy. Especially when you consider the modern plating, it seemed to have a curious Asian influence.
We loved the extensive menu, and I was super happy that I could pair my meal with an authentic NOLA brew.
The price was reasonable, especially for drinks.
I would definitely come here again, and will probably bring guests!
Okay, so I'm not a Cajun aficionado, but this shiz was tasty.
After reading the other reviews a girlfriend and I decided to give it a quick taste test before we went to a movie. We were kind of short on time as it was 5:20 & the movie started at 6:10, but that was never an issue. I didn't even have to mention it.
We sat down & this adorable teenager came over & asked after our beverage order & gave us menus. I asked if they had a happy hour menu & she said they did & brought us that menu too. She told us that they were out of crawfish (late shipment) but that they still had the etouffee & that they had blue crab that was not on the menu in its place for $6.99 per lb. It took us a bit to decide what we were going to get (read: we are girls) but we finally decided on the HH popcorn shrimp $1.95, the etouffee $10.99, & a side of the gumbo $4.95. this was more than enough for 2 people and we still had a bit of leftovers. Bonus.
The etouffee was kind of spectacular.... next time I go back I'm going to ask them to add sausage & then it'll be perfect. Cause you know sausage makes the world go round. The gumbo was aight, the popcorn shrimp were tasty & plentiful & I didn't even have to adjust their cocktail sauce which is a first. I tried a dark Abita beer & it was delicious. All of this and the bill was $19.50... Holy Diver that's rad.
I don't work too far away so I inquired whether they were open for lunch, oddly she said only on Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday. Curious, but definitely good for me because if I eat etouffee everyday I'm going to look like Emeril, and then I'll be gettin it from Martha Stewart on the side & lord knows I don't need THAT kind of crazy.
The best thing on the menu is the seafood boil. I get crawfish, corn on the cob, blue crab and andouille sausage in the spicy boil. It's hot, but it's not going to kill you. If you're not used to blue crab, let me tell you what to expect... They're much smaller than dungeoness crab, so they are a lot more work getting the meat out, but in my opinion, it's much better tasting. The crawfish are good too, but be warned, they do run out occasionally as the little critters are shipped for cajun country. Checking the website is always a good idea to see what they have, but if it hasn't been updated in a while, call ahead and they will reserve some for you if they are running low, that's what we did yesterday and our bellys were happy. The boil isn't limited to what I got, you can get dungeoness, king crab legs, mussels, clams and shrimp as well, so even if they are out of crawdads, you can still get a good feed...
The other things I like on the menu are the catfish bites, dredged in cornmeal and spices, then fried to a golden brown. The sides of red beans and rice and dirty rice are my personal favs. My friend that dislikes the crustaceans got the chicken and sausage jambalaya and that stuff was really good too, not as good as the crawdads...
There's a full bar, but I stuck to the Abita beer, if you're eating cajun food, why not drink cajun beer?
This place was jumping for a saturday night and the service wasn't that bad at all. They actually brought us a pitcher of water so we wouldn't do thirsty, and my beer was never empty, so I was happy. The place is kinda dark and kinda loud, not that it's bad, just might not be a place for a first date... It's definitely one of my favorites...
Crawfish on the Avenue of Roses! That's what I'm talking about.
I lived in New Orleans for four years and can vouch for the brothers' cooking. The crawfish boil we had was spicy and delicious. It's not really traditional, newspaper on a piece of plywood crawfish, but really I was just excited to find fresh good crawfish.
The catfish bites are perfect, they show real knowledge of down on the bayou cooking skills.
The drinks are good, and they have three varieties of Abita which was scientifically developed to go with crawfish heads.
Only sadness came from the corn, which was tasty but soggy. But 82nd is a lot closer to where I live than Frankie and Jonny's so I deal with it.
If you're in search of a restaurant with superior food, great environment, and high quality and down to earth employees, My Brother's Crawfish is direction you need to be steering towards.
The crawfish boil is nothing short of exceptional - rich in flavors and textures with the addition of tantalizing add-ons such as red potatoes, mushrooms, and corn on the cob.
What strikes me is that this restaurant is the perfect environment to watch a basketball game yet kid-friendly enough to serve a family of five.
As said earlier, this place is a GEM. If you're on the fence about whether or not to stop in for a bite, trust me when I say you will not be disappointed.
My love for crawfish has interfered with my desire to try anything else but I have heard that the many other dishes served at MBC do not shy in comparison to the crawfish boil.
Bottom line?
Food? Check.
People? Check.
Setting? Check.
What else is there?
Just got back from My Brothers Crawfish.
Read Don B's review for the whereabouts and interior and the Etouffee.
One line history:
---------------------
Four Vietnamese brothers who grew up in Houston, TX eating crawfish are behind this, two youngest own the place and recipes are from one of the older ones, hence the name!
Authenticity:
---------------
H O H Did you get that?
\ | /
H - -CO - S - OC - - H What I am trying to say is, Southern Food is
/ | \ like Organic Chemistry to me! I like it,
H O H I understand, I can pick it up but I didn't grow up with it. So you probably don't want me to talk about the authenticity.
Menu:
-------
Take a look at this for the menu with the prices: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Food:
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I thought I was gonna be the 1st one to review this so wanted to sample a few things. (Since Don B took that honors I want Yelp to reimburse half of the $36 I spent...am serious...don't laugh)
Pound of crawfish boil [$7.99, market price]:
Opted for mild (wimpy girlfriend). I was told that since its not peak season yet the crawfish are tiny. I thought seasoning was perfect and the dipping sauce was good with a spicy kick.
Cajun fried catfish [$10.99]:
Comes w/ fries (not bad) and cole slaw (usual). But the fish itself was good and portion was big. It was crisp outside (cornmeal) and tender inside. It would have liked it a bit spicier but hey that's why they got hot sauce right?
Side of Jambalaya [$4.99]:
Loved it, cooked perfectly with spicy sausage and chicken. Some of the best I've ever had (remember I didn't grow up w/ Organic Chemistry). For a side could be easily shared between two.
Side of corn bread [$1.49]:
Slightly sweet and that's how I like it.
Beignets [$3.49]:
You get 3 warm miniature pillows dusted w/ powdered sugar. Perfect way to end.
Misc:
------
No liquor license yet, so only bottled beers for now. Got Abita but no Hurricane though.
I liked everything and service was good so five crawfishy stars!
5/15/2998 Update:
------------------------
Been here 4 times now and extremely consistent. They have added s'wichs and burgers to the menu. Full bar.
Hits: Crawfish, Jambalaya, Fried oysters, Blackened catfish, Etoufee, Corn bread and Beignets
Miss: Gumbo.
We heard about this from a friend, so we went to check it out. We went one Saturday afternoon. Not a lot of people there. The guy who was waiting on us was great. Was very upbeat, joked around, and made great recommendations. I highly recommend the drink Purple Rain. I had the blackened catfish and my wife had the sausage gumbo and both were excellent. We will definitely be back!
I'm so confused right now.
So I live in 'Chinatown East', which is basically a fancier name for the 82nd and Division ghetto. This area is becoming dominated by Chinese and other Asian influences, and I am loving every bit of it. Across from my house is a little center that has Good Taste, Karma Cafe, Jin Jin Deli, Marisa Thai and some random Asian shops. The newest addition is a place called "My Brother's Crawfish". This is an interesting addition to what is predominantly a very Asian dominated strip mall. The restaurants in this strip mall are by Asians, for Asians. In comes a Southern joint??
Upon entry, the physical plant looks nice and new. Slick, dark colors, dark tables, and low light. The joint is split in two - one side is a clean looking bar, the other a small restaurant. The menu is short, and dominated by, guess what? CRAWFISH.
So...What's so confusing? The menu is full on southern, and this place is run by, you guessed it, Asians. Now, this is not a problem, per se, but it is very perplexing. When I walk into a southern place, I am always comforted to hear a drawl coming from the kitchen. This revelation causes some trepidation deep in my soul. The same type of trepidation I find when I see Caucasians cooking Mexican food in Portland. Plus, this is just one of those combinations that just doesn't seem to fit... like cheese and apple pie.
Oh well, I'm here, I might as well order some southern food... so I get the crawfish etouffee. The price is a steep $10.99, but I figure it's going to be chock full of big crawfish, so that will make up for it....right? Uh, never mind. The pile of rice was large, and the serving of corn bread was tasty and decent sized, but the serving of the etouffee itself was just 'ok'. The crawfish in the etouffee were small,and simply not that overwhelming. The stew itself? Eh, it was ok. Good, but not great. For a strip-mall place on 82nd, and for the serving size, I kinda felt ripped off. There should have been about twice as much, or the price should have been halved.
They do have some decent beers available, including some Abita beer (brewed in Louisiana), so I can tell they are trying very, very hard.
The service was friendly and nice. However, the place was empty, and they seated me in front of the kitchen window, so I kinda felt like I had eyes on me the whole time I was eating. Eyes of bored servers, eyes of bored cooks. In Asia, staring is not rude. Guess some things are lost in translation. It doesn't bother me so much, because i have done a decent amount of traveling, and being a gigantic white dude in China makes one an instant celebrity. But still, it does kinda make me feel less comfortable than if I weren't being stared at.
I do want to go back and try the crawfish boil. It does look tasty. But if they can't pull that off well, I'm not sure what business they have charging the prices they are for what they serve in that location.
The 3-star rating hangs precariously in the balance... the true test will be a crawfish boil. We'll see if they can get something right.
I honestly don't understand why the ethnicity of the owners matters here. My husband and I went last night and had a fabulous time. We shared the etouffee, a pound of crawfish, a couple beers, and beignets all for 32 bucks. I would have gladly paid more for the quality of the food and the service.
I understand that this place just opened last month, so I was surprised to see everything running so smoothly. The service could not have been friendlier and the food arrived quickly and at the perfect temperature.
We got the spicy crawfish boil and my lips are still burning. I highly recommend it, just make sure you get some beer and cornbread to wash it down.
We'll definitely be back.
Oh. My. Gawwwwwwwwwd!!!! I think I should start paying some of their rent, I basically live here now.
This place is positively insane and probably my favorite restaurant in all of Portland. I've taken… Read more »
I have gone once when they first opened and have yet to return. not that it was baddd....just didn't stick out to me.
the crawfish was ok, not out of this world but decent. the cornbread was another story---OMG these little yellow squares were soooo tasty, so much so that i have comtemplated coming back and ordering JUST the cornbread to go!!! is that so wrong? : )
the space is really clean, and everyone that works there was extremely nice and attentive. i believe this is a family owned business, i hope they have much success! they do have a diff theme to the more usual asian-owned resturants.
I have now been there about 5 times and have to kick the rating up to 5 stars. The menu gets better, the service, which is always good, is even better and most importantly, they are knocking it out of the park with the food. Every thing I try is great, the oysters, the gumbo, the crawfish, oy.... Next, I have to try the dungeness crab boil. Business appears to be good, despite the horrid local economy. But don't take my word for it, try the place out for yourself. Nothing better for a crappy, wet day than a bit of heat in your seafood, perfectly presented. I have eaten in New Orleans and these guys are right up there in quality and authenticity.
Yep, the owners are Asian..... Just like a huge amount of the fisherman/crawfish farmers now… Read more »
Just wow! .. Been through Portland a few times so I am used to the regular Thai and Sushi spots.. but this little slice of they Bayou blew me away.. Étouffer, Gumbo and Jambalaya!?? all killer dishes! Our server Anne(Ann) was super friendly and whipped up some amazing Bloddy Marys as well!.. added to my Portland must eats for all future visits. Great Micro Brews too!.. I believe I enjoyed a few Purple Hazes as well.. thats right!.. Don't Judge Me! :)
I went here after reading the Yelp reviews and positive comments in Portland Monthly. Bottom line: I'd go there 24/7 if I had the opportunity. I had the crawfish etouffee and it made me flash back to my many trips to New Orleans - just awesome (w/yummy cornbread on the side too). I really hate to write anything negative about this place, but the service was really slow. Some of the folks that came in (like us) were confused and wondering when anyone was going to wait on them. Nonetheless, the food was stellar and worth the wait. Side note: I didn't have the crawfish broil (yet), because we had that at Jake's Crawfish a few nights before (and I was still getting over the disappointment of that - but, that's another review!)
i love it. i'm from vancouver bc, and when i have the time i will drive 6 hrs to come eat here. it is definite A++++. good crawfish, and friendly service. i'll be heading down after exams. yum
I don't see what all the hype is about. I lived in N'awlins for four years before moving to PDX, so was very happy to see this place. We ordered what we thought would be quite a bit of food--the etouffer, fried oyster dinner, side of cornbread, but the portions were small and we were still hungry $35 dollars later.
We live between this place and the Delta (of which I am NOT a huge fan) but we had eaten at the Delta recently and their same menu items tasted better and were a better value. NOTE: We got our food take-out. Maybe it's different if you eat in.
Blackened Catfish Plate = 4 stars
Seafood Gumbo = 3.5 stars
Atmosphere = 3 stars
Service 3 stars
Value = 3 stars
The wife and I were excited to give this a try after reading the reviews. Unfotunately, the Sunday we visited, they were understaffed. The 2 people that were serving the small dining room were working hard, but they could barely keep up with the large party and the 3-4 smaller parties that were there. One couple walked out and the large party was getting impatient. The food was good but seemed a little pricey for the portions (I'm comparing it to Cracker Barrel). Another table ordered crawfish and it looked impressive. We may give it another chance in the unlikely event we are in the area.
Get your hands dirty and eat craw fish! It's damn good.
slurp. sniffle. slurp. ahhhh, those VN bros sho know their creole food. 15 min into the meal crayfish juices were flying across the table, tears pouring out of our pink eyes. no, "spicy" is not pacific NW spicy. the crayfish boil is a great dish to share and will make you cry for joy and sniffle from the thermonuclear spice. those who don't share well with others should go for the jambalaya because any appendages that appear in front of it will be gone...one way or another {chomp}. and yes, it's true, the fried catfish is just as flaky & crispy as they say. {smack} try the Abita Purple Haze, you'll be licking the bottle and anything else within a 2ft radius! yes, it is spendier but you get what you pay for and with 3 gluttons 3 entrees had us bulging like bloated ticks with leftovers for 2 more meals. no beignets for desserts because they were gobbled before we arrived. next time i'm bringing my hollow leg!
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Cajun/Creole
Neighborhood: Woodstock
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Mississippi
Category: Cajun/Creole
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Fast Food
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