Nubian Queen Lola's Cajun Soul Food

Can I just say that while this experience isn't for everyone, I L.O.V.E.D. this place!

Things to note:
- It isn't in a popular area, so prepare to drive there or take a bus (like I did) - the area is pretty quiet (like really realllly quiet - almost creepily so).
- Queen Lola is not always home ... I mean, she might be, but just maybe call and check before going.
- There are sometimes kids/etc in her house just chilling. Don't stress too much ... they're always super polite and helpful.

Ok so basically I loved everything about this place. The house (and it is a house) is very quaint, and the food is soooooo good. Lola will tell you if there's anything on the menu not available that day.

As for the food ... first of all the cornbread (more like a corn disk) is sooooooooooooooo good! Top 5 in my life fo sho!

We also had the gumbo and it was amazing. Did it have bones in it? yes ... was it heavy? yes. Do i regret it? No sir I do not.

I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a unique find that's popular but also off the radar.

Stay Cheerful ;)

Lola moved to Taylor Texas, about 30 minute northEast of Austin
https://www.facebook.com/NubianQueenLolasCajunSoulFoodCafe/

Brought the whole family (from out of town) due to the fact that this is one of my favorite places to eat. It was closed with no sign to call. The open sign was on and the lights were off. We were there during normal business hours. I get the "call us if door locked" sign and they can show up at some point BUT I called and nothing. No sign at all. I'm pissed because I brought the whole family and have touted this place since I have eaten here.

I'm here right now and I think I've died and gone to food heaven. I never want to leave!!!

I ordered the shrimp po'boy and it was gigantic and came with onion rings. My husband got the crawfish etoufee, smothered potatoes, yam and cornbread. Both dishes were huge portions and amazing!! We couldn't finish the meals which is unheard of. And the jug o' sweet Cajun tea was refreshing. I need to come here more!

Like everyone else in the world after ACL, I was feeling a bit under the weather. What better food to cure that than Lola's Southern Cooking? I came in with my friend and we were told to pick a table. We were instantly greeted and served Kool Aid while we reviewed the menu. My friend and I shared Crawfish Etouffee with Candied Yams and Smothered Okra as well as Fried Chicken wings with Potatoes and Collard Greens.

Lola took our order, then went back and prepared it. It was delectable! Lola is so sweet, and not only that, she cooks for the homeless! I will definitely revisit and encourage others to do so.

Reminder: It is cash only.

I came all the way from Washington state just to eat here. I was not disappointed. Very nice people. Their cornbread is the best I have ever had and shaped like a pancake making it easy to eat also. IF YOU WANT HOME MADE FOOD THAT TASTES GOOD THIS IS THE PLACE.
Yes is cash only so be prepared.

We went on a Friday evening before close. They were all out of gumbo, but I ordered jambalaya. It was so good, I finished it in minutes! I got a large and it was plenty to eat, along with two sides. Gotta love red beans and rice.

We were surprised when we walked in. It was small, and it was shared dining. It felt like we were in someone's living room. With beads hanging from the ceiling, and tons of random decor, it was as really a fun experience.

There is an ATM at the gas station down the street if you need cash. Good service, great people. Can't wait to come back for that gumbo!

Is it really closed? It has been damn near impossible to find her actually open and serving food. So annoying. Managed to catch her serving food recently with a friend from out of town and he said it was his favorite thing the whole trip. Hoping somehow that yelp is wrong, but I guess I know in my heart there's no way to keep a business open without selling food. Keep up the good work, Lola.

I'm not sure what kind of criteria people use for reviewing this place or if it's just some sick joke I'm not in on...but Lola's Restaurant is nowhere even close to the 4/5 stars that it's getting.

It seems that people go here more so to "support the cause" rather than eat the food which would be fine except this place is a restaurant and not some kind of rally. Many people read yelp to get an idea of the food/atmosphere they might encounter. And with that kind of criteria, that is how I'm reviewing this place.

Pros: If the New Orleans style decor is your thing, then this place is authentic from wall to wall. From her website (http://nubianqueenlolas.com/), she has different pics of the interior. It now has alot of Obama portraits, Christian images, and random sports team paraphernalia. The cajun ice tea is a sweet blend of ice tea, pineapple and peach/mango juice.

Cons: The food is just not very good. Dishes are either served in a styrofoam cup or plate. The gumbo contains bones/cartilage/you name it. For the most part, the food was "Cajun" thanks to Tony Chachere. The tables are rather dirty as the scraps from previous diners are often left on the cloth table mats. Your hair, clothes, and skin will smell of the oils because the circulation is horrible inside. The gumbo, et toufette, and po boys were all $11+.

Meeting such a humanitarian like Queen Lola is an honor. She has a great personality, friendly, and seemly genuinely interested in you when you walk in. And my review of this place is no knock against her and what she does. But for the food and atmosphere, this place ranks among the worst.

Bang of Buck: 2/10

If I were to give a review for the owners social work and community efforts it would be 5 stars.

But if we're talking specifically the food then this place deserves a one star, which is difficult to do.

I love authentic creole food, but this is far from that. Everything just taste like salt and is very, very dirty. There was a mini roach in the corn, the fish tasted extra fishy (spoiled). The collard greens tasted rancid and so did the crawfish. The only saving grace of the meal that was decent was the cornbread.

While it's admirable to feed the homeless, I ultimately, after eating the food, also felt homeless. My soul completely left my body and I lost my faith in god. I also got food poisoning. Probably one of the worst meals I've ever had, and I usually have a very open mind when it comes to hole in the wall food places.