Still no place in San Diego that has better gumbo than here! Visit the haunted dining room or eat in the enclosed patio, the ambiance is amazing! Mark and Humberto really are the best, and if you have the time make a day of it and visit the adjacent Whaley House Museum for some spooky history
I have been craving AUTHENTIC Creole food for so long. Finally had a chance to visit this place and it did not disappoint! The gumbo, jambalaya, and shrimp creole were all absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. The staff was accommodating and the chef even came out to talk to us - just like we were guests in his home. This is some serious down home Louisiana cooking. I will definitely be back for more! Thanks, Mark!
Creole pizzazz in SoCal
Old Town San Diego usually means lots of great Mexican food. But, if you want a change of “taste” you’ve got to give this funky little restaurant a try. It does a fabulous job of creating a Louisiana vibe and dishing out excellent NOLA style cuisine. Give it try.
Awesome food :)
Awesome food,excellent service. Best food experience we had in the US. Recommended to all who would like to try southern cuisine.
Delicous authentic New Orleans cuisine! The red beans and rice was amazing and they even had Abita beer. The andouille sausage had the perfect level of spice.
Sooo sooo delicious! I highly recommend the blackened alligator sausage, BBQ shrimp, and fried shrimp. Great authentic atmosphere and very friendly staff
I live in new orleans, grew up with chef mark, the guy loves to cook and smooze about food. I enjoyed the quaint setting, very ole south a bit of home in ca. Bring a big appetite!!! Come for comfort food!
Speaking from experience as a native Louisiana girl, it's good food and big servings! Try the shrimp poboy, it's delicious.
Gumbo was perfect. Red beans and rice needed a touch of sass (and salt) but a quick fix made it just right. Outside dining was lovely.
Music was outstanding. Live blues!! Crab cakes, catfish, and scalops were delicious. Gumbo was just ok because Roux needs some work. Service was great!
Hard to find but once you get there the food was great!
Po boy sandwiches were not po it was very rich and good I love their bread
A hidden gem, we've been to Louisiana and have tasted authentic Creole food and this place replicates that exactly, the crawfish and gumbo are really good. Set back off the road you be careful you don't walk past it.
They were about to close when we arrived since it was a quiet night as they said. But they were SO nice that they opened the restaurant for us and still accommodated us. Outside of the amazingly friendly service and the place that makes you feel like home, the food was way beyond expectation and great. I specifically recommend Crawfish Etouffee and French Onion Soup - you won’t be disappointed!
New Orleans Creole Cafe is worth your time and Taste Buds! This restaurant is situated in a nice quiet spot in Old Town San Diego. The Nice and Amazing gentlemen that runs this establishment is the cook and server so you may have to wait a little longer than normal, but trust me it’s well worth the wait! For appetizer’s I ordered the Blackened Alligator Sausage and my wife ordered the French Onion Soup, house salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. For the main course I ordered the Crawfish Etouffee and my wife ordered the Dark Roux Gumbo, we stopped halfway through the meal to make room for the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce which makes your tastebuds jump with joy and pleasure. This nice cozy restaurant has a special atmosphere of its own and is well worth your time and tastebuds. My wife and I will be back for sure.
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A little bit of New Orleans in San Diego. We tried to get into this restaurant on our last trip to San Diego pre-Covid and hit on a day it was closed. Fast forward two years later and we found it open on our first post-Covid foray into the world. We tried calling for reservations with no luck and it turns out the restaurant is a 2 person operation and they were running a little late. There was one other couple waiting at the door at opening and we were seated outside. We ordered the Red Beans and Rice, Dark Roux Gumbo, and the Crawfish Etouffee. They offer a petite portion which we ordered and the size was perfect for sharing 3 dishes 3 way. Each dish was perfectly spiced and the flavors reminded us of being at our favorite restaurants in NOLA. The Crawfish Etouffee was our favorite with the crawfish being tender and the dish being so well balanced. The Dark Roux Gumbo was a close second with the combination of peppers in the roux being beautifully flavorful. Paired it all up with an Abita Purple Haze and we could have been sitting in a garden courtyard in NOLA having dinner. Very highly recommended!
This place is absolutely delicious! We’ve recently been to new Orleans and felt like having good Louisiana food and New Orleans Creole Cafe was just perfect in every way! We are really happy we picked this place and we highly recommend it to anyone craving good Louisiana food. We tried the crawfish étouffée and jambalaya, both dishes were delicious :) we are definitely coming back!
By far the best dining experience I have had while visiting San Diego. While I enjoy the great seafood and numerous mexican food restaurants this was a pleasant change. Being from the south I have had my share of Creole food and I have to say this was OUTSTANDING. The love put into the food and service by Mark and Humberto made our stop the best of our trip. Give the Camellia Red Beans and Rice, Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo, and the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce a try. You will be licking your lips and planning your next trip. I HIGHLY recommend this amazing dining facility to all who visit San Diego. Seek out the location, you will not be disappointed.
We had such a lovely experience!! Delicious food, I got the BBQ Shrimp and Rice (it was divine!!!), the kindest folks, the quaintest little place, and the best service! Go to the kitchen door to ask for a table!
This is a great restaurant with fantastic food. The food and the service was amazing. Very friendly and welcoming. We have been coming here for many years during our vacation, and usually make it to the restaurant twice so we can take some of this deliciousness home with us. Highly recommend checking it out!
The food and service here was excellent. The chef was very nice and attentive and had no complaints even though my husband and I lingered through closing time. Even offered to make us dessert despite being closed. Truly exceptional.
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Wow! I haven’t loved a restaurant in a long time. This place is special. It is quaint, you hardly know it is there. There are only 6 tables (4 that seats 4, and 2 that seats 2/3). The owner (i think) was also the greeter, the waiter, bus-boy and chef! He was very kind to explain that the bbq shrimp we wanted for our kid with his homemade bbq sauce had medium heat. Instead, he suggested we do the rice and beans, but instead of the spicy sausages, sub with shrimp (which were colossal). Baby-girl ate that up! My husband had the gumbo and enjoyed it. I had the crawfish etouffee and was reluctant to share it! Haha. Btw, i ordered the petite etouffee and it was plenty for me. We also got milk for our kid; i believe a large glass was only $1.50. The owner was kind and took time to explain how he cooked his food, so you could understand the flavor profiles. He also served us fresh warm bread with some butter. We are from out of town, but i want to try squeeze in another meal at this place! Love!!
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