Mudbugs Cajun Cafe

Excellent menu across the board. Be sure to check out the daily specials for a great bargin.

Very confused by the low star rating! This place is awesome!
Quick ordering and quick delivery of food.
Personable staff. I believe yesterday I may have been talking with the owner, whom is originally from Nola. I love a nice little chat to get to know people better.
Yummy cajun/​creole food.
Yesterday was my second visit. I had the chicken courtbullion after a sample won me over. According to the interwebz courtbullion is a method for poaching foods using a flavored liquid. I would say it is very similar to étouffée in looks and consistency, but I think it may have more flour involved. Contains tomatoes, green peppers, large chunks of chicken, and lots of spice! A side of bread made for a great extra utensil for soaking up all that flavorful sauce. Mmmmm! Mmmmm!
The five stars was awarded because of value. My boyfriend and I both had enough food to make us quite full and we ordered two drinks for right at $ 20. A steal, folks.
Note that they have outdoor seating, which yesterday was a very nice addition as it was a 70 degree day in February! Also location right in the heart of the Carmel arts district makes for great people watching!

First time in, first bite in to my pork po boy and I’m in heaven. Coleslaw was a great choice for a side – it’s tangy and sweet. I’m not a fan of too sweet or too much vinegar, but this is a great mix of both. I added a side of hush puppies out of sheer hunger, and I’m glad I did. They came with a tartar-​sauce type dip that makes them so much better than just plain dough balls. I’ll definitely be back!

Finally a Po’ Boy north of the Mason-​Dixon worth eating. Just wish it was bigger and used shredded lettuce; may order two next time. Abita beer selection a must for Cajun. Can’t wait to see what the come up with when the crawfish are in season.

Dirty rice is tasty. red beans and rice is on point. However the rice was a bit dried and overcooked from being in the rice cooker. I liked the dirty rice better here. Hope to try a po boy or gumbo on future visit.

I spent a long weekend in New Orleans a few years ago and had beignets several times, and I had to say the ones at Mudbugs are better than any one I had in New Orleans. They make them fresh when you order them. Such sugary powdery goodness!
I also really enjoy the hushpuppies with the remoulade sauce. I usually am not a sauce person, but like to dip them in it. The pork Po’Boy is always a must when I go. The meat is so flavorful! The Shrimp Étouffée and Crawfish Casserole are also very good!
They have a nice outdoor seating area and a pretty spacious indoor area as well. You order at the counter and they bring it to you. The owner is super nice and I swear is always there. You can follow their FB page to learn about the specials. They do a fun gator day where they show a movie and have gator foods!

One of my all time favorite places to eat in Carmel. I have been going to Mudbugs for years. The pick 3 combo is a great option to try several of the dishes. My last visit I had the Chicken Po’Boy on some french bread and the great tasting remoulade sauce. The Chicken Courtbouillon is a nice spicy stew with tomatoes and chicken over rice. And my 3^rd choice was the Jambalaya. They have the best Jambalaya in town.
Don’t forget to get an order of hush puppies and Beignets. You can order your Beignets with your food and they will make them when your ready. They come out HOT and fresh and so tasty!

Quaint little spot right on Main Street. Walk up to order and then they serve you if seated. Great set up with being able to choose 3 side dishes as an entrée for $ 10.
Our food was served quickly to us as we sat outside. We unfortunately didn’t get to try the hush puppies or beignets but that will definitely have to happen next time!

I’ve never had Cajun food before (not counting one ill-​fated experience at Yats), so this review may not be accurate considering my lack of knowledge & experience. That being said, I enjoyed our dinner.
The boyfriend & I arrived around 5pm on a Tuesday & it was completely empty, which made me feel less awful for lingering over the menu. I decided on a simple shrimp po’ boy while the better half went for the pick 3 combo, which included half of a po’ boy, the crawfish casserole, & shrimp etoufffee. Mine was good! Just a simple shrimp sandwich with a side of potato salad. Of course, I had to try all of the boyfriend’s choices, my favorite being the casserole. For dessert, we shared the small order of beignets, which just seemed to melt in your mouth.
The place was clean, the staff helpful enough, & the food was fantastic. So fantasic, in fact, that earlier this week the boyfriend said, «I could really go for some Mudbugs right now,» as we crawled in to bed for the night. It’s safe to say that we’ll be back.

It’s a nice little location with some yummy Cajun. I always tend to dislike places that have their menu on a chalkboard because I feel this unfounded pressure to make a decision. As a result I ended up with the red beans and rice which was ok. My boyfriend had the jambalaya which definitely had a better flavor profile (not «spicy» but a good balance of spices). But it was a bit watery. The bread and my rice made quick work of the excess liquid but I think we both were expecting something a little different. I will highly recommend the hush puppies (they have corn in them and they come with yummy sauce) and the beignets. We had all of the above and a fountain drink for about $ 25 which is really nice. It’s a good lunch or casual dinner; better if you sit outside and people watch.

Stopped in for a quick take out. Ordered the black eyed peas jambalaya. Asked if it was really spicy. Server said no, you can add your own spice. I have a medium spice tolerance and it is so hot after 3 bites my lips are on fire. But my bigger complaint is that it’s is a small portion for $ 6.95 and it’s ALL RICE. It’s a bowl full of seasoned rice with a few, very few peas or vegetables! What a rip off!

Double shrimp PoBoy is amazing!!! The food is made with love! Way better than Yatz and a better variety!!!
Staff is also friendly and polite. Win win.

I worked here for a few months several years ago when I lived in the area for a short period of time. I fell in love with the food here, and I probably spent a good chunk of my paycheck on take out orders. As bizarre as it sounds, even after about five years, I still have dreams about this place every once in a while… or rather, looking for it. But it’s always closed or relocated. Haha
I have yet to find a place quite like it.
Also, although I cannot speak to the current conditions/​staff, when I worked there the kitchen was very sanitary, and the food was always freshly made with high quality ingredients. The owners took great pride in their food and genuinely cared about their customers.

Love the location. The food is excellent and fresh. I had a special that was creamy tomato-​y chicken over fried catfish. Don’t hate me, I can’t pronounce the name of the dish. It was dare I say– better than Yats. I can’t believe I waited this long to try this place!

This is a good place for a quick bite to eat. We got the pick three with dirty rice, pork and rice and BBQ pork po boy. The po boy was great, but I wouldn’t get the rice and pork again. It was a little bland. The beignets were also a bit bland. I had to go back and try to get more powdered sugar for it. But it wasn’t bad for $ 4.
My friend had the shrimp étouffée. It was very rich. She was glad she got the small. It’s a different type of étouffée than yatz.
The hushpuppies were just right with a crispy outside and soft interior and they came with a delicious aioli.
I want to come back when they do their crawfish boil specials and try other items on the menu. I wonder if I just didn’t order the right stuff this time.

A friend treated me to lunch at Mudbugs and I am pleased she introduced me to this DT Carmel treat. We sat outside on a beautiful afternoon, and started with their sampler plate since I had never been to the restaurant. A good choice as we sampled eight or so different dishes — just a couple bites of each — then picked our favorites for a Pick Three to share. Hits included the Shrimp Étouffée, the Dirty Rice, Red Beans and Rice, and a shredded pork dish over rice. If you’ve not tried Cajun Food, or Mudbugs, I highly recommend the sampler platter as a way to try a good number of items. It could even be used as an ‘appetizer’ with a couple of drinks if you are not particularly hungry.

I had good expectations.
Walked in this afternoon after trying to drop my bass off next door, but the music store wasn’t open yet. Decided to try Mudbugs since I’ve been putting it off for some time now. As I approached the counter, the man behind it asked if there was a machine gun in my case. Really? It’s a guitar, have you never seen a guitar case before? I asked if he wanted to bet on it. Idiot.
Despite the ignorance, I went ahead and ordered. I had read that the crawfish casserole was award winning, so it was an easy choice. I placed my order and had a seat.
The food arrived quickly, and I made my first observation. The casserole was more like a risotto, which I thought was a fun play on the word. Unfortunately, the rice was insanely overcooked, the texture literally made me dry heave. I’m sure had it have been prepared correctly it would have been good, but it wasn’t and it was terrible. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that I’ve eaten recently that was that bad. I understand people mess up, but don’t serve the overcooked and disgusting product.
I’ll never be back, what came out on my plate was unacceptable. Highly recommend trying anywhere else.

Had a «free day» on MLK day, so I thought I would treat myself to lunch up in Carmel. While I think I may have had one of their beignets in the past, I never sat down and had a meal at Mudbugs.
First off, what a great location on Carmel’s little «miracle mile» right off Rangeline on Main St. Carmel has done some exciting things over the past decade and this district is one of them.
The service is warm and welcoming. I felt at home instantly. That’s a very good feeling.
As for the grub, I ordered «Miss Ann’s Crawfish Casserole» and it lived up to its Award Winning reputation. A wonderful blend of spices that just worked beautifully.
For a little treat, I just had to order their beignets. Piping hot and delicious.
All in all, my Mudbugs lunch was pitch perfect. I look forward to a return visit to try some of their other dishes.

We love Mudbugs Cajun Café!
On this visit it was gator day. A few times a year they serve gator. They have gator chili, gator & sausage jambalaya & gator po’ boys.
I crave the gator chili… It is a red chili with kidney beans and gator. It also come with 2 pieces of sliced baguette. A regular bowl is $ 8.95 and $ 4.95 for a small.
Kyle got a small gator chili and a small gator & sausage jambalaya. We also got a order of hush-​puppies. They are a must for me, Kyle is not a fan.
For dessert was got 4 beignets aka Cajun donuts. They were so good. They are deep fried dough with a half of a inch of powdered sugar on top. They also have a cinnamon sugar or a chocolate sugar you can put on them yourself.
The table next to us just got beignets and coffee. So they are worth the trip.
So I say if you are in Carmel in the Arts district stop in and say hi to the Ragin Cajun Roy & his wife Princess. I know we will.

I’m a Hoosier. I love Cajun food. Hell, I love any kind of ethnic/​specialty food that breaks the monotony of Midwest meat and potatoes. My ex wife and I even honeymooned in Nola to soak in the culture and cuisine of the area. That being said, every restaurant that we went to while there wasn’t the most incredible food experience we ever had, and to think every place is magical is a gross misinterpretation of fact.
This brings me to Mudbugs. I went there for the first time today, and I was very pleased with the gumbo. It wasn’t spicy at all, but the depth of flavor really brought back the memories of the cuisine down in Louisiana. I agree with previous reviewers that understand the limits of the average Midwestern palate. What this place represents is a symbol of the Gulf flavors that is still marketable to those who weren’t raised with it.
I will be back to try more from the menu. The gentleman at the counter was quite helpful in the first-​timer tour (although i didn’t know about the sampling until I had already ordered), and the prices are very reasonable. So, you keep paying $ 9 for the same ridiculo-​burger and fries. I’ll come here and pay the same amount for some memories of one of my favorite vacations and a good quality meal at the same time.