Randol’s Cajun Restaurant

I have not eaten at Randol’s for a while but the last time I did go, which was probably about 4 or 5 years ago, I thought the food was fantastic. I am reading these reviews and I agree that not everyone will like the taste of the food at different places. There are places that I have eaten that I did not like the taste of the food for one reason or another. That doesn’t mean that it is not good to the next person. I saw one review where a person commented on the crawfish being dead (there tails were straight). Obviously you are not coonass enough to know that that is not the reason for the tail being straight. The crawfish tail was just too close to the side of the pot and was cooked in a straight position. Knowing what you are talking about is one thing but ignorance of food preparation and trying to write a review is not a good thing.
Randol’s is a good family environment and for the older crowd, a place to go shake a leg to some good old fashioned cajun music. The food and the atmosphere is great, or it was the last time I was there, and I am sure it is now because it is still open and I see the parking lot full all the time. I plan to take my new wife there one day when we have a bit of time to enjoy the atmosphere and food that I so enjoyed so long ago.
If you are going to talk about the food and critique it, at least know what you are talking about. People will at least accept an honest opinion and not a critique from a dummy, ie… the crawfish being dead because of the tail being straight theory.

Music is great! FOOD HORRIBLE SERVICE HORRIBLE. I would only go back for the dance floor and the band!

It is hard to have a bad meal in this state. Service is always friendly and accommodating, and how can you not love a state where everything is either fried or served with a rich sauce and/​or crab on top?!? I have been to fine establishments in New Orleans and hole-​in-​the-​wall diners in Abbeville and never had a bad meal.
Well, Randol’s broke that streak for me. We had a server — actually two because they switched them out in mid-​meal right after we had placed our initial drink orders — who will remain nameless. I support having local college kids work, but if they can’t remember what we ordered or who ordered what, maybe they won’t do so well on the test tomorrow he was studying for near the hostess stand. BTW, this was at 5:30pm (dinner) and we were one of maybe 4 tables seated (i.e. not busy). If I can remember who ordered what at a table of three coworkers, and the fact they asked for a water or catsup, then he should be able to, right? I guess I’ll forgive them that the first server (the one who took the drink order) didn’t tell him what we ordered. So, we had to reorder again.
I had a gumbo that might as well have been swamp water. I think the fryers hadn’t warmed up entirely because our fried shrimp were cold. I didn’t bother complaining because I didn’t want to interrupt his studying.
The coup de grace of why I won’t come back unless I am with my elderly mother is that this place turns into a dance hall around 6:30pm or so. Forget trying to have a conversation. Yes, I understand that this is their schtick, but I came to eat — not dance. The crowd of seniors taking to the dance hall would be endearing, but by that point in the evening, we got our check and went elsewhere for more drinks and food with better service.

We did not eat here so I can’t speak for the food. We came here because they have live music every night. The crowd was over 65 — except for the occasional couple with a lot of toddlers running around.
The music was fantastic
The drinks were cheap

how can you go wrong with a cajun restaurant that has live cajun music ?
very casual. decent gumbo. good music.
if your waiter is Paul. tell him mike v sent ya ;)

Randol’s is a long-​standing tradition in Lafayette. I love to go there and dance to the bands they have. Because of Randol’s we have cajun music EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. They do such a service to the community by having a live band and a dance floor for all to enjoy. Its a great atmopshere especially on Wednesday and Sunday nights.
One of their best dishes is Randol’s «Fresh Catch.» It is blackened fish, fried onions, and Randol’s seafood stuffing on a bed of andouille smothered cabbage, drizzled with a tangy remoulade sauce. I think this is some truly authentic Cajun food that captures the spirit of Cajun eating. It is superbly prepared and some of the best cajun food you can get.
I would love to give them 5 stars, but the seafood gumbo they serve just does not cut it. While the ingredients are of high quality gulf coast seafood (shrimp, crabs, crawfish) it is too salty and does not have the earthy roux taste that I would expect from an establishment right in the heart of Cajun country. The chicken gumbo is better, but at $ 6 for just a tiny little cup its over priced.
The food is a little pricey at Randol’s. Stick with the Fresh Catch and get something for your money, then don’t miss out on all the free music in the «Salle de Danse.»

Great music, decent food and good ambience; we had a very pleasant evening here, including a wiggle on the dance floor. Shuts at nine, arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Asked for extra spicy steamed shrimp, bland, twice baked potato, bland, corn potatoes and sausage that came with the shrimp, bland. I order two of everything and everything was bland. The food had no taste. Not going back.

Went on the recommendation of a local and was not disappointed. Crab fingers app was excellent and the red fish over sautéed cabbage and andouille sausage was phenomenal. My wife loved the crab cakes she ordered. We rarely eat dessert, but I couldn’t pass up the sweet potato pecan pie… Amazing.
Excellent customer service, and with the live music and cold Abita Purple Haze, I couldn’t have asked for a better evening. Highly recommend.

Service was great. Server was great. Food was very tasty but portions for prices paid are not adequate. I ordered the bacon jack chicken and the portion served was more a kid portion not an entrée portion.

Id definitely recommend the corn and crab bisque — perfect combination of spicy and creamy. Delicious!
The rest of the food was good, but I’d probably order something else next time. Confusion with my soup add on made the meal somewhat expensive for its quality, but overall an enjoyable dish with good service and a fun atmosphere with live music.

We went to Randol’s last night on the recommendation of a local. We were interested in cajun food and music. It was a week night so the dance floor was pretty empty but the music was great! Atmosphere was awesome, we felt like we were in a shack near the bayou (in a good way)!!!
We ordered no appetizers because we went for the big seafood platters. My husband ordered crab étouffée and it was lovely! Huge chunks of crab and a very large serving and a side of roasted veggies that were delicious.
Let me first state — I hate fish! But I love fresh shellfish that does not have that old fishy taste to it. I ordered the crawfish sampler, fried crawfish, crawfish bisque, crawfish au gratin and crawfish étouffée. The bisque had a nice spicey bite and was full of crawfish, same thing for the étouffée. A huge amount of fried tails, fries and rice. I saved the little au gratin pie for last and wanted to cry when it was finished. It was lovely!
For dessert we went for the sweet potato pecan pie covered with caramel and oh my, as a Southern this is something I had never seen together but I will be figuring out how to make it! Absolutely wonderful!
We enjoyed everything about this place! It worked out to about $ 35 per person with tip but considering that it included great entertainment — it was worth it.

The atmosphere is fantastic but the food was awful. I had to put hot sauce in my Gumbo. The corn was frozen and the potatoes may have been canned. Nothing was fresh or gave me that sweet but slow burning Cajun heat. The service was fantastic and the people were friendly! I would come back for the dancing and the booze but diners beware… this food was lackluster at best. TV Dinner Cajun…

One of the most fun places I have been in Louisiana. Garlic shrimp and toast tastes like Granny just made it. Big juicy Gulf Shrimp and not too garlicky. ICE COLD beer mugs and you need them July in Lafayette. The bread pudding was delicious swimming in a gulf of butter and vanilla. Band waa awesome and dancing fun. SKIP the Quarter this is real! The closest to Merlottes and Sookie as you can get. Check out my Periscope

The best thing about this place is the live Cajun music and the locals dancing to it. We listened and watched for hours.
Most of the food was good, but not great. The exception was the crawfish étouffée which was the best I have ever had.
The only real downer was ordering hurricanes at the bar and getting a sickeningly sweet mixture which tasted nothing like a hurricane is supposed to. Next time I will stick with something simple.

To loud! Don’t go on a night when they are hosting a huge farmers meeting and a bus tour. After we got our dinner I then new why they were promoting a tour bus and large meetings. I’ve had much better food at MaMa’s Chicken and the Catfish Festival or any gas station selling Cajun food.
You really couldn’t hear the music because they have a sound patrician between the music and the dinner table and then again the talking from the meeting made it impossible to enjoy anything. The dancers were not there for the food just the free music.

Very fun experience, good food and music ever the cinnamon bread pudding was amazing if you order it I think it would be better with ice cream instead of whip cream.

Not a quick meal! We had a party of 16 and it took an hour and fifteen minutes to get our food.
The boudin balls are good. The sauce that they are served with is a little bland. The seafood salad is large and chock full of seafood.
The music is very good and the dance floor is large enough for quite a crowd.

Awesome place in Lafayette! We were seated next to the dancing room so it was really fun to see people dancing and hear the live music.
We had several typical dishes, with crabs and shrimps, which were really good. I had the catfish which was really tasty.
Our waitress was nice and overall we spent a wonderful night!

Wanted to try a new place that night, and this was the closest place I haven’t tried yet. what an ambiance. have that authentic cajun atmosphere, live music playing, people dancing. employees were very nice and helpful, we came near closing time, but still got treated nicely, at least to our face. (yes I know. what an a-​hole move. but I was really hungry and it was late. I left a good tip. if that makes a difference.) We had the following:
— Boudin Balls — Crispy fried Boudin balls served with seafood butter cream — the boudin balls were decent, had better boudin balls before, but overall not that bad
— Chicken & Sausage Gumbo — andouille sausage and tender braised chicken simmered in a traditional Cajun dark stock — pretty decent gumbo, wish I would of ordered more of this than other stuff that was on the menu.
— Corn & Crab Bisque — sweet corn and our lump crabmeat simmered in a velvety herb cream — sweet and delicious, lumps of crabmeat floating in this beautiful bisque
— Thai Snapper Style — panko-​crusted gulf snapper served on sautéed sesame cabbage and topped with Randol’s lump crabmeat in a spicy curry cream — this was only okay. I got this because the waitress said it was her favorite, and decided to give it a shot. honestly its not that bad. but I probably wouldn’t order this again
— Seafood Platter — fried catfish, deviled crab, fried shrimp, stuffed shrimp, fried oysters, crawfish étouffée, and a cup of seafood gumbo, served with Louisiana long grain white rice and French fries — pretty much your everyday seafood platter. everything on this plate was pretty much on point
I would eat here again, but probably wouldn’t be my first choice.

Typique, une grande salle avec des nappes à carreaux, un orchestre de country cajun, des couples de tous ages qui dansent venus en famille, une cuisine cajun assez basique, un service souriant et une jeune serveuse qui essaie de parler francais assez bien d’ailleurs
Pour une soirée rigolotte mais courte puisqu’a 21h30 tout est termine