Crawfish Shack & Oyster Bar

I disagree with the prople who didn't like the crawfish. I can't comment on any of their other food, because I only go there for the crawfish. I'm not sure how they prepare it, but it tastes like they soak the crawfish in butter. Its good. Don't get me wrong, I like crawfish prepared in the traditional Louisiana way and really spicy. There are plenty of places that serve it like that and I frequent them too, but the crawfish at the crawfish shack is just prepared differently, and darn good in my opinion. more

I am from New Orleans, La., born and raised.I too have not found a restaurant that comes close to what I am use to back home. But thank God :DA lady I know who is also from New Orleans sells gumbo frozen FRESH! It's made to order from SCRATCH. Really! It is the most authentic gumbo I've tasted in Austin. It has sausage,fresh shrimp (deveined), big chunks of chicken breast, and believe me it is not lacking flavor.You have to taste it to believe it.She does have an email where I leave comments about her gumbo. Good Luck! madearsgumbo@ymail more

I have tried this restaurant three different times hoping for a better experience; it hasn't happened. Do not expect to get Cajun food. I would say it is to Cajun food what Taco Bell is to Mexican food (sorry Taco Bell). The seafood gumbo is made with cooked mini cocktail shrimp and has everything else thrown in that the cook can think of all of which made a gumbo lacking in a distinct flavor. I also tried the Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya which used the same shrimp cooked to the texture of cardboard; all ingredients were melded together with a sauce that was simply sticky and lacking in flavor. The only bright spot is the fried shrimp and you can get better elsewhere. They too were overcooked. more

The crabcake appetizer was great and the gumbo was good. The etoufee was good with a definite asian flair. The crawfish came with a nicely spiced sauce, onion, mushrooms, and sausage. It was delicious. I had expected a more traditional Louisiana style but was not at all disappointed. Would definitely make it a regular stop if I was a native. Pros: Friendly atmosphere, Fabulous Food Cons: If its cold outside, don't sit near the front door! more

They serve their own take on crawfish. The mudbugs are smothered in a spicy onion and garlic gravy. They have them mild, med, or hot. The have the full compliment of fixings like corn, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, etc. I have taken many people there and they all loved it. Pros: Tasty seafood, good prices Cons: Needs new booths - vinyl is ripped up more

The name is very misleading. I am from Louisiana and my husband and I decided to try this new place. Thinking boiled crawfish and Louisiana go hand and hand. We ordered the blue crab and the crawfish though knowing it isn't in season and this place has them flown in from Vietnam. The smell was great but once we received them they were covered in Asian Rooster Sauce to give them that extra kick! It was terrible!! The meat had no flavor because apparently they weren't told they needed to let them soak longer to absorb the flavor. If you are looking for Louisiana style boiled crawfish, this is definitely not the place to go. These people are definitely not from Louisiana. It is basically an asian restraunt trying to be. more

This place has really shocked me. It looks like nothing special at all, but the food is really good. I've got to say that I've eaten a lot of catfish in my day, but their fried catfish is undeniably the best I've ever had. Not only that, but it's consistent. I've been back 5 times & it's amazing every time. I'm not a crawfish eater, so I can't judge that, but the crawfish ettoufette is quite spectacular. I seriously can't believe the 1 star review below me. Our servers have always been fine. If you're looking for high quality or a fancy place this isn't it. It's like a small seafood sports bar. Good seafood in Austin is hard to come by, so this place is very welcome in my book. Pros: Fried catfish, duh! Cons: Looks more

So I love eating out and have been to many different restaurants. My boyfriend recommended this place because he lived on Wells Branch and heard great things about it. We both went together for the first time and we HATED it! The crawfish smelled like dirty socks, and the food looked and taste like cafeteria food, I swear......It had no flavor. \r \r The clutter of the decorations inside made it look tacky and dirty and had me looking around for creepy critters. My fish was undercooked and when I asked the waitress if she could take it back for some more cooking, she said ""Im sorry I cant do that"" and she didnt even offer me another option. She walked away and I had to deal with eating french fries for dinner. She was very rude and the whole place just appeared to be unprofessional. One of the workers or cooks was even sitting out on the bar area eatting food while customers were there. Our bill was $35 dollars and neither of us even ate any of our food.\r \r You can make your own decison about eating here, but I am just giving you a fair warning just as I wish someone would have warned us. Do not eat here unless you like the taste and look of high school cafeteria food..... Pros: nothing Cons: the food! more

The only place that i have had better Crawfish is when my family cooks them. The oysters are awesome and i love the fact that the food is awesome and its a really casual place! Who wants to get dressed up to eat mudbugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Great food, good prices more

Upon first glance this place doesn't look like much, but the food is absolutely terrific. As per previous reviews, I agree that the crawfish seasoning is FANTASTIC, unique, and it is somewhat spicy ,but it's that very special spiciness that just leaves you wanting more. I couldn't stop eating it, even though my lips were on fire. For those of you who haven't ordered crawfish by the pound before, we (one 150 pound man and one 105 pound woman) ordered 1 pound to share and found it to be plenty, but we also got the combo platter so that we could sample the fried catfish, oysters, and shrimp. All of the combo items were tasty, but we were particularly impressed with how flavorful the catfish was. We also had the gumbo as appetizer and it was excellent: flavorful, good texture, and the smokiness of the andouille sausage did not over-power the entire gumbo, as we have experienced in the past with other gumbos.\r \r We didn't know what to expect coming in besides what we had read from prior stellar reviews, and now we know why those reviews said what they said. Definitely give this place a try if you're out for a low key evening and great food. The service was very polite and responsive, and we felt comfortable right away. Prices were reasonable, too. As far as ambiance goes, it is in a strip mall and it's pretty bare bones, so it's not the place to go to ""see and be seen."" But who cares. Come here to eat and really enjoy some of the best crawfish you will probably ever have. Pros: Food is delicious and inexpensive, service is fast and courteous more

Best crawfish in town. Better than the crawfish I have eaten in Louisiana. Crawfish is always fresh and big. Pros: Great crawfish and servive more

The Crawfish is the best we have ever eaten. Our whole family LOVES this place. The prices are reasonable, and the service is great. The Oysters on the half shell rock too! They do need to give you more potatoes, corn, sausage, and mushrooms with the crawfish though, and not worry so much about portion control. The shrimp poboy was wonderful, and so were the crab cakes!!!!! Pros: The wonderful spice of the crawfish and the king crab Cons: the waitress could have introduced herself, but the service was good more

Best crawfish in town! My husband and I live in the Wells Branch area so we just take a quick walk to get there. We?ve been there a few times and have never been disappointed. We order crawfish and Alaskan king crab and both are to die for. The crawfish can be ordered regular or spicy. Just a quick warning it is pretty spicy but great. If you are new to eating crawfish the waitress will give you a quick lesson. I would go there again and again. Pros: Great Service more

The crawfish at this restaurant is really good, very tasty, and so flavorful compared to some place like Pappadeaux! The spicy cajun flavored crawfish is delicious for all you spice lovers, but it IS pretty spicy so be careful! You get one potato, corn, and sausage with your order of crawfish by the pound. We also tried the crawfish etouffee which was also very good. The prices aren't bad and the service was good; our waitress was very attentive and helped to get us everything we needed but also left us alone to eat and chat. The atmosphere is nice, it seems like a mom'n'pop establishment but it's also very clean. The location is kind of hard to get to, but once you find it, it's so worth it. This place is a gem amongst stones! I can't wait to go back. Pros: Food, service, cleanliness Cons: Location, hard to find more

I never tasted boiled crawfish anywhere this good before. You get corn, potatoes, sausage, mushroom, & onion with every 2# of crawfish. There house seasoning is none like any other (you can get it season as spicy as you wanted it). They sell live crawfish year round and they have fresh oyster on the half shell also. I've been coming here every week. This is like my to go place for good seafood and cajun dishes. King crab, blue crab, and the giant shrimp are to die for. The crawfish and shrimp etouffee are the bomb. You just have to come try it for yourself. I love everything on the menu. Also they got the best fried catfish. It has a great casaul atmosphere to where you can come and relax enjoy great food and watch the games on the many plasma tv. I definitely recommend this place for those who love seafood and cajun food. Pros: thumbs up Cons: non more

A couple of us went there for happy hour and it the food/environment was wonderful. There were a lot of people there and the prices were incredible. The steak and shrimp is to die for.. the food is great.\r We will definetley go there again for HH and to watch the games. Super cute place! Pros: Easy Parking, Environment, Steak, Great place to watch games, Prices more

We have now been to Crawfish Shack on several occasions. For games, casual dinners w/ friends, and last minute dinners. Each time we go the food, the service, and the atmosphere just keep getting better. People are definitely finding out more about this great new spot! \r If you go in try the crawfish or the catfish/soft shell crab platter. You will not be disappointed -- promise! Everything on the menu has been great for me so far. Pros: Great atmosphere, low prices, great food. more