Cajun Yard Dog, Arboretum

Ok while traveling around the USA I get the opportunity to try many locations. This place is 100% legit. It’s so darn flavorful and you can tell all homemade. My favorite place so far for Cajun food in Charlotte hands down.

Always a great experience when I visit. Very friendly hospitable staff. A wide variety on the menu. Kids menu. The fried okra keeps me coming back!!

Blacked salmon, fried catfish with homemade tartar sauce, Mac and cheese, and cucumber salad. Yum yum and yum. Their blacken fish not very spicy but cooked perfect every time.

Great food and good prices. Very authentic cajun. Not too spicy and great flour. Love it. Gina was a fantastic server.

I’m traveling from Denver CO only to arrive at 9pm and was told I could not be seated. This was after I checked hours, they close at 10pm. I called at 8:50 to check wait times and was told there is no wait. Once I arrived at 9:03 and was told I could not be seated. This is definitely my last visit!

Amazing food. The service was great. Our waitress was hilarious. We had the Blackened chicken breast with a side of red beans and rice. It was an explosion of flavor. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! The BBQ shrimp over grits appetizer was DELICIOUS! The grits were creamy and a little spicy. Just the right touch! The seafood gumbo was superb. The collard greens were delicious!! The Chocolate Pecan pie was awesome. Rich and chocolatey. As someone who lived in Louisiana many years, I can honestly say that this place is LEGIT!! WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK!! THANKS AL AND THE CAJUN YARD DOG TEAM!!!

Have I ever reviewed this restaurant before? In case I haven’t - this place is amazing. We come here whenever we are in town. Tonight - the calamari appetizer is NOT from a Restaurant Depot box. Doesn’t even need the sauce. Tonight we had the trout special. Perfect! Surprisingly, their fried chicken is to die for, so we get that a lot here. Everything is fresh, not overcooked, and just yummy.

Their fried foods are cooked well. Crispy coating and not oily. My least favorite item was their gumbo. The roux tasted burnt. The server had recommended the gumbo and when he asked how I liked it, I was honest and said it was my least favorite. He could tell that I only took a couple of bites but did not offer to take it off my bill. I would definitely go back and order their fried items but would be hesitant to order anything that has a roux.

This place has authentic Cajun food as the name implies. Many reviews mention that this place is a hidden gem but the people that live in the Arboretum area are well aware of it! I have spent some time in New Orleans and I can tell you this place serves up some great Cajun food! I'm a sucker for their Crawfish Etoufee but everything I have ever had from here is good. Some reviews mention how good the collards are here and I concur! The restaurant is somewhat small but that just gives it a more intimate feel. It is decorated nicely and feels very New Orleans. They have craft beer on tap and a full bar. Cheers!

Was looking forward to trying this establishment for the first time, but spoiler alert...unfortunately the food and service did not live up to expectations in our opinion. We are big fans of cajun food, but compared to other similar restaurants here in Charlotte, we just found Cajun Yard Dog lacking in terms of flavor, seasoning and overall taste, as the collards, fried chicken and gumbo all failed to deliver in our opinion, as the collards were bland, the gumbo had no spice and the chicken was dry. On top of that, the service was mediocre at best, completely disinterested at worst we. At the end of our meal, we tried to get the attention of our server multiple times before ultimately getting up from our table and walking over to the bar area where she was hanging out having a conversation with a co-worker, in order to let her know we needed to-go boxes and our check. Once we were able to get her attention, she seemed irritated that she had to end her conversation, but unfortunately that response is not unusual at many places these days. Based on the reviews, it seems that many enjoy this place, but it will be a one and done for us, as it was definitely not worth the amount of money we spent on the meal..

Nice and cozy spot. Great for a date night but nothing fancy. Homey comes to mind. Great staff. The food was amazing. We started with fried oysters which were good and I got the chicken and seafood jambalaya which was amazing. My date got the catch of the day which was red snapper with Mac n cheese and smothered cabbage. Everything was well seasoned and delicious. Good for lunch, date night, or to chill and grab a couple of beers

Another dinner in Charlotte. We started with jalapeño deviled eggs. A little on the dry side. Catfish was scrumptious and the red beans and rice hit. The green beans were average. Shrimp & grits were cheesy goodness and the shrimp were luscious. The Mac and cheese was not your grandma baked Mac &cheese or maybe in CLT they do things differently. the service was good and they let us close down the restaurant .

Lunch after my annual medical screening. Starving after fasting for 12 hours so CYD was the spot! Red beans and rice and smothered cabbage hit the spot. Red beans and rice, had more rice and less beans or sausage, but the smothered cabbage definitely hit the spot. One of my favorite sides to eat anywhere. The bartender took good care of me. One thing I like about this place is the menu and the decor never change Mardi Gras all year! Cheers!

Great local spot for authentic Cajun food. Menu is perfectly stacked with some southern classics (the fried chicken is a must for first timers), red beans and rice and gumbo but I must say it's brown rue base, not my fav but others rave about it. Dining room is small so this time since I was solo, I sat at the bar, watched the game while chowing down on the daily special. Service is fast and personable.

Well, it was Fat Tuesday, so naturally we were looking for some Cajun food. Having worn out Cajun Queen in the past and fearing it would be packed, we opted for this place. Solid choice! It's quaint in size but big in character. From the decidedly NOLA decor to the Cajun accent of the owner/manager(?), we knew we were in the right place. There are, of course, beads everywhere and a beautiful mural of Bourbon Street on the far wall. We started with a lovely seafood gumbo. The roux was deep and developed with some welcomed heat. Decent amount of crawfish, mussels, octopus (I do believe) and two juicy, spicy shrimp. More of those please. Our entrees consisted of the following: Fried catfish--comes piled high and perfectly golden brown in a flavorful batter that will wake you up a little. Grits--do NOT make the mistake my friend did in asking for cheese in these. The waiter was like...we know how to do grits, trust me. And they do. There was nothing missing in them, including cheese. Smothered cabbage--so this dish is hit or miss. My friend liked them. I wasn't crazy about it. Basically it's cabbage covered in a cheese sauce. Meh. Just gimme the veg. Blackened mahi mahi--this was delicious. Tender and flaky little filets with a kicky horseradish sauce that even I, someone who doesn't eat horseradish, really enjoyed. There was no mahi on my plate left to speak of. Collards--so if you want something green for the sake of eating a veg, then fine. Otherwise, I'd pass on them. They needed salt, heat, and possibly vinegar, garlic, onion....something. They held their crunch though and weren't overcooked, but ya gotta season those bad boys. Red beans and rice--nicely done. Again, I was looking for heat but it seemed to be reserved mainly for the meat/seafood. Blackberry cobbler--so the waiter suggested either this or the bread pudding. Since he said the bread pudding was sans nuts, we did the cobbler. It came out covered in whipped cream which was being to run given the warmth of the dish, so I promptly scooped that off. I'm a bit of a food purist sometimes. Get that whipped cream outta my life! Anyway the cobbler itself was very tasty, although it didn't hold its integrity. I prefer mine to stay a little solid and it was rather loose, especially once the ice cream (creamy and rich as it was) was plopped on top. Still the crust was truly delicious, and there was plenty of actual juicy fruit to be found. Sorry no pic of it! All in all, a nice find for days I'm craving NOLA-inspired dishes...even if it's not Mardi Gras.

Great food, wonderful service, and an awesome space. Highly recommend coming here if you're in the area. The menu has a lot of options and plenty to choose from. Will was our server and he was awesome. Highlights were the shrimp/crawfish ettoufee, catfish, crab cakes, smothered cabbage, and fried okra.

The Cajun offers an authentic Southern dining experience with bold, spicy flavors. The cozy atmosphere and friendly service are great, but some aspects of the space could be improved. Overall, I give it 4 stars.

I've never had any complaints about cajun yard dog. The specials of the day are always fresh and interesting. Food is cooked to order and fresh as it could be. It's a more personal casual setting with great Lousiana decor. They have a homemade hot sauce called dog sauce that pairs well with almost anything you can order. This visit I got the pick two with two sides which is always extremely reasonable at only 15 dollars. That came with blackened trout and fried oysters with a choice of two sides. My wife had the chicken and waffles off of the special board and loved them. It's always hard to decide what to eat because everything is so amazing. I could eat here every day and never get bored. It's not picture here but the chocolate pecan pie is my favorite desert here or anywhere.

This was always a favorite of mine living in Charlotte. So I was so excited to take my husband here for Valentine's. While the food was good, it just wasn't as great as I remembered. They seem to be under new owners and with as small as the restaurant is, the food should be hot. But the fried oysters we got were good but they were warm, not hot. For the entrees my husband got the bbq shrimp and blackened salmon with collards and grits. The collards lacked flavor and the grits although cheesy and tasty, they were again cold and thick. I got the blackened salmon with smothered cabbage and fried okra. The okra were nice and crispy but cold. We finished off the dinner with a banana bread pudding. It was nice and hot but surprisingly used canned whipped cream and was a little turned off that they wouldn't use fresh. All in all it was okay. Although everyone was nice, the service was slow and we had to flag down another service to ask for condiments and refills because our server was gone for quite some time.

Phenomenal Lunch ! Shrimp and Grits add sausage was out of this world excellent, if you like Cajun it's the perfect amount of flavor. Grits are wonderful and the service was also exceptional, first visit but not the last.

The food n service was very good when we visited on 5.26.25 The restaurant decor is wonderful. My crispy shrimp n crispy oysters were perfect n love their homemade potato salad n cole slaw. Their homemade blackberry cobbler w/ vanilla ice cream hit the spot.

Cajun Yard Dog is one of the hidden gems in the Charlotte area!! We come here as often as we can. The food is always fresh and delicious, with flavor that's unmatched anywhere else. We've tried lots of things on the menu over the year, and each one is more impressive than the last! The service is always phenomenal too. Fast and friendly staff, especially John!! He is too funny. The ambiance is one of our favorite parts of CYD as well. Beautiful decor that is a perfect reflection of the just as beautiful food! Thank you!

We had lunch here while visiting Charlotte because it used to be my husband's favorite place when he was living in the area growing up. We were not disappointed. The food was delicious. It's very uniquely decorated and pleasant inside. Our waiter was pleasant and helpful. We plan to go back next time we visit!

It's been a while since I've gotten to sit down and enjoy some fabulous Cajun food. Once Cajun Yard Dog came on my radar I knew I had to stop in for a visit! The restaurant is small and cozy with no short abundance of New Orleans/Mardi Gras themed decorations. We were promptly seated and our server did a great job going over all of the specials they had available. I was excited to see they had Abita Purple Haze a beer I used to enjoy a lot in college that is brewed in Louisiana. The beer menu and decorations weren't the only homages to Louisiana, the food menu had a lot of classic Cajun and Creole dishes. My girlfriend ordered the red beans and rice, while I elected for a bowl of gumbo along with an oyster po boy. All in all our food was delicious and we were very pleased. If you are looking for this type of cuisine in the Charlotte area in a no frills casual sit down environment then this is a spot you need to check out.

Always great food and service. Had the catfish and was delicious. The greens and mac and cheese are equally good.

I've always had great service, great food, that keeps me coming back. The catfish always has a Cajun kick the braised cabbage is very savory the fried chicken is juicy. I do believe everything on the menu will be A-1 quality

The Shrimp and Andouille Pasta was the highlight of our dinner. It was so flavorful without being over salty, the shrimp was generous and it was a great compliment to our Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya. We had to exercise discipline to not overeat and instead save if for lunch tomorrow. I also really enjoyed their fried okra, it was crispy and not goey. It was a perfect paring with the soup. The staff was so lovely. Kim was such an amazing and attentive server. She took care of us quick. The place was busy but not so much that we had to wait too long. Food came hot and yummy. Loved the vibe of the place. Ambiance matched the food.

Another delicious meal. This restaurant knows about Cajun cuisine and they show it off very well. Everything I ate was delicious. My friend only had four shrimp and her Poboy, but I'm chalking that up to a mistake. Hopefully we won't have that happen to us again, the restaurant was packed for Mardi Gras, so things were hectic and busy. Our server was not very friendly, and would come to the table next to ours and not even make iContact or ask us if we need anything. I think we saw him three times at our table before we ask for the checks, normally we have great service at this restaurant so again I'll chalk it up to the night and look forward to coming back soon.

I lived in Mississippi for almost ten years where I learned and loved Cajun food. I've eaten Cajun from tucked-away fish camps that looked out on bayou waters to fancier restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Our own Cajun Yard Dog could hold their own with all of them. From the gumbos and étoufée to the Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice or the oysters, shrimp and various Po'Boys, the food and ambiance is excellent.

I love the authentic music playing in the background. There's plenty of seating at the bar or on the floor. The waiter was pleasant and attentive as well as happy to answer any questions I might have. I decided on the Catch of the Day which was red snapper, blackened, as a Po Boy which included one side. I chose the green beans almandine. These are cooked to perfection and so buttery. The Po Boy has just the right of heat with a soft roll fabulously spiced piece of red snack. Yum. I think dessert is a definite. I think I'm aiming for the blackberry cobbler.

This review is specifically for DoorDash because we haven't visited the restaurant yet. That being said, I definitely look forward to visiting the restaurant in person because we had a great meal via DoorDash. We ordered a variety items, definitely a pig out night and the feature item was the jambalaya and the catfish bites. The half fried chicken was good too!. Super crisp and fairly moist even though it did lose a bit of its mojo during the transport. We also enjoyed the deviled eggs and the sweet yams. Highly recommend.

Spectacular food and service. Food is always served piping hot and flavors do not disappoint. Shrimp and Grits with Fried Okra is an all time favorite. Tried the Catfish Bites tonight which were outstanding. The staff was very welcoming and accommodating to my 5 yr old granddaughter. Atmosphere is very family friendly.

This is a frequented date night for us. The food is always spot on. My go to is the chicken and shrimp jambalaya Mac-n-cheese, Cesar salad and they're version of "calamari"

It's a small restaurant in the aboredum area (south Charlotte). It's pretty popular place. They have shared parking in the strip shopping area. Staff are nice not attentive. The food was tasty and southern! It's like New Orleans style. If you like spice this place is nice! They bring the heat and tons of seasoning. The prices are moderate. Hope you enjoy!

Amazing find! Discovered this place today and so happy I do! This place is a must if you're in the area. Easily best meal I've had!

Gumbo had muscle shells and shrimp tails still attached. Had to dig in soup with fingers to remove

My husband thoroughly enjoyed his blackened salmon with vegetables and green beans almondine. The food was ready for pick up on time. The restaurant is small. I found the noise level was loud, but it was more like people enjoying themselves. My husband enjoyed his dinner so much, that he made it a point to ask me to go back and get him the same dish. I went back today (Super Bowl Sunday 2024), and the restaurant had closed early for Super Bowl. Bummer, but I will go back to get hubby his meal.

Last week we were in the mood for Cajun food and decided to return to Cajun Yard Dog. We visited on a Thursday night and did not have reservations. The hostess said we'd have a 10 minute wait. She also told everyone who arrived after us the same thing. After waiting about 25 minutes, we were seated. The pimento cheese appetizer and fried green tomatoes arrived very shortly after we ordered them. The pimento platter was huge, and is ideal for sharing with a larger party. The three of us couldn't finish it all, but we came close. The fried green tomatoes were also very large. They were lightly fried and on the softer side, but I still enjoyed them. My 11-year old nephew ordered the blackened salmon with collards and fries. I blinked twice and his plate was empty. Safe to say it was good. I ordered the catfish and oysters combo with mixed veggies and collards. The veggies and collards were fresh and tasty. The catfish was disappointing. I'm the person who NEVER shakes salt or adds additional seasoning of any kind. However it comes is always enough! Well, at least 95% of the time. This time falls within the dreaded 5%. The catfish wasn't seasoned well or didn't have any seasoning...one of the two. I ate 1/2 of one of the three pieces. I tried to give my dinner dates some, but they never took a second bite after the first either. The oysters, however, were an entirely different story. They were fried crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. To my surprise, they were also much larger than the standard, run-of-the-mill oyster. Eating the fried oysters was akin to finding a pearl in the sea. So good! The third entree ordered was the BBQ shrimp and fried oysters combo. The seafood on this plate did not disappoint. However, the mac & cheese did. Before sending it back, each of us tried a noodle or two to confirm we weren't crazy. Like the catfish, the three of us agreed it was humdrum. Unlike the catfish, I believe a few shakes of salt may have remedied the issue a bit. But, we sent it back and ordered the cucumber salad. It was flavorful and an excellent replacement choice. All in all, the service was great. The oysters and our other selections made up for the mac & cheese and catfish. We shall return!

Food was great! Try the smothered cabbage!!! You will be pleasantly surprised! Service was perfect! Loved chatting with our waitress! I'm coming back!!

Cajun Yard Dog has been a favorite of my family for over 15 years. The balance of authentic Cajun spice at a great price makes it our choice for where to eat out multiple times per month. The owner and his family are warm and welcoming, and this attitude spreads throughout the staff as a whole. I recommend the Tobasco Strips and Catfish Bites as appetizers. The fish special is usually a healthy and delicious choice too, if you're willing to spend around $20 for dinner. Great NOLA ambiance, craft beers on tap, and an unbeatable dessert menu round off the recommendation from this long time fan.

Delicious food. Love the Seafood Gumbo. Wait staff is so attentive. Highly recommend eating here.

Wonderful food! Catfish was an A plus!! Salmon platters and red snapper was delicious, we will come back.

Being from New Orleans I thought I'd give this place a shot. I was craving a Po Boy. One side of my sandwich had barely any chicken on it. I didn't taste any Tabasco on my chicken as well. For the price I paid I'm really disappointed.

I'm from Louisiana and this is the real deal. So good! I've been to other cajun restaurants and was surprised to learn the chef and owners aren't from Louisiana. I should have known when they offered white bread with red beans and rice. This is a casual restaurant and you can't go wrong with any choice. In case you don't know, a cajun yard dog is an alligator. :) Kudos to the owner! Thanks for bringing a taste of home to Charlotte!

Good food ... great service ... eat or take out at least once every two weeks ... Tom.

Ordered delivery and it was unfortunately a disappointing meal. Fried green tomatoes: these were okay but a bit bland. The sauce it came with was too vinegary. Shrimp and crawfish over rice: this was good and had a nice kick to it. Fried seafood platter with grits and smothered cabbage: the crab cake was 95% breading, the oysters were chewy and inedible, the shrimp were okay but not breaded well. The grits were fine but the smothered cabbage was gross; it was smothered in like a cheesy mayo sauce or something. Bread pudding and chocolate pecan pie: the bread pudding was okay but nothing to write home about. The pie took two things that taste great separately and ruined them by combining them. Overall, not worth the calories and cost. Too bad.

A Wonderful hidden gem! Being from Norfolk, VA, we know seafood and this place has got it down. Treat yourself to some awesome brews and seafood here.

Delicious and authentic food. Friendly server. New Orleans vibes... good options on the menu, delicious calamari appetizer. My shrimp and grits were amazing, the sea food jumbalaya was delicious as well. We didn't try any dessert this time, but good options. They offer a daily special, will come back to try other items.

Very disappointing. I ordered a shrimp poboy. There were 3 very small tasteless shrimp on each half of the sandwich. The bread was nothing more than a bun not good at all. I ordered sweet potato fries as a side. They tasted like regular fries that were overcooked. My husband got the catfish platter. The catfish portion of the platter was very skimpy enough for a child. Definitely will not come back again.

Consistency is key, and CJD delivers time and time again! Even through the crazy year, they still manage to churn out amazing dishes that keep you coming back for more. Honestly, their fried chicken might be the best kept secret in Charlotte. It's some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! I can't say enough about their pickled beets - so if you're a beet fan in any way, you won't be disappointed here. Also their collards are delish (but can be a little stemmy), along with their potato salad. Really, I don't think I have ever had a bad meal here...everything on the menu is just so delicious. Also, don't sleep on their appetizers or desserts. The bananas foster is AMAZING and the jalepeno eggs are just the right thing to wake up your tastebuds!

This definitely seemed like a place that would get to know you. I got the special of the day gumbo on rice with a Cajun cobb salad. The gumbo was great and full of flavor. The salad was HUGE, but was not the star of the show; the chicken just seemed grilled with no flavor. The restaurant is on the darker side, and makes the most of its small space. The bathrooms were clean.

Amazing experience at the Cajun Yard House. Fried oysters were delicious, subbed out remoulade instead of cocktail sauce. Catfish, jambalaya, crawfish etouffe, and fried chicken were great. Chicken takes about 25 min after ordering since it is fried up fresh. We shared a bread pudding, it was huge and awesome! Great service too! Wish we lived closer!

We really wanted to like this but DID not. We got the fried mushrooms and horseradish sauce, 4 for 9 dollars and very heavy batter. The horseradish sauce was good but tasted a lot like ranch. The meatloaf melt (pictured) was not good at all. It was bitter, dry and had no salt. The chicken cordon blu' was flavorless and they put it in the microwave (We saw how they prepared the food-it's a small place so you see the kitchen from the bar) to melt the cheese. It had no salt, it came with collards and "Mac n cheese". The collards weren't good and needed salt or vinegar, SOMETHING! The Mac n Cheese was just noodles with cheese sauce, not baked at all. We won't be back. The sweet tea was bitter and had no sugar. Maybe it was just an off day, however it was a miss.

Love this spot. Always a great experience here. The food and service are fantastic. The desserts are an extra bonus as well

Our food was great. I didn't have to wait for a table and our food came within 10 minutes. I ordered the two combo with fried shrimp, blackened salmon, smashed potatoes and sautéed vegetable and my husband had a shrimp po boy with a side of macaroni. My husband said his sandwich was great and had a good amount of shrimp. The bread was fresh and the macaroni and cheese was amazing. He was very satisfied and the sandwich was huge. My entree was amazing. The smashed potato were very moist and full of flavor, the blackened salmon had the right amount of spice and the fried shrimp were fresh and crispy not overly battered. I love that my vegetables were seasoned and still nice crisp. I absolutely loved everything about this place and would definitely be back for more.

Cajun Yard Dog is amazing! We finally tried this place for date night. I love the feel and vibes of the dining area but I do not love having to sign my name on the wait list. We only had to wait a couple minutes and a bus boy (?) seated us at the only open table. After being seated everything was wonderful. The service was attentive and all the food was delicious. I ordered the salmon with veggies and potato salad. Everything was perfectly cooked and the portions were huge. Hubby ordered jambalaya with Mac and cheese and his food was amazing as well. I can't wait to come back! Gotta update to 5 stars, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte and I'm OBSESSED with the potato salad.

It's been 5 years since my last review of Cajun Yard Dog. The food is now greasy. Why would the blackened salmon that I've eaten for years be so damn greasy? They've substantially raised their prices and cut portion sizes... and now they serve greasy food. The lines no longer exist and one can see why.