Lee Esther's Creole & Cajun Cooking

I had the Shrimp PoBiy and it was very tasty, shrimp was seasoned ti perfection, Service was great the young lady that took my order was great, I will be going back for other eats.

Food was amazing. I can save some of the best fish fried in Palmdale I’ve ever had. It’s the best. It’s my favorite. Can’t wait to go back.

Everyone has raved about their fried macaroni & cheese balls, they wear fantastic. They did not have the fried macaroni & cheese with crab meet, hopefully next time I go I'll try it. It's a small out of the way place but good food.

The food was excellent the service was on point and surprisingly it was not crowded because usually the line be out the door. I recommend the Macaroni and cheese 🧀🧀🧀🧀 balls and the Jambalaya with Shrimp and the Greens. Not saying the rest of the menu is not good this is what I Love though my Wife and I ❤️❤️❤️❤️ it.

This is my first time at this restaurant after a co-worker referred it to me. I went here after getting a set of tires from Affordable Tires, and boy, am I happy I did. I ordered the catfish with yams and potato salad. The yams are probably the best I've ever tasted in my life! The potato salad was good, though it tasted a little different, and the catfish strips were excellent. I will now be making this a restaurant I frequent on at least a monthly basis.

So good. So Yummy The best!!!! Thank u for the service Generous size I had Cajun shrimp that serve in the bag before as a fun Cajun seafood. So I wanted to have the same taste but guys this crazy Cajun shrimps is new experience for me. I pick 3 stars out of 5 spicy Ness but I tasted 4 stars in jambalaya it was good! So 4stars spicy is not too much at all! White rice can be swoop to dirty rice ( seasoned rice with shredded pork kinda thing. It’s yummy but I enjoy white rice with my Cajun shrimp coz I only wanna taste the buttery garlic sauce) Close at 9 We will go there again!

Staff was friendly, food was delicious! Catfish was tender and mild and the tartar sauce was very tasty. Everything our party ordered was very well prepared and tasted great!

It's one of a kind. You won't find another restaurant that sells the dishes this place does anywhere in the AV. It's authentic and it feels personal. The chef came out and greeted up, that reassured me the dish was cooked with Love. Food was full of flavor and the the appetizers were amazing.

In all honesty this was some of the best soul food I've ever had. Who knew that Palmdale was a power house for this type of cuisine.

I decided to put in a to-go order as I'm getting over a cold and decided to have a date with my two dogs. I got there at 12:45pm but they didn't open until 1pm. I waited in my car and I was greeted once I walked in. Here's what I ordered: Macaroni & Cheese Balls with crab Catfish & Shrimp Collard Greens Cabbage & Sausage Banana Pudding My order took a little over 30 mins, which was completely fine. I'm a patient person and I knew it would be worth the wait. I legit parked after I picked up my food just to try one of the Mac & Cheese balls, I was STARVING lol They were perfectly crispy, the macaroni and cheese was so creamy with the perfect amount of salt and I loved the crab addition. I will dream daily about those. I got home and continued with the rest of the meal. The greens were smoky, seasoned perfectly and the ham melted in your mouth. The cabbage was not my first choice, they were out of bbq beans, but no regrets at all! I could've eaten a giant container of that cabbage. It has a slightly sweet taste to it and balanced well with the sausage. The catfish with the hot sauce was *chef's kiss* Great coating, the fish was flaky and salted well. Their hot sauce is so good! I'm curious if they make it themselves. I will say, the shrimp was my favorite! The batter was delicious, you could taste the shrimp and dipped in their, I believe it was remoulade, was insanely good. The banana pudding was everything I hoped it would be! I'm not a fan of cut up bananas in pudding, but that's a personal preference. The pudding was creamy and the whipped cream threw it over the top. As my first "solo date" experience, I was so happy! It was worth the wait and for what I spent. My taste buds are a little off from my cold but I could taste all the flavor in this meal. Looking forward to going again and I'm bringing friends next time.

Great red beans and rice and amazing po boys. It's great to have a local place to have Creole food!

This place is nostalgic for me. It takes me back to those summers in the south. Good food. Family. Good company. Boudin is actually my favorite thing. When I was a youth, we could only have a little portion of the link my grandfather would personally buy and bring from Louisiana until he learned how to make it himself. He has been gone for 20 plus years now and Boudin is not sold in your family grocery store and hard to find so when you find someone who can make it, you stop in and patronize every chance you get. I have enjoyed their other dishes but these Boudin balls are good when I cant get the links! I will be back again, next time I am out that way.

This place was so good! We ordered the jambalaya with shrimp and dirty rice, the Mac and cheese balls, collard greens, and red beans &rice. Everything was delicious and seasoned perfectly! The service was great, everyone was kind and welcoming. The chef Sean did amazing. One of our new go to restaurants.

This is my second time trying this place out in years. O always wanted to tey the gumbo out so this day , they said they had gumbo. I was really excited, I ordered the gumbo and jambalaya this past friday. The food i always hear is so flavorful but it was not as much flavor and the portion of food was not the best but it was ok, i did like that it seem freshly done when i picked it up it was hot. I would try this place again because maybe it was an off Friday or cook.

Best food ever. Great desserts but wish they had more desserts by dinner time as they sell out quickly. Love their bread pudding!

I love Lee Esther's. I had their "adult" grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of yams. The sandwich was one of the best I've ever eaten. Plus the yams were out of this world. It's worth the 40 mile drive to get there.

If you're looking for good Cajun food in the antelope valley area, here it is. Great food. Great customer service. Priced right.

Food was good, service was ok, nothing special about the their location. Went in for their Shrimp & Grits lunch special, I think it's available on Wednesday's, if I'm not mistaken. It was really good. Grits were cooked perfectly, had a decent amount of shrimp and they were swimming in a butter based creole sauce. I also tried their boudin balls, those were good. Then I had their peach cobbler, baby this was one of the best peach cobblers I've had. They were all good but a lil pricey. I called in the order, they had me pay over the phone. When I got there, I decided to add the cobbler, now because it was under a certain amount I had to pay cash, and I usually don't carry cash, but had it that day. But they seemed to have a ton of "rules" to order food, that kind of turned me off. They had decent sized portions that were filling.

One of the few places in the AV that do it right ! Been coming here since it's opened up and it's my go to place when anyone visits me from out of town. This is food cooked with love and soul. Flavorful, great portions, great service. I usually go for the po boys, rib, boudin balls, and beef sausage. Hit me with recommendations! There's a lot on the menu I've been meaning to try

You have to get in here and try this place. Love it. When I splurge on fried food I want it to be worth it. Chef Mike and his crew never disappoint. Crisp, hot, what's in that batter that raises it above the norm? Fresh food lovingly and expertly prepared. Great service. Just a happy, friendly experience every time.

I love this little cafe it's so good and unexpected. I wish they were open more or that they had a liquor license because it would just add to the moment with a nice cold something lol. No complaints

my favorite spot in the av, lovely people and amazing food. Very comforting to the soul.

Great all around experience, whether dining in or out; in addition to their excellent food 5s! **

It was my first time there tonight. I ate my food and some of my boyfriend's food. Literally EVERYTHING I ate was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Even the sweet tea was perfect. My goodness I'm in shock. Delicious. Also our waitress was a delight. Big smiles when we walked in and great service throughout the night. Will definitely be coming back and have already raved to friends and family.

great food great service. one thing you could work on is either replace tables that have big marks in them or how bout plastic table cloths. But people tip more when tables look nice not with pits in them. Food great.

I truly hate to do this because I have eaten here many times and I love to patronize and promote small businesses... and I would LOVE to leave a GREAT review. But I came here an about a year+ ago to place an order to go and said that I wanted the "fish salad with fried fish instead of blackened." (The menu item clearly states that they sell a fish salad with BLACKENED fish) but I wanted it "FRIED." I have ordered the fish salad with FRIED catfish here MANY times in the past and it's NEVER been a problem. (And I can't even imagine why it ever would be.) It was not some new person or waitress that I was speaking to, but the actual OWNER! She stated rather adamantly that getting my fish salad with FRIED fish instead of blackened was NOT an option. Again, I have given this place my business MANY times and that is my main go to order. She was indifferent to my simple request and I was not going to stand there and belabor or argue the point so I ordered a combo plate with fried catfish and shrimp. The food was good as always, but this stubborn attitude from the OWNER towards a once loyal customer who she has seen there MANY times left a very bad taste in my mouth and I have not been there since. I don't think that it is fair to other customers for me to NOT leave a review about my negative experience here. This shows a very poor cavalier and unforgivable attitude for an owner to have towards a paying customer. I do not believe that the customer is "ALWAYS" necessarily right. But regardless of what the menu says, all you have to do is fry up some catfish and put it in my salad instead of the blackened fish. None Of the waiters or waitresses in the past have ever had a problem with this. Also, this place has raised their prices dramatically, and of course they're going to use the Covid pandemic as their excuse. It also turned me off that when I asked for extra tartar sauce. she had to charge me extra for it. This has never happened in the past with any of the wait staff. Although the FOOD is good... I have NO complaints about THAT ...but I simply can NOT continue to patronize an establishment or recommend it when the OWNER demonstrates such an indifferent and cavalier attitude towards a (once) loyal paying customer! (BTW ...I have had almost EVERYTHING on the menu ...NO complaints about the FOOD ...but if an OWNER feels the need to be so unnecessarily PETTY over "FRIED" catfish instead of "blackened" in a damn fish salad (which is HER right) ...then I shall elect to share my experience and how it put a bad taste in my mouth (...which is MY right!)

It's such a wonderful time when the Yelp reviews match the experience! Food 10 / 10 Service 10/10 Ambiance - an adorable 10/10 This place is a little tiny little spot in a duplex off the main road. FIND IT! The food was absolutely spot on , flavors, textures everything! I was hoping for shrimp & grits as that is one of my favorite Cajun dishes, but they only serve that in a specific day. Even cheesy grits would've hit the spot, but that's only on one day. So take a look at that beforehand. I ordered the KK adult grilled cheese. Chef's kiss! So delicious! The red beans and rice.... Phenomenal! I added hot sauce to all of it. I Highly recommend this spot!

You know how you get stuck on a particular dish? Most of the many visits, I've gotten Jambalaya (although I did get the Louisiana Cajun Bowl). This time, I ordered catfish with beans/rice and collard greens. This was expertly cooked, next-level stuff. It doesn't seem like Yelp will allow me to give six stars, so five stars it will have to be. But this was beyond impressive.

10/10. We went on a Friday afternoon and able to sit ourselves quickly. We got two orders of the catfish with the greens, cabbage, bbq beans, and red beans and rice. We enjoyed it! The banana pudding was cool it taste like banana pudding vs vanilla (IFYKYK) so it's preference. The vibe is cool too! I like the decor , it definitely gives NOLA vibes. Would definitely go back!

So, I'd say my experience here was lackluster. I have been looking at the pictures of what they serve here and I was super excited. As I was looking for the menu, I was thinking about what I wanted to eat and what I would have for dessert and all. But it didn't really go to plan. I first wanted to order the shrimp and grits "We only have that on Tuesdays" "Okay then, I'll have the boudin balls to start with while I look more" "We don't have any today" So I just asked for water while I reevaluated my plan. The water tasted pretty bad. I don't know if the machine is dirty or if it's just rough and unfiltered LA tap water. It was not good. As I was planning my meal, the next announcement: "No desserts today" That was a bummer too. So I just decided to order the KK grilled cheese sandwich and a side of red beans and rice. Only being a few people in the restaurant the wait was quite long for it. When it finally came, the grilled cheese sandwich was 4/10. It tasted even worse because it was $17. The red beans and rice was maybe 6/10. I didn't mind that as much because that was only $5.50. Both dishes were pretty small. It was disappointing because I love Creole food, and I was really excited to come here. But that's the luck of the draw. The servers were friendly and pleasant.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the food!!! I go a few times a year and will continue to do so. Service is okay, drink portions are fabulous, and food is fabulous! Ambiance isn't spectacular, but you're going for the food.

I ordered the shrimp etouffee to go as I was having a busy day. There were 4 or 5 shrimp in the whole dish without any additional protein. I paid $30 for a bowl of rice soup. Do not spend your hard earned money on this dish. I will probably eat here again, but order something different from the menu. I had to drive to Albertson's, buy my own shrimp, cook it, and add it to the dish to have a complete lunch. This totally defeated the purpose of getting something to go in order to save time.

I found a really good place in Palmdale. Nice Creole and Cajun Cooking in a cute restaurant on a side street. Friendly staff. Plenty of parking. I had jambalaya with shrimp, boudin balls for an appetizer, and I took home a banana pudding because I was so full from the meal. They have a cool trolley out front that serves as a food truck.

I took way too long to write this but when I was pregnant last year I craved soulfood. I couldn't stop thinking about collard greens and when I tried this food for the first time I saw Jesus. It hit so good it made me want to slap my momma.

Came here a few years ago but they were closed.So now that I made my way back around to this side of town it's time to enjoy some Lee Esther's. Also we just came from New Orleans so we were craving some Louisiana cuisine. Happy to be here and I've heard from many of my friends that this is a good place to dine. There is a New Orleans feel and vibe. Beautiful artwork adorns the walls and they play typical music from Louisiana which my husband and I enjoy. It's perfect today because it's not crowded and there are many people here picking up to go orders. My husband ordered the boudin balls as an appetizer. It was his first time and he really enjoyed them. We both decided on the shrimp and red snapper combo. And Baaaabbby the flavor and taste was outstanding . Our server was Andrea and she was sweet and extremely attentive. We also had the owners son Michael come to our table various times to ask if we were okay and refill our water glasses. We were totally satisfied with the customer service 100%. We really wanted to try the dessert banana pudding but we were too stuffed. So definitely next time! Thanks, and we can't wait to return. Our food was extremely delicious and we can't wait to return.

I first reviewed this business in 2019, giving it 5 stars, and have dining here ever since. If I could give them 10 stars I would. The chef knows what he is doing, this past Mother's Day, he even took the time to poke his head out to tell us about each dish and how he personally rated it. This is definitely a must for anyone seeking to taste truly authentic Cajun Cuisine.

Amazing staff, amazing food and amazing atmosphere. Father-in-law, my child and I walked in and was immediately greeted with warmth and hospitality that, to be honest I haven't seen in your typical larger sit in restaurants. We ordered our food, too spicy and that's our fault for underestimating real cajun food. If you want really Cajun, REAL tastes of Louisiana this is your place. And for the love of everything good, PLEASE PLEASE order the sweet tea. Made in house. It's hard to find anywhere in California that knows what sweet tea is or even knows how to make it right.

I was in Lancaster for work and decided to revisit Lee Esther's out of some sense of nostalgia. Before the pandemic and his death, my father who lived in Canyon County took me there and we had a really good meal. Unfortunately what I ordered today fried shrimp and catfish with collard greens and dirty rice was not great. Firstly I couldn't order fries as one of my sides, secondly they were out of desserts. The coating on the shrimp was very salty and the catfish was fishy which if often a sign of it being less than fresh. The greens were overpowering peppered and the dirty rice was just okay. I am not sure if it was an off day or if the food just isn't good any more, but for almost $30, I was very disappointed.

Never disappointed, food was great on each and every order placed Green, Cajun rice, catfish, sweet potatoes and banana pudding 100%

It's just good food, the best. It may be a small little dive but it packs a punch you will leave very satisfied

The food here was delicious. It is a small restaurant serving delicious Creole food. Each one of us thoroughly enjoyed our food and the experience. The garlic bread was to die for.

Lee Esther's is one of our favorite places to eat when we get back to the Antelope Valley. The Cajun flavor and variety is always so good. It's laidback good service with fresh cooked food. We haven't had anything on the menu that wasn't good. I had the grilled cheese and it was delicious, more Cajun than cheese but absolutely tremendous combo of flavor, and not spicey just lots of yummy creole flavor. Try it you won't be disappointed.

I went for the first time last Thursday with friends, and I was not disappointed. We were warmly greeted. I ordered the Cajun Chicken bowl, and it was delicious ! If you have not been to Lee Esther's what are you waiting for? This is a gem of a restaurant in Palmdale that is worth their accolades.

I traveled from L.A. to meet my DIL to have dinner. But, in viewing their yelp and their website the menu was completely different. There is no trolley car in front like pictured. There was not a lot of food selection, especially gumbo being a"Creole/ Cajun" restaurant. Very deceiving.

Amazing authentic southern food. If you're extremely hungry; I highly recommend you order in advance since it's made when you order it.

It's been a year since I've been in this area and ate here. This is literally the first stop I made when I came in to town. The food is still as great as it was a year ago. The red snapper and shrimp are seasoned perfect. I love the homemade tartar sauce. All of the side are great. The greens are good enough to make me want to slap my mama! This is my favorite restaurant in this part of California.

Baby let me tell you. I don't care where you're at but if you're within 30 minutes of this place you better go. I was looking for somewhere to go for my grandma's birthday and stumbled across this gem courtesy of Yelp. There was no dine in. We placed an order for 2 catfish dinners, 2 red snapper, jambalaya, and the crab mac n cheese balls. I was surprised the balls had such great reviews because they were nothing special. They could actually take them off the menu and just add my mom's Mac n cheese because not everybody can do it right. I enjoyed my plate of catfish, shrimp and oysters. The oysters were so delicious my mouth watered thinking about my leftovers. Plates were $25 but portions were so large I woke up eating it for breakfast. Now let's get down to the important stuff... the sides. It was very hard deciding what to get. If you do nothing in life you need to try their sweet potatoes, they are the star of this establishment and let's just say I'm giving them their flowers! The red beans and rice were very well seasoned and tasty. The smothered cabbage was good but I can do that myself. But Sinead O'Connor nothing compares to those yams. My frugal grandma said she will be back to try a po boy and her own side yams. They are seriously so good I need to order a tray and freeze them for when I'm home. I think the jambalaya was ok. I just had a bite and the garlic bread was a very basic piece of toast, not even Texas. There is only street parking but do yourself a favor and go.

The best!!!! The food was comforting, hot, spicy, and delicious. The service is quick and it's really beautiful inside. New Orleans French quarter architecture decoration inside. Just lovely .

Took a gamble and checked out this restaurant it is very hard to find good soul food in the AV this place exceeded our expectations was so yummy so happy to know that there is a place like this nearby!!!! Run don't walk !!!!!! Thank me later

Food is delicious I love it I could eat there everyday if my money was right I really like the boudin

Hidden gem in the AV best greens I have ever had.. staff is super friendly the po boy sandwich was amazing

The food was pretty tasty, the service was just a little slow, but that's OK. I was really impressed with the collard greens and dirty rice. Wow! Definitely has that home style feel! This is a great place to take a date, it's a small intimate spot.

Second trip here, definitely is what we wanted! Food was amazing again!! We tried the Jambalaya with med spice level! Delish

Lee Esther's will always have a special place in my heart. I started coming here years ago. The owners are very nice and professional. They really can cook. I think they have others to cook for them now. The last time I came here I got a to go order. The prices went up a bit and the food seemed much less than what I use to get and lower quality. However, the taste did not change here. The food is really good and one of the top in the Antelope Valley. I appreciate this place because I do not have to drive down the hill when I want some Cajun food. Regardless of the minor hiccups, the food is soooo good with a Very good authentic southern taste ! No regrets at all, I will always support Lee Esther's ! I am really grateful for their great tasting food

Absolutely wonderful, super cute restaurant just a little off the beaten path! It''s a bit small so we don't eat in very often (I have a family of 10)! Delicious food, friendly staff, really good service, perfect southern tea, fair prices for the quality and quantity of food. Do not skip the Boudin Balls - my absolute favorite appetizer!! My husband adores their jambaghetti, plenty of spice but not so much that it hides the mix of flavors! The seafood is always cooked perfectly, whether blackened or fried! Nothing else is our area compares to the food served here!

We're not from the area, but stopped by after doing some cherry picking at an orchard near by. The food here is so good - I'm still thinking about it. We ordered 5 different dishes - fried catfish and sides, mikes po boy, fried shrimp po boy, crazy cajun shrimp, and the jambalaya w/ shrimp. Service was great, portions are good and everything was delicious. Too bad Palmdale is quite a drive for us - but if I'm ever in the area again I know where I'm going to eat.

Excellent food! Service is good but not common. Ambiance is comfortable. I enjoyed the spice, and easily reminisced about New Orleans. Nice place. I do recommend.