Swamp Daddy's Cajun Kitchen

Swamp Daddy’s 🐊🍤 As a Creole/Cajun myself, I absolutely love this place! Today I ordered the catfish with mac & cheese and fried okra everything was delicious. One of my personal favorites here is the crawfish étouffée. And if you’ve never had beignets, I highly suggest trying them! When I came in tonight, the staff was incredibly sweet. They answered all my questions and even took the time to explain some of the artwork, which I really appreciated. I’ve been here before, and it’s been amazing every single time. Pro tip: definitely get the spicy mayo on the side 🫶🏼 . They also have military and law enforcement discount 🖤!

We sat in Swamp Daddies for over an hour and received some of the worst service we've had at any restaurant. We sat for almost 20 minutes before anyone came over to see if we even wanted drinks. By then we knew our whole order, so to avoid another lengthy wait, we ordered our lunch (that didn't stop the long wait). The kitchen only cooks one order at a time, which elongates the waits. The staff didn't seem trained to actually wait on customers, let alone if they become busy. After taking our order, we never saw our server again. About half an hour another lady walked up and asked if we were still waiting for food. When the food arrived, the gumbo was ice cold (the bowl wasn't even warm), the sandwich was so spicy it was hardly palatable, the mac n cheese was bland and tasted like it came out of a box, the cornbread never made it (even though we asked two more times for it). We were given plastic "to-go" utensils and told they were out of real silverware. The catfish and the crab cake were good. The size of the crab cake was extremely small for being an "entree". It was smaller than my "side". If you must try this place, order it on Door Dash. We spent $40 and had to go find something to eat when we got home. The restaurant entered into the Burger Battle 2026 and that seemed to be the only thing they had time to cook.

The atmosphere was amazing. Great location. Great music. The waitress was nice. The food was absolute trash. Spent $70 on some of the worst food I've had: this was my second time. Wanted to give them a second chance because the first time sucked too. I've had real Cajun food so maybe that's my issue. Or expecting good Cajun food to be in South Dakota. The jambalaya was so mushy and gross. Can bread was dryer than the Mojave in August, hard as a rock too. Definitely ain't no soul in that soul food. I was seriously disappointed both times. The bigger battle burger was alright though. 3/5 on the burger 0/5 on the rest of the menu.

As soon as you enter the building, you’re immediately met with the only thing that’s more vibrant than the food, and the mural posted on the wall, and that’s Alicia. After speaking with her for a few minutes and discussing how contagious her enthusiasm is, I find out that she is the owners sister. After talking about the history of the establishment, we order our food and by the time I had finished snapping a few photos and having a few short conversations, our food was already served, and it did not disappoint! If you’re into supporting small businesses and love Cajun cuisine, this is one stop. You don’t want to miss.

The Bayou Stack Burger was a sweet, juicy blend of southern cooking in this entrant for the 2026 Sioux Falls Burger Battle. The fries were very good and a nice complement to the burger overall.

Great food and friendly service. The shrimp and grits were flavorful, and the fried okra was excellent. Very welcoming atmosphere and family-friendly spot.

If you are wanting some true New Orleans food this place is it!! Food was superior!! Prices were perfect. We started off with the collared green dip($20) which was amazing. We also had Blackened Shrimp with crab cake($28), 1lb crab legs ($33), Shrimp and grits($20) gluten free, and hot honey wings with Mac n cheese($20). Everything was perfection and flavorful with alll the right spices. Maria was our server she was knowledge and quick, also just a nice sweet person. Will definitely eat here everytime I come back to downtown Sioux Falls.

First Google is crap for getting here we wondered around lost till a very nice lady asked if we were hungry she was standing in the door she knew what we were looking for we said yes! She Sat us down went over everything even when and where they came from she was amazing found out she's the owners sister! Wife can't have gluten she went over all she could have I got the gumbo all the way with jambalaya rice and crab wife is not allergic to gluten just pains her but she decided fresh in house pasta in her Cajun chicken pasta! OMG everything was just like back home Amazing! Even the beggin nets the MN wife asked for but they still brought us butter cookie beignets were great! We were stuffed! Had take home that was just as amazing for breakfast the next day! I have not found a place in Midwest that has this kind of Great food and of course they are from the South so they can cook! Go you will eat great and enjoy it all! We definitely will be back!

I stopped here while in town on a work trip. The blackened shrimp with a crab cake had great flavor, and the shrimp cooked perfectly. The gumbo was also good, I was personally hoping it would have more spice than it did, but it was an appropriate level for the masses. Alicia provided dynamite service. Super sweet, welcoming, and chatty, true southern hospitality! Can't wait to stop in again next time I'm in town!

Wife had burger battle burger and rates it a 10. I had shrimp and grits and almost licked the bowl!! Service great too.

Everything was delicious! The food was amazing. It was fresh, made to order. I ordered catfish, shrimp, greens, hush puppies, and crab cakes. All cooked to perfection. The restaurant was clean and smelled great. Customer service was top notch. I came all the way from California, because I was told they were good. They did not disappoint. I totally recommend.

The jambalaya smacks first time here from NM and gotta say this meal was great! Wasn't packed when I stopped by but it should be

We stopped by here while visiting Sioux Falls. Absolutely were blown away by the food! Catfish, fried shrimp, jerk wings, crab cake, hush puppies, macaroni and cheese... all of it was delicious! Worth discovering!

Gumbo with shrimp, okra, crab cakes.looks great tastes even better. Easy walk from the hotel. Friendly staff. Love the paintings on the wall.

So many choices in the area and we definitely made the right choice! My friend is visiting and has celiacs so sometimes it's tough to find the right fit for all of us. We arrived at Swamp Daddy's and never have I ever seen so many gluten free menu choices! Never have I ever seen so many CAJUN gluten free menu choices in my life, the rue usually takes them off the list!! We were greeted with a smile and a welcome by a lovely young lady that was genuinely happy to see us! She offered us any open spot in the place! We chose the bar because the seats looked so comfy! They're a bit low but they're definitely comfy! We each got a nice cold beverage, they have beer, seltzer and wine and placed our order. We got the Cajun Fries for appetizer and they came out hot and fresh with all the crispy goodness we wanted. Would have liked some kind of Cajun aioli to go with them rather than the bottled ranch but the fries alone were good. We each got the Blackened Shrimp and it was divine! There were plenty of shrimp and the pile of jambalaya seemed endless!! The flavor was amazing and the sauce was to die for! I'll definitely be back before we head back out on the road, I'd like to try a little more of the menu, it was all solid choices!

Super tasty food! I got the pork belly sandwich which comes with a side (I chose mac & cheese.) The pork was cooked perfectly and super flavorful. The cheese could have been distributed a bit better but the mac & cheese was still tasty. Fair price for a lot of yummy food :) Highly recommend!

We were looking for a unique place to grab lunch close to Falls Park in Sioux Falls and found Swamp Daddy's mainly on the tasty looking pictures from Google. Walking in, the place was bright and fun with a little southern flair added in. We decided to try their sandwiches for lunch. The po'boys were authentic to New Orleans cooking right down to the Tabasco infused Cajun mayo. The catfish was cooked perfectly and did not have a strong, fishy taste. The breading was light and crisp and seasoned perfectly on both fish and shrimp. The French fries that came with the sandwiches were double battered, sprinkles with Cajun seasonings, and super crunchy. Loved those fries! Prices were a tad spendy but the unique food and proximity to downtown/Falls Park made it a bit more understandable. Good place for some good Cajun food in SD.

Service was very slow, no utensils or napkins provided until asked. Food was not good, will not recommend it.

First off food phenomenal. It's a treat to enjoy authentic cajun cuisine here in the Midwest. Location is interesting. Lots of shops and things to see in this area. If you're looking for a cocktail night not be the first stop. They don't have a full bar. Just canned beer and wine. Service was superb as well. Our server was helpful and friendly.

We were really excited to try Swamp Daddy's again after a poor experience the first time a year prior. Same bad experience. Food was cold. There was no place to sit and the server/staff were not friendly or helpful at all. Really want to like the place but it's just not run well.

Pretty good cajun food! The blackened shrimp with jambalaya & a side of gumbo were very flavorfull & had a pleasant kick to them. My wife had the pork belly po'boy which she enjoyed, but would probably ask for the cajun mayo on the side next time (she sadly can't handle any heat). The crawfish hush puppies were...yeah...we could've eaten a couple orders of those. Recommended!

Yes! From the moment we walked in, it's was great. Finding great food when traveling can be hard and this place was fantastic! Great ambiance - plenty of seeing, good music and super friendly service. We didn't wait for anything and the food was piping hot when served. We ordered the shrimp po boy (delicious and balanced bread to meat ratio), sides of Cajun fries (perfect seasoning), fried okra (yes to that!) and Mac n cheese (super creamy cheese goodness). Only problem - I live too far away! Definitely a place to visit

I was excited to dry this place. The gator appetizer was disappointingly dry. The homemade sauce was not good. I was not impressed with the jambalaya or gumbo either. The best one was the fish fry. The server who waited on me was attentive and friendly.

Fantastic food and service with fair prices. Southern favorites on the menu. Great choice!

Food was pretty good, but the portion was a bit small, especially with the price that they are charging Pretty good Cajun fries The alligator tastes pretty yummy and not tense Overall not too bad

As someone who loves New Orleans cuisine and has been to 12 Mardi Gras, I was so excited to eat here. Finding some Cajun cuisine in Sioux Falls isn't easy. Our waitress was super friendly, with great big beautiful hair. Perfect for her job. The appetizer of fried pickles came out and was excellent!! Then came the lunch platters. My catfish, hushpuppies, and fried shrimp had no seasoning. So bland. One thing about true N'Orleans cuisine is that it doesn't ever lack seasoning!!!! The Jambalaya was so dry that it was like eating dehydrated chicken and sausage. Then when the bill came, with a nice tip for the excellent waitress, a meal for 3 cost $90!! With those prices and the mediocre food, I won't be back. One and done. If the food was true, N'Orleans, I would come back. I urge the owners to try the food.

The only reason I kept this at a 4 is the service is warm and welcoming. The burger for this year was ok. Too salty to begin with. The flavors were kind of bland. The short rib was nice and texture was good but no flavor. The chips were not my favorite. Hope they can only improve.

Was here on a layover and was starving and came across this gem. The service here was very welcoming Alicia was amazing.. I ordered the shrimp po boy and wow it was one of the best I ever had and wasn't expecting in SOUTH DAKOTA! It was so good i ordered the blackened shrimp for dinner.. great way to bring culture and flavor to the neighborhood. I will definitely be back whenever I'm back in town.. such an amazing place.. and the food doesn't miss

On a road trip we found this spot in the Visitors Magazine from the rest stop and decided to give it a try, and I'm glad we did. The ambiance was nice, they had good music playing, the service was good, and the food was spot on. Even though we came in late we were still treated with the best customer service. We were able to have a nice chat with the chef and owner. If we ever come back that way, we will definitely visit again.

Tuesday night in downtown Sioux Falls with Rhonda. She wanted to try this place and I am glad she did. If you like Cajun flavors this is the place to try. I had 'The Boot' and the only thing I would change is to slice the eggplant thinner. That is just me, I like my eggplant sliced thin and fried like a chip. I recommend you try 'The Boot'. Rhonda loved the shrimp tacos too.

The review has no reflection on the food, it was the service or lack thereof. The waitresses rather talk to each other then simply hand me a menu when I got seated. They gave one napkin with the utensils and when I asked for some more napkins; the 2nd waitress forgot. After the first waitress finally checked up on me; I got my napkins. I did leave a tip knowing how hard servers worked but this service really had me questioning any tip at all. The gumbo has great flavor; the jambalaya had good seasoning; the crawfish étouffée had just the right amount of meat and rice; the Blue Mango Margarita was tasty.

Food arrived piping hot and fresh. The best fried catfish I've had. Service quick and friendly

Went here in a Thursday evening with friends for dinner before heading to the Levitt and had a great time. The service was wonderful, she was very attentive and gave us very good opinions about food and drinks. I had a mango daiquiri and it was so good, it tasted just like fresh mango. For dinner I had the shrimp po'boy and it was very good. My only critique would be I wish they pulled some of the bread out of the roll so the shrimp and other toppings would fit inside the sandwich when trying to take a bite. But even with that said it was all very good and we will definitely come back to try more food and drinks.

Staff is super friendly but not the most comfortable location to eat. Chairs are uncomfortable and it's very loud. That being said, the food is pretty good.

Tooke a minute to find the place, as it's located inside a mini mall like location. Once I figured that out I walked around to where it was. I was seated immediately and the service was quick. Had the gumbo and it was good. A little heat but not too much. Also had the crawfish hush puppies and they were good as well. Only negative is the beer selection as they were out of a few that I wanted. Ended up with a Guinness, which is never a bad choice. I would come back if I'm in Sioux Falls again

The food here is excellent. The ambiance is fun with bright colored artwork and music. They have a good selection of cocktails and beer and we have always had great service. We love supporting great local restaurants and this is definitely one to check out if you're traveling through Sioux Falls.

Great Cajun food and nice location down town. It is located in a building with several other restaurants so if you are with people who don't like this type of food there are other choices.

I wandered into swamp daddys early on a cool saturday and was glad that i did. The manager recommemded the blackened shrimp, and it was fantastic. The jambalays was probably the freshest and most delicious that i have ever had.

--- COVID-19 Times Review --- The place: Swamp Daddy's is a storefront in a building that shares space with other small businesses. During The Before Times, there was most likely a small seating area across from the front counter. Right now, there are chairs spaced out and lined up against the wall as a waiting area. Coronavirus precautions: There are plexiglass barriers in front of the counter to protect employees and customers. Everyone was wearing face coverings while preparing orders. Swamp Daddy's doesn't offer dine-in, only delivery and take-out. Seating is spaced out for waiting rather than sitting for staying. The location: Swamp Daddy's is located near Sioux Steel Company. There's street parking and Sioux Falls park service parking near the building where the restaurant is located. Swamp Daddy's shares space with other small businesses like boutiques and a coffee shop along with a spacious seating area. The food: The food had that lovely fried food smell, and it was SO FRESH. The crawfish hushpuppies melted in the mouth -- extra flavorful, warm, and wonderful. The catfish po' boys were spectacular -- great texture, incredible flavor, cooked to perfection. The toasting on the bread was fabulous and the pickles gave just the right amount of zing. The service: I ordered through Bite Squad which was an adventure but a different story. The service I got directly from Swamp Daddy's was stellar. The employee I worked with was flexible and kept a sense of humor. They were friendly and helpful, adjusting my order when they had run out of shrimp. Best parts: everyone cheered when they heard it was me (especially after all the hoopla) and the cashier entered me as "Brianna the cool girl" which made me beam. Next time: I need to try a dessert. It's a short dessert menu, but if it's anything like the savory food...I'm sure it would be amazing.

Absolutely amazing Louisianan food with incredible drinks. To top it off, the prices are much better than any fast food restaurant. Add inedible service for an amazing evening out! Great for families or date night.

A nice treat in the middle of Sioux Falls Downtown. Amazing customer service, accompanied by genuine Louisiana good eats.... I'm all in!! If you want your belly full with flavor, make sure you choose this wonderful joint.

Good food really good not too spicy not under spiced cooked perfect will eat again people that work here are fun too

Jambalaya and Red Beans both seemed heavy on rice but a bit short of both Jambalaya and Red Beans. The rice was a puffed-up texture unfamiliar to this New Orleans native; the Gumbo was prepared without Okra (which the name "gumbo" derives from) and seemingly without seafood. Cajun cuisine (unlike Creole cuisine) relies heavily on locally available ingredients, which means whatever protein and vegetables are in season. Sioux Falls doesn't have locally available salt-water seafood, so a beef, pork or chicken substitution makes sense but it definitely changes the flavor. The food is good but cannot match genuine local Louisiana Cajun cuisine; try it on your next visit.

Fell in love with the blackened shrimp a couple years back when they were in their other location. Had it again yesterday and it didn't even resemble what we originally loved. Their Cajun cream sauce was more like a cheap cheese sauce, food was cold etc. just nothing resembling what it once was. It all started going downhill when they moved. Prices went up and quality suffered, (chairs are ridiculously uncomfortable as well.). Please go back to where you started as that was the food we fell in love with. Thank you!

As a Texan trying to survive with the bland food northerners tend to enjoy (sorry for for the dig, but salt and pepper aren't how you add flavor), I was hesitant to try a Cajun restaurant, but was pleasantly surprised when I caught a hint of that smooth Louisiana accent from the young lady running the register! The joy didn't stop there though, I ordered an alligator po' boy and oh boy was it good, as were the fries that came with it! I had gator when I was back home a few months ago and dare I say this was better. Extremely friendly staff, great food, and fair prices, especially considering you're getting an authentic Cajun meal with some of that extra southern love mixed into it!

Checked out the weekend brunch, was not impressed. Food was over cooked and way too sweet- all waffles and pancake choices, only a couple of more hearty breakfast options. Server was very pushy about what to order, and had her friend crash our brunch because she was trying to find him a girl! Very unprofessional and an awkward situation. My friend and I won't be back for a long time.

Stopped in today and had a great dinner! I got the fried chicken po'boy and my boyfriend got the Louisiana platter (jambalaya, fried catfish, crawfish hush puppies). The chicken was really flavorful and crispy. My boyfriend loved his food too - neither of us usually like hush puppies, but the crawfish ones in his platter were delicious. The jambalaya is also definitely worth trying! The portions were also very generous and we both had plenty of leftovers.

The food was amazing and the people were very friendly great service! I would definitely recommend this place if you're in Sioux Falls!

I was actually disappointed with the portion size and the amount I paid for the Shrimp Platter. It was way too expensive and it was HIGHLY disappointing. The catfish was grilled and heavily seasoned... wasn't enjoyable.

My husband chose this restaurant from website. We were looking for somewhere special to eat and we love sea food. The restaurant was colorful and the hostess and sever were nothing short of customer friendly. They were great. We ordered the special, a menu for two and we were 110% satisfied. The seafood was absolutely delicious. We will be back!

I was in town and we stopped here for lunch. The food was awesome and service was amazing. It's hard to find a place that you enjoy and can laugh with the staff... but Swamp Daddy's was the place. Thank you!!

Maybe the worst cajun food I've ever had. The owner was kind, and the food was edible, but certainly not cajun.

I had always heard good things about Swamp Daddy's and it did not disappoint. This is the best cajun food for 100's of miles. Definitely worth the stop.

This was a very unique restaurant. It was inside a mall and you order and they will call out your name when ready. The food was delicious though I got blackened shrimp and it came over rice filled with chicken and sausage along with about 7 or eight blackened shrimp. They do only have canned drinks and carve a small charge to use a credit card

Amazing delicious! Food has "a kick" and it's so good! We had the blackened shrimp and it had no shell and nice spicy flavor. The fried ribs were a hit with the whole family. The women were so nice and friendly amd helped me pick a side of hush puppies which was really good dipped in the Cajun Mayo they have! Even the bread that came on the side with my meal was dank!

I've never been to Louisiana to taste the Cajun but I imagine it's similar to swamp daddy's. This is not a fancy place .. plastic wear and paper products ~ but who cares. The food is fresh and done to order. The blackened shrimps creamy sauce, could stand alone as a meal ... the jambalaya has amazing flavor and the perfect spicy kick. You want cat fish. Here you go. Plenty of seating in the Jones building and a nice outdoor patio to relax and dine on, in the warm South Dakota months. The only complaint I have is the hours. Catch them at lunch because I've always found the door closed for dinner.

FODMAP friendly! I love Cajun food, but it doesn't love me. I get sick when I eat garlic or onions or gluten. Here's the beautiful thing: swamp Daddys makes wings and fries that are delicious AND that I can eat! The owners are awesome and the food is top notch. Check it out.