Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails

Zydeco is one of my favorite stops when I'm in Bend. The executive Chef Eric has an impressive resume working internationally on his culinary journey from the Savoy in London to the Bay area, Portland and finally in Bend. The mission is to bring Southern hospitality, service and culinary influence right to your table. Sitting at the bar, I witnessed him have an excited exchange with a local patron about ordering the first dish of a special entree he had devoted limitless time and effort preparing. The passion is evident in his food, presentation and customer engagement. The food and cocktails are delicious and thoughtfully prepared. The restaurant has a smaller footprint and is very popular so I would definitely suggest booking ahead. I like sitting at the bar which is first come first serve but I think it only seats about 10. There is also expanded seating that has been added outside to accommodate demand. Go early and bring your appetite.

Food well prepared. Wait staff extremely attentive and knowledgeable. Reservations are recommended for this place as it is very popular. From what I understand the restaurant’s name came from the name of a pet. I was hoping I would hear zydeco music😅 even so it’s a great place to dine!

Most of the food was great. While our waiter was really attentive, he didn't bring one of our drinks (admittedly, we didn't notice). Also, the drink descriptions fail to say that a shrub has vinegar in it. My redfish was wonderful; so were my wife's ribs. The chocolate cake was pretty dry and boring.

Was a good high end meal. Had drinks they were good. (Bourbon Bramble). BBQShrimp over gritz cake appetizer and bread. Flavor was in sauce but didn't seem like a BBQ flavor. Several other options I'd try if returning. Ordered the Shrimp and Crawfish Jambalaya, came with cornbread and ordered a side of truffles au gratin potatoes. Jambalaya was Great, loved the bits of fried okra, cornbread was very good. Potatoes was just plain Au Gratin potatoes. We also had the Heirloom Tomatoes which was very good. 1855 Black Angus Teres Majors was very good, the roasted carrots left you wanting more of them. Key lime pie for desert was good. The crust was diffrent but very good. Great desert for this area as a spin on authentic key lime pie.

We had a fantastic meal here. The restaurant definitely lives up to the good reviews. The cocktails, including the strawberry spritzer and some semi sweet bourbon Drink were excellent. We started with the shrimp and grits for an appetizer. We also ordered bread. For entrées, we did the fillet and the redfish. The fillet was excellent with a fantastic sauce. The potatoes were some of the best au gratin potatoes I’ve ever had. No matter what I would recommend getting those potatoes with your entrée. The green beans with fillet were a bit bland compared to everything else. The red fish was fantastic and well cooked. For dessert we had the Keylime pie, which was also very good. I would definitely get the shrimp and grits again as well as any entrée with the potatoes. Service was excellent. Parking is a challenge in downtown Bend, but there is a nearby parking garage. Reservations would be recommended for indoor seating.

We came here at 7:00 on a Sunday evening. It was helpful to have a reservation in advance! Our server was so attentive, friendly, and made great recommendations. We ordered everything and once and the drinks + appetizers came out in 3-5 minutes. It was so fast! The spicy margaritas were delicious. For dinner, we ordered the redfish (blackened), cavatappi pasta, jambalaya, and sides of au gratin potatoes and cheddar grits. Everything was outstanding. Good portions of food for the price. Nice atmosphere. Would definitely come back!

Atmosphere: Wasn't too loud, although if you focused you could sometimes overhear other tables as they talked. They have a nice looking patio as well, but we chose inside due to it being a bit too cold for us. Heaters are provided outside. Reservations are recommended as we were seated right away. They were not hard to make though. Good date spot! Service: Our server, Dwight, did an amazing job from start to finish. Personable and fun while also providing small, professional, touches that went a long way to elevate our meal. He even was able to recommend some local places to see and answered our questions about parking. While we were seated, the executive chef/owner of the restaraunt also came and check on us which was a welcomed surprise. Food and Beverage: Food was great and felt reasonably priced. We each took home some of our entree to finish later and enjoyed a cocktail as well. The Strawberry Sparkler was light and refreshing while the Watermelon Sunday was deliciously smokey. I do wish there was more liquid in the Watermelon Sunday as it appeared to be filled with a lot of ice, but that was probably just because I loved drinking it so much. Feedback: - A Half-slab of ribs for a reduced price would have been preferred over offering only a whole-slab. Didn't mind the leftovers though! - The bread was tasty but a very small portion (albeit cheap at only $5). Perhaps offering more bread would be appreciated.

Lovely place. I went for a work meeting and the environment was perfect for that. The food was prepared and presented well. Everything from appetizers to dessert was tasty. Didn't have to wait an eternity for the food to come out, which is a huge positive for me at these places. I didn't order a cocktail but my colleagues loved theirs.

I can't believe that I have not done a review for Zydeco. This is our favorite place in Bend. Discovered it 5 years ago when considering our move here. Have been many times since. Food and service top notch. Our visit last night no exception. Always get bbq shrimp starter and usually Redfish finished off with key lime pie. Last night I tried Jambalaya and it did not disappoint. Serving so large I will have it for dinner at home tonight. Have complained in the past that it can be very loud when big crowds which is hard for us older guys so we now go early. In some ways I miss the energy of the crowd but at least I can converse Don't go if you are prone to sticker shock as it is expensive but worth the treat occasionally. You get what you pay for

Had the best meal while on vacation in Bend. This restaurant is in the downtown area, which seems to have very limited parking on the weekend evenings. I was staying in the Old Mill District, so it was a nice walk to downtown. Streets were safe, and the weather was perfect to sit outside for dinner. I made a reservation and am glad that I did as they were pretty busy that night. We were seated out front, and the table was perfect. It had a nice caraf of cold water to sip while looking at the menu. We ordered drinks, and I can honestly say that they made me the best Skinny Margarita. The menu had some great choices. We started with the crab cake, which was a special that night, and it was crispy on the outside and so flavorful on the inside. We also got the house smoked trout dip with lavosh crackers. It came with a small bottle with a dropper for the hot sauce. The appetizer size was great for table sharing, and since we devoured the two appetizers, we decided to share an entree. We liked the Redfish description from the menu, and our server suggested that we have it blackened. Wow! Great choice as it was absolutely delicious. It was crispy on the edges and tender throughout. The Zydeco sauce was outstanding. This was my second visit here, and I will definitely come back again.

The food was fabulous. We had a brisket-grilled peach-kale appetizer that was delicious. My wife had a Radicchio salad, that was new to the menu and wonderful. Her Acadian flatbread was very well prepared. My crispy skin Oregon rockfish courtbouilion on Carolina golden rice with fried calamari was as good as it gets. To top it off, Pat was one of those waiters who really gets customer service. This place was a 10!!!

Return visit to this restaurant on our trip to Bend. We had a 7:00 reservation and our table was ready when we arrived. Our waiter was great. He made great food and wine recommendations. We started with a nice Cabernet and ordered the barbecue shrimp along with the flatbread and oil. The shrimp was especially delicious. For entrees we ordered the redfish, shrimp jambalaya, crispy chicken with rice, and the filet. All dishes were very good. The filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and very tasty. The restaurant is very elegant and a really nice place to dine.

This time I went for dinner with 2 other people. All our dishes were well prepared and delicious! Caesar salads, blackened redfish, jambalaya and cavatappi pasta. I recommend all of them. The service was excellent. I thought it would be noisy but was pleasantly surprised when it was not.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Bend! Their specials like the frog legs we had this time are always excellent! I also almost always go for the duck confit and it so moist and tender while the skin is perfectly crispy. The service is also always really good.

I think if I wasn't a vegetarian, I would have liked it more and rated it higher. The mushroom risotto wasn't bad but it was just kinda ok. The flavor was fine but the texture was a little too soggy perhaps. I wish they had had more vegetarian options. The drink however was really good. Definitely recommend the cocktails! The service was quite good. They were able to accommodate special requests of my companions and answer any questions about the menu. The ambiance was really nice! Great for a date night or special outing. It was chic and classy decor.

Stopped by Bend for a work trip and all my coworkers were raving about this place. It did not disappoint! We ordered this champagne, elderflower drink that was perfect for a weekday night. The place was pretty busy - every table was full potentially because it was right before the holidays. I ordered the duck leg confit, thinking it was way too large for me, but I finished it all in one sitting. The meat just fell off of the bone and the dirty rice was the perfect complement. The Brussels were ok. I can't wait to come back to try the pork chop!

Outstanding food, service and atmosphere. First time in Bend. The staff went way beyond to accommodate my wife our Frenchie and me at a cozy outdoor table, our waiter Dwight was out standing. The Redfish, and Carrot Cake were the best I ever had. Definitely coming back.

Food was incredible-the best New York steak I have ever had. Service was exceptional! Ambience was wonderful! Highly recommend!

Such a good spot for elevated farm-to-table style foods with a southern inspiration. My favorite dish is the BBQ shrimp and also love having a fun cocktail when I go in. It's hard for me to order new dishes because I like the same thing so much and don't want to be disappointed with another.

The choices were amazing for a gluten, soy, lactose & nut challenged foodie The barbecue shrimp & grit cake appetizer was so tasty, my risotto perfect & flourless chocolate cake divine. A true joy to dine at Zydeco. Service was awesome. Mara was very helpful & attentive. For a Friday summer night in Bend we could not have asked for better ambiance. Thank you Zydeco!

We love Bend. We have gone several cross country road trips and we always try to fit Bend in. This year we spent Fourth of July weekend and on the third we were looking for something good to eat. My wife looked up and cross referenced and came up with Zydeco. When it looked like there was no room for us, my wife wouldn't take it. She wanted to eat here not matter what We waited and they gave us a nice table outside We ordered the shrimp app The best shrimp I've ever had and I don't like shrimp I got the ribs and they were phenomenal LilYibs got the fish and she said it was really good But the star of the show was for sure the shrimp Service was good but the food took a looooooong time to get to us. We were vibing so we didn't notice at first but then it hit us, more than a half hour passed between dropping the shrimp and the main dishes We are trying to figure out how to make those shrimp at home

I make a point to visit every time I'm in town. The ambiance, service, and flavor is unbeatable. I dream about the BBQ shrimp highly recommend starting with that. Very accommodating to gluten free food.

10 /10 for food. Better than expect The restaurant was full. We sit at the bar area. Every dish is so good. I wish Washington state had this restaurant.

Amazing food, drinks and service! We'll definitely be back on our next visit to Bend!

Great food and service. It can be very loud but never too loud. The bbq shrimp on the starter menu is amazing.

BBQ shrimp appetizer, carrot cake, whiskey sour, and steak salad were excellent! Staff were attentive and friendly. Restaurant was clean. Would highly recommend.

Absolutely blown away. Went over to Wild Rose on a recommendation from someone I met on the mountain today, and was heartbroken when they told me that the wait was going to be an hour and a half, and that even though the bar seating didn't take reservations, the three open bar seats that I saw were reserved (?!). I left feeling deflated and hungry, but then remembered he had also mentioned Zydeco. I popped it in my maps app, and lo and behold, it was only one block away! I walked in letting him know that I did not have a reservation, and asked if there was any seating at the bar. The hostess immediately walked me over and sat me down at the corner bar spot, and the rest is history. Everything that I ordered, and every cocktail that Rick crafted up was just absolutely above and beyond. I think I must've asked him three times "why is everything that I've eaten here tonight the best thing that I've ever eaten?!" I got the beet salad, which was flawlessly executed... I don't know that there's anything better on the planet than a perfectly prepared beet salad. After spying on my bar top neighbors, I ordered the short rib pot pie with the huge marrow bone in the middle. While I was waiting for that, I couldn't help but continue to peruse the menu, and noticed a red wine prepared cabbage dish, and decided to go for that as well (on Rick's recommendation). That dish showed up, and I just felt stupid. Like... How is it possible to make a cabbage dish this delicious? Why did I not know this was a thing? Is this real life? At the same time, the pot pie came out, and I don't really know where to begin. The flaky, delicious, perfect puff pastry, the short rib, the fresh farm to table vegetables inside, the broth, the marrow... Every single bite of everything was perfection. In between all of these, Rick continued to keep the cocktails flowing, and I never even had to ask for a specific drink, he just knew what I wanted and put it in front of me. I can't emphasize enough what a phenomenal bartender he was. Attentive, not overbearing, and just flawless execution of everything. Just when I thought the show was over, I made a joke about saving room for dessert, and he looked at me with a knowing grin and nodded. A few minutes later, one of the most delicious mud pie desserts I've ever tasted landed in front of me to close out the meal. Honestly, I've tried some absolutely amazing places since I've been up here, and Zydeco really just took the cake tonight. I'm so thankful that Wild Rose had the wait, and that I remembered the tip from that nice fella on the mountain. If you're in Bend and are looking for the whole package when it comes to a dinner/cocktail spot, I simply can't emphasize enough how much you need to make your way in here. Thank you Rick and the rest of the staff for a wonderful evening!!

My large party of 8 wastreated to wonderful meals at Zydeco. We were seated promptly at our reservation time. Our meals were great...several of us had the salmon special, but other meals also were great including Jambalaya and red fish. Sadly, no photos but I'll definitely return next time we are in Bend.

-1 star for retaining parking spots downtown after COVID. Downtown is already hurting for parking and this impacts other local businesses. If you've never been to Zydeco give it a try as they have dishes that have been on their menu for years and are quite tasty (ex: Shrimp appetizer). However these dishes that have been on the menu for years are a double edge sword when you've eaten at Zydeco more that a handful of times. After a few visits the menu becomes very dull as there is little innovation. This is very apparent when the servers lead with "This app and this main is our most popular" instead of new dishes that locals would potentially be more interested in instead of the same old offerings. I encourage Zydeco leadership to avoid resting on their classic dishes and introduce new dishes onto the menu.

This is a great place to get a fancy dinner in Bend - especially if you have food sensitivities! We learned from our server that the owner is celiac and prefers to eat non-dairy. Everything on the menu is explicitly labeled for dietary needs. Drinks were super tasty and the entrees were a great serving size for the price! Flavorful ribs, steak, and fish all around. And don't miss out on the desert with a side of coffee! The flourless cake and peanut butter chocolate ice cream were amazing!

What a fabulous meal. Our waiter/new friend Dustin did a fantastic job with recommendations for the meal and for our trip to Bend. Everything on the menu was fabulous: - Shrimp & Grits appetizer - amazing sauce and they weren't skimpy on the prawns. - Jambalaya - Blackened Redfish - moist fish and delicious - Duck Breast Would highly recommend this special restaurant in Bend!

Busy Saturday night but snagged a high top in the bar. (7:30) By 8:30 it clears out. Steak was great. Risotto was just okay. Ribs were great. Carrot cake is a MUST.

Phenomenal meal! Sat outside and it was very crowded. Service was excellent. Our server gave spot on recommendations. Barbecue shrimp were amazing. My wife had the redfish which was on point. I had the jumbo shrimp/fish stew, which was also excellent. There was a slight delay between my wife getting her meal and me getting mine and as a result, they gave us a free dessert. Couldn't have been more happy with our experience. Highly recommended restaurant.

Another wonderful dinner, one of my go to restaurants in Bend! Make sure you try the BBQ shrimp!

First time visiting Bend and we had dinner here. It was really busy and the kitchen was a little backed up but everything was amazing! Our server Ana was excellent and anticipated our needs before we had to ask. The food was fantastic and wonderful ambiance. Will definitely return!

The night out of our family trip to Oregon was a smash hit at Zydeco. It's a popular place in Bend. We were queued up for their opening and the place was packed before we left. The finicky ladies enjoyed the redfish. My BIL couldn't stop raving about the jambalaya we both had-And with good reason! It was spicy, packed with meat and the cornbread was awesome. I'd recently been to NOLA and this was better than some of the lamer jambas I had there. I loved it. Even inspired me to make some jambalaya of my own.

Outstanding place. Seven of us enjoyed a lovely dinner and a couple bottles of Walla Walla wine. They take reservations. Try the shrimp appetizer. Highly recommend 7 thumbs up.

Both foods and services deserve 5/5 We had a jambalaya and a bouillabaisse. Both are very fresh and delicious. Not salty at all!

Wow what a treat! One of the best meals we've had all year. The redfish is pretty much a perfect dish, especially when you get a bite that has fish, crab, mashed potato, and spinach. The duck leg was also perfectly cooked, with really crispy skin. The sides were really good too! We got Brussels sprouts and ham hock collared greens.

I eat here often. So delicious and great service. The BBQ shrimp and grits is a must for apps, then I usually get the redfish for an entree. They have outdoor and indoor seating in the summer, and the ambiance is very nice.

Went to dinner last night at zydeco. Two stars for location and decor and one food item and bread. The whole dinner was rushed. The waitress was pleasant, but ignored cleaning our table after the appetizers created a slight mess, we cleaned it ourselves. The appetizers were at our table in 5 minutes from when the order was placed, therefore they were precooked and waiting under a heat lamp for customers. The frog legs was the only meal item that contributed to two stars. We love fried green tomatoes and were excited to try them here.The tomatoes were not ripe thus hard and served lukewarm. Bacon on top was not the right choice for this dish. We love red fish have had it a few times in Charleston, again was excited to have this fish. The fish was dry and a skinny fillet. All the redfish we've ever had is a plump fillet. Did they cut it in half or buy it frozen from someone? Disappointed in this restaurant will not go back.

Always amazing food and service . The bbq shrimp is a long time fave and maybe my all Time fave dish in Bend.

Got a gift certificate for Zydeco Kitchen and enjoyed a delicious dinner there. Started with Grilled Spanish Octopus and a Roasted Beet salad. The Octopus was tender and the salad was lightly dressed. Then we enjoyed 2 entrees- the Baby back ribs came with very cheesy Mac n Cheese and spicy Collard greens and the Smoked Lan-Roc Pork chop came with rice pilaf and butternut squash puree. The meats were tender and moist with a good smoke flavor, and the accompanying sides were tasty, if just a little spicier than what I'm comfortable with. A very solid dining experience that I recommend!

Good service, tasteful upscale but casual dining. In door and outdoor seating available. Tasty food yet simple food! May come back with parents to impress versus a random lunch right out of the airport. The shrimp was delish!

I have never experienced such wonderfully timed service with delicious food before. Our waitress was kind, explained all of our questions without missing a beat, & every server came back with any additional requests, no problem. I'm pretty sure our appetizers & drinks came out in 25 seconds flat & the place was packed. Everyone loved their food. What an experience. I'm still amazed. Worth every penny!

Zydeco is fine. The ambiance and the service is great but the food is okay. We ordered the trout dip, jambalaya, and blackened redfish. Our favorite was probably the trout dip - but it wasn't even as good as the salmon dip at 10 barrel brewing. There are so many tastier places in Bend. Go to Zydeco if you dine for ambiance.

One of the best meals we had at Bend. Service was fast and attentive! She gave really good description and recommendations that we really appreciate! Everything is so tasty that we didn't realize that we were hungry! Highly recommend the mushroom toast, redfish, and the almond tres leches cake!

So delicious! The staff was so sweet to our kid and it's super kid friendly for being sort of "upscale". Everything we ordered was spot on. Will definitely come back again

We had a reservation for Zydeco and didn't know what to expect. The outside of the restaurant totally hides what it really is inside(in a great way). It has a subdued, romantic kinda decor although it was very busy and full of patrons, the evening of our visit. Our server was very sweet and attentive and was quick to take our order. Our kids started with the Shirley temple soda and that was very good...we adults too took sips of it as well. For appetizer we had the trout dip and loved the creaminess and good fish ratio on it. The lavash crackers were a nice twist. I had the Vieux Carre as my cocktail and loved it!! Such a well rounded cocktail. My husband had couple of beers - I think Buoy and something else ? My kid had the kids ribs plate, she couldn't finish it but liked what she did eat. Between the rest of us we had the blackened redfish with crab, Bouillabaisse and Cavatappi pasta for our entree. Very impressed with all our food - the presentation as well the taste! My husbands Bouillabaisse though was the star - the kids too went gaga over it trying the different seafood in it. The food and atmosphere there made us all feel like it was a great dinner and so we ended with a butterscotch pudding. I didn't try much of it, so can't recollect but I know it was cleaned up by my family. Another Bend gem honestly!

10/10!!! This place was phenomenal. The waiter made me a special dirty martini with a sapphire gin and it was truly incredible. We ordered the house smoked trout dip and absolutely loved it- you must try it! The steak, potatoes and Brussels were really fantastic as well. We loved the ambiance outside for a perfect summer night in Bend! Would definitely come back!

After reading all the great reviews on Yelp we decided to try this place. Our server suggested the bbq shrimp and it was tasty! The service was a little slow due to the massive street fair going on. We weren't in any hurry so no worries there. The place is pet friendly in the outdoor seating area and they even have homemade dog biscuits they gave us for our pup. Steak frittata was surprisingly super tasty and I would order that again on our next visit. We also shared the ribs with collared greens and potato salad. Again super tasty but my only advice is a little less bbq sauce would have made this dish even better. Thanks for the great service Ace!

Kid you not.. the best grilled octopus outside of being in Spain we've had. Great service, delivered quickly and amazing fresh product. It's a must stop in Bend!

We thought the food was just ok. For the price we paid it should have been much better. I ordered the very expensive steak. I realized after that the server didn't ask me how I wanted it cooked, and it came out very very rare. I ate around the edges and my husband finished off the rest. He ordered the duck and said it was just ok. We had to season every dish with salt, which for this price level was surprising. We went to Rancher Butcher Chef the next night and had the meal of our dreams.... If I were you I would go there instead. This meal wasn't awful, but it wasn't worth the price.

The jalapeño passion fruit margarita is delicious. I didn't love the redfish as it was a bit over cooked, however, the blackened quality of it was great, as was the Dungeness crab on top, the spinach, the sauce and the side I of heirloom tomatoes with chimichurri. There was enough that was great to forgive the overcooked fish and come back another time.

Most amazing experience!! Food and service was above and beyond! The sturgeon was so delicious!! Beet salad was terrific.

Zydeco, amazing service, staff, and food. Amazing taste, atmosphere, and dedication to quality. This is a must stop in Bend.

Ahi tuna appetizer was away tasty but maybe a bit too crunchy. Their cioppino stacks up well against a lifetime of SF Fisherman's Wharf! Key Lime Pie is wonderful when avail. Great red wine selection - brown liquors too. Smiling and knowledgeable service from distress through patrolling manager. Zydeco is a fav for our celebration s