Zydeco Louisiana Diner

I love this place. Zydeco Louisiana diner is different. It’s located in downtown Houston but nothing in the immediate surrounding areas remind you of downtown. It’s in an unassuming building with plenty adjacent parking. It’s not your fancy downtown restaurant dining experience. It’s is good hometown, southern and Cajun cafeteria style food. Although the menu is limited, the food they serve is outstanding. If you’re ready to drop the suit and the tie feel free to go down the peace Street and enjoy your down-home meal downtown.

Great treasure find! Been around 37 years and we know why. Food was delicious and owner was cordial and very attentive. We were new customers going in, loyal customers going out.

A craving for cornbread and collards sent me Googling, and let me just say—thank you, algorithms! This old-school hole-in-the-wall served up some of the best food with over-the-top customer service. The guy taking my order treated me like family—he even threw in a piece of cornbread when I mentioned my craving for cornbread. I ordered the shrimp platter, which came with butterflied shrimp fried to golden perfection, jambalaya, and fries. I swapped the fries for collard greens - Smoky, tender, and worth every bite. The jambalaya? Listen, I’m not even a fan, but this was next-level good—rich, flavorful, and downright addictive. I’m already planning my return visit for the Cajun fried chicken, but let me tell you: if you’re looking for authentic Louisiana eats served with a side of Southern hospitality, Zydeco Louisiana Diner is it. 💛💚💜 Laissez les bons temps rouler, Houston!

Wow! Enjoyed a great meal with the family last night. This place still serves the most delicious cajun dishes in town. The service was excellent. It is far from home, but we will make our way back soon to eat soon. Thank you for a great experience.

No frills, just solid food. I grew up in Louisiana, so I'm picky about my Cajun food. Our table got a variety of dishes: chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice, poboys, bread pudding. I tasted a little bit of it all and everything was good. Decent prices, casual atmosphere, and they have parking (which is a hot commodity in any urban core).

I loved the old Louisiana vibez here! Staff is very hospitable and nice. its a buffet line type place and the guy serving gave me a good suggestion of the seafood creole. it was very good. but the sides were mid to me. And the bread pudding i was looking forward to the most was out by the time i got there to eat at 12 :/ Its okay tho! Next time I def wanna try the fried chicken or poboy. Prices are very good for seafood. Lots of flavor!

This was a great little place. John was great, with southern charm and hospitality. As soon as we entered, he greeted us and asked, "Are you hungry?" I ordered crawfish ettoufee, and fried shrimp. My friend had gumbo I think. The food was delicious. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area. Oh, and the strawberry lemonade was fantastic!!!

Love this place! They have the best cajun seafood in town. The staffs are always so friendly! There always parking available. Great spot for lunch! The fried catfish is especially great! My boyfriend is a big fan! My ultimate favorite is definitely the stuffed shrimps! They are so flavorful and fresh. And the gumbo is to die for!

Very friendly and fast service from the cashier/owner David. New nighttime hours on Thursday-Saturday should bring more patrons. Mixed gumbo was phenomenal and only $13! Casual atmosphere with lots of history on its walls. Togo bread pudding was on point. Wish this place was cloned all over town, but you've just gotta visit the original. Will be back for more!

Food is Not good, not authentic and very bland. The fried shrimp wasn't deveined, and came with about 6 small ones... the fries were soggy, unsalted and im sure reheated. They had ants near the condiments and drink sections, the "jambalaya" was not that at all, just some stale rice(unseasoned) and a few beans plus 1 piece of sausage...I would not recommend this place especially as a creole woman. Food was zero, environment was 0, front desk guy was nice.

Great simple spot. You know it's quick when a bunch of blue collar guys go there. We stopped there for an easy lunch. Good Cajun food. Nothing too fancy so come as you are to enjoy the food. The catering is great too. Really enjoyed it for a team lunch.

Easy 5 star review! I drive all the way from champions area for this amazing food and will continue to do so. I've been coming hear for years! The owners are very nice people and they are serving some great authentic Cajun / Creole food on the city. Food: the baked chicken is my go to and it's top notch! Full of flavor and very tense. The stuffed pork chop is also top notch. The fried chicken is amazing as well. All of the sides are excellent. I really like the jambalaya, greens and mashed potatoes. The jalapeno cornbread is amazing too. This should be your go to if you work in the downtown area. I always make it a point to come here. One of my favorite places to eat in houston Texas. Top notch amazing food !

Down-home Cajun inspired comfort food right in downtown Daily specials can't be beat!

Coworker hype me up about this place for lunch. Remind me of historical diner. Shrimp/Catfish Jambalaya with fries 5/5. Jalapeño corn Bread 4/5 White Chocolate Rum Bread Pudding 5/5 Only compliant.Soda machine needs help. Not enough carbon. Will be back!

Extremely Friendly, inexpensive, and great Louisiana food. We enjoyed the gumbo and Jambalaya. Highly recommend!

WOW!! First time eating there last week and the food was delicious. Big portions; you better go with a big appetite. Very nice environment too.

This place is a gem.. whenever I'm downtown or near downtown for lunch. This is my go-to.. when I worked downtown, I would make the walk here and walk away stuffed. Food is always on point. I have no complaints. The strawberry lemonade is worth fighting for even though I don't condone violence. The customer service is always . when I walk in I feel like I've just walked into a throwback cafeteria style restaurant. They are only open for lunch would be my only complaint so if you're in downtown Houston or near downtown Houston between 11 and 2:00 PM check this place out

My last review of Zydeco Louisiana Diner was almost 10 years ago where I gave it 4 stars. Since then I've eaten there many times and always look forward to my next visit so I am updating my opinion of this restaurant. My most recent visit was for lunch and ordering the crawfish étouffée with sides of okra and tomatoes and black eye peas with some cornbread for $14. This meal was delicious and satisfying from a "home style cooking" point of view. Yummy yummy! As a matter of fact that's why I return and not as often as I would like since it's only open on weekdays for lunch and I don't get downtown that often. Zydeco DOES offer genuine Louisiana cooking and is a downtown gem. Restaurants like this are becoming more rare. A casual counter service eatery serving very good food at reasonable prices. The employees who work here are always friendly and I can tell this is a place where locals like to go for lunch. There is some free lot parking behind and on the side of the restaurant and if that's full then it's metered street parking wherever you can find it. Zydeco offers daily specials and every day items too and is open M-F from11-2 only. It has been in business since 1988 (which demonstrates how popular Zydeco is) and I hope it stays around for another 35 years.

This place was highly recommended by my coworkers. Unfortunately, the food I received was horrible. The fries looked like they were four days old cooked in burnt oil. This was not a cheap meal. I paid $20. for a shrimp platter with limp fries and rice mixed with dry meat.

One of the best stuff pork chops in town no doubt. Cashier in the front is very welcoming, without a doubt i will be coming back. Thank you guys!

70's slow jams playing in the back ground! the hum of downtown business workers enjoying lunch conversations, and... Wednesday special:chicken fricassee. Delicious! No need to wash"my plate, its already clean! My one reason for coming to the office vs Working from home!

This lunch spot will make you want to shout! A good homemade meal, hot, fresh, and on a plate and tray. The people are nice and just want to get you fed. The food taste so good you gone sit there a while just to look at the bones you created. I had the baked chicken and jambalaya rice with green beans, and jalapeño corn bread. I don't even like corn bread, but they changed my mind! It's a nice, cozy place, only open between 11 and 2:30 so you better get in there early, once the food is gone it's gone and all you get is free smells.

Fast, friendly and delicious! Everything I tried (crawfish ettouffe and corn maque choux) was great and the black eyed peas were best I remember having .

I'm not Cajun but, I love a home cooked meal. The food here tastes like the Cajun grandma I dont have, cooked it herself. I have had almost all of their dishes here and none of them have disappointed my tastebuds or my stomach, more importantly. I have to say the fried chicken is my favorite. The greenbeans n bacon as a side, is a delicious meal on its own and I'm not crazy for greenbeans so that has to say something about them...I knew my grandma was in the kitchen when I had the jalapeño cornbread! (Sorry abuelita rip) Fyi this restaurant is stuck in the early 80s for real, no frills nothing fancy no technology here, just good ol fashion Cajun food and that's why I always forget to check in on yelp when I'm here. they do have a menu to order other items but their cafeteria style service is fast and friendly. Always leave here with a happy tummy

This place is so good. Wait staff were super kind. Let me sample a couple of things before deciding. Bathrooms are clean. Props to Tina! Love ya!

Old school vibe. Oldies jazz zydeco rock music playing in the back ground. Old diner chairs and table. Walk in to the menu wrote in chalk for the day. Real great creole cuisine. Reasonable prices

Ordered a shrimp poboy. Hit the spot perfectly for lunch. Service was excellent, love the family atmosphere. Such a good old school Louisiana lunch counter vibe. Definitely recommend and would come back.

What a great local eatery. Had the gumbo. It was wonderful. Police construction workers, bankers.., theY are all here. I entered at 11:20, 3 patrons. It is 11:35 the place is full. I will come back next time I am town

I was excited to come here with my gf and we got a shrimp po boy to split and one small drink and ended up paying a little over 20 dollars for it. The shrimp was NOT tasting right idk if it was how it was made but I was seriously forcing myself to take more bites. Ended up not eating all of it I literally can't lmao. The man at the front was very nice to us though. Only reason it's 2 instead of 1

Just noticed they are now open evenings Thurs-Saturday. I saw the Cajun Fried Chicken banners and decided to venture in. Man, it reminds me of my coonass mom's fried chicken. C'est si bon. I WILL BE BACK!

Y E S !! First stop as soon as I landed in Houston and a great way to start my trip!! Food is delicious! I had the grilled chicken salad and my partner had the mixed gumbo, corn, and green beans. The salad comes with bacon that of which I didn't know and they had no problem in fixing it. Which places never do but there's usually this awkward hesitation (which I never understood). Everyone was nice! On the outside it doesn't look like much but once you go inside and get a whiff of the food, you know.

My family has really been craving cajun food recently and this restaurant was the answer to that! The service here is so great, the employees are all so warm and helpful. We ordered an array of plates to try. chicken salad - This salad was really delicious, usually salads aren't super distinguishable from one other but this one has this sauce that comes with it that is super memorable. However, if you are lactose intolerant do not get this! Overall, I would rate 4/5. chicken and sausage jambalaya - this dish was pretty salty but still good, however I don't think i could finish a whole plate of this without consuming mass amounts of water. I would give a 3/5. shrimp gumbo - this dish was particularly salty. I took a couple of bites of this before I had to stop. 2/5 red beans and rice - this plate was exactly what the title suggests, red beans and rice. It was decent but nothing really stood out to me, 3/5. cornbread - Now we're talking, the cornbread was absolutely AMAZING. I could eat buckets of this stuff. I have never had sweet cornbread before but this bread balanced out each dish so well, adding texture, flavor and overall satisfaction. 5/5! I would come back for just the cornbread.

Real food, made for those of us who grew up on the gulf. Get there early if you're craving!! NOLA & HTX at its best!!

Looking for a home cooked meal, this is the place. I really love the atmosphere and the manager owner there is always greeting and speaking to people. He is a really friendly guy. The food buffet there is pretty good and they give you plenty of food. You will not leave that place hungry. My favorite is the jalapeño corn bread! The food is not as spicy as I would like it but very flavorful. I have recommended this place when people come from out of town looking for a Cajun meal. They have all enjoyed it. Merry Christmas!

Great lunch spot, old school charm with buffet like service and custom individual orders as well. I had the baked chicken and it was more than I could eat.

After reading great reviews I had to try it for myself. My review is for the whole experience, not just the food. Bottom line is, this is a great little hole in the wall right downtown. As you enter, it's a bit confusing, for the first timer. There are no directions as to where to go. I figured out I needed to weave through a maze to get to the counter. Along the way, The menu is scribed on the wall in chalk. Step up to the line and order your cajun desires. Speaking little if any English the counter staff give you a number (If you didn't know better you'd stand around waiting). Next you're headed to pay your bill and get a drink. The fresh lemonade goes well with the po boy! After seating myself, The kitchen calls my number from a window, I gathered my basket of po boy and fries and see the condiments. The bread was fresh the shrimp were magnificently fried. The po boy was lightly seasoned which I added their tarter sauce and some spice from Tabasco. (Now the taste was to my liking.) The fries weren't to my liking as they were soggy with too much oil. (I like crispy fries that are nearly chip like and far from limp noodles.) My suggestions are 1) to diners and staff make sure the lids are on the hot sauce before you shake them, otherwise it's a mess! 2) the restaurant mop the floors a little better - I found it to be quite sticky. If your are looking for trendy modern, it's not here. The decor is aged but go well with this as a comfy lunch spot. I look forward to returning for the po boy but also to trying something else. This is a great place and a better alternative to a traditional sandwich shop. Food is fresh and portions are decent.

I found Zydeco via Yelp and decided to try it out for a solo lunch. Houston happened to have pleasant sunshine with light breeze while my Bay Area is facing winter winds and rain. A short, 15-minute walk to lunch sounds great. The restaurant is a true diner! Daily menus on chalkboards and a real old-school, vintage decor. Order up, pay, and look around for seating in their large, two-room dining floor. Although it looks and feel like a cafeteria buffet, the food is quite good with decent prices. I definitely want to come back! 5 stars. Mixed Gumbo is $8 for a bowl, with a mild smoky roux and generous amounts of shrimp and super-tender chicken meat. You get a free cornbread with this - I recommend jalapeño over regular. Crawfish Étouffée was like $12 and comes with two sides and more cornbread. Large, seasoned pieces of crawfish tails slathered in gravy over rice. The collard greens gave some nice pleasant bitter flavors, while my other side of creamed corn gave some sweetness to balance it all out. The place gets lots of customers during lunchtime, including many cops. They have served downtown Houston for over 30 years, so I'm not alone in recommending 5 stars. I also bumped into a Houston-based coworker here and he highly recommend the Baked Chicken for next time. Customers around me tend to rave about the Fried Chicken. Guess I have two reasons to come back!

I know I'm asian, but please trust me.. this food is amazing. I grew up around a lot of Cajun food so I'm pretty picky myself, and this place definitely delivers. I always drive past this place while delivering during work, and it's always packed during lunch. Crawfish étouffée : Creamier than Stormy Daniels when she looks at Donald Trump. 11/10 Shrimp and Oyster Platter : delicious 9/10 Man am I glad I stopped by. The owner is so nice and made me feel at home. Will definitely be coming back!

This is a hidden Jim in downtown Houston. Let me tell you the food is very good if you like Cajun creole cooking you will love this place. Upon driving up to the location I will say I was not to impressed with the outside because of the dated building and construction in the area also the small parking area that's cramped for space but I say don't let that deter you the manic is on the inside of the building. Once you enter the restaurant it is busy but everyone on the staff is friendly as you make your way thru the line to select your meal choices you can't help but feel like your in a real mom and pop Louisiana restaurant. The food was delicious the only thing I think they could do is work on securing more parking and extending there hours of operation. As I said earlier this is a hidden Jim well worth the time and money!!

Food was ok and they do not serve beer. Don't know how anyone enjoys Cajun food without a cold beer

First visit, Chicago native w a fine pallet. Great customer service, pretty affordable, food piping hot fresh and absolutely delicious!! I ordered ahead to pick up but when I arrived it wasn't ready and I learned that it's cafeteria style so it was package upon arrival. I'm and out in seconds. The crawfish etouffe, black eye peas and corn w jalapeño cornbread all was robust in flavor. Indoor seating open, pretty empty at lunch time on a Wednesday. Hearty portion. The workers have strong Mexican accents. Highly recommend.

The guy that greeted us at the door was very polite and professional. He welcomed us to the restaurant and explained the menu in full detail. He made sure we were satisfied with our entrees and glasses stayed full. Overall great service and delicious food.

Service was fast and very friendly. Food was amazing and the green beans are better than any I've ever had! Definitely will go here again next time in in town.

I ate at this place on the first day it opened and it was my fave place when I worked in downtown Houston. I now live far away but Marty I am planning a special trip to come and visit you. Thanks for the memories, Manley C.

What's that noise, noise, it's an echo, ECHO I just got Geico from a Gecko, GECKO I'm listening to some ALESSO Because it allows me to LET GO I got drunk in a BUTECO A girl told me she liked my PECS DOE I made her drip like an ESPRESSO And stuck the piece in like LEGO But was she done having fun? HECK NO Next morning, I gave her a BREK O Took her on the deck, gave her a DECK O Didn't have cash, gave her a CHECK O Kasparov's moves gave her a CHESS O Captain Kirk on TV gave her a TREK O Took her to Prague, gave her a CZECH O When we had a car crash, gave her a WRECK O She called me a Loser, gave her a BECK O Then she asked me for a food RECO She said I want Creole, not EGGO So I took her straight down to ZYDECO WHO DAT Simply the greatest Cajun-Creole food I have ever tasted. By a distance. So what if it's in Houston? So is your sister. In my bedroom. Really, though, the owners are from Louisiana (Lafayette, not New Orleans), and have brought their beautiful home cooking to Houston. It's utterly spectacular, and affordable too. What to get: Crawfish Etoufee, Gumbo, Sweet Tea, Lemonade. What else: Everything they serve is sensational. What else: Every girl I serve is sensational. Houston is easily the most underrated large city in the country for food. There are many very good restaurants, especially of the ethnic kind. And then there are some which are so good that even if they were in New York, they would be one of the best restaurants in the city. Zydeco is that. What a lot of people don't realize who don't live in Houston, is that Houston is actually full of people from Louisiana. Lots of evacuees from Katrina and in general a lot of migration from the poor areas of Louisiana to Houston looking for a more comfortable life. This means that there is a huge Cajun influence in the area, and this Cajun influence can be seen in the form of some excellent Cajun Creole soul food New Orleans cuisine in the area. But there is one that stands Head and Shoulders above all others, and it's not from New Orleans. This food is better than any I've ever found in Louisiana, but it's from there, so Louisiana gets a lot of the credit. It's from the Southwest portion of the state (Lafayette, Lake Charles). It's named after the musical genre from this region. Zydeco is hands down without any reservations the most amazing Louisiana food I've ever had. I know that's crazy because it's actually in Texas, but it's made by people from Louisiana and you would think you were in Louisiana - only better. They have some of the best gumbo I've ever had. Their crawfish etouffee is the best Creole dish I've ever eaten. There's not much spice in this type of cooking, but you won't mind because the flavors are so magical. They also have pretty good jalapeno cornbread and pretty good sweet tea. The prices here are a little higher than I wish they were, but when the food is this good it's okay. You can get a pretty cheap lunch, but if you try to get a big meal you may end up paying closer to $20 than $10. Like I said it's totally worth it. Sometimes I think the prices are inconsistent and unpredictable, but then so was your Mother last night. Dollface girl says - "Zydeco is amazing! One of my favorite restaurants in all of Houston! My favorite is the jambalaya, it's so delicious! The crawfish etouffee is a very close second! The green beans, mashes potatoes, and black eyed peas sides are good!" BTW I've been commissioned to paint on the walls of Zydeco. The project is called "Art Deco @ Zydeco." You can tell how Hipster it's going to be by the @ sign being used instead of the word @. I'm @ odds with the world on this one. N.E. Way, I'm sure you all know where I'm @ if you want to N-Flx @ Chl. Now speaking of a Zy-deck-o of cards, have you ever played 52-card pick-up? I'll show you how. (Throws the whole zy-deck-o on the floor). OK, pick them up. Now this review is over, you can breathe a huge Zy of relief.

Top notch all the way around. Have eaten there several times and the food, service, and restaurant have all been excellent each time. Will be going back!

How have I missed this awesome spot smack downtown with plenty of parking in and around the restaurant? So cool to not have to head into the tunnels at lunch. You walk in get a tray and see what they have. Or ask for a menu. I had some excellent sausage gumbo. Seriously well priced. Nice staf. No frills. I saw lots of regulars coming in. Apparently they also have salads.

This was my first visit. I went during the lunch hour mid week. I got the pork chop with corn and green beans. They gave me rice but I wish I would've been given a choice because I would've preferred a bed of mashed potatoes for the pork chop and gravy. Overall it was pretty good. Taste like a home cooked meal which was refreshing. I was still hungry when I left so next time I'll get 2 proteins. I didn't really care for the cornbread. The price is decent. I will definitely go back.

I made it back here again. This place is awesome! This time I tried the stuffed shrimp platter and a cup of the seafood gumbo. I loved the gumbo! It's a must try. The stuffed shrimp platter came with shrimp stuffed with crab meat. It was very tasty. It also came with a side of french fries and jambalaya. The Jambalaya was really good. I would also recommend that as well. Overall, one of my favorite places to eat. Definitely, my favorite place to eat in Houston so far. It's hard going back to Houston and not making this place one of my eating stops. If you are in Houston, make the trip to this place. You won't regret it.

Some of the Best Cajun/Southern cuisine that I have ever had. Some people complain about saltiness, but excellent seasoning is part of Southern cooking. If you are accustomed to eating more bland food, this may not be for you. The Gumbo and Red Beans and Rice are EXCELLENT!

Child they food make you hurt yo self. The gumbo is bomb, the red beans and rice banging. They got good tasty food. My next dish will be the chicken and sausage jambalaya. Tasty!

Ok so this place is an absolute dive...but in the best sense of the word. I don't usually post reviews but I would do everyone a huge disservice if I didn't. I'm from Louisiana and as such typically frown at places advertising "Cajun" outside of Louisiana. That said this place was right next to where I'm staying and didn't feel like walking 10 blocks for a decent meal. These guys have been open 30 years and it shows. If you're looking for candlelight and romance this isn't the place to go. There is no wait staff hovering though the owner is attentive. But if you're looking for authentic food at non-downtown Houston prices do yourself a favor and stop in. My order was out in less than 10 min. It was hot, fresh and really good. Great music playing overhead but not so loud you can't have a conversation. Great place for a couple of cold beers, a good conversation and a great meal at a reasonable price. As we say back home C'est si bon Cher'!!!

Pretty good food for the prices they have, you can taste the freshness in the seafood, they could do better with keeping the fries fresh, but everything else seems pretty good, you can feel the old urban vibes with a kind of confederate taste.

The catfish po'boy is a great plate every time but they always include the fries which are really subpar. The fries really take away from the enjoyment. The service is nice and the decor is nice and retro.

In town for a convention and googled good seafood restaurants near me and this gem popped. It's a very unassuming restaurant from the outside. Once you enter, you view the menu on the chalkboard and line up cafeteria style. I ordered catfish platter with fries and jambalaya , with a sweet tea and bread pudding to go. The catfish was seasoned perfectly, crispy delicious as was the fries and and jambalaya. The restaurant is only open from 11-2 , so plan wisely and treat yourself to a great lunch. I'm in town until Saturday, I definitely plan to return!

This is a GEM! The food was amazing, the service made me feel like I was at a small town diner. There are so many memorabilities on the wall .

all of the food groups one one plate, still think about the crust on the baked chicken every morning perfect spot to brag about and not miss