Bud’s Louisiana Cafe

really enjoyed this place.
not only is it very unique to have this sort of cuisine but the quality and taste was excellent.
service was also very good.

This is the best food ever. Everyone who goes there knows it. I can’t wait for the fresh alligator again.

Love this place always good and classy I have good experience every time. real cajun. great service and nice music.

Love this place… Great little hidden foodie gem. If you like jambalaya or creole food in general or just interested in trying something some flavorful fresh food you have to try this place.
The beignet is a must try only served from 8−10am FYI. Jalapeño cornbread muffin is also on point not too dense but moist and full of flavor.
Jambalaya burrito is amazing accompanied with their own roasted tomato sauce.
Just tried the crawfish boudin hash bowl and it is simply delicious. Great flavor great texture.
Ambiance is casual yet elegant with a jazzy vibe.
Customer service is excellent from the host to server to owner?/manager? We’ve been here a few times now for bfast in the past couple of weeks and I have a feeling we’ll be regulars here for the near future.
Oh yeah my almost 4 yr old loves their beignet with powdered sugar and she has a side of maple glazed bacon!
See you soon Bud!

Of all the breakfast I’ve had in San Diego, Bud’s Louisiana Café (along with Hinotez) probably has the best bang for the buck. You get fine-​dining tasting food for non-​fine-​dining prices.
Bud’s well thought-​out menu is simple but has enough variety to choose from. Midway through your meal, you’ll realize how Cajun breakfast can be light (that is, not oily and dense) with complex, balanced flavors that don’t overpower each other.
Here’s what I had for breakfast:
* Beignets (4.5 stars)
When I think of donuts, I think of how heavy they typically are; these were flavorful yet light.
* Breakfast Shrimp and Grits (5 stars)
I wouldn’t have expected shrimp, grits, and poached eggs with runny yolk to complement each other but they do, producing a rich yet crisp flavor and texture. The English muffins I opted for also seemed to have some kind of really flavorful butter spread that would have made fruit jam over-​the-​top.
* Café Moto House Blend Coffee (4 stars)
This was pretty good tasting coffee, and surprisingly the beans are grown in the U.S. The purveyor is also surprisingly located in San Diego (Logan Heights to be more specific).
If this place was closer to me, I’d eat here regularly. Next time, I’ll be trying their lunch or dinner!

Came to Buds today on the recommendation of a relative. glad we came.
Excellent tasty Louisiana food. Excellent southern service.
They seated us immediately, and took the drink order. Fast service, and food was delivered to the table in 5 – 10 mins. This is a sit down resturant with tables inside and out.
You know it is a good place when it’s full of people, yet in a business complex where there wouldn’t normally be high traffic… so it is a destination location!
You won’t be disappointed.

The Oysters en Brochette are back! This time they came with a spicy mustard and remoulade sauce. They also are currently serving twice smoked tri-​tip or pork loin as a dinner special that comes along with some greens and a potato salad. On this occasion, I had the two soft shell crabs on a plate, red beans and rice as an appetizer, and an Arnold Palmer. The plate also came with well seasoned fries. Beignets are a must but there is a schedule as to when they serve beignets. A small house salad use to be complimentary with a dish but is now an extra $ 3. The house salad is delicious and unique. Still wondering what those crunchy things sprinkled on top were. All in all, an awesome dinner with friends.

Do you like seafood? Surprisingly modern and cozy restaurants in industrial areas? This place will be like a dream come true. Especially if you’re into seasoning and a little spice. It took hubby and me a year and a half to finally try this place. We always seemed to want to go on days it was closed. This past Saturday, everything was aligned and we went.
First, I was floored by the décor. It was svelt and kitsch and all those cool style words. Very modern, with touches of Louisiana graphics and artwork. The host warmly welcomed us and we were shown to a well-​lit table in the back near the patio.
I combed through the menu for a dish with seafood and void of meat and dairy. I found the perfect one– A Taste of New Orleans with crawfish Étouffée and blackened catfish. If both of these sound delish to you, order this and you will be in heaven.
Hubby liked his pasta jambalaya but was super envious of my dish, so I kept giving him samples. He said he will get my dish next time.
Also, if you have room, the beignets were the best I’ve ever had in my life.

Pulled Pork PO Boy and Cajun Potato Salad. Southern Sweet Tea. All delicious!!!
Service is also wonderful thus far, with a nice atmosphere.

i love the service (server regularly checks if you need anything with your food, etc., i like the food (the serving is not huge but can make you full, really good for one person and not for the whole neighborhood), i ordered «A Taste of New Orleans» and hubby ordered the «Louisiana Chicken». My catfish was awesome! was not able to taste much tartar sauce (my fave) but it made me not ask more tartar sauce either. I tried hubby’s order and it’s somewhat similar to chicken a la king with white sauce and mushrooms. The ambiance could be more New Orlean-​ish? restrooms are clean and i just enjoyed my lunch here with hubby since i’ve been bugging him for us to go to New Orleans. I would recommend trying this place out.

Their beignets is really good! Kinda like the Chinese favored breakfast“You Tiao” but it is sweet lol. I think they only serve it on Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Correct me if I’m wrong. My friend really enjoyed his crawfish dish. I feel a little overwhelming cuz the flavor is kinda strong to me. But overall it’s a really good restaurant! I think the point is that you have to try at least once for this kind of «canjun» flavor restaurant in San Diego to know what it’s like haha

Yummy comfort food! Everything was savory and delicious. We didn’t have to wait long for a table on Friday night either. I ordered the cajun jambalaya with sausage while my boyfriend ordered the crawfish monica. Both were amazing and really filling. Service is also pretty fast and our appetizers (cornbread muffins and a cup of gumbo) came out quickly.
The location is kinda weird since the restaurant is all by itself and surrounded by business offices.

Great food and nice interior!
Price is afordable, they gave me discount for first course!
would defintely go back

Recommendations: crawfish ettoufle and jalapeño cornbread
Came here on a Wednesday at 3pm, so there was barely anyone there. I got the crawfish ettoufle, jambalaya cup, 2 Jalapeño cornbread muffins, jambalaya pasta, and beignets.
The crawfish ettoufle had such a great flavor to it. The Cajun/​creole type flavoring was amazing… And the bits of crawfish in it were delicious. The rice, however, was a little bit hard so they might need to work on that!
The jalapeño cornbread came with a slice of butter, and it was so good! It wasn’t dense at all, but had the perfect kick of jalapeño to it. At $ 0.75 each, why the heck not!!!
There’s outdoor and indoor seating. The restaurant is located in the strangest location– in the midst of all these industrial buildings.
This place isn’t as good as say, Ritters Steam Kettle in Huntington Beach or Costa Mesa, but it’s pretty darn good for San Diego. Four stars for the friendly waiter and good food!

I was honestly shocked that I never heard of Bud’s. My boyfriend’s sister was craving Cajun food and suggested Bud’s… went straight to Unilocal and gasped… 1000+ reviews and 4.5 stars? WHY haven’t I heard about this place!??
The restaurant is located in a random area off of Balboa. Unassuming, quaint, casual. Has a very «home sweet home» feel. The ambiance matches the food — very comforting. I loved it. I recommend making reservations ahead of time especially if you’re planning on going with a large party.
APPETIZERS:
+ Oyster shooters — oyster, lemon, cocktail sauce and option of jalapeño infused vodka. REALLY good.
+ Jalapeño cornbread muffin — don’t hesitate. Just order one (or three like me hehe). Good cornbread, great texture, little pieces of corn, slight kick because of the little bits of jalapeño but very mildly spicy. Really good, I had to order seconds.
+ Seafood gumbo — you can either order a cup or a bowl. Comes with shrimp, crab, crawfish, andouille pork sausage, okra, and rice. Mildly spicy, bold flavors, fresh, and satisfying. I really loved this as an appetizer.
+ Seafood bisque — tomato cream based soup with shrimp, crab, crawfish, corn, and rice. I thought it was really good too. If you’re more in the mood to have a creamy soup, this one is it. Also lots of flavor. Yummy!
+ Shrimp bourbon street — fried pieces of small shrimp. It was ok. The highlight was definitely the orange marmalade horseradish dipping sauce mmm.
ENTREES:
+ Crawfish étouffée — I lovvvve crawfish étouffée and Bud’s does it perfectly. If you’ve never had it before, it is crawfish tail meat slow cooked in mildly spiced light roux with onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and herbs with rice. If you’ve never had crawfish before (you’re missing out and) it’s PACKED with yummy flavor. I want to say if a baby shrimp and a lobster had a teeny tiny baby = crawfish. YUM.
+ Taste of New Orleans –Crawfish étouffée but a slightly smaller portion plus your choice of blackened catfish, fried catfish, or fried soft shell crab. I ordered the fried catfish and it was the best fried catfish I’ve ever had. I tried my friend’s fried softshell crab and it was just as good. It comes with their house-​made tartar sauce. I really recommend this if you want a mix of flavor.
+ Cajun Jambalaya — I tried some of my boyfriend’s and I was surprised that it was pretty flavorful. In my opinion, not as good as the seafood dishes because it lacked that extra umph lol (the chicken was very plain) but if you’re not into seafood as much, this is a great option.
+ Pasta Jambalaya — My friend ordered this and she was the only person that did not enjoy her dish. I’ve heard from lots of people that the pasta sucks. Don’t do it.
+ Catfish Po Boy — if you’re feeling a sandwich, this is a damn good one. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the po’boys but I hear the catfish, oyster, and shrimp are the best.
I LOVE BUD’S. My boyfriend and I are usually picky about returning to the same place twice in one month, but we made an exception for Bud’s lol. We’ll probably be back again very soon.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Bud’s earlier. This place has never disappointed me.
The cornbread muffins are just $.75 each and they are a great way to start the meal. You can also ask for bread and butter. All of their entrees come with a salad to start. The portions here may seem a bit small at first sight, but I’ve never left feeling hungry. I also lick my plate clean because the food is just that good. During this particular visit the boyfriend and I got the jalapeño cornbread muffins, red beans and rice, and chicken and grits.
My boyfriend is a huge fan of the red beans and rice and it comes with andouille sausage that was very tasty. They do beans right here. Super flavorful and the perfect comfort food. I was a bit nervous about ordering grits because it can be very hit or miss with me, but the grit here are perfectly creamy and cheesy. Probably the best grits I’ve had in San Diego. The chicken was also really delicious with the mushroom sauce.
On past trips, I’ve also enjoyed their jamabalya (I believe you can order a cuppa cuppa cuppa, which is a cup of gumbo, jambalaya and red beans & rice. It’s a good option if you want to sample different things). Their Blackened Catfish St. Charles is also quite tasty. Bud’s really knows how to make a delectable sauce for their dishes. I remember really enjoying the creamy sauce on this one too.
Will have to try the beignets the next time we visit. I always tell myself I want dessert, but always end up being too full. Already thinking of when my next visit will be…

Oh Bud. I love you, man.
This place is not easy to find as it’s tucked inside of an executive park off of Balboa Ave. and I’m glad; you have to make a reservation or else you may have to wait. I would suggest waiting ’cause it’s that damn good.
Fist time I ate here, the wife and started with alligator sausage and fried pickles. Alligator sausage was good but don’t know if it was better or worse than others (We Tar Heels don’t grow up eating too much gator) but the pickles were on point though.
My entrée was the Cajun Jambalaya and the wife had the Red beans & rice. These were also excellent. But now, had to talk about the most recent experience to explain my love: Shrimp ‘n Grits.
Honey hush! We had the same apps as our usual dine-​ins so I won’t rehash that. The Shrimp ‘n Grits is a very large portion of grits in a tomato cream sauce and surrounded by nicely sized shrimp. I really can’t remember what the wife had because I was too busy with my meal.
Anyhow, if you like/​love creole food, I highly recommend Bud’s. He’ll do you right.

Still one of my favorite restaurants in all of San Diego! After a recent trip to New Orleans, I had been craving yummy creole /​Cajun food. My boyfriend and I came here for lunch on Saturday afternoon and we were absolutely stuffed with delicious food.
We started our meal off with Jalapeño Cornbread which is a must here! We ordered A Taste of New Orleans dish with soft shell crab, fried shrimp plate, and shrimp and grits. Three entrees for 2 people because everything is that good. Salads and fries are good too! The food is deliciously authentic and I felt like I was eating lunch in Nola again!
Service was attentive and we really enjoyed our meal. Can’t wait to come back!

Could it be that Bud’s Louisiana Café is San Diego’s best kept secret? Word on the street says it is!
LOCATION
Bud’s Louisiana Café is nestled in a business plaza but you can easily locate it by the outdoor patio umbrellas while driving on Viewridge Ave. It’s a quaint restaurant with some character. The interior is very homely, which suggests a comforting meal.
FOOD
The Jalapeño Cornbread Muffin was good: a bit of spice, some gritty cornmeal, a bit of sweetness, but also a little too crumby for a muffin. It’s a great deal at 75 cents!
The Crawfish Étouffée was my absolute favorite! I would come back here just for this! The étouffée came with a generous amount of crawfish tail meat, the roux was flavorful with some spice, and it was the perfect consistency. I’d say this might even be better than the pan roasts I’ve had in Las Vegas or Orange County. I highly recommend this for all seafood lovers but would advise this is not something you’ll want to eat on a daily. The quality of this dish is great and the price is an affordable $ 17.95. One might think there’s not enough étouffée on the plate but it’s quality over quantity in this case, making the price a bargain!
A House Salad comes with the Crawfish Étouffée and I like it because it’s not the typical spring salad with store-​bought dressing. It’s actually made with romaine lettuce, cut up hardboiled eggs, crushed croutons, and their homemade Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. I’m not a fan of honey mustard anything and asked to have this on this side (in case I didn’t like it), but I actually ended up enjoying it with my salad!
My sister-​in-​law ordered A Taste of New Orleans, which came with half of the Crawfish Étouffée and Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab. She really liked her dish and salad as well.
I ended up taking half of my Crawfish Étouffée home with me because I wanted to savor it for dinner. It’s so good!
PARKING
Parking may be hard to find during the week since Bud’s is surrounded by businesses but we came after the lunch crowd and easily found a spot behind the café.
SEATING /​STROLLERS /​WALKERS /​WHEELCHAIRS
There are seats both indoor and outdoor with room for those with strollers, walkers, and wheelchairs.
SERVICE
The staff was welcoming and the service we received from our host was excellent! The food came out piping hot and we didn’t have to wait too long for the food. I am knocking off a star for a comment I overheard the busboys said in Spanish.
Overall, a great place to dine with good food paired with excellent service! I hope to be back again soon to try their Shrimp and Grits!

Why is this place hidden? What a random gem in the middle of a business park. I’m glad I don’t work there because I would prob be 3 sizes bigger than I am now. But WOW! I have to say I am impressed with this Cajun/​Creole place especially for San Diego since there are not many places like this around.
Small, homely and not over modernized, this café is simple but packs a delicious punch. I guess people have made reservations for dinner and we were lucky enough to get seated anyways without one.
Started off with sweet tea and I was so overly excited about trying this place I added an extra packet of sugar in it. oops. had the simple salad which suprised me that it had chopped boiled egg! My hubby started off the a bowl of gumbo which was tasty and smokey. It had the right amount of kick to it and not overly pepperly or spicy. The thickness was a good consistency too. The rice in the gumbo wasn’t over cooked or mushy.
I went for the shrimp and grits, Came out perfectly layed out with the grits in the center and the shirmp beautifully laide around it. There was a LOT of shrimps too… i want to say at least 12 – 15. Each bite, the shrimp had a nice snap to it and just portioned out perfectly to where my last shrimp just had enough grits. That sauce all over it was so creamy, sweet and tomatoie that I actually stole from of my husbands fries to dip them into it. He has the po boy shrimp sandwhich and that was good too. Reminded me of a bahn mi because of the fresh baguette they used.
The crème de la crème was the bread pudding! OMG! It was so sweet, so bourbony and tasted like a caramalized custard. Cleaned the whole cup. yes, cup. It wasn’t a stiff cake like bread pudding, oh no. it was bread… pudding. the sauce they topped it off with slowly was asorbed by the bread and it melted so nicely in my mouth with every bite. I’d go back to try the other dishes too!