Good Cajun or New Orleans-style food in the OC?

[food4life]

Does anyone know of a good cajun or New Orleans-stlye restaurant in the OC? The only one I know of is Ralph Brennan's, but I am looking for other options. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

[deelliott]

Sad to say that there are no Good Cajun restaurants in OC. I love CAjun food and have been told by many, that I make the best gumbo they have ever had.

Your best bet may be http://memphiscafe.com/index1.html You can get blackened catfish and they have restaurant gumbo. There is teh Jazz kitchen at Downtown Disney, but again it is restaurant cajun food (not rustic).

[OCAnn]

Ralph Brennan's = Jazz Kitchen @ DTD.

Another option is Tap's Fishhouse & Brewery which bills itself as a NO style restaurant, but since I've never been to NO, I can't speak to that; however, they have good food...and great oysters.

www.tapsbrea.com

[I got nothin]

This probably isn't exactly what you're looking for, but there are numerous crawfish places in Little Saigon. It's a Vietnamese take on cajun crawfish and shrimp boils. Since there are not many good cajun places in OC, this may be an option. Here are a few posts about Boiling Crab, Rockin Crawfish, and a few others to take a look at.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/80576
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/365467
http://www.chow.com/digest/2075

[Wonginator]

Not sure if it is close enough, but Iva Lee's in San Clemente describes itself as Southern and Creole cuisine. Haven't been there myself yet, but have read good things about it.

http://www.ivalees.com/

[WannaBFoody]

I agree I can't believe there isn't decent Cajun food in the OC/Long Beach area. In the four years I've lived here I've only been to Memphis Cafe for breakfast twice, and both time they were good, but no comments on the dinner menu. Ruth's in Santa Ana used to be good for soul food, but Ruth died so it's no more.

[kevin]

Tell me it ain't so, I think I was there about a half year ago, did she just pass away.

I truly loved that place and Ruth.

[schrutefarms]

House of Blues in Downtown Disney. Very corporate and homogonized, but whatever. Pretty good.

[cpotenzone]

OK, so this is really not Cajun food, but its close. Eva's kitchen in south Laguna offers fantastic Carribean food as well as an amazing selection of rum. Real rum, not mass produced junk. Eva is a from Jamaica via NYC and makes some of the best shrimp and pulled pork you can imagine. She's typically in the restaurant and its impossible to come in and eat and not leave with a little burning on your tongue and full belly. Let her pick the rum, its well worth it.

Eva's Kitchen: 31732 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

[too phat]

I was pleasantly surprised by the Lucille's (yes, the chain restaurant) in Brea. However, tried the one in Long Beach, and not very good. Both had long waits, but the one in Brea had very good smoked beef ribs.