CreoLa

Ate here a few times, and all the dishes we tried are very good. Will definitely return when we’re in the area!

I am always a fan of their being more Cajun options so I’d been wanting to try CreoLa for awhile. We got the four course dinner option which was really reasonably priced.
Starter: Hushpuppies
Soup/​Salad: Gumbo
Main: Fried Chicken with Collard Greens
Dessert: Beignets
The collard greens that came with the chicken were amazing. I cleaned my plate of them. The hush puppies were good, but not truly Southern. The beingnets were light, fluffy, & loaded with powdered sugar as they should be. Our server was super helpful and made us have a wonderful evening.

Creola is always a pleasant experience. First of all, the service here is great, they are extremely friendly and attentive. Of the times I’ve been here, I have to say that the gumbo has been my favorite. They start you off with some amazing cornbread btw. It’s sweet, buttery, irresistible. However, a lot of the entrées are too small for me. For the price, I’d expect a more filling meal. For dessert, don’t pass up the beignets. Again, slightly too expensive for what you get but really good

Food is definitely exceptional. Last time we had Cajun was at the Parish Café in Healdsburg; this place is definitely on par and exceeds in many areas. The Mardi Gras menu serves up very generous portions, good enough for two if you add in an extra appetizer and dessert to supplement the meal. I didn’t get to try the famous fried chicken but judging from how they did the (fried) Shrimp Bourbon Street and Cajun Jambalaya (with roasted chicken), I can already imagine how awesome it’d be.
The place was very busy on a Saturday night and it was already over half full at 5:30pm (!). The only flaw of the evening was really the waitress that we had, who took almost twenty minutes after we sat down to come by. It was an irritating start to an otherwise wonderful meal since I would’ve been more patient if we at least got our cocktails first. The other server was very attentive and filled our water glasses right away, so it would’ve been nice if he took our order instead.
Overall a restaurant with great promise and hopefully the service isn’t so spotty next time.

There are few cuisines I enjoy more than the flavor profiles of Creole. Living on the West coast lends itself to a limited amount of Louisiana inspired restaurants but when I find one, I temper my expectations.
I have no idea how many times I’ve driven past CreoLa and never eaten here. Today was the lucky day.
Décor is very cozy with a cute style of an old farm house. I guess that’s how I’d describe it, but what do I know about décor? Why I am speaking about décor at all? I don’t know how these words typed themselves, but they did.
Drink: We recently visited Atlanta, GA and had a chance to try authentic sweet tea, We had our very first glass of sweet tea at Mary Mac’s so the bar was set pretty high. I have to say, this place knows how to make a REAL brew of sweet tea and it was the perfect accompaniment to our dinner. I noticed the standard alcoholic beverages on the menu, but I don’t drink.
Food:
Ah, yes. This is the area I know well.
Crawfish Hush Puppies:
Perfectly fried with that deep, golden brown color we love to see. Crawfish were delicious, and very well cooked. I can’t compare it to the real deal Holyfield because my only time in New Orleans came at a time in my life when alcohol, in so many variations, was of maximum importance. Amazing, delicious lil crawfish? Afterthoughts of course.
Shrimp CreoLA:
Again, perfectly cooked, tender, delicious, well seasoned shrimp. The stuffing, or shall we say dressing (I am confident they call it dressing in the South) was an excellent touch of salty goodness. The crawfish made a guest appearance and boy, couldn’t get enough of those little mud bugs.
Jambalaya:
Oh boy. I’ve made jambalaya 50+ times in my life and never as good as this variation. These guys clearly know way more about cooking and flavors and authenticity than do I. The rice was cooked to perfection. A tiny bit of bite to each grain, thoroughly seasoned before they added the stock and I could eat two plates of this all to meself.
I cannot believe it took me this long to visit this location. I will say, with great certainty, that I will return very soon to enjoy the remaining items on the menu.

Not a lot of options in San Carlos/​Belmont on a Sunday lunch time. I’m currently living in Houston so my review is based on that plus visiting NOLA multiple times.
Bloody Mary has a bitter after taste but is spicy. Manhattan tasted watered down.
Gumbo has a dark roux and flavor is average. Jambalaya tasted okay. Corn muffin is moist.
They have boiled crawfish for $ 10/​half pound or $ 18/​pound — which is outrageous and I did not order.
Cajun velvet pie is peanut butter mousse which is pretty good. Coffee is fine.
Service was good although there was only one other table at the time.

Good service on a not so busy Friday. They have the usual suspects for creole like gumbo, jambalaya, greens, fried chicken and cornbread. They have a pre fixe menu for lunch for $ 18.00 which is a decent value. Appetizer, salad and entrée. Chose the seafood gumbo which was light and hearty. It would’ve been that much greater if had more heat. Salad was refreshing with walnuts and mandarin oranges.
The fried chicken was nicely battered and crispy while being very juicey as it was brined for awhile. Portions are decent at lunch as it came with collard greens and mashed potatoes which both were good. Can’t forget to mention that it came with a mini cornbread. But also 3 larger pieces of cornbread were brought out before the meal arrived. It was nice and moist. Didn’t really need the mini cornbread with the meal.
Service was attentive and friendly. My only gripe about the experience is they have the gratuity option set at 18% or 20%. They use a mini ipad and square for cc processing at the table which is convenient until I saw only 2 options for gratuity. Still think 18% is a bit high for lunch but it is what it is.
Still would return to try other dishes.

I’ve pasted by this place on El Camino a million times, always saying I need to go there one time– I finally made it! This place really blew me away. The service was attentive and friendly. I didn’t have to flag anyone down, and they answered all my questions. I have been to NOLA in Palo Alto plenty of times before, and to be quite honest. CreoLa’s dishes are sooo much better. Where have you been all my life?!
We ordered some hurricanes to go with our meal, they we’re just right, not too sweet nor strong. A server brought out some cornbread with a slice of butter that just melted on the bread so nicely. The cornbread was delicious, I wanted more but knew I have to save some space for the rest of the food!
As an appetizer we had the beef patties, they sort of reminded me of beef egg rolls, but patty form– I don’t know. LOL, they were okay.
For our entrees we had the Shrimp Creola, oh my goodness it was sooo good! It was seasoned and cooked so well, I would highly recommend this plate. My boyfriend had the Sunday Chicken, he loved it! He is usually very picky, so he goes safe when trying new restaurants, but he absolutely loved the chicken. It was very juicy, tender, and well grilled/​bake.
For dessert I had the beignets, and he had the banana pudding. The beignets were good, but I expected them to be more fluffier, and I kinda wished I had some syrup or a sugary sauce to go with them– the caramelized bananas were a good addition, but perhaps I just wanted more sugar. Hehe. My boyfriend had the banana pudding, but it was too sweet for him, and I thought it was too banana-​y, but that’s the point right?
Overall, we had a great experience. My only critique is that I wished the portions were a little bigger, given the prices. I don’t see myself coming here on a rotation basis, but more for special occasions, a date night, or perhaps even brunch.

I had dinner here after a long day of work/​traveling. I was a little disappointed they don’t serve po boys for dinner. I walked in thinking my dinner was going to be $ 16-​$ 20. I ended up spending $ 60 on my dinner. It was a little pricey but the food was delicious. Cajun food is always satisfying.
I started with the butter lettuce salad. It was nicely dressed with poppy seed vinaigrette & topped with spiced pecans/​mandarin oranges. I found the combination to work. The seafood gumbo was satisfying and contained shrimp, crab, & andouille sausage. For my main entrée, I had the shirmp creola. I enjoyed it. The shrimp were a tad overcooked but just barely. I ended with beignets topped with bananas, caramel, whipped cream, & powered sugar. They were great. If I ever have dinner here again, I’ll try different dishes. Their menu contains a lot of dishes that sound great. It was a pleasant dining experience and I left satisfied despite spending $ 40 more than expected. IMO, that’s a sign of a good meal.

A great find in the neighborhood. Outstanding restaurant– food & service.
Shrimp Étouffée, Red Beans & Rice, Shrimp Po Boy, Fried Okra, Beignets were phenomenal. Service superb. Attentive, but not obtrusive. Very well-​priced. $ 18 for a prix fixe lunch menu. Appetizer or gumbo, salad and entrée. A sweet deal!

2^nd dining experience… This time with my hubby.
It still works for me and my hubby loved it too!

I purchased a groupon deal for this place a while back and it was expiring soon so my bf and I decided to use it on Tuesday night. We did the 4 course Mardis Gras set.
Course 1: I got the ahi tuna taco (⁴⁄₅); bf got the crawfish hushpuppies (³⁄₅)
Course 2: I got the shrimp and crab bisque (⁴⁄₅); bf got the seafoood gumbo (³⁄₅)
Course 3: I got the shrimp and crawfish étouffée (⁵⁄₅); bf got the buttermilk fried chicken (⁵⁄₅)
Course 4: I got the beignets (⁴⁄₅); bf got the french silk pie (⁴⁄₅)
Overall, it was delicious! Highly highly recommend the étouffée and the fried chicken. They give you so much shrimp and crawfish in the étouffée and the friend chicken had great flavor along with crispy light skin. Soooo good!
The service was great as well! I’d definitely come back for their brunch and lunch deals as well.

It has been a long time coming. After living in the Peninsula for 8 years and never eating here, I say it’s about time. Went here on a Sunday for Brunch. OMG!!! So good!!! I’m a vegetarian and they were able to cater to my needs. Thank you. My husband had some dish with crab in it? He ate the whole thing. I had their cream cheese grits *drool*. Oh and their delish cornbread. I will for sure go back to eat more vegetarian items. Can’t wait for that day to happen. A+ CreoLa
Oh forgot to mention I really liked the feel of the decorations and music. Gave it a true southern feel to it.

We’ll be back. Guaranteed. The food was really really tasty. We had the shrimp po boy and jambalaya. Both were awesome. Definitely come here. Very worth it.

I dunno, but why does this building remind me of being in a restaurant in Tahoe’s north shore? Large windows, older wooden building, next to a hillside, very cabin-​like.
Creole fare with a lean towards the fine dining side. But it is NOT fine dining, just closer to it than say the divier renditions. Nice plates, cloth napkins and appropriate creole ambiance.
They have a Mardi Gras meal here $ 35 for 4 courses (all the time). It is quite a ride. You do have to be somewhat of a big eater cuz they don’t really miniscule the portions. Outside of the original appetizer (which is the tiniest), the remaining courses are pretty much a la carte portions. Hence my fandom.
Things we tried:
Ahi Tuna tacos — A play on tartare, raw diced fish, in a wonton shell. Very nice, good flavors.
Oysters en Brochette — Bacon wrapped oysters (2), breaded and fried. Good with their pungent remoulade.
Seafood Bisque — Really good. Smooth and luxurious with a pronounced Pernod edge.
Seafood Gumbo — Just ok. All the components seemed there but seemed flat. Maybe not enough of the celery/​onion/​pepper trinity.
Fried Chicken — Pretty good, crisp, but a little dark. Mashed potato was upscale. Great portion.
Shrimp CreOla — Large shrimps stuffed with crab. Good execution and presentation.
Beignets — Really good. Fresh pockets of fried dough love. Bananas and caramel sets it off.
Pana Cotta — Proper rendition. Smooth and creamy. Berries and balsamic were a nice touch.
Sazaracs are good here, a good slow sipper. No formal bar area but they’re competent at making drinks. Saw Hurricanes at multiple tables.
Oh, and I almost forgot. The best cornbread pre-​meal. I could eat these everyday. Trust.
Service a little hiccup-​y but friendly overall. Product matches the pricing. I would more than gladly do a repeat visit.

I like fried chicken and rice beans and rice so getting both is a nice treat. Food is rather expensive but still worth coming here for a nice meal. Boudin balls were good with their remoulade sauce. Red beans and rice were just okay but well made. Fried chicken was cooked perfectly but two pieces with the sides for $ 18 seems high. Would take my wife here as it perfect for couples.

Food = 5 stars
Service = I hate to say 1 star but I’ll explain.
First time here on a Saturday night, we did not have a reservation. The gal told us it would be 45 min to 1 hour for a table. I expressed my disappointment and she then offered us a table but we only had 45 minutes. So now we are on a time limit — but we were hangry so we agreed. Our server came to take our drink order as we decided on what to eat. It took quite a while for him to return with our drinks. Once he finally came with the drinks he then turned around and tended to another table instead of taking our food order. *checks the time* Come on guy don’t you know we are on a time limit?
When he finally comes to take our order we ordered appetizers and our meal at the same time to save some time (or so we thought). The corn hush puppies were amazing, and the fried okra was really good too. The sauces that came with them were delicious enough to put on all of your food. The corn muffins were also delicious.
Quite a while goes by and no food. I flag down another server, Irving and ask him if he can go see what’s going on because our server was not being very attentive. Went outside to get some fresh air and when I came back my friends told me they lost our food order. :-| I tell the hostess gal as she walks by hey this is not our fault so you cant kick us off of the table lol. We were offered a free round of drinks for the mess up. Irving kept coming back to check on us and brought us more muffins. He was great — I wanted him to get a promotion. His service made up for the last hour of waiting.
Once the food finally came, it was delicious. I asked to speak to the owner just to tell him about our experience and that Irving needs a promotion. He was very friendly. Overall it was a fun time, good food, and lots of laughs.

5 stars for their jalapeño cornbread alone.
I came here with some friends for a birthday brunch. The service was great and
they were very accommodating even for friends that showed up quite late.
You have to order the jalapeño cornbread. It comes as a very tiny muffin but it’s really delicious. They put some mascarpone cheese in it and it just adds this creamy texture that works really well. It was way better than the original cornbread that they also had on the table.
The hush puppies were okay. I also liked the beignets. But seriously, jalapeño cornbread.
As far as the main entrée, I tried the fried chicken entrée. It was quite juicy and I liked the flavor of the skin. My friend commented that the dinner portion is much larger but this was enough food for me. I thought the mashed potatoes also tasted creamy and flavorful.

Booked this spot for my girlfriend’s birthday. They have a nice spot in the back to accommodate large crowds, where the whole back has couch seating, which feels more comfortable as you eat: D. Portions are really substantial and everything was good. The cornbread they give you is so warm w/​great structural integrity until you eat it — just warm crumbling; moarrr butter. Got the mardi gras menu w/:
Crab Hush Puppies: pretty good, but the crab was lacking a bit.
Cornmeal Crusted Catfish: came out as a really hot dish; so be careful. The fish remained juicy and warm throughout the meal. Great entrée w/​veggies on the side.
Bread Pudding: at this point, I was almost defeated, but must finish… probably was a bad idea to drink some boba milk tea before this. Also good, not overbearing at all.
The service was pretty well coordinated, considering the size of our group. Our waiter made sure the all of the dishes were delivered to the right person. Toward the end, it was strange it took really long to get the check, but maybe because they wanted to give us time to mingle?

Superman’s kryptonite is kryptonite, mine is Lousiana/​Cajun/​Creole food. In a bad mood, eat some jambalaya. Haven’t a bad day at work, munch down a beignet. Want to suggest something tasty to eat, suggest Creole food. Seriously, there’s always a way to squeeze it into the conversation.
I was at CreoLa (note the camel-​case spelling) last week for a friend’s birthday celebration. We were a big party of 16 in this mid-​size restaurant. I’m usually concerned with large parties and family-​owned restaurants but they reassured me with their attentive service to not only accommodate us but several other parties of 4 – 6. Actually, the restaurant was packed when I was there and my water glass was never more than a quarter empty. I give them kudos for their service.
I’m still a growing boy so when I look at the menu, I had a biased towards something more filling with carbs so I opted for the chicken jambalaya. A jambalaya is like a paella or fried rice if you need something to compare to but with a lot more flavors, spices, and sauce (well not too much more sauce). My jambalaya came with a juicy juicy fried chicken breast which fulfills my protein needs for my weight-​lifting. If Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson was here (world’s strongest man), we would probably order 5x the amount I did to fulfill his hulking muscles. To finish off the meal, I would suggest ordering the beignets. With a little caramel glaze and topped off with powdered sugar, there’s no reason not to love it.
Overall, a positive experience. I suggest you have your next celebration here.