Friday’s Seafood and More

OH.MY.GOD!
Ah-​mazing! We were passing through Waco on our way to Austin and stumbled across this place on Unilocal.I am so glad we did! It was INCREDIBLE!

Looking for a place to eat while driving through Waco we checked Unilocal.Friday’s was a choice with good reviews decided to check them out. It’s a small place. Don’t let the outside deter you. Our entrees were very good. We had catfish & shrimp pieces. Our service was very friendly. We would go back. Give them a try.

After visiting a nearby restaurant that had rave reviews but an disappointingly uninspired menu, I quickly used the Unilocal app and discovered this alternative. And man, what a difference does it make! This is a Cajun shack that has its loyal set of community boosters.
Casual vibe, with lines during the lunch rush. You order at the counter and food is brought to the table. The menu is only the stuff that’s written on the walls. Come early enough because a lot of things do get sold out. By the time I got to the counter, the boudin sausages were already gone.
But I went ahead and ordered BOUDIN BALLS and CATFISH ATCHAFALAYA (combination of deep fried catfish filet topped with crawfish étouffée). And they both were surprisingly very good, despite being a shack situated in small-​town Waco, TX. My only complaint was that the catfish atchafalaya was a little bit too much on the salty side, but it was still an enjoyable eat. But it was really the Boudin Balls that stole the show — these are cornmeal-​deep fried rice balls that reminded me of the Italian arancinis (or risotto balls), but if the Italians ate this, they would quickly drop their spouses and marry the Cajuns! Guaranteed. (Keep your spouse at home, please)
If I do come back, I wouldn’t hesitate to also order the PO-​BOYS. When I was walking out, I saw them served to another table, and let me tell you — I’ve never salivated much for po-​boys, even on a full stomach. They were of a ginormous size in thick sliced French baguettes (instead of mini-​baguettes) and with a lot of filling, which is atypical of most of the po-​boys I’ve eaten, even in New Orleans.
Thankfully, this is close enough to I-​35 between Dallas and Austin and makes for an easy road stop. Especially for the Boudin Balls that not even New Orleans could compare.
ATMOSPHERE: dive, casual
PRICE: Reasonable; plates around $ 12, sandwiches and sides such as boudin balls are less than $ 8
SERVICE: mostly counter
NOTE: For po-​boys, try the off-​menu item that is being recommended by one employee — soft shell crab and shrimp combo po-​boy! :) Also, be warned — it seems that anything with breading here may be a little bit on the salty side. See if you can make adjustments regarding this.

The food is good but this last time I got crawfish it was not fresh. The portion for a pound compared to when I went to this other place the same day and received and pound was not right I could literally count the number of crawfish. Even when we went to their crawfish festival the crawfish was not fresh.

Excellent food, true New Orleans style. Don’t let the outside fool you. Friendly staff and clean interior. Two thumbs up.

fantastic! best cajun food in the area! Everything tastes authentic and homemade. The staff (family) there is very pleasant and welcoming. The place is a little small, but the food is totally worth it!

AMAZING! Everything is so good. Shrimp, catfish, oysters, crawfish étouffée.delicious! What also makes this place is the people who run it. They are so kind, and you can tell they truly love what they do. You will be happy you made the decision to eat here!

The Best Crawfish (truly fresh) Crab, Shrimp, and Sausage Boil… Shared it with my daughter… But next time it will be all mine. *Inexpensive prices for what you get. Since I shared we opted for the delicious bread pudding loaded with juicy raise s, chopped pecans and chunks of pineapple perfectly seasoned with sweet spices to top off our meals. My only regret was I like iced drinks not can. Next time I will just bring my own ice… Not a problem since the food was so fantastic. The best seafood boil within 100 miles plus.

This place is awesome. It’s an convenience store that has been turned into restaurant and seafood market. The owners are true cajuns from S. Louisiana. I“ve had the friend soft shell crab, etoufee, and catfish. All are awesome. Drinks are bottled (soda and tea) and the whole family works in the restaurant. The etoufee is some of the best I’ve ever had.

Great authentic Cajun food. Hard to find places like this that often. The only thing is the boudin needed a little more rice, less liver. Overall awesome awesome Cajun place.

Decided to try Friday’s Seafood, on a Friday, to sample their gumbo. Also got the #19, fried shrimp and oysters dinner plate. The gumbo was very good, had chicken, sausage, shrimp, AND some small crab legs and a claw. It didn’t have okra, which I personally like in my gumbo, but no biggie. Great flavor. The dinner plate had 6 big shrimp and 6 big oysters, and I got normal sides, which were red beans and rice and potato salad. Those shrimp were DIVINE. So so good. The breading is light cornmeal, and man they were delicious. The oysters were not bad. Red beans and rice was also delicious. The potato salad is tasty but very heavy on the mayo.
I got mine to go, but interior was pleasant, small setting, very much a casual place with about 5 tables.

We checked Unilocal for a place to have lunch on a day trip from Dallas. We love Cajun and Creole food; but we were open to anything. Thanks Unilocal reviewers! Fridays got the nod!
We thoroughly enjoyed the whole fried catfish with two sides, catfish atchafalaya and fried oyster po’boy. Moderate prices by Dallas standards. Our tab with tax was $ 37.
They save on the overhead with an order window, your food is served in Styrofoam or paper and they have plastic utensils. The undersized metal folding four seat picnic tables are not really comfortable. I suspect locals do alot of carry out; but the wonderful food will help you transcend the metal seating. Gumbo on Fridays only. Boudin balls on Tuesday and Wednesday? Call for sure. EAT HERE. Easy on and off I-​35.

Starting with the place. Didn’t like the picnic tables. Very uncomfortable. When I go out to eat I want a glass of tea. Not a bottle of Snapple. Don’t like eating with a poor quality spork (spoon fork combo) on a plastic plate. Now for the food. Étouffée was ok. Luke warm didn’t help. Jambalaya was overcooked and too much chili spice. Red beans and rice bland. Fried crawfish was good but also lukewarm. Tartar sauce was good. If the food had knocked our socks off the place wouldn’t matter, but it didn’t.

One of the best restaurants in Waco for a delicious lunch and casual dinner. They have Gumbo on Fridays and Jambalaya on Saturdays. Monday and Tuesday they have Boudin Balls and they’re absolutely amazing!

This place is kinda like a Louisiana style restaurant, self service, and serving variety of seafood. The food is excellent and the price is reasonable! The owner (I assumed) asked if we never been here before and he gave us tons of samples to try. The service is very fast. I recommend the crawfish étouffée, 6 $ for a large bowl. If you are looking for a place to stop by in this empty town, this one is definitely worth your try.

Went to Friday’s based off the reviews and recommendations of other users. The food lived up to the expectations set by others. Upon arrival, we were offered samples of the etoufee, which was delicious, leading one from our group to get the catfish atchafalaya.
We also had the shrimp poboy, (boudin) balls, and fried catfish/​oyster platter. All of the items were great and the oysters were definitely the best I’ve had to date.
A must go for Waco residents and definitely recommended for anyone making the trip between DFW and Austin/​San Antonio in need of a stop.

Best étouffée I have ever eaten, by far! Alligator sampler plate was a lot of food. Alligator and catfish both fried with a nice golden crust.
Friendly and fast service. Dont Let the long line scare you, they get your food to you quickly.
A bit pricey but you get what you Pay for.

Excellent choice! We were driving through and decided to give it a try. We will definitely be back! Very fresh and cooked to perfection! The Étouffée is the best I have ever eaten, even in Louisiana! Gumbo is only served on Fri. I’ll make it a point to come through on a Friday!
Don’t let the outside put you off. It’s a repurposed service station, but inside there is a fish market as well as the diner.
Yummy, yummy Cajun food!

I ordered 2 pounds of crawfish
and was not impressed at all. The crawfish were small and it was very bland. I was a first time customer there and the lady at the front was not very helpful. I was left to my own devices and when I read the reviews on Unilocal I thought that this place would satisfy my crawfish craving. It was acceptable but nothing special. I could have gotten the same thing from H-​E-​B and not have spent $ 20 for a meal.

Best Cajun food outside of Louisiana!
We were in the neighborhood and have always heard great things about this place, so we decided to try it! So glad we did. We were warmly greeted as we walked in and were asked if it was our first time. Because it was our first (but definitely not last) time, the man who I’m assuming is the owner or kin to the owner explained the menu to us and gave us a lil sample of the crawfish étouffée (which is their own original recipe and was delicious). We ordered a pound of crawfish, #18, the gator platter, crawfish étouffée, the oyster po boy, and a couple of water bottles, which by the way, you have to buy per can or bottle, they don’t have a soda fountain. Everything was good. My oldest son demolished the crawfish with a little assistance from my husband. The #18 had fried oysters, 2 fried catfish fillets, and some shrimp with a side of red beans and rice and potato salad (mayo based). The oyster po boy was made with a homemade french baguette that was toasted and slather with a great spread (mayo based) with oysters, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles.
We will definitely be back soon, hopefully on a Friday to try some gumbo.