Sambets Cajun Deli and Firey Foods Store

CLOSED
Poor Sambets, I never even got to try you out.
At a distance I had figured you were just gone for the holidays.
I walked by and gazed in at the bleak, charred interior.
To those who can’t read the picture I posted, or haven’t dropped by to read their sign, I’ll type it up here for you.
Know that it has been a blessing & my extreme privilege to serve each & every one of you for 13 years. Hope to be able to do so again soon. Til we meet again. Catherine.
Hello to all my loyal friends/​customers…
Had a tragic turkey-​related fire Thanksgiving.
Moving out… Moving on God willing…
To Keep in touch call me 7 854 316 or email @
Give me your e-​mail & I’ll keep you posted. Pray for strength, courage & resilience.
Love to you all! Catherine

This place is awesome. It looks sketchy and disgusting and if you were to walk in without knowing what it was, you’d probably turn right around. Furniture doesn’t match, everything seems disorganized and the shopping center it’s in looks old and run-​down. And don’t forget the case of x-​rated hot sauces on the wall next to the register (don’t worry it’s closed to prying children’s eyes).
However, what it lacks in class, it makes up for in delicious food. Boudin sandwich is amazing, gumbo is great, and the jambalaya is the best I’ve had. Even better is the price. Sandwich and a side (gumbo, jambalaya, etc) is like $ 10 and it’s enough for two meals.
Summary — Don’t be afraid of it’s appearance, go in for lunch and be amazed.

I tried a 2 side combo with red beans and rice, jambalya, crackers, dry bread (good for sopping), and a soda.
The food was tasty, filling, and pricey.
As warned by Unilocal,the establishment was dingy.
I just couldn’t shake the feeling that my Sprite tasted dirty.
Overall, I’m likely to go back again when I’m in a splurgy mood to sample a few of the other menu items, yet I’m very unlikely to recommend it to any friends.

Shrimp Po’Boy was great… Gumbo was the typical Texas style gumbo you find at a majority of self styled Cajun restaurants around town. Was about as authentic as a grilled stuff burrito from TB.
Like the cashier, though some guy that was hanging around there that claimed to be the ex-​owner really came off like a total jerk…

It’s cajun food, people. Do not extend your pinky in here.
If you’re afraid of a little salt, a little grease, a little sweat, a little grime… stay downtown.
If you’ve ever been to a real cajun dive in say… Slidell or Opelousas, LA, then this is your place!

I hadn’t been back to Sambets in years… I remember it fondly, and I believe I’ll hold fast to my memories.
I knew to expect a divey atmosphere, but instead of charmingly off-​the-​beaten-​path-​ish, now the restaurant seems dark and dank. The ordering area, a tiny bar space, is confusing and disorganized. I will admit that the guy behind the counter was very friendly.
For starters, the Coke machine (just Coke) wasn’t working. I tried my iced tea, and the ice smelled like sewer. I AM NOT KIDDING.
I got a new glass and opted for Diet Coke, no ice.
The orders arrived promptly: my ex-​husband and I both ordered the Muffaletta and side order of seafood gumbo. The gumbo wasn’t bad — too much sausage for my taste, and without that pungency that seems necessary to be gumbo — but mainly, the gumbo wasn’t served hot. Barely lukewarm.
And the muffaletta of memory is truly a thing of the past. This one — stale bread, cheese only slightly melted, meats glazed with grease as if they’d been fried earlier and held over… and the olive salad, the part that truly defines the muffaletta, was not really olive salad, but big hunks of sliced olives with a few pickled onions. The olive topping tasted fine, but kept spilling off the sandwich.
Even the clean tables were a little dirty (not completely wiped down), and the bottles of hot sauce on the table… ugh. Some were without caps, and they all looked nastified — crusty and in need of some serious wiping.
On top of all that, the air conditioning seemed to be barely functioning. Certainly Sambet’s is located in a weird shopping center, and it’s not
welcoming from outside… but inside is no better.
Sambet’s may be authentic, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good experience. I’m sorry to see that it has declined so far in quality.

That was one excellent muffaletta! If you’re accustomed to Jason’s Deli, the $ 20 price tag on this muff might bowl you over, but it’s a bigger sandwich on really really good bread and the olive relish is incredible.
The rundown little shopping center has no rhyme or reason and lends to the total hole-​in-​the-​wall feel of the place. There’s nothing corporate going on here at all. The place is authentically old and run down, and a bit on the dirty side.
When I walked in, there was an elderly clarinet player near the front door and I didn’t see anyone else — though a small crowd showed up shortly. The guy who appeared behind the small counter to take my order was genuinely friendly. When I ordered my muff to go he advised me to take it cold and told me how to take it apart and heat it so I could serve it up fresh out of the oven.
I’ll have to go back and try the gumbo, boudin and oyster po’ boy before making a final verdict, but first impressions tell me that Sambets is first class coonass cuisine.

I was upset with the 3.5 stars but I can’t justify trying to boost the score with a 5.
Food —— 5
Atmosphere —— 3 or 4, we went on a day where they left the door open, HOT, but it did have its own sort of flavor
Service — — - 3
I tried the Boudin Sandwich and some of the Fried Oysters. The boudin was slightly greasy but was definitely worth the clogged heart. The herbs were awesome. The spicy brought Nawlins to Austin. It wasn’t overly full of rice. I had a side of gumbo and that was also the right balance of seafood, vegetable, and spice.
The price was a bit higher than I’d prefer but I am certainly coming back sometime for more grub.

I really like this place.
I usually head over here when my friend, who’s part Cajun, has family coming into town and we always end up here. It’s great, tasty, and relatively well-​portioned food at a pretty reasonable price.
I will admit that they do have an appetizer with 4 bacon wrapped jalapeño’s that have a crawfish in them that’s 12.95 or something like and I will tell you… JUST DON’T DO IT! It’s an obscene wasted of money… no matter how good it is… which I’ll admit, was pretty good.
I’ve had their muffaletta sandwiches and they’re pretty delicious. I usually can get by with a ¼ muff but a ½ muff if you’re hungry. It has this really good olive tapenade that is more coarsely chopped. It’s got oregano and some other spices but man… it’s pretty salty. Even better because you can wash it down with their cane sugar sweetened iced tea! I’ve also had their shrimp po’ boy which is delicious, nicely sized, and with a good amount of fried plump shrimp.
I have never gone wrong. I’ve tasted their gumbo, jambalaya, etc. and they’r all solid offerings. May want to check their crawfish baskets out but make sure it’s the right season because last time I went, they were rather small.
I will warn you guys that there is no A/​C and it doesn’t win the award for the cleanest restaurant in Austin as it does get rather sweltering but the music is nice on Friday’s and the crowd is always fun!

4-​star for food, 3-​star overall.
As far as Cajun food in Austin is concerned, this place is pretty good. This is definitely a dive, with holes in the wall, dusty shelves and unkempt floors. I came here for lunch today and really got them on a good food day. (rumor is that the food is inconsistent) The boudin Po’Boy was as big as my face and filled with a generous amount of spicy pork boudin and topped with green leaf lettuce (I appreciate that they did go the iceberg lettuce route), tomatoes and cheese. Yum! The crawfish étouffée was crawling with dem mudbugs— rich and very, very buttery tasting. The étouffée is similar to the recipe in Paul Prodhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen cookbook. The seafood gumbo was alright– thick and a bit on the salty side, but I appreciated the large amount of shrimp in it. I prefer my gumbo thinner and with okra.
A fine cajun place when you are in the mood – cheap, quick, and alright food.

I am obsessed with all things related to New Orleans (I have an ill-​advised tattoo on the back of my neck to prove it… no, I’m not that big a Saints fan). I am especially obsessed with Cajun and Creole cuisine. And since I can’t convince my boyfriend to move to NOLA, you can imagine how much I’ve struggled with living in a city that has practically nothing to offer in these categories.
Then I moved up north and found myself right down the street from Sambet’s. And all I can say is NOMS.
Granted, it is pricey, especially considering the counter service… but will I pay for it again and again and again? Yes. Why? Because it’s easily the best crawfish etoufee in town.
I like to go and get the «Side City» combo with the crawfish etoufee, seafood gumbo, or both. It comes with a frosty Mason jar for your drink and a piece of crusty french bread for dipping.
The service is always friendly, and on weekends during the summer they have crawfish boils with live music. Loves it!

We went the other night with the kids for dinner. I have to say, it was perfect! The staff couldn’t have been nicer to first-​timers. They offered to make a muffaletta without olives for the boy. Plain popcorn shrimp for the girl. The red beans and rice were not too spicy (which was good for the kids) and I just added some hot sauce to make mine spicier. Now the crawfish gumbo husband and I got to share was spicy and thick and tasty. Now husband had a po-​boy and he finished it off, so I think he liked it!
He also went back this weekend with my son for dinner. And I am ordering some uncooked muffalettas (to cook at home) for Bunco night with the girls.

My stomach was crying out for Fried Oysters! Breaded, crunchy mollusks dipped in spicy Cajun mayo or horseradish laden cocktail sauce. Where did I find it? Sambets Cajun Deli. The cook was nice enough to make me a batch of fried oysters since they usually only have them in a Po-​boy. It satiated everything my stomach had been crying out for. My friend had the shrimp po-​boy which I got a bite of and it was deelish! We shared a pint of seafood gumbo with rice on the side and it was perfection! I haven’t had a cajun meal like that in so long. Everything came with a healthy portion of spicy cajun mayo and their cocktail sauce was super duper horseradishy… just the way I like it!
I don’t eat too many fried foods, but this was an exception and now I know where to get it. I’m coming back for more!

I just got back from a road trip that took me across Louisiana and I have to say that none of the gumbo and/​or Po Boys I found were as good as Sambets. — If you haven’t given it a shot, you are missing out.

Oh yeah! Since being brought here for a quick lunch while house shopping, I’ve been hooked! Shrimp po’ boy is loaded with crisp fresh veggies and loads of perfectly fried shrimp on what has to be one of the best buns in town. Perfect crisp with soft bite. Amazing! The muff is not one of my faves, but still equally loaded full of meat, cheese, and olive spread. I typically go right for the boudain link and a pint of the chicken gumbo. The gumbo is rich and smoky and chock full of sustenance. Boudain sausage is moist and peppery and is likely my favorite item on the menu. Red beans and rice, seafood gumbo, vast array of po’ boys and combos. This place has it all. Ice cold Abita root beer (no booze… but you can BYOB) is great for washing it all down. Service is great, casual, and always super friendly.
Oh…I almost forgot. On one of my recent visits, I was introduced to the Boudilicious (sp?) Wow wow wow!!! A boudain po’ boy topped with melted cheese, a layer of crawfish ettoufee and more cheese with crisp lettuce and tomatoes. This is not for the health conscious, but if you’re looking for a plate full of happy… this is it! Just be sure to bring your appetite… or a good friend!

I’ve been to Sambet’s once and would like to go back. It is definitely more pricey than I assumed going in, but I enjoyed my meal. I got a shrimp po’boy and my boyfriend got a roast beef po’boy. (Two drinks and two sandwiches was close to $ 20)
Mine was loaded with crunchy shrimp and had a decent amount of sauce. The roast beef was covered in gravy, I think it tasted like it was a package mix, but the boyfriend thinks it’s homemade. He thoroughly enjoyed it, and that’s really what’s important.
One more perk, they have red cream soda and you get a frosty Ball jar for your drink. It’s a nice touch.
OH, also they sell a large assortment of hot sauces and salsas. One of which is the Pain is Good salsa which is DELICIOUS. The habanero garlic is spicy!

This place is a DUMP and I love it. Everything inside is ugly and disheveled but the food is fantastic. Another example supporting my postulate that the best food is served at dumpy dives. I recommend oyster poboys, seafood gumbo, crawfish etoufee, and poblano corn chowder.
One warning, the food will make you sweat. I only eat here when the outside temperature drops below 60 degrees. In fact this is where I go to warm my insides up when it is freezing outside.

Mmmmmmmmmm, oh lord yes. Unpretentious and close to the house, this little gem of a place serves up authentic Cajun grub, consistently delicious.
Now let’s be real — I’m not Cajun, I’m a vanilla white Episcopal raised in the concrete jungle of a New England city. You want to talk pizza or greek food, I’m your man. But Cajun is something I only experienced once I moved to Texas nigh on 20 years ago.
I’ve done the Pappadeux’s thing — it’s fine, but too corporate and ultimately I would end up getting the same thing every time, so it got boring.
I’ve tried three things so far at Sambet’s and all of them were great.
The Red Beans and Rice, a Cajun staple from which all purveyors can be measured, were creamy, flavorful and had big chunks of Andouille sausage, a complete home run.
The Veggie Muffaletta was kind of like «muffaletta meets grilled cheese», and it was fabulous.
My favorite though, was the Boudin. Moist and full of flavor, a hint of hot but not overpowering, and stuffed into a soft roll with lightly dressed salad — man oh man I was in heaven.
This is not a light meal, however, so be forewarned. Regular consumption of this cuisine has the potential to transform even the most serious ectomorph into a tub of mesomorphian goo.
Best to keep Sambet’s as the occasional treat, perhaps as the go to place for a post-​drunk carb fest.

Everything we had was awesome. Great portions of Boudin, Muffaletta, Poblano/​Corn Soup and it’s BYOB! Tons of hot sauces, great atmosphere, a real find. Let us not forget the coconut cream pie of delight — made by local church ladies and as big as your forearm.
I hear they have cajun music and push back all those tables for a real zydeco get down sometimes. Can’t wait to check it out!
They lose a star for an unsightly bathroom (scrub those walls. please!) and for being a somewhat overpriced.
(They lose a star for an unsightly bathroom (scrub those walls. please!) and for being a tad overpriced.)

Alert: This is Cajun food. It’s spicy (read «opens your sinuses and makes you sweat»), it’s hearty (read «fat & calorie laden»), and it’s likely have some weird critters (read «crawfish, gator, or other things from the swamp») in it. If that doesn’t sound like a slice of heaven to you, you should probably skip Sambet’s.
The place is sort of dark & divey, though a perfect score on a recent health department review is proudly displayed at the counter.
The tiny dining room is packed on weekdays with mostly dudes scarfing down giant po-​boys, muffalettas, and boudin. I guess they’re not so worried about fitting into their skinny jeans on Friday night. Good for them… (mutters under her breath about the unfairness of nature and the speedy male metabolism)
I waited in line at the counter for about 8 minutes to order my $ 8.99 pint of crawfish étouffée to-​go. Nom nom, what a tasty meal, and much better than any other étouffée I’ve tried in Austin at this price. A perfectly thick, dark sauce full of plump little crawfish tails, spiced just enough to provide a little burn but not blow off the top of my head.
I had intended to work through lunch and eat my treasured bayou stew computer-​side, but the container never made it to the office. My legal advisor compels me now to mention that it is NOT advisable to eat steaming hot stew while driving on McNeil at midday during the week, even if the stuff smells so delicious as to taunt you from its styrofoam cup.
Tip: After mispronouncing the name for years, today I learned that it’s «Sam-​Betts» and not the French-​sounding «Sam-​Bays.» Turns out it’s not French at all, but a contraction of the original owners’ first names of Sam and Betty.