2nd time in one week, had to come back for more, great time with friends and family, plus amazing food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maryann Pham
Came here based off reviews. Was excited to find Cajun food. Ordered some beignets. The beignets are crunchy and was very disappointing. Prob would not return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Linda St.Amant
As a New Orleans native, this restaurant hit the spot. Great food, service & authentic NOLA atmosphere. Thank you Rabalais for a delicious taste of home! We’ll be back often!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Heather Berry
The service here is wonderful. Everybody is so warm and friendly. The food is subpar. Desserts not including cookies are underbaked. I’ve eaten here half a dozen times and every time I have to doctor up my food to give it some flavor. Everything would benefit greatly from a little vinegar, spice or even some salt. Very bland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Tony Adame
The only restaurant I have been where the staff allows the battery of other customers. They cook with cheap cooking oils canola/olive oil blend. There's nothing special about their menu that stands out, they're just another restaurant. The music that's played in the restaurant is on a neverending repeat playlist that never changes, it's monotonous. If you're a traveler passing through there's way better restaurants in Ventura or Ojai. Don't waste your money here. The owner is shrewd, money hungry. Zero customer loyalty is shown.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rebecca COFFEEN
I had the fried chicken which was good. My favorite was the collard green. Fast friendly service! I Love this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Smith
Gluten free shrimp and grits.
Debby Doolittle
I drive 25 miles over steep winding roads from Thousand Oaks to Santa Paula to go to Rabalais. Totally worth it!
The hotcakes were burnt. How can people give this to customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Dina Alexander
This was our first time here. We have been searching for a Cajun/Creole restaurant for some time. The place was bustling, but not too crowded. We were led to the worst table by the kitchen. Um, no. There were plenty of open tables, so we switched and were ignored for quite some time. Eventually, we were asked our order. We got a cappuccino, an espresso, an order of beignet; my husband got the short rib omelette and I got the Creole crab benedict. The coffees were over roasted, beignets were much larger than usual and great. The breakfasts were fairly good, yet lackluster with not enough gravy on the omelet or hollandaise on the Benedict. The flavor was weak, not savory for the most part. Water was not refilled even when the glass was set at the edge of the table, and we were handed an empty bottle of hot sauce when we requested it. Eventually. For the most part, the service was pretty non existent. We decided to give Rabalais one more chance, probably dinner, but my hopes aren't too high.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Eduardo Ferrer
Food is alright, most of the time too salty. Service is good overall except for some people with no customer service at all. Lastly, what kind of place that sells coffee and pasties do not have WiFi available. C'mon, it is 2025. Come here for the pastries mainly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Dolby Dharma
We ventured to the Santa Paula Vintage Fair, and on our return trip to Thousand Oaks, we found ourselves craving a hearty breakfast. As we were unfamiliar with the area, we turned to Google to find a nearby spot and stumbled upon Rabalais Bistro. Arriving just three minutes shy of noon, excitement filled us as we settled in and looked over the menu, opting for the enticing eggs crab benedict.
To our dismay, our server returned with the disappointing news that breakfast service had officially ended. I requested some soda water with a slice of lemon, hoping for a refreshing drink to brighten our spirits, but instead, someone brought us a bottle of sparkling water. It seemed like an upsell that missed the mark.
Throughout our visit, our server was noticeably absent, failing to check on us or offer assistance. After what felt like an eternity, she finally emerged, but by then, our stomachs were grumbling in protest. Despite the delay, we decided to indulge in the Beignets—deep-fried, New Orleans-style donuts generously dusted with powdered sugar. When they finally arrived, piping hot and golden, they were indeed delightful, but our initial hunger still lingered.
We contemplated ordering a sandwich to share, but with our server still MIA, our enthusiasm waned. By the time she materialized again, we had lost all interest in further orders. We quickly finished our beignets and water, then asked for the check and prepared to leave.
Regrettably, this experience was a letdown, and I concluded that I wouldn’t return. Yet, perhaps that’s the nature of exploring new places—you win some, you lose some, and this one felt like a definite loss for me.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Abdul Cannon
Rabalais’ Bistro on E Main St in Santa Paula is a charming and inviting restaurant that brings authentic Southern comfort to California. The atmosphere is cozy and full of character, with warm décor and friendly service that makes you feel right at home. The menu features a fantastic selection of Cajun and Creole-inspired dishes—like shrimp and grits, jambalaya, and beignets—that are bursting with flavor and made from quality ingredients. The coffee and baked goods are also excellent, perfect for a relaxing breakfast or brunch. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Rabalais’ Bistro offers delicious food, great hospitality, and a truly memorable dining experience
so dissapointed that they didn't update their hours on google to explain their closure. I drove an hour to meet a friend here.
The social center of Santa Paula and the food is great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp and Grits, Cookies, Eggs Benedict, Baked Goods Fresh Daily, Scone
2nd time in one week, had to come back for more, great time with friends and family, plus amazing food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here based off reviews. Was excited to find Cajun food. Ordered some beignets. The beignets are crunchy and was very disappointing. Prob would not return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
As a New Orleans native, this restaurant hit the spot. Great food, service & authentic NOLA atmosphere. Thank you Rabalais for a delicious taste of home! We’ll be back often!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service here is wonderful. Everybody is so warm and friendly. The food is subpar. Desserts not including cookies are underbaked. I’ve eaten here half a dozen times and every time I have to doctor up my food to give it some flavor. Everything would benefit greatly from a little vinegar, spice or even some salt. Very bland.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
The only restaurant I have been where the staff allows the battery of other customers. They cook with cheap cooking oils canola/olive oil blend. There's nothing special about their menu that stands out, they're just another restaurant. The music that's played in the restaurant is on a neverending repeat playlist that never changes, it's monotonous. If you're a traveler passing through there's way better restaurants in Ventura or Ojai. Don't waste your money here. The owner is shrewd, money hungry. Zero customer loyalty is shown.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I had the fried chicken which was good. My favorite was the collard green. Fast friendly service! I Love this restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gluten free shrimp and grits.
I drive 25 miles over steep winding roads from Thousand Oaks to Santa Paula to go to Rabalais. Totally worth it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The hotcakes were burnt. How can people give this to customers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
This was our first time here. We have been searching for a Cajun/Creole restaurant for some time. The place was bustling, but not too crowded.
We were led to the worst table by the kitchen. Um, no. There were plenty of open tables, so we switched and were ignored for quite some time.
Eventually, we were asked our order. We got a cappuccino, an espresso, an order of beignet; my husband got the short rib omelette and I got the Creole crab benedict.
The coffees were over roasted, beignets were much larger than usual and great.
The breakfasts were fairly good, yet lackluster with not enough gravy on the omelet or hollandaise on the Benedict. The flavor was weak, not savory for the most part.
Water was not refilled even when the glass was set at the edge of the table, and we were handed an empty bottle of hot sauce when we requested it. Eventually.
For the most part, the service was pretty non existent.
We decided to give Rabalais one more chance, probably dinner, but my hopes aren't too high.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Food is alright, most of the time too salty. Service is good overall except for some people with no customer service at all. Lastly, what kind of place that sells coffee and pasties do not have WiFi available. C'mon, it is 2025. Come here for the pastries mainly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
We ventured to the Santa Paula Vintage Fair, and on our return trip to Thousand Oaks, we found ourselves craving a hearty breakfast. As we were unfamiliar with the area, we turned to Google to find a nearby spot and stumbled upon Rabalais Bistro. Arriving just three minutes shy of noon, excitement filled us as we settled in and looked over the menu, opting for the enticing eggs crab benedict.
To our dismay, our server returned with the disappointing news that breakfast service had officially ended. I requested some soda water with a slice of lemon, hoping for a refreshing drink to brighten our spirits, but instead, someone brought us a bottle of sparkling water. It seemed like an upsell that missed the mark.
Throughout our visit, our server was noticeably absent, failing to check on us or offer assistance. After what felt like an eternity, she finally emerged, but by then, our stomachs were grumbling in protest. Despite the delay, we decided to indulge in the Beignets—deep-fried, New Orleans-style donuts generously dusted with powdered sugar. When they finally arrived, piping hot and golden, they were indeed delightful, but our initial hunger still lingered.
We contemplated ordering a sandwich to share, but with our server still MIA, our enthusiasm waned. By the time she materialized again, we had lost all interest in further orders. We quickly finished our beignets and water, then asked for the check and prepared to leave.
Regrettably, this experience was a letdown, and I concluded that I wouldn’t return. Yet, perhaps that’s the nature of exploring new places—you win some, you lose some, and this one felt like a definite loss for me.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rabalais’ Bistro on E Main St in Santa Paula is a charming and inviting restaurant that brings authentic Southern comfort to California. The atmosphere is cozy and full of character, with warm décor and friendly service that makes you feel right at home. The menu features a fantastic selection of Cajun and Creole-inspired dishes—like shrimp and grits, jambalaya, and beignets—that are bursting with flavor and made from quality ingredients. The coffee and baked goods are also excellent, perfect for a relaxing breakfast or brunch. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Rabalais’ Bistro offers delicious food, great hospitality, and a truly memorable dining experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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