I have never had sooo much love and down-home great cooking from a restaurant! We are northerners during spring break, so didn't expect much but a hurried experience. Instead both the husband and wife team took the time to get to know us and tell us some of the history and culture of that part of town while they were serving fantastic gumbo and jambalaya. I also highly recommend their bread pudding (with an extra helping of the vanilla sauce) - it's devine!
Wendy S.
place is amazing and the food is great. valerie is the sweetest woman ever and took great care of us. highly recommend!
Olga D.
This is amazing!! The food, the staff, the ambiance, did I mention the food??!! We will definitely be back!! Valerie is a great, super friendly and knowledgeable server!! You need to go!!
Olivia B.
This gem is simply amazing. My husband brought me here for my birthday lunch and it was an amazing gift. The people!! We've moved here a little less than 2 years ago and this was the best food and warmest people we've had the pleasure of meeting here. The owners came out to say hello to the customers! Waitress Valerie was such a sweetheart- we were treated like family. The food was amazing. We got the chicken wings and our mouths dropped when we opened the container and saw them. They were the most seasoned and perfectly cooked wings I've ever had. The restaurant is simply beautiful inside and out and it felt like we were back in New Orleans. I'm not a huge seafood fan but I will come back with friends who are to get some more of those wings and beignets!
P K.
worst service... waited 2 hours and 45 minutes to still not get our food. Worst service and experience ever.
Jeremiah S.
Came here last week with my wife, newborn son and a friend.... I've gotta say, this is one of the most welcoming places I've been to in the TBA. Having lived here for over 5 years We've made our way around and We've tried a good majority of restaurants in the area at various price points. Valarie warmly greeted us upon entering and showed us to our seats. It was a beautiful Florida day in January (perfect weather) so sitting outside was a must. Beautiful establishment inside & out. We had an awesome conversation with Val, who made us feel right at home. She made suggestions, was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I was astonished at how reasonably priced the food was for the portions we received. Easily two meals from each dinner portion. We ordered Fried Okra for our appetizer which came out quick and piping hot, Yum! My wife and I ordered the Jambalaya and Gumbo and were blown away at the depth of flavor in each. Considering the time it takes to make such a delicate dish well, we were impressed at how relatively quickly our food was served. We're extremely fortunate to have a good friend who lives in the area so we'll definitely be back frequently! Please disregard the other mean spirited reviews and see for yourself why Chief's Creole Cafe is some of the best Creole food outside of NOLA and in all of Saint Petersburg! Thank you Valarie and team!!!
Penny H.
Food was good, went for gumbo, also got jambalaya to go, fried okra was best I ever had. Salad usual fare but really good dressing. Food was good, service was really good with Ms. Valerie. I'll go back, and this wasn't my first time.
Jessica S.
I was so excited to try this place based on the reviews and my love for creole food. I ordered from here on UberEats. Ordered the Jambo, combination of gumbo and jambalaya as well as the shrimp and crawfish boil. First it took them over 2 hours to finish up my order. I had two UberEats drivers cancel on me. UberEats refunded me 20% back into credits but still, I wish I would've just cancelled. The food came surprisingly warm and well packaged but it was not good. The Jambo was very very bland. Took a few bites and wondered why I was even eating it. The seafood boil was a disappointment as well. The crawfish were tiny so barely any meat to eat from them and some of them were bitter which I read was very bad. I threw those away. The corn was my favorite but only 2 pieces came with the meal. The potatoes were good as well, very soft and so good dipped into the sauce. I did order spicy but it wasn't very spicy at all! More mild medium spice I would say. The shrimp was meh. Tasted like frozen shrimp from the grocery store. It was a disappointment for sure considering the price I paid for all the delivery costs and tips. Also, I didn't eat lunch until 3pm when the food actually came. The food wasn't good and I won't be ordering from them again, unfortunately.
Cindy O.
Calling all Vegans and small business lovers! I finally made it to Chief's Creole Cafe they are open until 10 pm now on Saturday (maybe more days than that) and have a vegan menu that is to die for!! So delicious!!! This place is beautiful and Valerie and Ramona are so lovely! It is a must try! And you can bring your own drinks and they will put it on ice for you! I tried the buffalo soldier wrap, red beans and rice with vegan sausage, and fried vegan shrimp and grits! All amazing! GO! highly recommend
Vivi J.
One of the coolest yummiest places I've been to in St Petersburg.... It's down on the street from the African American museum that now has the beautiful street mural. Being from NY I love love love places like this! Hidden gems, great food tucked away in a neighborhood!!! Real food, authentic down to earth staff, owners are awesome, food at its best and the back room is adorable!!! Bring your own bottle!!!
I had gumbo, red beans and rice and shrimp and grits. This was the BEST Creole meal I’ve ever had. Thank you for allowing us in 5 minutes prior to closing. Excellent food and beautiful friendly staff. We’ll be back!!
Harry B.
Chief's Creole Cafe delivered some of the best Jambalaya I've ever had. It is in the heart of what used to be the "black" corridor, and just oozes history. They have a beautiful dining room, and gorgeous outdoor gardens you can dine in as well. Their food is authentic and absolutely delicious. This is definitely worth a visit!
April A.
We have been there several times in the last six years. Decided I wanted their zulu wings and shrimp and grits with a side of fish. My companion ordered the gumbo. We both had something to drink I had the love Punch he had tea. It took almost 45 minutes for the drinks to come to the table. The wings, which were appetizers came with the food. The wait for the food was close to an hour. The food came in takeout containers, even though we're sitting in a room at their table inside the restaurant. The shrimps were small fried hard rocks I could not eat them. The grits were very bland. The fish was fried hard and dry. The gumbo was spicy but bland. The cornbread was dry. Talk to the waitress. She said there's nothing they can do about it that's how they serve their food. I have been there several times again during the last six years. This absolutely will be my last time going there. I frequent a lot of family businesses. They were one I would rave about telling people to go there. I wouldn't tell anyone to go there. I wouldn't mention their name unless someone was telling me they were going there and I would make sure to tell them know, and tell them my experiences. Yes, all the good should outweigh the bad. however, in this instance, it does not the food was not cook with love. The food was not cooked with care. You could stay in there and see that they were just putting food together like they were there for paycheck. There was no love in the building not sure where the owners were. I've met them on several occasions. It's always about the quality. The quality of the food was below subpar. I only gave it a one star because I couldn't give it zero. The owner needs to rethink some of his money saving practices. I walked out and left my companion at the table. I was disgusted. When he walked out, the chef asked him what was wrong what could he do better he stated that he told him to cook it with love and soul. Needless to say that was money down the drain. We left there and went downtown St. Petersburg to the hanger.
Dash R.
Very friendly, authentic creole food! Love the decor! Had the trio and it did not disappoint. The fried okra and crawfish fritters were also made to order! Soo good.
Aprile B.
Good flavor but we were given to go boxes though we ate there. I've seen better days here in years past. Need to try harder to reach the standard of the awesome place it used to be. Great location and wonderful patio but it just seemed like they weren't trying at all. Our salads had to be replaced and should have been looked at before serving. I don't want to give up on this place but they need to get it together soon.
I have never had sooo much love and down-home great cooking from a restaurant! We are northerners during spring break, so didn't expect much but a hurried experience. Instead both the husband and wife team took the time to get to know us and tell us some of the history and culture of that part of town while they were serving fantastic gumbo and jambalaya. I also highly recommend their bread pudding (with an extra helping of the vanilla sauce) - it's devine!
place is amazing and the food is great. valerie is the sweetest woman ever and took great care of us. highly recommend!
This is amazing!! The food, the staff, the ambiance, did I mention the food??!! We will definitely be back!! Valerie is a great, super friendly and knowledgeable server!! You need to go!!
This gem is simply amazing. My husband brought me here for my birthday lunch and it was an amazing gift. The people!! We've moved here a little less than 2 years ago and this was the best food and warmest people we've had the pleasure of meeting here. The owners came out to say hello to the customers! Waitress Valerie was such a sweetheart- we were treated like family. The food was amazing. We got the chicken wings and our mouths dropped when we opened the container and saw them. They were the most seasoned and perfectly cooked wings I've ever had. The restaurant is simply beautiful inside and out and it felt like we were back in New Orleans. I'm not a huge seafood fan but I will come back with friends who are to get some more of those wings and beignets!
worst service... waited 2 hours and 45 minutes to still not get our food. Worst service and experience ever.
Came here last week with my wife, newborn son and a friend.... I've gotta say, this is one of the most welcoming places I've been to in the TBA. Having lived here for over 5 years We've made our way around and We've tried a good majority of restaurants in the area at various price points. Valarie warmly greeted us upon entering and showed us to our seats. It was a beautiful Florida day in January (perfect weather) so sitting outside was a must. Beautiful establishment inside & out. We had an awesome conversation with Val, who made us feel right at home. She made suggestions, was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I was astonished at how reasonably priced the food was for the portions we received. Easily two meals from each dinner portion. We ordered Fried Okra for our appetizer which came out quick and piping hot, Yum! My wife and I ordered the Jambalaya and Gumbo and were blown away at the depth of flavor in each. Considering the time it takes to make such a delicate dish well, we were impressed at how relatively quickly our food was served. We're extremely fortunate to have a good friend who lives in the area so we'll definitely be back frequently! Please disregard the other mean spirited reviews and see for yourself why Chief's Creole Cafe is some of the best Creole food outside of NOLA and in all of Saint Petersburg! Thank you Valarie and team!!!
Food was good, went for gumbo, also got jambalaya to go, fried okra was best I ever had. Salad usual fare but really good dressing. Food was good, service was really good with Ms. Valerie. I'll go back, and this wasn't my first time.
I was so excited to try this place based on the reviews and my love for creole food. I ordered from here on UberEats. Ordered the Jambo, combination of gumbo and jambalaya as well as the shrimp and crawfish boil. First it took them over 2 hours to finish up my order. I had two UberEats drivers cancel on me. UberEats refunded me 20% back into credits but still, I wish I would've just cancelled. The food came surprisingly warm and well packaged but it was not good. The Jambo was very very bland. Took a few bites and wondered why I was even eating it. The seafood boil was a disappointment as well. The crawfish were tiny so barely any meat to eat from them and some of them were bitter which I read was very bad. I threw those away. The corn was my favorite but only 2 pieces came with the meal. The potatoes were good as well, very soft and so good dipped into the sauce. I did order spicy but it wasn't very spicy at all! More mild medium spice I would say. The shrimp was meh. Tasted like frozen shrimp from the grocery store. It was a disappointment for sure considering the price I paid for all the delivery costs and tips. Also, I didn't eat lunch until 3pm when the food actually came. The food wasn't good and I won't be ordering from them again, unfortunately.
Calling all Vegans and small business lovers! I finally made it to Chief's Creole Cafe they are open until 10 pm now on Saturday (maybe more days than that) and have a vegan menu that is to die for!! So delicious!!! This place is beautiful and Valerie and Ramona are so lovely! It is a must try! And you can bring your own drinks and they will put it on ice for you! I tried the buffalo soldier wrap, red beans and rice with vegan sausage, and fried vegan shrimp and grits! All amazing! GO! highly recommend
One of the coolest yummiest places I've been to in St Petersburg.... It's down on the street from the African American museum that now has the beautiful street mural. Being from NY I love love love places like this! Hidden gems, great food tucked away in a neighborhood!!! Real food, authentic down to earth staff, owners are awesome, food at its best and the back room is adorable!!! Bring your own bottle!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
I had gumbo, red beans and rice and shrimp and grits. This was the BEST Creole meal I’ve ever had. Thank you for allowing us in 5 minutes prior to closing. Excellent food and beautiful friendly staff. We’ll be back!!
Chief's Creole Cafe delivered some of the best Jambalaya I've ever had. It is in the heart of what used to be the "black" corridor, and just oozes history. They have a beautiful dining room, and gorgeous outdoor gardens you can dine in as well. Their food is authentic and absolutely delicious. This is definitely worth a visit!
We have been there several times in the last six years. Decided I wanted their zulu wings and shrimp and grits with a side of fish. My companion ordered the gumbo. We both had something to drink I had the love Punch he had tea. It took almost 45 minutes for the drinks to come to the table. The wings, which were appetizers came with the food. The wait for the food was close to an hour. The food came in takeout containers, even though we're sitting in a room at their table inside the restaurant. The shrimps were small fried hard rocks I could not eat them. The grits were very bland. The fish was fried hard and dry. The gumbo was spicy but bland. The cornbread was dry. Talk to the waitress. She said there's nothing they can do about it that's how they serve their food. I have been there several times again during the last six years. This absolutely will be my last time going there. I frequent a lot of family businesses. They were one I would rave about telling people to go there. I wouldn't tell anyone to go there. I wouldn't mention their name unless someone was telling me they were going there and I would make sure to tell them know, and tell them my experiences. Yes, all the good should outweigh the bad. however, in this instance, it does not the food was not cook with love. The food was not cooked with care. You could stay in there and see that they were just putting food together like they were there for paycheck. There was no love in the building not sure where the owners were. I've met them on several occasions. It's always about the quality. The quality of the food was below subpar. I only gave it a one star because I couldn't give it zero. The owner needs to rethink some of his money saving practices. I walked out and left my companion at the table. I was disgusted. When he walked out, the chef asked him what was wrong what could he do better he stated that he told him to cook it with love and soul. Needless to say that was money down the drain. We left there and went downtown St. Petersburg to the hanger.
Very friendly, authentic creole food! Love the decor! Had the trio and it did not disappoint. The fried okra and crawfish fritters were also made to order! Soo good.
Good flavor but we were given to go boxes though we ate there. I've seen better days here in years past. Need to try harder to reach the standard of the awesome place it used to be. Great location and wonderful patio but it just seemed like they weren't trying at all. Our salads had to be replaced and should have been looked at before serving. I don't want to give up on this place but they need to get it together soon.