Highest-rated Cajun restaurants in Newark by diners

Written by:
August 22, 2025
Brent Hofacker // Shutterstock

Highest-rated Cajun restaurants in Newark by diners

From backyard boils with tables full of crawfish to the larger-than-life pots of spicy Jambalaya simmering over an open flame, Cajun food is definitely one that leaves your mouth happy and your system full of flavor. It's also the kind of food built around community. Dishes that are predicated on the concept of the more the merrier and cooked with the intention of bringing people together. It's the kind of food where you taste the love from every spoonful of spice stirred in.

Cajun food has a rich history that was born of a somewhat violent time in Canada's history known as the . Over the course of a decade, more than six thousand Acadians were expelled from their villages onto ships or nearby territories. Half of them would perish. Some would make a new home in New Orleans, primarily in Louisiana. With few resources and no means, the Acadians began incorporating ingredients from their new home into their traditional recipes. As they acclimated and began to engrain themselves in the land surrounding them, the influence from a variety of cultures that lived鈥攐r were forced to live鈥攊n the area began to make their way into the food. African, Indigenous, German, Italian, Spanish, and French influences all melded into what is now known as Cajun food. A literal melting pot of cultures, all brought together in food form with such an intense origin story, the flavors somehow mimic the intensity.

You can understand, then, why has chosen to uncover some of the highest-rated Cajun restaurants in Newark as of July 2025, using data from . Businesses under the category "Cajun" were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Newark were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.

Read on to see if your favorite popped up on the list.

1 / 11
Kelly's Cajun Grill

#11. Kelly's Cajun Grill

- Rating: 2.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 651 Kopkowski Road Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Asian Fusion
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2 / 11
El Pico De Oro Cezicher

#10. El Pico De Oro Cezicher

- Rating: 2.7/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 942 Elizabeth Ave. Flr 1 Eliz, New Jersey
- Categories: Peruvian, Cajun/Creole, Salad
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3 / 11
Papillon 25

#9. Papillon 25

- Rating: 3.3/5 (214 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 25 Valley St. South Orange, New Jersey
- Categories: New American, French, Cajun/Creole
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4 / 11
Shaking Crab - Clifton

#8. Shaking Crab - Clifton

- Rating: 3.3/5 (216 reviews)
- Address: 1168 Broad St. Clifton, New Jersey
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole
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5 / 11
Meet Hot Pot

#7. Meet Hot Pot

- Rating: 3.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 508 Rte 17 Carlstadt, New Jersey
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood, Hot Pot
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6 / 11
Saveur Creole

#6. Saveur Creole

- Rating: 3.8/5 (340 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 131 Grove St. Montclair, New Jersey
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Haitian
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7 / 11
Theboil

#5. Theboil

- Rating: 3.8/5 (265 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 8 Erie St. Jersey City, New Jersey
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole, Live/Raw Food
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8 / 11
The French Quarter

#4. The French Quarter

- Rating: 4.1/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Montclair, New Jersey
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Food Trucks
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9 / 11
Cap't Loui

#3. Cap't Loui

- Rating: 4.5/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10 Park St. Montclair, New Jersey
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood
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10 / 11
Hi Good Stuff

#2. Hi Good Stuff

- Rating: 4.6/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 603 Van Houten Ave. Clifton, New Jersey
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole
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11 / 11
Scale Fish Market

#1. Scale Fish Market

- Rating: 4.6/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 45 Coles St. Jersey City, New Jersey
- Categories: Seafood Markets, Salad, Cajun/Creole
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 111 metros.

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