7 Places to Get the Best Crawfish in Louisiana [2023]
If you’re from Louisiana, you know that the state has more than its fair share of great seafood – oysters, shrimp, and above all, crawfish.
The crawfish is even the official crustacean of Louisiana and you’ll find it cooked in all kinds of dishes all over the state.
So, while you definitely won’t have trouble finding crawfish in the Pelican State, not all of it’s going to be good. You’re in luck, however, because we’re taking care of that for you.
This article is a list of all the best crawfish spots in the state so you can quench your crustacean cravings with confidence.
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Hawk’s Crawfish – Rayne
Hawk’s Crawfish has been going since 1983 and takes pride in the way that it cleans its crawfish. If you’ve had crawfish that wasn’t cleaned so well, you might remember that it was a bit gritty, maybe even muddy.
This is because the traditional way of cleaning crawfish isn’t all that effective. By keeping them in fresh aerated water for 48 hours, Hawk’s are able to get rid of the vast majority of all the undesirable stuff to be left with only the best crawfish.
This means that their crawfish boils are going to be the best that you’ve ever had.
As the restaurant proudly states, it’s “located in the middle of nowhere”, surrounded by some crawfish ponds. Nevertheless, it’s absolutely worth a visit if you’re anywhere nearby.
Louisiana Crawfish Time – Lafayette
The crawfish boils at this spot are absolutely top-notch, but that’s not the only reason for you to pay it a visit.
Their range of dishes extends beyond the simple boil to include poboy sandwiches, fried catfish, fried oysters, and more.
They also sell live crawfish if you want some to take home and cook up yourself (or, I guess, raise as pets).
You can also either have the restaurant’s team cater for all kinds of events, or rent out the whole restaurant.
You can also buy their seasonings from them to take home and use in your own cooking.
Use a multifunctional electric hotpot to cook your crawfish and seafood when eating with friends and family at home!
Crawfish Town USA – Henderson
This place is a double threat to restaurants and the marketplace. Naturally, their boiled crawfish knocks it out of the park, but it doesn’t end there.
One of their best offerings is their crawfish enchilada – this is a tortilla stuffed with Louisiana crawfish tails and enchilada sauce, topped with crawfish étouffée and cheese, and then baked.
It’s absolutely as amazing as it sounds. You can also have that crawfish étouffée served over rice with strips of catfish if you prefer.
There’s also a special catering menu with all kinds of party platters and combinations available for a variety of events. And what about that market we mentioned?
It sells all kinds of wonderful foods, from crawfish (obviously) to more exotic things like alligator and crab meat.
With all this to offer, Crawfish Town USA is an unmissable experience.
Deanie’s Seafood – New Orleans
This restaurant has several different locations throughout New Orleans, including one that’s a seafood market.
The boiled crawfish here is great and still manages to be more competitively priced than a lot of other seafood restaurants.
Deanie’s also uses that crawfish to make a wonderful crawfish bisque, as well as crawfish étouffée. The rest of their seafood is also sensational, and there’s a lot of it to choose from. Charbroiled oysters?
Of course. Crabmeat au gratin? Coming right up. Can’t choose one thing or the other and want a giant seafood platter? No problem!
We can’t move on without talking about that seafood market for a bit as well. It sells all kinds of fresh fish and other seafood, from crawfish and oysters to salmon and mahi mahi.
It also has a range of other items like salads, salad dressings, sauces, and other prepared items like stuffed artichokes, crab fingers and more.
Get prepped up and ready with this crustacean crab cracker kit – with this 19 Piece Seafood Tool Set, crustacean eating is serious business!
Rosie Jo’s – Alexandria
It’s only a small place, but don’t be fooled because some of the best crawfish in that state can be found right here.
The secret is in the seasoning mix that they use for their crawfish boil – the exact blend is a secret, but the flavours are all perfectly balanced.
Unlike a lot of other places, you can order the crawfish here by the pound – the menu has regular platter sizes, but if you just want one pound of crawfish then that’s what you’ll get.
Their giant crab cakes are also great, as are the gator bites and fried duck. With friendly staff too, there’s no reason not to give Rosie Jo’s a look if you’re anywhere nearby.
The Shack Of Houma – Houma
The crawfish boil is on the menu here as well, but that’s not all they can do with crawfish.
If you want some of that sweet, delicious crawfish meat in a bun, a poboy, a pie, or even in cornbread, then you’ve found the right restaurant for you.
The sides here also deserve special attention – if you wanted to, you could order a selection of them to make dinner all by themselves.
There are many to choose from, including delicious oysters (raw or chargrilled), gator bites, and frogs’ legs.
This restaurant can also cater for an event anywhere in the United States. Yep, you read that correctly.
If you have a craving for boiled crawfish in Minnesota or need some chargrilled oysters in Oklahoma, this place can make it happen.
Kim’s Seafood – Bossier City
This is a fairly small place with not too many frills, and it’s easy to miss, but that doesn’t matter when the food – especially the crawfish – is as good as this.
The crawfish boil is absolutely the best in the area, and the crawfish poboy is truly a sight to behold.
There are also some options on the menu that aren’t on the menus of the other restaurants on this list, like pho, if you’re looking for an Asian kick alongside your seafood.
Yup, say NO to a stained T-shirt. With this disposable seafood bib, you can go wild!
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the definitive list of the best places to eat amazing crawfish in the great state of Louisiana.
There are enough places spread across the state that hopefully, you’ll be within travelling distance of at least one of them, and trust us when we say that this crawfish is worth travelling for!
