Start a conversation about seafood anywhere in Acadiana/Southwest Louisiana and eyes will immediately light up with excitement.

Facial expressions will get animated too after a plate piled with cooked catfish, shrimp, crawfish, crabs or oysters is placed on a table.

Why does seafood make us happy?

Maybe it is because of our direct access to bayous, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico where bountiful amounts of seafood can be found.

It could be because we pay homage to century-old family recipes that feature seafood.

Or maybe it is a feeling found in our collective Bayou Land soul. Seafood and Acadiana/Southwest Louisiana are tethered together by way of culture and foodways.

What follows is a sampling of the best seafood-inspired creations at restaurants where the owners and cooks prepare dishes with passion, heritage and lots of flavor.

Bon appétit.

Best of the Best

Landry’s Restaurant, New Iberia | Sautéed Seafood Platter

Close your eyes and consider the following.

You drive up to an Acadian-style home in South Louisiana. It is a big home on a property dotted with century-old oak trees that host Spanish moss. The home has a wraparound front porch. Grass around the homestead is green and a pond with ducks sits behind it.

Inside, somebody’s mother or father is blackening a filet of catfish, red snapper or redfish in a 12-inch cast iron pot. Eventually they put tender morsels of crawfish tails and white lump crab meat in the pot, mixing all the flavors together with seasoning.

The seafood is placed on an old white plate to cool.

It ain’t over. The cook then starts sautéing broccoli, cauliflower and string beans that were blanched in another deep pot. Those vegetables are put in the same cast iron pot where the seafood was cooked. After a few minutes of seasoning and stirring, the vegetables are placed on the side of the seafood.

Can you see it? Are you smelling it? Lips smacking yet?

Well, that down-home, tasty mental picture is what Landry’s Restaurant of New Iberia offers every day.

At Landry’s — not the chain — the sautéed seafood platter is one of the items customers order all the time.

“It is not too rich. Not too greasy. Sort of lite but the perfect combination of different seafood. You get a mix of everything,” said Dr. David Landry who is the owner of Landry’s with his aunt Elaine Buteau.

In 1969, Landry’s grandparents opened the eatery. His father created the sautéed seafood platter.

Landry gets excited when customers tell him the dish reminds them of eating at their grandparents’ home.

“This was my dad’s recipe. He kept passing it down to our restaurant cooks. That feeling of being at home is what we want customers to feel with this and all our dishes,” he said.

At Landry’s, the ultimate goal is for the kitchen staff to pay respect to locally sourced produce, especially seafood.

“First, we cater to our customers. We form relationships with them, and they keep coming back,” Landry said. “When it comes to seafood, I think it is one of the most important parts of our culture. It needs to be done right and with local seafood.”
landryscajunrestaurant.com

Oysters

Best Po’Boy | Olde Tyme Grocery, Lafayette

Since 1982, the Olde Tyme Grocery kitchen team has been kicking out po’boys to Hub City and surrounding area eaters. Suffice to say, the folks at Olde Tyme Grocery know a little something about po’boys. The oyster po-boy is proudly displayed on the menu. The sandwich starts with good bread (check), fresh veggies (lettuce and tomatoes, check), and just the right amount of mayo (check). Survey says…po’boy perfection.
oldetymegrocery.com

Best Charbroiled | Uncle T’s Oyster Bar, Scott

It is called the Holly Beach Slammer. The charbroiled oysters on this plate are named Nola, Firecracker, Classic Candy and Le Bon Cochon. The Heberts have mastered the art of oyster on the half-shell, fire and toppings. Visit the restaurant, order a few beers or cocktails, and review the charbroiled oysters list. Classic Candy is addictive — Zydeco sauce, candied jalapeño and pepper jack cheese.
uncletsoysterbar.com

Best Raw | Dupuy’s, Abbeville

Discussions about oysters and restaurants located in Acadiana should start with Dupuy’s. History, culture and oysters all converge at this Vermilion Parish gem. Dupuy’s opened its doors in 1869. The eatery was established by Joseph Dupuy back then. He harvested oysters and sold the saltwater bivalve mollusks (food and science can coexist). A dozen raw oysters, crackers and Dupuy’s house cocktail sauce is a moment oysters lovers are encouraged to experience.
dupuys.com

Best Oyster Dinner | Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn, Broussard

How many ways can oysters be featured on a plate? At Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn — which has been open since 1932 — the number is eight. Owner and chef Richard Hurst has access to over 90 years of family recipes. The oyster plate can best be described as oyster heaven consisting of oyster shooter, oyster gumbo, oyster pie, oyster jambalaya, oyster en brochette, fried oysters, oyster Bienville and Rockefeller.
poorboysriversideinn.com

Fish

Best Fried Catfish | Roy’s Catfish Hut, Kinder

U.S. 165 travels right through Allen Parish going north and south. Right out of Kinder, south of Grand Casino Coushatta, is a restaurant that qualifies as a true-blue catfish shack. Roy’s Catfish Hut has everything right from the cornmeal-based batter, crispy French fries and pickled tomatoes on the salad bar. Throw in buckets of peanuts (you throw the shells on the floor) and this is the perfect place to quell a catfish fix.
royscatfishhut.com

Best Broiled or Grilled Fish | Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf, Henderson

Paying homage to Atchafalaya area foodways has been a hallmark of the folks at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The origins of this restaurant go back to 1948, which means the recipes are tried and tested and the pots and pans are well seasoned inside the kitchen. The Catfish Special gets straight to the point: broiled catfish that is topped with a soft-shell crab, which is dressed with a crawfish cream sauce… Cher, ca c’est bon (that’s good).
patsfishermanswharf.com

Best Something Special | Pat’s of Henderson, Lake Charles

Each of the menu items prepared at Pat’s of Henderson is scrumptious. Yet, the stuffed red snapper is special…really special. This dish has been voted a top seafood dish in SWLA. When the plate is brought to your table, your eyes and nose will be greeted by a red snapper filet with seafood stuffing neatly added to it. You can order two side items, but they are just window dressing. The culinary artwork is the fish.
patsofhenderson.com

Crabs

Best Crab Claws | Prejean’s, Carencro

You just cannot eat one…Prejean’s crab fingers, that is. Do yourself a favor and order these as an appetizer but be prepared to order another one. It is impossible to resist indulging until the tummy is filled with these Louisiana crab claws that can be either battered and deep fried or seasoned and sautéed. The mignonette sauce served with the dish adds a little extra flavor to the crab claws.
prejeans.com

Best Boiled Crab | Seafood Palace, Lake Charles

Only owner David Papania knows what is in the seafood boil and he will not share the recipe. Therefore, get here early because when word gets around that boiled crabs are on the menu, the line getting into Seafood Palace for a table is long. Papania prides himself on having access to a purveyor who makes sure big and full crabs are delivered to the restaurant. The seafood boil has cayenne in it, but not so much that the fingers burn.

Best Crab Cakes | Mazen’s/Mazen Grill, Lake Charles/Lafayette

Attention to detail is what makes a dinner at Mazen’s in Lake Charles and Mazen in Lafayette a joyful event. If you want to test that notion, order a crab cake. It is made with jumbo lump crabmeat and served with lemon butter and hollandaise sauce. The Mazen kitchen allows the flavor of the white crabmeat to stand on its own. The topping gently melds with the crabmeat. This is a simple and mouth-watering delicacy.
mazengrill.com

Best Crab Stack | The Little Big Cup, Arnaudville

A fried soft-shell crab is placed atop a crab cake, which is on top of a fried eggplant medallion, which is topped with crawfish étouffée and then the dish is garnished with a fried Gulf shrimp. Sometimes the less said, or even less written, is the best way to go. I do not want to seem lazy, but if you cannot mentally see, smell, and taste this dish…well, nothing else I write will help.
thelittlebigcup.com

Best Soft Shell Crab Dish | Nash’s Restaurant, Broussard

At Nash’s Restaurant, customers are supposed to experience memories while eating intensely flavored dishes. Ownership here boasts a wonderful array of Italian, seafood, and steaks on the menu. The Soft-Shell Crab Lafayette is a heavenly creation. A soft-shell crab is battered and fried. Then a creamy sauce and sautéed crawfish are slathered on top of the crab. Oh, and you get a side of shrimp fettuccine alfredo. Lawd have mercy!
nashsrestaurant.com

Shrimp

Best Po’Boy | Mama’s Fried Chicken, Opelousas

Mama’s has two locations in the heart of St. Landry Parish. Locally owned and operated for 35 years, the eatery has made good on fulfilling the desires of those who have a hankering for fried shrimp and bread. The shrimp po’boy is simple in concept…fried golden shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes and tartar sauce. The actual fried shrimp have a zesty flavor that will not make the nose run but will tickle the tongue.
eatmamasfriedchicken.com

Best Boiled | C’est Bon, Mermentau

In Acadia Parish, right off U.S. 90, is this restaurant that has a religious-style following. Folks in these parts view the fine art of boiling seafood as part of their birthright. C’est Bon restaurant’s team uses a wonderful seafood boil mix for the shrimp. A side of boiled potatoes and corn finish out the meal. If you are a foodie who likes road trips, C’est Bon is a true find.
cestbonrestaurant.org

Spicy Scampi | Buck And Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge

In the heart of downtown Breaux Bridge, a delicious dish filled with shrimp can be found and good music to boot. Buck and Johnny’s bills itself as eclectic and Italian. Without a fault, those words best describe the restaurant’s shrimp scampi. Bacon garlic butter, shrimp, tasso and smoked chaurice jalapeño is prepared together and served on penne. Oh, my goodness! This dish is sinful, delicious and addictive.
buckandjohnnys.com

Best Fried | Mr. Bill’s Seafood Express, Lake Charles

It takes more than COVID, hurricanes and rebuilds to keep a good restaurant owner down. Jason Guillory and Chad Pousson made sure when the doors to their Lake City restaurant staple opened again in January of this year that their shrimp basket was on the menu and the recipe was spot on. It is as if the kitchen never closed (it was closed due to hurricane damages in 2020).
mrbillsseafoodexpress.org

Crawfish

Best Boiled | Heinen’s Crawfish Boil-N-Go, Lake Charles

Every year crawfish season begins, expect to see a traffic jam at the corner of University Drive and Lake Street. Yes, there is a red light at the intersection, but the traffic congestion is created by SWLA residents who will wait for boiled crawfish that peels easily and is seasoned perfectly. If you sit outside a few blocks from the old Cajun-style shack where the business is located, you will smell the goodness.

Best Étouffée | Dwight’s Restaurant, Lafayette

There are moments when you eat something, and a mystical feeling overtakes your sense of taste and smell. Yes, there are many delicious étouffées cooked in restaurants and homes around the Southern region of Louisiana. Then, there is the creamy and deftly seasoned version prepared in the kitchen at Dwight’s. Do yourself a favor and manage the traffic on Johnson Street to get to Dwight’s. Crawfish greatness awaits.
dwights.us

Best Something Special | Rascal’s Cajun Express, Rayne

Southwest Louisiana is home to finger foods that stick to the bones and make the tastebuds happy, happy, happy! If you have not visited Rascal’s ShopRite Travel Plaza (yes, it is a convenience store) and tasted the crawfish boudin balls, then you are not living right. “All the flavor of boudin and crawfish packed into a perfectly fried bite,” states the business website. I concur.
rascalscajunexpress.com