Crawfish (also called crayfish or mudbugs) are small freshwater crustaceans central to Louisiana Cajun cuisine. A crawfish boil is one of America's great communal dining experiences — messy, spicy, and deeply satisfying. Crawfish restaurants are concentrated in Louisiana and Texas, with a growing presence nationwide thanks to Vietnamese-Cajun fusion seafood boil restaurants.
The classic boil includes live crawfish, corn on the cob, red potatoes, andouille sausage, whole garlic heads, mushrooms, and lemon, all boiled in a highly seasoned stock. After boiling, everything is tossed in additional butter and seasoning, then dumped directly on a table covered in newspaper. You peel and eat with your hands.
A newer style popular in Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and beyond: Vietnamese-Cajun seafood boil restaurants offer crawfish, shrimp, crab, clams, and lobster cooked in garlic butter and Cajun seasoning, served in a bag. Places like The Boiling Crab and Cajun Bros are leaders in this style. These restaurants serve year-round with Louisiana and farmed crawfish.
Use ChooseMy.Food to find crawfish boil restaurants and Cajun seafood spots near your location. Crawfish season in Louisiana runs February to June, but year-round crawfish restaurants exist across the South and in cities with large Cajun or Vietnamese communities.
A crawfish boil is a Southern tradition where live crawfish are boiled in heavily seasoned water with corn, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, and garlic, then dumped on a newspaper-lined table for communal eating. The spice blend typically includes Cajun seasoning, cayenne, bay leaves, and lemon. It's messy, communal, and one of America's great food experiences.