Crawfish are regarded as a seasonal delicacy in Louisiana. For years, these mudbugs have been seasoned and cooked, and Cajun Claws is located in the heart of crawfish country, where they know how to do it best. They make their seasonings and only utilize graded crawfish, which means they receive the biggest and best crawfish the state has to offer, hand-selecting the best from local crawfish farms. When the crabs are in season, they also boil Dungeness crab, blue crab, king crab, and blue point crab, as well as barbecue crab.

On the menu, you may start your meal with funnel cake fries or gator nibbles, and for those who don't want boiling fish, there are fried baskets and po'boys to choose from. On Saturdays, live music is performed from 6 to 9 p.m., making Cajun Claws the ideal spot to gather with friends, order a bucket of ice-cold beer, and tuck into some boiled seafood while listening to live music!

Address: 175 Frontage Rd, Rayne, Louisiana 70578
Phone: (337) 393-2780

Hours:

• Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Friday and Saturday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Website: cajunclawsseafoodboilers.com

The Chimes restaurant, located just outside Louisiana State University's North Gates, offers a lively setting with delicious cuisine, good people, and good times. This iconic Baton Rouge hangout serves classic Louisiana meals, typical bar food, and local specialties, making it a memorable stop for any tourist. For those of legal drinking age, there are 80 beers on tap and over a hundred in the bottle, as well as a selection of delectable delicacies such as the Louisiana alligator, which can be sautéed or blackened. The crab cake sandwich and their famous red beans and rice are two other highlights.

On a Saturday in the fall, you might be swept up in the nationally renowned LSU football tailgating, which takes over the entire campus and spills into the Chimes for the finest party in town.

Address:

• HIGHLAND: 3357 Highland Rd Baton Rouge, LA 70802
• EAST: 10870 Coursey Blvd Baton Rouge, LA 70816
• COVINGTON: 19130 W Front St Covington, LA 70433

Phone:

• HIGHLAND: (225) 383-1754
• EAST: (225) 296-4981
• COVINGTON: (985) 892-5396

Hours:

• HIGHLAND: Monday - Saturday: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm; Sunday: 10:30 am to 11:00 pm
• EAST: Monday - Saturday: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm; Sunday: 11:00 am to 11:00 am
• COVINGTON: Sunday - Thursday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm; Friday - Saturday: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Website: thechimes.com

Good Italian food is one of the most soothing cuisines to share with friends and family. The table is set, the band is ready, and the cuisine has been prepared for decades at Gino's Restaurant in the state capital city. Since the Marino family opened the restaurant in 1966, it has been serving traditional southern Italian cuisine in a Mediterranean style. The restaurant is still 100% family-owned and runs today.

The dining space epitomizes romance, with candlelight, a well-dressed serving staff, and a bar perfect for a classy drink or a nice bottle of wine. On Thursdays, they have Jazz Night, where local jazz musicians perform for your delight, and the piano is still wailing in the bar area on weekends. They have over 300 wines on hand and are most renowned for their arancini (try the seafood one! ), which go wonderfully with Gino's Italian Salad and their delectable Laurence Bread. Gino's Restaurant, a Baton Rouge fine-dining institution, is a wonderful place to spend time with family, friends, music, and delectable southern Italian cuisine.

Address: 4542 Bennington Avenue, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808
Phone: 225-927-7156
Hours:

• Monday - Friday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• Saturday: 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• Sunday: Closed

Website: ginosrestaurant.com

Jean Galatoire, the fifth-generation restaurant owner, opened his doors on the same iconic site in 1905. Galatoire, a native of Pardies, France, aspired to infuse the restaurant's dishes and the environment with memories of his childhood. The family-owned and run business has adopted new menu items and expanded to additional sites around Louisiana over the course of decades as a part of the New Orleans fine dining community.

Galatoire's Restaurant is the epitome of elegance, serving the classic black drum and redfish meals with a menu of optional garnishes ranging from jumbo lump crabmeat to meunière sauce and lemon caper beurre blanc. Lamb chops and a range of delectable shellfish dishes, including their own bouillabaisse and shrimp creole, are sizzled to perfection. Galatoire's, located in the center of the historic French Quarter, is a must-visit fine dining establishment in New Orleans.

Address: 209 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Phone: 504.525.2021
Hours:

• Monday to Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday to Saturday: 11:30 am to 9:00 pm
• Sunday: 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Website: galatoires.com

The French Press restaurant in Lafayette provides a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Chef Girouard, who has been nominated for a James Beard Award, relies on his Cajun, Italian, and French ancestors to create original and classic recipes. From their brunch and lunch menus throughout the day to their fine dining menu at night, they take care of using local, fresh ingredients in every dish.

With brunch offerings like the Cajun benedict, which comprises toasted French bread, Hebert's boudin, two medium poached eggs topped with chicken and andouille gumbo, and fresh scallions, the French Press restaurant has a reputation for deliciousness. By night, they serve a variety of unusual fish, such as seared snapper, as well as rarer products, such as grilled Colorado rack of lamb.

Address: 214 E. Vermilion ST Lafayette, Louisiana 70501
Phone: (337) 233-9449
Hours:

• Monday - Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday - Friday: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Saturday - Sunday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Website: thefrenchpresslafayette.com

Despite the fact that Louisiana is famed for its seafood, Frank’s Pizza Napoletana in Shreveport is the only place in the area that serves pizza Napoletana (pizza made in the old world style of Naples, Italy). They prepare their own dough every day, using Caputo "OO" flour, fresh yeast, and sea salt in a Stefano Ferraro wood-fired oven that reaches 850 degrees. They do, however, manufacture their own mozzarella, sauce from crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and Italian pork sausage on a daily basis!

Frank’s Pizza Napoletana changes the menu periodically, adding fresh basil and strawberry insalata in the summer. In keeping with Louisiana customs, Frank's also provides Louisiana charbroiled oysters, a sumptuous appetizer for visitors to share and enjoy. Freshness and pride in their work are embodied in this casual-upscale dining experience.

Address: 6950 Fern Ave Shreveport, LA 71105
Phone: 318.230.7130

Hours:

• Monday - Thursday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Friday - Saturday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
• Sunday and Major Holidays: Closed

Website: frankspizzanapoletana.com

This historic Louisiana restaurant, Lea's Lunchroom, which opened in 1928, doesn't have an extensive menu and never has. In the late Roaring Twenties, Lea Johnson opened a little highway restaurant that only served ham sandwiches, a special-of-the-day plate lunch, Louisiana coffee, and baked pies. When asked why, Johnson just stated that they were a waste of time and that if the food was good, customers would return.

The menu has remained almost unchanged, with the exception of the specialty-of-the-day plate lunch, which includes a choice of three different types of meat as well as a range of locally grown veggies and sides. Johnson allegedly claimed to have perfected his ham sandwich by utilizing a blend of sliced, home-baked, and ground ham. You can't leave Lea's Lunchroom without trying one of their world-famous pies, which are said to have been passed down from Lea's wife, Miss Georgia, and her family. This timeless restaurant is a Louisiana tradition and a true diner in every meaning of the word.

Address: 1810 Hwy. 71 S. / Lecompte, Louisiana 71346
Phone: 318.776.5178
Hours:

• Tuesday - Sunday: 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
• Monday: Closed

Website: leaslunchroom.com

When you enter Mandina’s Restaurant, you're greeted by a large wooden bar that runs the length of the front area. The aromas of fried seafood platters, Italian cuisine, and Creole cookery fill the air.

Mandina's Restaurant has been soaking up the culture of New Orleans for years, having first started as a grocery store for Italian immigrants in 1898. They are happy to be family-owned and run and provide the best in Creole, Italian, and Southern cuisine. Fresh Gulf fish meuniere awakens your taste sensations like never before, while Italian favorites like veal parmesan are flavorful. You can also choose from almandine-style fish or a variety of high-quality fried seafood platters, which include oysters, shrimp, hush puppies, and crab claws. The seafood gumbo is very delectable. Mandina's encapsulates everything New Orleans has to offer, and it's conveniently located in Mid-City, away from the congested downtown streets.

Address: 3800 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
Phone: (504) 482-9179
Hours:

• Monday - Thursday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Friday - Saturday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Sunday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm

Website: mandinasrestaurant.com

You can't visit Louisiana without trying one of the state's best po'boys! Everyone has a favorite hangout spot, but no one can deny that Parkway Bakery & Tavern is one of the best. The original Parkway Bakery, which has been serving New Orleans style po'boys since 1929, was founded by a German baker as a local shop in 1911. Owner Jay Nix now lives next door to the restaurant, which appears to always have a line forming at the ordering counter. You may purchase a near-perfect shrimp, oyster, or roast beef po'boy at this counter.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern has been a neighborhood favorite for generations, with plenty of outside patio space and a bar to the side where you can order a cold one to wash down your excellent meal.

Address: 538 Hagan Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Phone: (504)-482-3047

Hours:

• Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Monday - Tuesday: Closed

Website: parkwaypoorboys.com

Roberto's River Road Restaurant, located along the Mississippi River in the Sunshine Hamlet of St. Gabriel, has been an area favorite since its debut in 2001. This local favorite spot, which is rich in culture and has a laid-back vibe, is the ideal hangout for locals. The 1850s structure not only overlooks the river's historic levee system, but it also housed J.J. Laplace & Sons, an antique general store.

Today, the restaurant is recognized for specialties including eggplant crab cakes and the roasted duck St. Gabriel, which is served with mashed sweet potatoes and a currant jam. The Stuffed Catch of the Day, Shrimp Roberto, and Fish En Papillote, which is the catch of the day cooked in this traditional French style, are among the other seafood options. Roberto's River Road Restaurant is a Sunshine staple known for its courteous wait staff and a busy snug bar in the back.

Address: 1985 Hwy 75, Sunshine, Louisiana 70780
Phone: (225) 642-5999
Hours:

• Monday and Sunday: Closed
• Tuesday - Friday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm; 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
• Saturday: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Website: robertosrestaurant.net