Crawfish season is an exciting time in Houston. Yes, we Houstonians love our mudbugs and come crawfish season, many establishments around the city serve the tasty creatures Cajun-style or seasoned with Houston’s own viet-cajun flavorings. The appearance of crawfish on menus also coincides with the start of warmer weather perfect for a good crawfish boil. Get ready to dig in at one of these popular places around town.
New to this boiled crawfish phenomenon? No problem. Read our primer on when to eat them and how to peel them here. Also read our guide to where to get boiled crawfish in places outside of Houston like Conroe, Deer Park and Pearland.
Boil House
606 11th St., Houston, TX
This no-frills Heights restaurant promises to bring you crawfish delivered daily from “pond to plate” and loads of Louisiana pride (the giant LSU flag up front is hard to miss). Enjoy fresh Lousiana-style crawfish sold by the pound or in 5 and 8-pound platters that come with potatoes and corn. Add a boiled sausage link to your platter for a perfect boiled crawfish experience. Open only during crawfish season, Boil House also offers take-out boiled crawfish as well as all the ingredients you may need to host your own background boil.
Crawfish Shack
5822 FM 2100, Crosby, TX
Depending on where you’re staying, Crosby might be a little out of the way, but when you want good crawfish a 30-minute drive isn’t a huge sacrifice. Crawfish Shack sells its crawfish at market price with add-ons like corn, potatoes, sausage and mushrooms. From mild to meaux spicy, the heat level of the house-made crawfish seasoning can be customized to your taste. Pack a cooler with beer (the place doesn’t sell alcohol but it’s BYOB) and get on the road. Also on the menu are boiled snow crabs and shrimp, crawfish etouffee and chicken-and-sausage gumbo. Crawfish Shack also has a drive-thru so you can take your mudbugs to go. Check out their Facebook page for updates on availability and hours.
LA Crawfish Shack
5858 S. Gessner, Houston
2020 S. Highway 6, Houston
With two locations in Houston, LA Crawfish Shack serves a number of Cajun dishes like gumbo, red beans and rice, and more. However, LA Crawfish Shack’s claim to fame is selling boiled crawfish year round thanks to proprietary preparation techniques that allow juicy and flavorful mudbugs any time of year. Of course, you can’t beat the flavor of live boiled crawfish in season, but if you’re ever craving some crawfish after the season has ended, the frozen kind here is a pretty decent substitute.
BB’s Tex Orleans
710 Montrose Blvd. Houston
Houston-born megastar Beyonce has been known to visit this café with multiple locations around Houston. You’ll find NOLA-style po’ boys, homemade gumbo, oysters, and boiled crawfish, of course. The eatery offers crawfish seasoned in traditional Louisiana style or in Tex-Orleans, which adds garlic paste to the mix. Wash it all down with a cocktail or a cold beer. Hours and crawfish availability may vary by location.
Ragin’ Cajun
4302 Richmond Ave., Houston
9600 Westheimer #80, Houston
What started as a small po boy restaurant is now a well known Houston crawfish destination with two Houston locations. In fact, Ragin’ Cajun owners introduced parking lot crawfish boils to Houstonians in the 70s and they’re still going. Customers line up on a regular basis to get buckets of spicy 100% Acadiana rice field, pond-raised crawfish, sold by the pound. Add potatoes and corn, and you have the makings of an instant outdoor party. Don’t leave without trying the crawfish étouffée, po-boys and jambalaya.
88 Boiling Crawfish & Seafood
1910 Wilcrest Dr., Houston
Garlic butter spicy seasoning is 88 Boiling Crawfish & Seafood’s claim to fame. Called the “88 Special,” the crawdads at this west Houston restaurant draw people from all parts of the city. Every two-pound order seasoned to your heat tolerance (from mild to XXX) comes with one boiled potato and corn on the cob. Delivery is available if you’d prefer to enjoy your crawfish at home.
Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack
310 Texas Ave.
12008 East Fwy.
The Swamp Shack serves up crawdads all year long at its two Houston-area eateries. With one location in Friendswood and another on the Kemah Boardwalk, this restaurant knows how to get crawfish right. Crazy Alan’s has a large menu with many options ranging from fresh seafood to steaks and hamburgers. Spicy crawfish with a side of live music is a great way to usher in spring.
LA Crawfish
3957 Richmond Ave., Houston
1005 Blalock Road, Inside 99 Ranch Market, Houston
Not to be confused with LA Crawfish Shack, LA Crawfish serves some of the best Asian-inspired mudbugs in H-Town. If you haven’t tasted Asian-Cajun-style crawfish, you don’t know what you’re missing. LA Crawfish offers a variety of seasonings and dipping sauces like garlic butter, cajun, hot and sour or spicy szechuan that go beyond the traditional cajun flavors. Shrimp, crab, fried chicken and other foods like a crawfish pho are also on the menu at this Houston crawfish staple. LA Crawfish has online ordering and delivery.
Crawfish & Noodles
11360 Bellaire, Ste. 990, Houston, TX
This Chinatown restaurant is one of the city’s most well known crawfish spots thanks to its tasty “Viet Cajun” mudbugs. It was also featured in David Chang’s Netflix documentary, Ugly Delicious, which earned it national recognition. But Houstonians go to Crawfish and Noodles for chef Trong Nguyen’s tasty cuisine, and when mudbug season starts, you can’t skip a bowl of the spicy garlic-buttery red creatures. Get ready to get messy; you won’t regret it.
Cajun Kitchen
6938 Wilcrest Dr., Houston
Head to Cajun Kitchen for another H-Town Viet-Cajun crawfish option. This award-winning restaurant serves fresh live crawdads with various seasonings to suit your taste and spice level tolerance. Try the spicy cajun boil, choose your spice level and flavor (cajun, garlic, the kitchen special or Thai basil). Other dishes worth trying when you’re not craving crawfish are its fried seafood platters and oysters on the half shell.
Crawfish Café
11209 Bellaire Blvd, C36, Houston, TX
1026 N Shepher Dr, Houston, TX
Crawfish Café serves crawfish in six varieties of flavors that will delight every taste bud. Options include Original Cajun, Kickin’ Cajun, garlic butter, coconut-garlic, lemon pepper and Thai basil. If you’re not in the mood to peel crawfish, try the crawfish eggrolls, crawfish pies or crispy boudin balls. With locations in Chinatown and the Heights, your viet-cajun crawfish and seafood is easily accessible no matter where you are in the city.
Hank’s Crawfish
Katy, TX
You’ll find tons of Cajun specialties like gumbo, po’boys, and shrimp etouffe at Hank’s Crawfish, but the seafood boils are what we love. In season, crawfish take the spotlight. Served with corn and boiled potatoes with your choice of Hank’s signature sauces and seasonings, the crawfish here will hit the spot. Choose from traditional, garlic butter and the house special sauces and select your spice level – mild, medium, spicy, x-spicy, and New Orleans spicy. Order a michelada or a margarita and you’re good to go.
Making a crawfish boil at home?
If you want to host your own crawfish boil, Houston has several places that sell live crawfish. Don’t forget Boil House in our previous list for your crawfish boil supplies. Also check out these other Houston seafood markets.
Lafitte’s Crawfish
6919 S Kirkwood Rd, Houston
Pick up some fresh catch at this Houston seafood market. When crawfish season rolls around, you can be sure to find sacks of live crawfish for your home-prepared boil.
Airline Seafood
1841 Richmond Ave, Houston
Located in Montrose, this seafood market has been serving Houstonians since the 1930s and you can always count on it for its fresh seafood offerings, including live crawfish.
Blue Horizon Wholesale Seafood & Retail
2516 Wroxton Rd, Houston
Pick up sacks of Louisiana crawfish at this Houston seafood market near West U.
