Where to find authentic cajun food in SW Louisiana

In much of Southwest Louisiana, alligators outnumber people, residents still live off the land to an impressive degree, and local cuisine is well-loved and much applauded. In fact, the Lake Charles, Louisiana area features a type of southern cuisine not experienced anywhere else. From cracklins to boudin to crawfish boils, SW Louisiana’s authentic cajun food is truly an attraction in its own right, and worthy of your time during any trip to the region.

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Start on the Boudin Trail:

My part of the world has wine trails. Lake Charles as a boudin trail. Without this resource, visitors will surely miss some of the best of this local specialty. What is boudin, you ask? It’s a local sausage made with a variety of meats and seafood (pork seems most popular, but shrimp and crawfish isn’t unusual), mixed with rice and signature spices. Boudin is usually in links, but sometimes served in boudin balls, which can even be stuffed with cheese. Below, we list some of our favorite stops along SW Louisiana’s Boudin Trail:

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B&O Kitchen and Grocery: This roadside stop has been in the family since it began 35 years ago, and used to be a one-stop mercantile. Now, they specialize in their family recipes. Visitors can pick up boudin, of course, but can also find guadidaun sandwiches (a pulled pork type meat with boudin ball on the bottom, in a bun), smoked meats, jerky, and cracklins (fried pork rinds with meat still on the skin). Location: 3011 E. Burton Sulphur, LA

LeBleu’s Landing: Get hot cracklins here, as well as meat ranging from gator to headcheese. Location: 202 Henning Drive Sulphur LA

Restaurants serving authentic cajun food:

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Restaurants serving authentic cajun food in SW Louisiana can be found in all price ranges. We found great cajun fare in both Lake Charles’ top resorts and in roadside dives…and everything in-between. Here’s where to go:

Pat’s of Henderson: Pat’s is located in an unassuming building by a car lot. Don’t let this dissuade you! Owner Pat is from, you guessed it, Henderson, Louisiana, where her family has been in the cajun cooking game for generations. In fact, our server was the daughter of Pat’s head cook, who has been cooking for the family since Pat was a girl. Prepare to leave Pat’s well-fed: we recommend the stuffed red snapper (it’s stuffed with shrimp and crawfish, of course) and the catfish bites, but the gumbo is out of this world as well! In fact, at Pat’s, visitors can take home a starter kit of their own roux, which is made to create their classic gumbo. Location: 1500 Siebarth Dr Lake Charles LA

T-Boys (on the Creole Nature Trail in Creole, LA): This roadside diner looks a little rough, but the women who run it are friendly and welcoming. We loved the fried fish and shrimp here, and the crab cake po-boy was great, too. They make great fries and onion rings, and all their seafood is locally sourced.

Seafood Palace: You can tell Seafood Palace is a local favorite by the packed parking lot just about any day of the week. Their specialty is probably their boiled crawfish baskets in season (spring, primarily), but they also serve boudin, oysters, shrimp, catfish…you name it.

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Jack Daniel’s: Located inside L’Auberge, one of Lake Charles’ two premiere casino resorts, Jack Daniel’s looks like an upscale Texas roadhouse-type chain. However, the young, talented head chef here enjoys creative control over his dishes, and does a great job blending more traditional Texan foods like burgers with cajun specialties like crab cakes and red snapper. Location: 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles LA

Disclosure: I experienced the above restaurants as a guest of Lake Charles, for the purpose of review. All opinion remains my own.

How to spend three days in SW Louisiana

Southwest Louisiana has something for everyone: families will find rich culinary traditions, incredible wildlife, history, and adventure. Plus, there’s plenty in the way of relaxation and play. Whether you come to Louisiana for the cajun cooking, festivals like Mardi Gras, or to glimpse an alligator, here’s how to spend three days in SW Louisiana, act like a local, and get (almost) everything done:

Day 1: Creole Nature Trail

First things first in SW Louisiana! In addition to checking out the cajun food scene (see link below), families will want to explore the wildlife of the area. The Creole Nature Trail is a 180 mile driving loop that takes you from the city to the rice fields, marshes, intra-tidal areas, and gulf coast, where kids can see tons of birds, snakes, alligators, and turtles. Plan to devote a day!

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Read our guide to the Creole Nature Trail.

Day 2: Fishing excursion on Big Lake

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At least once while in Louisiana, try to eat your own fresh catch! This region is well known for both freshwater and saltwater fishing, and numerous guide services are available to get you out on the water. We checked out Big Lake Guide Service, which offers day trips and multi-day camps year round. While our excursion got rained out (which happens here and there in spring), we spoke extensively to owner Jeff Poe. Jeff assured us that kids are welcome (parents can determine what age they’re ready, though in his experience, 8 years and up is a good benchmark). They fish in both fresh and brackish water (lake water), as well as trips to the gulf for ocean fishing. Half day trips are possible, and Jeff can provide rods and reels. For serious fishing families, Big Lake Guide Service also provides lodging right on the lake, in duplexes with the option of catered meals.

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Do you need to have a guide? It’s recommended. When we spoke with Jeff, he explained techniques for successful fishing he’s honed in decades of fishing SW Louisiana. Families can, however, fish from gulf piers and marsh areas in Cameron Parish (along the Creole Nature Trail), provided they have their own gear and license. (Be careful about alligators.) In addition, everyone is welcome to try their hand at clamming in the marshes (no license or guide necessary).

If you go: be sure to take advantage of SW Louisiana’s unique ‘Catch and Cook’ program, where participating chefs at area restaurants will cook your catch for you the same day! You do need to set this up ahead of time.

Day 3: Cajun history and relaxation

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There’s a lot of history in Lake Charles, Sulphur, and greater SW Louisiana. With young kids, start at the colorful and stimulating Mardi Gras Museum, in historic downtown Lake Charles. The museum houses more than 180 costumes from past Mardi Gras, with even more in storage. The museum has almost outgrown itself in its current location, and the winding hallways are literally stuffed with sequins, headdresses, and floats! Location: 809 Kirby/In the Central School Arts & Humanities Center, Lake Charles, LA

While in the area, use the free historic tour app provided by the city to check out the historic districts of CharpentierMargaret Place, or Shell Beach Drive to see classic examples of early 1900s Lake Charles architecture or magnificent plantation style homes. You can drive these neighborhoods, walk them, or even take a carriage ride.

In Sulphur, the Brimstone Museum is a small but very well-done museum dedicated the the region’s sulphur mining in the late 1800s. Kids will like the displays, and the fact that the museum is located in an old train depot. It won’t take long to tour. Location: 900 Huntington, Sulphur LA

Read our top restaurant recommendations for SW Louisiana.

Paint and create with a local artist: If you need a break from the heat and want an indoor activity, head to Arts’ Desire, located in Lake Charles. Run by a local artist who makes it a priority to help kids create their own authentic projects that celebrate the area, Arts’ Desire has classic paint-your-own ceramics as well as more unique projects, such as ‘fish painting’ (you use an actual fish to imprint onto wood or paper). Location: 1322 Ryan, Lake Charles, LA

Enjoy the afternoon by the pool: Not staying at one of the major resort casinos, with their acres of pools, lazy rivers, and spa services? You can actually get a day pass. Both L’Auberge and Golden Nugget offer pool passes for families ($30 for adults, less for kids), and while the entry price seems steep, you get far more than just a pool. Both have lazy rivers with inner tubes, hot tubs, family pools, cabanas and food services, and Golden Nugget has tube slides. Personally, we don’t like staying at casino hotels, but we’d absolutely enjoy their pool complexes on hot days! Parents can also get a spa day pass, which gives them access to the relaxation rooms, saunas, and steam rooms at the spa.

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Check out a festival! When most people think about Louisiana festivals, Mardi Gras comes to mind. And Lake Charles does have a family-friendly celebration! However, fewer people know about Contraband Days, which celebrates the area’s buccaneering past. ‘Pirates’ raid the shore, landing at the seawall in Lake Charles to force the mayor to walk the plank (which he’s a very good sport about). There’s a carnival and food vendors, plus live entertainment. Learn what festival may be ongoing during your visit.

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Where to stay in the area:

The Best Western Plus is located conveniently to anywhere you’d want to go in Lake Charles and the greater area. Families will get a decent free breakfast, free parking, and free wifi. There’s a small indoor pool. For a more resort experience, the casino resorts mentioned above have live entertainment and spa services, but there IS gaming (thanks to the casino floors in this area technically being on ‘water’ instead of land). If you dislike gaming hotels, know this going in.

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