13 Hidden Louisiana Seafood Spots Locals Hope Don’t Get Discovered
Louisiana is full of culinary secrets, and these 13 hidden seafood spots are some of the best-kept.
Locals flock to these tucked-away gems for fresh catches, bold flavors, and a charm you won’t find in the usual tourist spots.
Each restaurant has its own story, from family recipes passed down generations to secret seasoning blends that keep visitors coming back. Visiting one feels like uncovering a delicious secret worth savoring.
1. Middendorf’s Restaurant: Thin-Fried Catfish Heaven
You haven’t truly experienced Louisiana seafood until you’ve bitten into Middendorf’s paper-thin fried catfish.
Sitting on stilts in tiny Manchac since 1934, this place survived Hurricane Katrina and still draws crowds willing to drive miles for their legendary specialty.
Locals arrive early on weekends to avoid the wait. The German-influenced menu also features stuffed crab and seasonal soft-shell crabs that’ll make you weep with joy.
2. Herby-K’s: The Shrimp Buster Capital
Cramped, quirky, and absolutely essential to Shreveport’s food culture, Herby-K’s has been slinging their famous Shrimp Busters since 1936.
The signature dish features butterflied shrimp pounded flat, breaded, and fried to crispy perfection.
Family-owned for generations, this joint’s walls are plastered with decades of memorabilia. Grab a seat at the bar that’s barely big enough for 10 people and watch boats cruise by on Cross Lake while you feast.
3. Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar: No-Frills Seafood Bonanza
Forget fancy tablecloths and mood lighting. Harbor Seafood in Kenner serves mountain-high platters of boiled seafood on paper trays in a converted gas station that locals have been flocking to for decades.
The line often stretches out the door, but nobody complains. Their oyster bar shucks some of the freshest bivalves in the region while cooks in the back whip up softshell crab po’boys that could make a grown man cry.
4. Casamento’s Restaurant: The Oyster Cathedral
Behind an unassuming green tile facade on Magazine Street hides a century-old oyster institution.
Casamento’s closes during summer months without the letter ‘R’ – a tradition honoring the old rule about oyster season that locals respect. The oyster loaf here isn’t your typical po’boy.
Thick-cut, butter-toasted sandwich bread cradles perfectly fried oysters. Cash only and worth every dollar, this place hasn’t changed its tiles or its techniques since 1919.
5. Spahr’s Seafood: Catfish Chips and Bloody Marys
Nestled in Des Allemands, the self-proclaimed Catfish Capital of the Universe, Spahr’s has been frying up thin catfish chips since 1968.
These crispy morsels vanish from baskets almost as quickly as servers can deliver them to hungry patrons. The Bloody Marys here come garnished with pickled green beans and enough spice to clear your sinuses.
Family recipes for seafood gumbo and turtle soup keep regulars coming back through generations, despite the humble roadside appearance.
6. SHUCKS! The Abbeville Oyster House: Oyster Heaven
Abbeville locals guard their beloved SHUCKS! with fierce loyalty. This Cajun Country gem serves oysters every imaginable way – raw, chargrilled, Rockefeller, Bienville – each preparation showcasing the briny treasures pulled from Gulf waters.
The chargrilled oysters arrive sizzling in garlic butter that begs to be sopped up with French bread.
Third-generation shuckers work lightning-fast behind the bar, popping open dozens per minute while keeping up lively conversation with regulars.
7. Seither’s Seafood: The Backyard Boil Experience
Walking into Seither’s feels like crashing a family crawfish boil in someone’s backyard.
This Harahan hideaway started as a seafood market before the owner started cooking up his fresh catch for hungry customers.
Their crawfish mac and cheese defies description – a creamy, spicy, seafood-packed miracle.
Picnic tables, paper towel rolls, and plastic bibs complete the authentic experience. Regulars know to order the seafood-stuffed artichoke when available.
8. Steamboat Bill’s on the Lake: Seafood with a View
Lake Charles fishermen often head straight from their boats to Steamboat Bill’s, where the day’s catch becomes the evening’s special.
The restaurant’s picture windows frame stunning lake views that complement platters piled high with crawfish, shrimp, and crabs.
Their pistolettes – fried bread pockets stuffed with crawfish étouffée – sell out daily. Savvy locals skip the touristy casino buffets and come here instead, knowing that the seafood gumbo alone justifies the trip.
9. Big Al’s Seafood: Gumbo That Stops Conversations
Houma locals measure important life events by Big Al’s gumbo – birthdays, graduations, and even post-funeral gatherings call for this legendary dark-roux masterpiece.
The no-nonsense dining room fills with everyone from oil workers to lawyers during lunch hour. Their seafood platters require two hands to carry and feed entire families.
Don’t miss the alligator bites – tender, perfectly seasoned, and nothing like the tough, gamey versions served to tourists elsewhere.
10. Deanie’s Seafood: Bucktown’s Seafood Institution
Before Bucktown became part of Metairie, it was a fishing village where Deanie’s served fresh catches to hardworking locals.
Today, the tradition continues with seasoned boiled potatoes arriving automatically when you sit down – a quirky appetizer locals adore.
Their BBQ shrimp aren’t actually barbecued but swimming in a buttery, peppery sauce that demands bread for sopping. The Giant Seafood Platter feeds four normal humans or one very determined Louisiana native.
11. Bon Creole Lunch Counter: Po’Boy Paradise
New Iberia’s lunch crowd forms a line out the door at Bon Creole, where po’boys reach mythical status among locals.
The crawfish po’boy here isn’t the skimpy tourist version – it’s overflowing with perfectly fried tails that crunch then melt in your mouth.
The unassuming cinder block building houses Louisiana culinary magic. Their seafood gumbo comes in Styrofoam cups big enough to swim in, packed with so much seafood you’ll need a fork to finish it.
12. Crawfish Town USA: Mudbug Mecca
Henderson locals measure the seasons not by weather but by crawfish availability at this roadside institution.
During peak season, mountains of spicy, perfectly boiled crawfish emerge from the kitchen every few minutes. The crawfish étouffée recipe hasn’t changed in 35 years, and nobody’s complaining.
Visitors traveling I-10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge who spot this place are considered lucky by locals who make the pilgrimage regularly for boiled seafood feasts.
13. The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar: Lakefront Legend
Tucked along Lake Pontchartrain where locals fish from nearby piers, The Blue Crab serves seafood so fresh it practically jumps onto your plate.
The outdoor deck offers stunning sunset views that tourists rarely discover. Their signature blue crab claws sautéed in garlic butter disappear from tables in minutes.
Weekend mornings bring fishermen straight from their boats with catches that become the day’s specials before they’re even listed on the chalkboard menu.