Best Crawfish Restaurants in Houston

Houston is home to a wide variety of Cajun seafood restaurants. As we move closer to January, we move closer to crawfish season. Why not take this extra time to pick out some Cajun restaurants to visit this winter? Check out these top 7 destinations for delicious crawfish in Houston. 

Are you searching for the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones? Surprise them with a virtual GiftYa card! GiftYa cards can be applied to a number of different restaurants around the city, including the ones we featured below. The next time your loved one wants to dine out, they can treat themselves with their new GiftYa card. 

1. Crawfish & Noodles

Popular Vietnamese and Cajun restaurant known for its spicy crawfish dishes

11360 Bellaire Blvd. Suite 990 | Alief | crawfishandnoodles.com

If you’re looking for a laidback spot in Houston where you can enjoy some delicious crawfish, you will love Crawfish & Noodles. This popular Vietnamese and Cajun restaurant is locally-owned by a friendly family who enjoys bringing fresh seafood platters to their hungry guests. 

In addition to its famous Vietcajun Crawfish, Crawfish & Noodles also serves up fried catfish, chicken wings, egg rolls, and more. On the Cajun menu, you’ll also find Stir Fry Noodles, Pho Tai Bo Vien, and Hu Tieu Bo Vien. As for drinks, Crawfish & Noodles offers beer, wine, and sake. 

“I watched Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern when he came to Houston and he made everything here look so good, so my husband and I gave it a try back in 2014. The viet cajun crawfish and salt & pepper blue crab was literally ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE'VE EVER EATEN. We had it once or twice every year then onward.” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for Crawfish & Noodles. 

2. Crawfish Cafe

Casual Cajun restaurant perfect for a quick lunch with friends

11209 Bellaire Blvd, Suite C-36 | Alief | crawfishcafe.com

Since 2013, the Crawfish Cafe has enjoyed a stellar reputation for its fresh crawfish and seafood platters. Numerous publications including the Houston Chronicle, Eater Houston, Houston Press, and Houstonia have listed Crawfish Cafe as one of the best seafood restaurants in the city. 

Not sure where to start? We recommend sharing some Oyster Nachos or Crawfish Eggrolls with friends. For your main dish, you might like the Fried Soft Shell Crab Basket or King Crab Legs. Bottled beer, draft beer, and margaritas are all offered on the menu too. 

“$6.99 for nice-sized crawdads. Now you're probably thinking, they're cheaper because of low quality' however, that was not the case at all. Crawfish cafe's crawfish were the best of the Viet Cajun crawfish world. Quality taste packed with great prices! Their crawdads were large, piping hot, juicy, and bursting with flavor.” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for Crawfish Cafe. 

3. 88 Boiling Crawfish & Seafood Restaurant

Popular crawfish restaurant offering an outdoor patio for warm and sunny days

1910 Wilcrest Dr. | Westchase | facebook.com/88BoilingCrawfish 

88 Boiling Crawfish is another popular spot in Houston for fresh crawfish. New buckets of crawfish arrive fresh daily for the kitchen to cook and guests to enjoy. If it’s nice outside, you can enjoy some delicious seafood with your friends on the patio. However, to-go options are also available if you would prefer to stay at home. Aside from the crawfish, 88 Boiling also offers Snow Crab Legs, Shrimp Fried Rice, Boudin, and more. 

“The crab legs and crawfish are so good! I literally drove all the way from Austin yesterday just to get some more. I had tried this place right before the quarantine stuff happened. They give you big crab legs and enough garlic to truly season the crawfish. And the crawfish fried rice is my absolute fave.” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for 88 Boiling Crawfish & Seafood Restaurant. 

4. Calliope’s Seafood & Poboys

Popular seafood restaurant dedicated to sharing its love of Cajun and New Orleans culture with guests

7590 W Bellfort Ave. | Fondren Southwest | calliopespoboys.com

Calliope’s Seafood & Poboys successfully brings Cajun and New Orleans cuisine to the city of Houston. At this popular restaurant, you can find a variety of classic New Orleans dishes including seafood poboys, gumbos, garlic-butter shrimp, and, of course, spicy crawdads. 

Classic cocktails such as Long Island Iced Tea and Pina Coladas are also served. Planning on eating at home? You’ll want to order one of their frozen daiquiris to-go. Calliope’s also offers sweet dessert options including the Lemon Pound Cake, Red Velvet Layered Cheesecake, and Key Lime Pie. 

“My son and I each got the eleven inch roast beef Poboys with gravy, amazing, and huge, we'll get one and share it next time. One of us loved the fried shrimp plate, another enjoyed the fried shrimp Poboy, my wife shared one of the best bowls of crawfish and shrimp etouffee we've ever tasted, butter based.....definitely get this item.” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for Calliope’s Seafood & Poboys. 

5. BB’s Tex-Orleans Cajun Cafe

Popular Texas Cajun restaurant known for its fresh crawfish

2701 White Oak Dr. | The Heights | bbstexorleans.com 

BB’s Tex-Orleans Cajun Cafe is another popular restaurant that successfully blends Houston culture with New Orleans cuisine. Boiled crawfish, fresh oysters, homemade gumbo, and more await you at this lively restaurant. 

BB’s serves their crawfish two ways — the Tex-Orleans Way and the Louisiana Way. Guests can order by the pound. Of course, you can’t dine on delicious crawfish without some savory seasoning. So make sure you order a cup of crawfish seasoning or dipping sauce to go along with your meal. 

“We started with the crawfish étouffee which were both delicious. It was served with a toasted cheese bread which was great to dip in your étouffée! For the second course I had the hot and spicy shrimp followed by the Rockdale Redfish. The shrimp had the prefect amount of flavor and were not too spicy!” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for BB’s Tex-Orleans Cajun Cafe. 

6. Ragin’ Cajun

Louisiana-style chain restaurant known for serving some of the freshest crawfish in the south

4302 Richmond Ave. | Highland Village | ragin-cajun.com

Located in Highland Village, Ragin Cajun is a top destination for fresh crawfish and cajun cuisine. Ordering for the family? Ragin Cajun offers a wide selection of family meals to-go. For instance, the Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya can be prepared for a group of four to six people. You can also order a package of Shrimp Po-Boys and a large bowl of Gumbo for the whole family. Classic entrees such as the Fried Southern Catfish & Gulf Coast Shrimp Combo and the Blackened Chicken Breast can also be tailored to small groups. Whatever you order, you are sure to order a dish that the whole group enjoys. 

“I never eat Cajun food because I don't like spicy food but this place was amazing! Helpful staff, delicious food and proper social distancing measures! The hush puppies and grilled sausage poboy was to die for! My coworker got the special of a half poboy and a cup of gumbo and loved them both!” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for Ragin’ Cajun. 

7. Little Woodrow’s 

Local watering hole in Houston that serves some of the best seafood in the city

2306 Brazos St. | Midtown, Fourth Ward | littlewoodrows.com/watering-holes/houston/midtown 

If you’re looking for a quaint and laidback spot to enjoy some fresh crawfish, you’ll love Little Woodrow’s. This low-key restaurant offers a spacious patio perfect for dining outside on a perfect day. While Little Woodrow’s doesn’t serve up the crawfish themselves, it does provide a food truck inside the restaurant. If you want to grab a cold beer or cocktail, you can order from one of the bartenders. Little Woodrow’s is also open until 2AM everyday, making it the perfect spot for a late-night drink. 

“So glad that Little Woodrow's has opened back up!! A great place to watch Saturday football and a must for longhorn fans. Love that they play the Texas fight song and eyes of Texas over the intercom! Got the new iced Irish coffee and loved it! The perfect pick-me-up after a day of beer drinking!” - Yelp Review

Purchase a GiftYa card for Little Woodrow’s. 

These restaurants are the perfect destination for some delicious crawfish. Which ones are you planning to visit next? Let us know in the comments!