🦞 Best Crawfish Boils

Jim and Joni Lederer opened this west-side Highland Park spot in 2004, and they still run it together, Jim in the kitchen and Joni on the floor. Jim grew up in town and brings a fine-dining background to a casual room. The menu pairs Cajun and Creole classics like crawfish étouffée and New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp with hickory-smoked ribs, brisket and pulled pork from a Texas-style pit. The Tuesday smoked chicken and ribs special regularly sells out. The wine and craft beer lists are all American. A warm wood-and-gold dining room, a friendly bar and a big front patio fill quickly.

Named Best Fried Chicken in Kentucky by Southern Living, this Southern Bourbon Bistro features over 550 bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys with farm-fresh ingredients and classic southern cooking inspired by Charleston and New Orleans with Kentucky infusion. Five dining rooms including main floor and four upstairs spaces, plus a hidden speakeasy-style "Gangster" party room behind a secret door paying homage to Newport's "Sin City" history, delivering unparalleled southern culture, hospitality, and flavors of the Bluegrass State and Deep South.

"Distinctively Southern, Soulfully Unique" restaurant and sports bar led by Executive Chef Daren Harris, known for signature Alabama White Sauce, étouffée catfish, dry rubbed BBQ shrimp over jalapeño cheddar grits, burgers, overstuffed potatoes, and Nashville wings. Popular local gathering spot featuring live music on Thursday and Saturday nights with artists from Nashville and The Voice, where "everybody knows your name" in a welcoming Cheers-style atmosphere. Live music every Saturday 6:30-9:30.

Upscale pub fare with a Cajun flair served in a charming century-old building featuring a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful outdoor patio under an oak tree. Menu ranges from fresh salads and gourmet burgers to outstanding specialty entrees, with a welcoming staff that makes new guests feel at home and regulars feel like family.

A build-your-own seafood boil house in the Buttermilk Crossing plaza, where the bibs come out and the forks mostly stay put. Pick your catch, from snow crab and crawfish to Dungeness, king crab, lobster tail and green mussels, then choose Cajun, garlic butter, lemon pepper or all three mixed, at heat levels from none to XXX. Fried baskets, raw oysters and a surf-and-turf menu pairing steak with crab or lobster round it out. Draft Rhinegeist on tap, a tropical cocktail list, a vegetarian boil and kids' meals mean the whole table is covered. Sister to Cincy Crab in Springdale.

A Creole-Sicilian fusion restaurant housed in the legendary Willow Lake Tavern building in Anchorage. Owner Alan Salmon drew on 25 years of running the original Selena's in Tampa—named after Selena Giacona, the matriarch whose recipes inspired the kitchen—and brought the concept to Louisville. Fresh seafood is flown in daily from the East Coast, anchoring a menu of po'boys, gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, stuffed shrimp, and Sicilian pastas. The outdoor courtyard with a koi pond and the signature beignets at Saturday and Sunday brunch are local favorites.

A taste of New Orleans in NuLu's heart, with the best shrimp and grits in town alongside creative Cajun-Creole dishes, Mediterranean touches, and an indulgent bananas Foster. Two floors of indoor dining, a gorgeous shaded patio, covered balcony, and Stave—a speakeasy in the basement with live music Thursday through Sunday. Perfect for everything from brunch to late-night cocktails. Five unique private event spaces available.

Named one of the New York Times' 50 Best Restaurants in America for 2024—the only Kentucky restaurant on the list. Chef Lawrence Weeks, a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist raised in a Creole and Cajun household, brings New Orleans soul to Louisville's Germantown neighborhood. The gumbo is dark and enticing, thick with smoked brisket and wilted greens. Fried catfish comes under a drift of Haitian pikliz. Over 300 bourbons and 26 signature cocktails complement the menu.

The Mason outpost of Cincinnati's Louis' Cajun Seafood brand, operating under a separate website but using the same logo, menu format, and boil-in-a-bag concept. Customizable seafood boils with corn and potato, fried baskets, po'boys, and family catch combos. Open six days a week with slightly shorter evening hours than the Cincinnati locations. Online ordering available for pickup. Situated on Kings Mills Road near Kings Island, it extends the brand's reach into Warren County and gives the Mason–Lebanon–Deerfield corridor a dedicated Cajun boil option.

The Colerain Avenue outpost of Cincinnati's locally grown Cajun seafood brand, serving the same customizable boil-in-a-bag menu — snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, lobster tail, and king crab with your pick of sauce and spice level. Fried baskets with Texas toast, Louisiana po'boys, and family-size combos are available alongside the boils. Boil bags come with corn and potato by the pound. One of the original two locations listed on the brand's main website, drawing regulars from the Colerain corridor and surrounding neighborhoods.

A no-frills Cajun seafood counter on Cincinnati's west side serving customizable boil bags with your choice of protein, sauce (Cajun, garlic butter, lemon pepper, or the house Louis Special), and spice level from mild to hot. Each pound comes with corn and potato. Fried baskets, Louisiana po'boys with homemade sauce, and family catch combos round out a menu built for takeout and delivery. Regulars consistently praise the generous portions and the Louis Special sauce. High-quality ingredients, no MSG by request, and the kind of spot people drive across town for.

Customizable bag-style seafood boils with your choice of protein, flavor, and spice level — Cajun, garlic butter, lemon pepper, or all three mixed. Choose from snow crab legs, headless shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, dungeness, lobster tail, and king crab, each boiled to order with corn and potato. Fried baskets and po'boys round out a menu built for getting your hands dirty. One of the most recognized boil spots on Cincinnati's north side, with a loyal following built on generous portions and consistent seasoning. Weekday lunch specials available.

Opened summer 2023 by chef-owner Myron Rankins II, this single-location concept blends Louisiana soul and Maryland-style seafood in a sports bar setting. The menu spans boil bags, snow crab legs, gumbo, po'boys, crab cakes, and a rotating specialty dish that changes every few weeks. Rankins works the kitchen himself and has built a reputation for hands-on quality control. Kids eat free with an adult entrée, Wing Wednesdays draw midweek regulars, and Friday–Saturday service runs past midnight with a full bar and game-day energy.

Opened April 2025 in the former Flyby BBQ space near the Mall at Fairfield Commons, this Vietnamese-fusion concept pairs customizable Cajun seafood boils with a full pho and noodle menu. Build your own boil bag with snow crab, crawfish, shrimp, mussels, clams, or lobster tail, then choose your sauce and spice level. The Vietnamese side delivers pho, vermicelli bowls, BBQ short ribs, and spring rolls. Weekday lunch specials run 11am–3pm. One of the few restaurants in the Dayton area combining two distinct culinary traditions under one roof.

Cajun seafood restaurant delivering hands-on boil-in-bag dining experience with bold, spicy coastal flavors. Signature menu features "The Mr. Catch" with choice of snow crab or lobster tail plus two pounds of customizable seafood, all seasoned with options including garlic butter, lemon pepper, Cajun, or Old Bay. Build-your-own combos allow diners to mix crab legs, crawfish, whole shrimp, clams, and mussels with corn and potatoes. Menu also includes fried baskets, po'boy sandwiches, hush puppies, clam chowder, and popular Mr. Crab Special Wings. Full bar with cocktails and happy hour specials. Lively, casual atmosphere welcomes families and groups with capacity for private events up to 300 guests. Multiple TVs throughout make it perfect for sports fans.

Soul food restaurant serving authentic Southern homestyle cooking with recipes passed down from owner Jade King's grandmother. Originally from Detroit, Jade started the business in 2018 setting up tents to cook outside for the Middletown community before opening full sit-down restaurants. Menu stars include famous fried chicken, seafood weekends featuring crab legs and lobster boils, fall-off-the-bone ribs, smothered pork chops, savory collard greens, cheesy mac and cheese, candied yams, and homemade desserts like banana pudding and chocolate cake. Known for warm hospitality where Jade greets customers like family, creating a welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels at home. Food is "Flavored with God's Favor and Highly Seasoned with Love."

A lively Cajun and Creole kitchen blending bold Southern flavors with casual American fare in Cincinnati’s East End. The menu stretches from jambalaya, gumbo, and crawfish etouffée to blackened seafood and smoked barbecue classics, and a celebrated Hot Sauce Wall with over 30 heat levels keeps spice lovers coming back. With a full bar, outdoor seating, and a welcoming atmosphere that pairs well with its rich, savory dishes, it’s a fun and flavorful destination for a group dinner or casual night out.

New Orleans-inspired Creole gastropub from owner Joby Bowman and Chef Michael Shields, established 2012. Relocated 2018 to expand kitchen and focus on authentic Creole cuisine. Scratch-made menu features 12-hour dark roux Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Pasta Monica, Alligator and Waffle, Fried Green Tomatoes, Jambalaya, and Bananas Foster Bread Pudding. Twenty-three craft beers on tap, craft cocktails. Live music featuring blues and boogie-woogie piano. Sunday brunch with performances. Outdoor garden room, private event space for up to 100. BrewRiver Stein Club membership available.

A NKY staple for about 75 years, this authentic Cajun/Creole restaurant brings Louisiana cuisine and Southern hospitality to Northern Kentucky with specialties like gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, Cajun shrimp boil, blackened Chilean sea bass, fried alligator bites, frog legs, and crab cakes. Charming New Orleans-themed atmosphere with crooked floors and outdoor metal furniture creating a unique bayou dining experience high above the Licking River, featuring generous portions and signature cocktails like the Voodoo and Hurricane.