It Was Back in 2011…

and we were driving back to Lafayette from Baton Rouge and in serious need of lunch. So we get off the Interstate at Henderson and head a half-mile (or so) north to Crawfish Town U.S.A. So unimpressed were we that we only gave the restaurant 2.0 Addies. So why are we back? The answer is threefold.

First is proximity. We are staying at a different RV park on this visit and Crawfish Town is a short two-minute drive from the park. If one had the ability to leap tall fences in a single bound it would be an even shorter walk. Second, their crawfish boil came highly recommended by Mr. Harry. Who is Mr. Harry? That is a story for another day. Third, as I was channel surfing one afternoon this week I came upon Seafood Paradise on the Travel Channel and there was a large man working his way through a large platter of crawfish at Crawfish Town U.S.A. Figuring that they couldn’t possibly do a worse boil than the place near Lake Charles, it was worth taking a chance. And I hope that there will be something on the menu that’s not too bad for Chuck to eat.

“This place is set up inside an authentic barn dating to the early 1900′s. They are known for boiled crawfish, steaks and classic Cajun Food. Crawfish Town is home to some of Louisiana’s most well-respected chefs…

“This place is HUGE, so do not worry about waiting too long, even if the parking lot is full. There is a small souvenir shop in the front part of the restaurant where you can pick up local Cajun seasonings, hot sauce , post cards, etc.

A Boat House Bird House

"They also have a seafood deli and small grocery store right next door run by the same people. They are a tad expensive, but the food quality and portion sizes make it worth the money no doubt” (bayoubrothersfood.com).

We arrived for an early dinner and already the parking lot was full of cars and trucks. And knowing of their reputation as a tourist trap, I paid special attention to license plates. Other than our truck with Pennsylvania plates and one car with Florida plates, the rest appeared to be Louisiana. This makes me feel better.

I didn’t need to look at the menu. I wanted crawfish and crawfish I would have. And here is where this restaurant scored major points with me. Most restaurants sell crawfish in either three-pound or five-pound orders and the smaller is always a bit more than I can eat. At Crawfish Town the orders are two or four pounds. Two pounds is perfect. And you can specify the degree of spiciness. Normal will be fine with me.

Soon our server placed a small Styrofoam cup and plastic spoon on the table. Why? Using my powers of observation, I soon had the answer. Diners were making their own remoulade-like sauce from the mayo, catsup, various hot sauces, and Creole seasonings on the table. But if they are good crawfish, I like mine straight up.

Soon my platter of crawfish was set before me. It was a beautiful sight with mostly large tails with a few smaller ones mixed in.

The degree of spice was perfect but still hot enough for my lips to tingle and my nose to run. And they had been totally purged of mud. But best of all, the tail meat just slipped out of the shell.

After some degree of indecision, Chuck finally ordered the soft shell crab plate that came with fries and jambalaya. And before I go further, let me quote myself from our blog of March 31, 2012. “We would make a point of traveling to the Chesapeake Bay at least once in late spring through late summer. We would catch the mail boat…that literally carried mail, plants, groceries, and other necessities of life from Crisfield, MD, to Smith Island, one of the two remaining inhabited islands in the Bay.

“Our destination was a small restaurant near the boat dock. Our purpose? To eat soft shell crabs… We would disembark and immediately go to eat. We would each order the soft shell crab sandwich. When finished, we would order a third to share. And, on more than one occasion, we would follow this with a fourth.”

So why repeat this again? Only to reinforce that this isn’t our first walk around the block when it comes to soft shells and that we have extremely high standards.

The two crabs that appeared on Chuck’s plate may well have been the best we have eaten and were certainly the largest.

So often when eating deep fat fried soft shells, you get mostly batter encasing a smidgen of crab meat. The meat in the body cavities of his was at least one-third of an inch thick and was sweet and juicy. So juicy that one bite sent Chuck to the napkins to wipe the juice from his face. As I was in crawfish paradise, he was likewise in soft shell crab paradise.

We finished the meal by sharing a slice of creamy and lemony cheesecake with blueberry topping.

Again, the kitchen hit one out of the park. Especially with the topping that was nice and tart and hadn’t been thickened with an excess of corn starch.

Granted, the jambalaya that came with Chuck’s platter was average at best and my corn was on the starchy side. But the main attractions—the crawfish and crabs—were perfect and I have revised my opinion of Crawfish Town U.S.A. and am awarding it 5.0 Addies.

To review the role of Adler and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.