Lake Charles Restaurants

The cultural capital of Southwest Louisiana, Lake Charles is immersed in the Cajun culinary tradition and offers a seafood-centric restaurant scene. Shrimp caught fresh from the nearby Gulf is on many menus, and you can enjoy it sautéed, fried, baked, boiled or broiled. However, the most uniquely Louisianan shrimp dish is the shrimp pistolette, which can also be made with crawfish. It is a seafood-stuffed rolled drizzled in a savory sauce and then baked or deep-fried. Boudin, another local calling card, is a kind of Cajun sausage that some Lake Charles eateries make fresh and serve as finger food. Also commonly served is "bayou-style rum" made from local sugar cane. Finally, if you want to go all-out on local cuisine, try the gumbo, frog legs or gator meat.