Pictured above is The Howard from Mike Anderson’s. Photo by Amy Shutt.
As Mardi Gras becomes a blur, another season makes its way to Southern Louisiana—the Lenten season. A Catholic time of penance and prayer before Easter, Lent begins Feb. 18, and ends Thursday, April 2. While some will be giving up foods or habits during the season, a Lent tradition is not eating meat on Fridays.
Thankfully, the Capital Region has its fair share of seafood restaurants that are brimming with great selections. Below is a list of just a few Baton Rouge seafood spots you can’t miss. Also check out this week’s crawfish outlook, which will be updated in the future as the crawfish season progresses.
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Parrain’s. A Mid City staple near the Perkins Road overpass that’s known for its specialities, such as The Pontchartrain (paneed fresh fish filet topped with crabmeat and caper hollandaise served with garlic mashed potatoes) and The Delacroix (grilled fish topped with shrimp in a Creole mustard cream sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes). 3225 Perkins Road. 381-9922.
Juban’s. The first two words that come to mind when you mention this restaurant are “Hallelujah” and “crab.” Perhaps the Perkins Road fixture’s most popular dish, the Hallelujah Crab is a flash-fried soft-shell crab stuffed with crawfish tails, shrimp and crabmeat. And that’s just one of the restaurant’s great seafood selections. 3739 Perkins Road. 346-8422.
Louisiana Lagniappe. Last year’s unanimous winner of the Best Overall Restaurant, Best Cajun & Creole and Best Seafood categories in last year’s Best of 225, Louisiana Lagniappe has traditional favorites like barbecue shrimp and specials like the Cocodrie (sauteed fish set in a garlic beurre blanc, topped with fried soft-shell crawfish, fried artichoke hearts and a bearnaise sauce). 9990 Perkins Road. 767-9991.
Sammy’s Grill. A Capital City favorite for getting boiled crawfish and hanging out, Sammy’s Grill has been around since 1988 and has expanded into the Zachary, Central and Prairieville markets. A best-seller is the Acadian Catfish (fried catfish topped with crawfish étouffée over rice). 8635 Highland Road. 766-9600.
Roberto’s on the River. A casual dining gem out on River Road, Roberto’s features everything from barbecue shrimp and grits to Fish en Papillote (the fresh catch of the day wrapped in parchment paper and baked with fresh herbs and lemon in the traditional French style, topped with jumbo lump crab meat). 1985 LA-75, Sunshine, Louisiana, 70780. 642-5999.
Drusilla Seafood Restaurant. Open since 1982, this restaurant is a perennial favorite, known for its boiled and fried shrimp platters as well as specials like the Fish Louisiana (fresh broiled fish stuffed with seafood eggplant casserole) and seafood gumbo. 3482 Drusilla Lane, Suite D. 923-0896.
Mike Anderson’s Seafood. A local favorite that has been going strong for more than 30 years, Mike Anderson’s is known for its broiled and fried platters as well as specials like The Guitreau (grilled fish topped with crawfish, shrimp, mushrooms and onions sauteed in white wine, butter and spices). 1031 W. Lee Drive. 766-7823.
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The Chimes. While The Chimes is known for its college atmosphere, there’s no questioning the restaurant’s selection of seafood dishes such as the excellent crab cake appetizer, shrimp and oyster po-boys and crawfish étouffée. 3357 Highland Road. 383-1754. 10870 Coursey Blvd. 296-4981.
Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. For those looking for a little something new and different, downtown’s latest restaurant is all about oysters, and not just Gulf Coast oysters, but also West and East Coast oysters. They come chargrilled, baked, raw or topped with rum mango salsa, brie and bacon or Rockefeller-style. 315 North Blvd. 615-7172.
Jasmine’s on the Bayou. Take a little drive down Jones Creek Road for this Cajun seafood restaurant, known for its fresh fish selection and crawfish-stuffed beignets. 6010 Jones Creek Road #A. 753-3668.