Cajun stew of crawfish tails smothered (étouffée) in a blonde roux, the holy trinity of onion-celery-pepper, garlic, butter and seafood stock, served over white rice. The everyday Cajun rice plate of Louisiana.
Étouffée is the canonical Cajun rice plate, traced to the Acadiana parishes west of New Orleans through the early 20th century. The dish became a New Orleans restaurant staple via Cajun migration to the city in the 1950s. Mandina's, Lil' Dizzy's Cafe and Atchafalaya all run defensible versions; crawfish season runs January through July.
4 editor picks for Crawfish Étouffée in New Orleans, ranked by editorial score. All New Orleans signature dishes · Crawfish Étouffée across every city.
Lil' Dizzy's Cafe ★ 4.6
1500 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
Lil' Dizzy's Cafe in New Orleans is the Baquet family's Treme Creole soul-food corner at Esplanade and N Robertson, with fried chicken and a lunch buffet.
Cochon ★ 4.5
warehouse-district · 930 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cochon in New Orleans is Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski's James Beard winning Cajun room on Tchoupitoulas, an ode to whole-hog cookery in a converted.
Mandina's Restaurant ★ 4.3
mid-city · 3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Mandina's in New Orleans is the 1932 Mid-City Italian-Creole corner room on Canal Street, founded by Sicilian immigrant Sebastian Mandina and still serving.
Atchafalaya ★ 4.0
garden-district · 901 Louisiana Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
Atchafalaya in New Orleans is the Louisiana Avenue Creole room on the edge of the Garden District, known for a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and the duck.