Restaurants in Louisiana 

Discover great food and restaurants in Louisiana that offer the iconic Cajun and Creole cuisine, as well as modern dishes, soul food and classic Louisiana gumbo. Louisiana's history is also reflected in their dishes.

Top 5 restaurants in Lafayette

• SPOONBILL WATERING HOLE & RESTAURANTS - Equal parts watering hole and restaurant this local eatery has a diverse drink and food menu. Perfect for outside dining and or having a tiki drink at the bar and located in the heart of Downtown Lafayette.

• BLUE DOG CAFE - From sweet dishes like Sweet Potato Pancakes served with satsuma marmalade, whipped cream and toasted pecans to more savoury options such as a Cheddar Gruyere Biscuit topped with white sausage gravy, Blue Dog Café’s brunch will have something to satisfy every craving. 

• SAINTE MARIE – ROCK’N’BOWL - One stop Dine & Rock. Have a great Southern Louisiana dinner at The Sainte Marie then head next door to dance and bowl the night away. 

• CAFE VERMILIONVILLE - Located in Lafayette's earliest inn, Café Vermilionville serves award winning cuisine in a historic & romantic setting. Listed on the National Register. Highly recommended by AAA and Mobil Travel Guide. 

• PAMPLONA TAPAS - Hemingway, bullfighting and flamenco married with superior Spanish wines and luscious small bites fashion a sophisticated culinary oasis in Downtown Lafayette. Cocktail hour all day Wednesday and Tuesday-Friday 2-7 p.m.

Top 5 restaurants in Lake Charles, Louisiana

• SEAFOOD PLACE - Home to The BEST gumbo in Louisiana and where the locals go for the freshest local seafood seasoned to perfection.

• LUNA BAR & GRILL - A hot spot in downtown Lake Charles, Luna features a diverse menu that mixes regional flavour with eclectic tastes such as Crawfish Stuffed Avocado and Red Fish Apollo plus unique and delicious sandwiches. On Sundays, be sure to check out their Jazz Brunch from 10:00-14:00PM. 

• RIKENJAKS BREWING COMPANY - Round out a fulfilling day at Rikenjaks Brewing Company for tasting of various local and Louisiana brews as well as outdoor games such as giant Jenga, ping pong and washers while watching a gorgeous sunset. Rikenjaks also offers “Louisiana Comfort Food,” live entertainment and outdoor patio dining. 

• CRYING EAGLE BREWING - Experience the state-of-the-art Crying Eagle Brewing constructed from the ground up to produce great craft beer and be a place to enjoy it. Features a custom 30-barrel brewhouse for our large distributed brews while the “Brewer’s Playground” pilot system is for taproom-exclusive brews along with a taproom with plenty of comfortable indoor seating. Or, step outside to the beer garden to relax and enjoy Louisiana’s beautiful outdoors while playing a game of washers or bean bag toss. Hungry? Enjoy a hand-rolled artisan pizza, gourmet sandwiches and beer cheese nachos.

• DARRELL'S PO-BOYS - Unless you use at least 10 napkins, you're doing it wrong at Darrell’s Po-Boys! Darrell’s amazing po-boys range from surf and turf, to the Darrell's Special to BBQ. A gravy, BBQ sauce, jalapeno mayonnaise and butter sauce are made in-house daily and you can tell.

Top 5 restaurants in Natchitoches, Louisiana

• LASYONE'S MEAT PIE KITCHEN - Home of the Natchitoches Meat Pie, serving comfort foods and Meat Pies made fresh daily.

• MARINER'S / THE COVE - catch a sunset over Sibley Lake while dining on delicious steak and seafood

• CANE RIVER COMMISSARY - the restaurant is in an old plantation commissary (store) serving Creole and Louisiana-style dishes, located a stone's throw from the Cane River Creole National Historical Park - Oakland Unit.

• MERCI BEAUCOUP - the perfect lunch spot with soups, salads, sandwiches. Building was originally a gas station - the banquet room now was the three car bays

• MAGLIEAUX'S - the only spot downtown to have dinner on a patio overlooking Cane River Lake, has live music weekly, a mix of Italian and Creole in their dishes

Top 5 restaurants in North Shore, Louisiana

• LOLA - 517 N. New Hampshire, Covington - Talented husband-wife chef team Keith and Nealy Frentz operate this dining room in Covington’s old train depot. The pair met when both were chefs at world-famous Brennan’s in New Orleans. Homemade everything pleases LOLA’s lunch crowds with blue plate specials, great salads and desserts. Dinner is more upscale but fresh, smart and creative – and especially fun in LOLA’s darling vintage dining car.

• PALMETTOS ON THE BAYOU - 1901 Bayou Lane, Slidell - The name describes the place, a large Acadian cabin on the banks of historic Bayou Bonfouca, lush with palmettos and iconic Louisiana greenery enjoyed from the decks. Enjoy gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish beignets, trout amandine, balsamic duck and on Sundays - a live jazz brunch.

• DEL PORTO RISTORANTE - 501 E. Boston, Covington - Included in New Orleans food critic’s list of top 10 restaurants in the New Orleans area, Del Porto is a local favourite for its emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and contemporary Italian fare. Husband-wife chef team David and Torre Solazzo are three-time semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef South award. One bite of their stellar crudo, one spoon of risotto and you know why. Seasonal martinis and homemade pastas available too.

• LALOU - 200 Girod Street, Mandeville - Located one block off of Mandeville’s lakefront in a vintage bungalow.  The restaurant serves up great breakfast and brunch items including dishes made with Louisiana seafood and seasonal vegetables.

• THE LAKEHOUSE - 2025 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville - Antebellum home offering upscale dining overlooking Lake Pontchartrain & Sunday brunch. Owner Cayman Sinclair has made a name for himself as a film caterer for Hollywood South and recently catered the NFL Draft.

Top 5 restaurants in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana

• HERBY-K'S - Any list of Shreveport food icons should begin with the shrimp buster, a unique take on the fried shrimp po’ boy offered at Herby-K’s, a seafood joint that’s been run by the same local family since 1936. Jumbo shrimp are pounded flat, deep-fried and stacked on buttery French bread. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the shrimp and dunk it in the secret shrimp buster sauce to get the full experience.  

• LUCKY PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT - Shreveport-Bossier’s only James Beard Award-nominated restaurant serves an upscale take on Chinese and Malaysian cuisine in a humble setting. Menu offerings like duck and scallion pancakes, Thai green curry prawns and alligator with garlic sauce were designed to pair well with Lucky Palace’s award-winning wine list. 

• STRAWN'S EAT SHOP - Arguably the most acclaimed eatery in Shreveport, Strawn’s Eat Shop has been featured in Southern Living, USA Today, Travel + Leisure and countless other publications – all because of their outstanding ice box pies. Try the strawberry pie, the most popular flavour among locals, velvety butterscotch or seasonal peach. 

• ORLANDEAUX'S - Orlandeaux’s Café is a Creole and Southern restaurant serving up Shreveport's famous stuffed shrimp, gumbo, chicken fried steak, pork chops, po'boys, and more. Orlandeaux’s Café occupies the space that formerly housed the owner's father’s restaurant, Brother’s Seafood to Go, which opened in 1921. 

• SOUTHERN MAID DONUTS - The only product for which Elvis Presley ever sang a jingle, Southern Maid Donuts are a true taste of Shreveport. Visit the 3505 Hearne Avenue location in Shreveport at 4 p.m., when donuts are served piping hot to loyal patrons who line up for these delicious, doughy treats.

For more information on restaurants in Louisiana email Louisiana@deep-south-usa.com.