Houston's beloved crawfish season is upon us, folks, but don't start planning your boil just yet. The crawdads are taking their sweet time to arrive this year, with many local restaurants like Josephine's and Crawfish Shack pushing back their crawfish service due to low supply and high prices, according to Eater Houston.
Despite the delays, the yearly mudbug craving is as persistent as ever. Marty Wadsworth, owner of Willie's Grill and Icehouse boasting 20 outposts in Texas, told Eater Houston, "Crawfish season is our Super Bowl." Last year, Willie's sold nearly 100,000 pounds of crawfish in the first half of the year alone. But for the many Houstonians ready to chow down, a cold snap could mean smaller crawfish and higher prices — a tough pill to swallow for the early birds of the season.
While we wait for the crawfish to show up in droves, there's no shortage of spots lined up for the feast. 365 Houston has rounded up over 60 places where you can satisfy your crustacean cravings, offering everything from classic Cajun boils to Houston's own Viet-Cajun styles dripping in garlic butter. These hot spots are scattered across the city, ensuring you get to pinch, peel, and eat no matter where you find yourself in The Loop or beyond.
Whether you're a crawfish connoisseur or just in it for the spicy, buttery goodness, patience will be key this season. The Crawfish Shack, in a message to their customers, explained, "Our goal is always to provide our customers with an excellent quality product at a fair price." And Lucas McKinney, head chef of Josephine's, underscored the struggle, stating to Eater Houston, "There's nothing we can really do to ensure that crawfish are going to be available or affordable enough for restaurants to offer it." But worry not, as all signs point to a season filled with plenty of places to indulge in these delectable mudbugs, even if we have to wait just a bit longer for the feast to begin in earnest.
