When Is Crawfish Season in New Orleans?

New Orleans is a food lover’s paradise. There are so many delicious dishes that are unique to our area that locals and visitors alike take delight in. I have been lucky enough to grow up eating many of these dishes, now making them in my own kitchen as an adult. Crawfish are one of those things that I believe you either embrace or reject, as they are strange “delicacies” in this region of the country, and particularly in New Orleans.

While you can find crawfish at most seafood restaurants around the city during crawfish season, there is nothing like a backyard boil. We make many dishes out of crawfish, from pies to Étouffée to the boiled kind, and they are all worth a try. If you’ve never eaten crawfish from Louisiana, you’re in for a treat. We are happy humans when it’s crawfish season here in New Orleans, so let’s get into this most amazing season here.

Boiled Crawfish Ready to Be Eaten

During the time that crawfish are in season, there is plenty to do in the city of New Orleans. From festivals to streetcar rides to eating at your favorite restaurants, you will not be at a loss for fun things to do here. As a local, I get to enjoy these things most of the year. And trust me, I certainly do. Another perk of being a local is that we can find crawfish in our grocery stores in the frozen section. So we really can have them all year round. It’s not quite the same as a fresh crawdad, so let’s focus on the 50% of the year that they are actually going from live crawfish to cooked crawfish. If you’re looking for what to do in New Orleans for first time visitors and it involves eating crawfish, I have got you covered.

December - Caroling in the Square

You’ll be quite early for eating crawfish, and you may or may not get them fresh, but you can pair it with some delightful caroling in Jackson Square during Christmas. I’ve done this myself, and thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you pop into Muriel’s before or after, you will be able to enjoy a wonderful meal and some holiday cheer.

January - King’s Day/Carnival Season Kickoff

One of my very favorite days of the whole year is January 6th, as it is the start of carnival season here in New Orleans. You can pick up your favorite king cake and enjoy the sweet treat after the salty crawfish. Or, hear me out, you can get a crawfish king cake. Yes, it does exist, and you could just simply combine the two. Winner!

February - Be Our Valentine

Come and spend your Valentine’s Day with us here in New Orleans. You’ll likely be getting a dose of Mardi Gras as well, depending on when the season falls each year. Crawfish season will definitely be getting warmed up by this point. And you’ll be able to dive into multiple fresh dishes around town. Flying solo? It’s ok. Your valentine is your crawfish pie. It will never break your heart.

March - St. Patrick’s Day

We love a good celebration here in New Orleans, and St. Patty’s Day is no exception. All over the city there are parades and festivities revolving around this Irish merriment. And you bet your bottom that there are crawfish boils galore happening at many bars and restaurants for you to enjoy our delicacies. NOLA crawfish season is in full swing by March, so come and enjoy the best of the best with us.

April - French Quarter Fest

You might come at me for not putting Jazz Fest, but no. My preference as a local is FQF all the way. I used to enjoy Jazz Fest when it was $25 and mostly locals. So today’s version of it doesn’t appeal to me whatsoever. However, FQF does, and I go there every year on that Friday to enjoy live music and everything crawfish related to eat. This year I got a crawfish roll, similar to a lobster roll, and I was in heaven. You can eat plenty of food at a low commitment there, and it’s a free festival. No entry fee!

May - Memorial Day

So many people love to travel for Memorial Day, and why not come to New Orleans? It’s just beginning to get oppressively hot, but there is still a shot at a little breeze in the evening. One of my favorite things to do that weekend is Greek Fest, where you will find exactly zero crawfish dishes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break for one meal and have something different.

June - Pride!

June is a great month. It’s my birthday month, it’s pride month, and it’s the tail end of crawfish season. Come and get your rainbow on, your dance on, and eat yourself silly for the last time until next year, stuffing yourself with crawfish. Hop from one spot to the next and try different dishes. New Orleans is the perfect place to be yourself, to eat as much as you want, and to enjoy life. June is the perfect month for this. It’s hot, but we’re all in this heat together.

Eating My Crawfish Roll at French Quarter Fest

Restaurants

The most logical place to get your crawfish is a restaurant around the city. When crawfish are in season, many of the more casual restaurants will serve boiled crawfish because locals go crazy for the stuff. We wait for this season half the year! A few of the places I would recommend are: Felix’s, the Blue Crab, Clesi’s, Frankie & Johnny’s, and the Galley. Not all of these are located in New Orleans proper, but you would be good to go to any for some boiled crawfish or crawfish dishes.

Bars

We love a good beer and crawfish afternoon, and some of the bars around town are the perfect spot to belly up and have both. Cooter Brown’s is a favorite, and you can get some raw oysters while you’re at it. Bayou Beer Garden/Bayou Wine Garden are connected, and they do boiled crawfish many days of the week. They also have a fantastic happy hour that you can hit. These are two tried and true, although you could likely find them at plenty of other bars as well.

Seafood Market

My very favorite option for crawfish (boiled) is to go to one of the local seafood markets outside of New Orleans proper and pick them up to take them home. I love popping open a strawberry Abita beer and eating my 3 lbs of crawfish from Captain Sid’s or Schaefer Seafood in Bucktown. Another good option is Michael’s on Jefferson Highway. Again, you have to travel for these, but I can confirm it is worth the effort.

Crawfish and Abita Strawberry FTW!

Coming to New Orleans during crawfish season is a huge bonus to your trip. Maybe you came for other reasons, and crawfish dishes will be your lagniappe. We are wildly enthusiastic as locals about our local dishes, crawfish being one of our top ones. If you find yourself here sometime between December and June, make sure you try out a fresh dish. Most of the restaurants will have some iteration with crawfish, and you can officially become an honorary New Orleanian after you eat it. Book your stay in your favorite and best area to stay in New Orleans, and laissez les bon temps rouler, mes amis!

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