The Louisiana Seafood Restaurant That Cooks Your Fresh Catch On The Spot

Seafood is best when it's fresh — especially if it's so fresh that you just caught it on your recent fishing excursion. But what if you're on vacation and don't want to cook? Or you just don't feel like dirtying up the kitchen after a long fishing trip? Well, for those who find themselves in Louisiana, Crawgator's Bar & Grill is a seafood restaurant that will cook your fresh catch for you so you can simply relax until it's time to dig in.

Crawgator's Bar & Grill is located in the Venice Marina in Venice, Louisiana, so if you like the sound of having a chef cook your fresh-caught fish, then try to fish near here. On the eatery's menu, it's called "You Hook 'Em, We Cook 'Em," and it costs just $9.50 per person. The restaurant will cook your fresh-caught fish or other seafood how you like, and you can order and pay for sides separately. Some of those sides include what you might expect from a seafood restaurant, like fries, potato salad, mixed vegetables, hush puppies, and coleslaw.

A February 2024 Yelp review says Crawgator's Bar & Grill blackened their freshly-caught red fish and that it was "fantastic." Over on TripAdvisor, a July 2016 review says they had their tuna cooked at the restaurant based on a captain's recommendation, and it turned out "delicious." To be fair, some of the other reviews on the rest of the menu are mixed, but when you consider that seafood is one of the costliest factors of eating out, it's worth a try, so your fresh-caught seafood doesn't go to waste. While you wait for your fish to be cooked, you can catch views of boats pulling into the docks with their catch to complete the experience.

If you don't have the chance to catch your own fish, there are plenty of other options to order off the menu. Lean into the Cajun vibe of Louisiana and start your meal with its Cajun Eggrolls or a bowl of seafood gumbo. You can also get chicken, shrimp, and various fish varieties grilled or blackened with sides. Out of the entrees, we think the Crawgator Platter, which has a seafood baked potato with shrimp, crab, and oysters, sounds top-notch. For those who don't live in or visit Louisiana, here are the best seafood restaurants in the country to try instead.