Dallas–Fort Worth, TXCajun

Phil Tullis named this Fort Worth restaurant after the Louisiana parish where he grew up, and imports Louisiana seafood, boudin balls, and Gambino's French bread rather than leaning on a chain version of Cajun. The menu covers crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, red beans and rice, po'boys in shrimp, catfish, crawfish, gator, and oyster styles, and a Friday all-you-can-eat fish fry.

Owner John Jay Myers, raised on Louisiana cooking by his LSU-grad parents, built this Deep Ellum spot around scratch-made jambalaya, etouffee, red beans and rice, po'boys, and corn macque choux, plus a bread pudding made with cranberries and caramel. Live jazz plays several nights a week with no cover, carrying on Deep Ellum's history as a jazz and blues stronghold.

This Lower Greenville spot pairs dive-bar vibes with upscale Creole plates and a full bar. The Crawfish Monica, a cream-sauce pasta loaded with crawfish tails, is the dish regulars order, alongside brown-gravy cheese fries and a blackberry Crown frozen lemonade that has become a signature pour.

This Deep Ellum Cajun spot carries big French Quarter energy, with a live-music bar attached to the dining room. The menu runs from a dark-roux gumbo to crawfish enchiladas that lean the Louisiana base toward Texas, plus bottomless mimosas at a weekend brunch that keeps the party going.

A Cajun kitchen with a frozen daiquiri bar built into the name, serving Natchitoches meat pies and crawfish pies alongside themed frozen drinks. It leans on the daiquiri machines as much as the stove, making it as much a destination for a frozen drink as a plate of Cajun food.