Las Vegas is full of wonders, and the food here is plenty of ‘wows’. Seafood has a central place in the city’s culture. Restaurants specializing in different sea cuisines from shrimp to tuna serve the best quality for this high-life city.
Cajun originated from Louisiana, and it’s the main entree in many restaurants. It borrows heavily from the southern and French recipes giving it the renowned mark of prestige. It follows a mix of starch, veggies, soup, and fish.
Here is an example of a popular Cajun dish: Jambalaya made of mixed rice, vegetables, meat, and seafood. The meal is served with boiled crawfish and gumbo (rich and thick soup).
Top 8 Restaurants Serving Cajun Food in Vegas
Cajun recipes in Las Vegas are commonplace in restaurants serving specialty food. You can also order the Louisiana treat from high-end restaurants on or off the Strip. Some of the best spots for cajun eats include:
1. Urban Crawfish Station
- Address: 4821 Spring Mountain Rd Ste c, Las Vegas, NV 89102, United States
- Opening Hours: Daily: 12 noon – 11 pm
- Rating: 4.3 stars
- Pricing: $$
Urban Crawfish Station menu prides itself on preparing original Cajun recipes. The seafood is freshly prepared to savor the taste and served with delicious veggies and soups from fresh ingredients also. Here, Cajun doesn’t mean boiled fish and veggies; it means delicious Louisiana plates enough for everyone. The restaurant runs a loyalty program, the Fivestars Loyalty Program, for its customers.
You earn points each time you spend at the restaurant-the points can then be redeemed for free meals and discounted billing on your next visit. You can make your order online via their website with a fast turnaround of half an hour-the restaurant calls when the order is ready for collection. Cancellations must be within five minutes after placing an order to qualify for refunds.
Insider’s Tip: The drinks selection at Urban Crawfish is an absolute delight, with offers running all week. Enjoy the happy hour from 12 pm to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday, for the meal and drink combos under $6!
2. Lola’s-A Louisiana Kitchen
- Address: 1220 N Town Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89144, United States
- Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 11am-9pm, Friday: 11am-10pm, Saturday: 12pm-10pm, Sunday: 11am-18pm
- Rating: 4.4 stars
- Pricing: $$
Lola’s is a known destination for delicious food cooked with a homage to Louisiana. This restaurant offers comfy seating and an appealing environment to relax as you enjoy a hot delicious meal. They serve brunch, lunch, and dinner; you can bring your mates for an afternoon chat over some seafood and a beer to wash it down.
The porch location has umbrellas and gazebos to keep the heat from reaching your skin, all the while cool and warm air whims past you with a breeze like at the beach. Live music ensures that your heart is mellow with tunes you can sing along to on Friday and Saturday nights. Enjoy the VGK games with a $5 VGK wine glass for an extra high roller kick.
Favorite Cajun dish: Spicy Cajun aioli, Tchoupitoulas, and spiced étouffée.
The restaurant is also open for reservations for parties small and large. You can always give them a call to inquire about availability and menu options.
Insider’s Tip: The downtown location is temporarily closed. You can get service at their Sumerlin restaurant that is currently serving at half capacity due to covid restrictions in Nevada. The restaurant will be introducing a boiled crawfish dish soon, so look out for that.
3. Hot N Juicy Crawfish
- Address: 3663 S Las Vegas Blvd #590, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
- Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 12 noon-10pm, Friday: 12 noon-11pm, Saturday: 11.30am-11pm, Sunday: 11.30am-10pm
- Rating: 4.4 stars
- Pricing: $$
Hot N Juicy is one of those discovery jewels of seafood that go unadvertised. Here they cook perfect shrimp and crawfish, and you can choose them to be cooked in no butter. The seafood selection is incredible, with a quick turnaround to service in any of their three restaurants in Las Vegas.
- Hot N Juicy Planet Hollywood. Located at Miracle Miles Shops.
- Hot N Juicy Spring Mountain. Located at the Spring Mountain center.
- Hot N Juicy Spring Mountain. Location #2 open in the Spring Mountains.
Most food orders here are by the pound, so be ready to feast as food is plenty. You are armed with bibs, gloves, shell crackers, and a prying tool for a smooth eating experience.
The restaurant gives you a tryout sample before ordering to make sure that is what you want to order; is that not amazing?
Food to try: Crawfish corn, clams, and king crab legs with a drink of choice.
Insider’s Tip: The restaurant can get busy, especially on weekends and evenings, so be ready to wait even an hour before getting a seat at these peak hours. They don’t take reservations, but you can call ahead to minimize your wait time-they tell you an approximation of your wait so that you can plan accordingly.
4. Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House
- Address: 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
- Opening Hours: Daily: 5 pm-9 pm
- Rating: 4.4 stars
- Pricing: $$
Emeril’s by chef Emeril Lagasse compounds the New Orleans cooking style with Louisiana tastes to make the best seafood experience you can ever hope to get. The Cajun meals here are classy, as this high-end restaurant puts in a spike to make the menu an ever-changing source of joy for its dinners.
Pick a dish and have it plated in a fine dining experience. The restaurant debunks the popular notion that eating seafood, and most of all creole/Cajun, is always a messy affair. It’s the perfect spot for a dinner date with an acquired island feel. The restaurant even has signature naval decor. It’s a one-of-a-kind restaurant located at the heart of Las Vegas, at MGM Grand.
Try this dish: Emeril’s New Orleans BBQ shrimp, boiled creole seafood, and gumbo.
Insider’s Tip: Emeril’s serves dinner only, and a smart-casual look is recommended-gentlemen should wear sleeve shirts. They also have takeout options and private dining upon booking.
5. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Las Vegas
- Address: 3717 Las Vegas Blvd S Suite 2Q, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
- Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11 am-10 pm, Friday and Saturday: 11 am-11 pm
- Rating: 4.2 stars
- Pricing: $$
This American-style restaurant serves seafood in a casual environment with a kind staff that wants to see you smiling and your stomach full. Bubba Gump has the 1996 movie Forest Gump as inspiration, and it has become a sensational success like the movie did on Box Office. It features some of the costumes and props similar to the movie set in Alabama.
Shrimp is big and plentiful (it says it in the name), and helpings come huge to satisfy your cravings for finger-licking seafood. Gift a loved one a gift card from the reward shops and see them enjoy an afternoon under the sun with hand-shaken drinks at their table.
Food to try: Shrimp Jambalaya with grilled shrimp skewer.
Insider’s Tip: Bubba Gump has pickup and delivery options for online orders via Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
6. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
- Address: 6121 Vegas Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United States
- Opening Hours: Daily: 10am-10pm
- Rating: 4 stars
- Pricing: $$
Popeyes has a rich history with over 40 years of serving Cajun and the signature New Orleans fried chicken to the masses. Their locations in Las Vegas serve distinctively delicious shrimp that you want to devour the meals immediately after the aroma hits you.
The restaurant has a rewards program for their patrons with every meal. You can redeem these points for discounted meals either to dine in or takeout out at the drive-thru in their 2700 restaurants.
Try this option: 0.25 lb popcorn shrimp meal.
Insider’s Tip: The restaurant has 22 locations in Las Vegas, all serving delicious foods and Cajun recipes you will love.
7. Fish King Grill
- Address: 500 E Windmill Ln #145, Las Vegas, NV 89123, United States
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11 am-8 pm
- Rating: 4.6 stars
- Pricing: $$
Fish King Grill is a baby project from celebrity chef and public speaker Miguel Mercado. He is an established chef operating seven other successful restaurants. His love of seafood saw him through the dream to start a fish grill in 2017, bringing his 30 years of expertise to service the patrons of Sin City.
Cajun food has deeply taken root here, with diverse dishes like the Louisiana Basket (crabs, shrimp, catfish filet, and oysters) and Jambalaya.
Food to try: Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich, Snow Crab legs with new potatoes and corn
Insider’s Tip: It’s perfect for a date if your partner loves seafood. The place is pretty quiet, and you can talk as you feast on the delicious creole.
8. The Hush Puppy
- Address: 1820 N Nellis Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89110, United States
- Opening Hours: Sunday: 12.45pm-9pm, Monday to Saturday: 4pm-10pm
- Rating: 4.2 stars
- Pricing: $$
Hush Puppy Restaurant serves dinner to Las Vegas patrons in two locations: 1820 N Nellis Blvd and 7185 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas. It’s a family-run restaurant that opened in 1975. It has continued to serve delicious seafood successfully 45 years later. Hush Puppy opened a second Vegas restaurant in 1986.
The restaurant has served renowned people like former President Carter and his wife and Terry Fator (a headlining comic in Vegas). You cannot go wrong at this restaurant ordering clam chowder with oysters served fresh from the sea.
Hush puppies welcome large parties and can host them no matter the size. Give them a call to arrange for the same. You can also get a customizable menu for your party to allow special meals.
Food to try: The Cajun Fantasy (Blackened Tilapia/catfish filet, alligator tail/fried oysters, and Louisiana shrimp)
Insider’s Tip: Weekly all-you-can-eat offers: Tuesday-Saturdays.
Cajun Food in Vegas: FAQs
Is Cajun Food Spicy?
Cajun food uses spices as ingredients, but it’s not necessarily spicy. Mainly, Cajun food will feature bell peppers, onions, and celery as spicy ingredients (the holy trinity of Cajun food).
What is the Difference Between Cajun and Creole Food?
Both Cajun and creole food are local Louisiana recipes, with a difference in their preparation. Creole food has tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, while Cajun food doesn’t.
Is Cajun Food Healthy?
Studies have shown that eating seafood can reduce the risk of depression, heart disease, dementia, and stroke. Boiled or grilled shrimp/crawfish is a healthy selection over butter and oil-based options.
Conclusion
Seafood in Las Vegas is as big as on an island anywhere. All Louisiana Cajun food is experiential as restaurants serve creole recipes that will make your mouth water. From grilled fish to clam and shrimp sauces, jambalaya, and gumbo soup-these Cajun dishes give you enough reason to visit Vegas.