16 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from New Orleans, Louisiana

You're probably not going to go to Billy's for your fanciest occasions (or if you're trying to eat healthy), but if you're looking for some amazing Cajun snacks with no frills, then this is the place for you. Go inside and order at the counter to see what they've serving that day or swing through the drive-thru if you're in a rush.

With its exposed brick interior and exterior, this Breaux Bridge eatery puts a spicy, Cajun twist on rich Italian classics. It's their world-famous Saturday morning zydeco brunch ($10 cover), however, that really brings in the visitors: locals and tourists swing by as early as 8 am to fill up on breakfast favorites and $15 bottomless cocktails, and to dance to live local bands before making the rounds to other Cajun Country parties.

Overlooking Bayou Amy, Pat's is the real deal, with heaping platters of seafood. On a cool night, get a table on the porch overlooking the bayou and go for the shrimp dinner, which presents the local favorite no fewer than eight different ways. Pat's Atchafalaya Club, which is the area hot spot for Cajun dancing on weekend nights, is next door. Accommodations are also available at Pat's Edgewater Inn, located on the same stretch.

Midway between Laura and Oak Alley plantations, downtown Vacherie is short on sights but long on flavor, thanks in no small part to this down-home lunchroom. Photos and murals on the walls tell tales of local history, while po'boys, jambalaya, and fried catfish fill the tables. You can also pick up some homemade sausages as an edible souvenir. Owner Spuddy is a wealth of knowledge; call up and ask about his "Cajun Cooking Experience." He also does a version of his Experience as a free show on the restaurant's Facebook page.

This small shop and restaurant serves some of the tastiest seafood gumbo around River Road (and there's plenty of competition). Try a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of filé, or sample the alligator burgers; finish with a scoop of rich, dense bread pudding. The shop carries fresh and frozen catfish, crawfish, alligator, and turtle meat harvested from the nearby swamps. You can buy seafood packed to travel.

Crawfish and shrimp pasta with stuffed crab, a fried frog leg basket, or sausage Creole are some of what you can expect to find at this casual breakfast and lunch spot tucked inside the owner's catering company building. Cakes and pies are their specialty; call ahead to see what might be available while you're in town. A huge Lenten buffet is available for dinner on Friday between Mardi Gras and Easter.

On the town square, you can step back in time at this old-style diner. Breakfast is full of hearty Cajun and southern fares such as the pain perdu (old-fashioned local version of French toast), beignets, and praline chicken biscuits; the lunch menu has sandwiches like a brisket po'boy, as well as a different plate lunch special each day. Crawfish étouffée, fried catfish, and barbecue chicken are just a few recent options.

This small eatery is in the tiny town of Sunset, Louisiana, just a few minutes outside of Grand Coteau. Only open three hours each day, DDee's serves up a new lineup of only-in-Louisiana lunch plates each day: Catfish courtbouillon, Cajun roast beef, and stuffed crawfish bread are just a few of the items that have graced the chalkboard menu recently.

A visit to Cajun country is not complete without a stop at Hebert's. This butcher shop is one of several contenders claiming credit for inventing turducken—a turkey stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken. You can grab a link of hot boudin to eat on the spot, or fill a cooler with andouille, deboned stuffed chicken, and other regional delicacies for later.

From roughly December through June, when Louisiana crawfish are in season, local families pack in to partake in the outrageous abundance. Order from the menu—including crawfish, oysters, and a few sides like sausage links and boiled potatoes, plus cold beer—in the simple, stripped-down dining room filled with big tables. Or roll up to the drive-through window and pick up supplies for your own crawfish picnic.

Order your authentic Cajun cooking at the counter of this butcher shop and lunchroom, then eat in or take away. The daily specials will always stick to your ribs. Boudin, sausage, cracklins, and stuffed chicken or rabbit are just a few of the items available for takeout. Poche's opens very early in the morning and stays open through dinner.

In this cypress house decorated with swamp trees and a large stuffed alligator at the entrance, people gather over red-and-white-check tablecloths to chow down on local classics: alligator bites, boudin flatbread, or any of the kitchen's four distinctive gumbos. Grilled seafood provides some lighter options, while decadent stuffed catfish dominates the heartier end. There's live Cajun music (and usually dancing) every Tuesday at 6 pm and Sunday at 11 am.

The majority of the menu items at Tabasco's restaurant features the iconic sauce, like boudin eggrolls accompanied by a spicy Tabasco pepper jelly and red beans and rice prepared with the Roasted Garlic Tabasco sauce. (There are 12 different Tabasco sauces in all, and you can taste each of them in the visitor's center.) Still, there's something on the menu for everyone: Louisiana staples like po'boys, gumbo, and crawfish étouffée for the adventurous eaters; and more standard fare like nachos and chicken tenders for those who want to play it safe.

Cross the Vermilion River on a vintage drawbridge and continue down a winding country road to find this classic Cajun "seafood patio," a no-frills dining room serving immense quantities of boiled crawfish, shrimp, and crabs. There's a full menu of fried, grilled, and smothered items, plus a buffet in case you're having a hard time choosing. And, of course, there's plenty of cold beer to wash the seafood down. Richard's opens at 5 pm and fills up almost immediately, so expect a wait.

This often-busy diner serves a hearty Cajun breakfast and lunch, which feature daily specials such as smothered rabbit, catfish courtbouillon, or crawfish omelets. The southern fare also includes fried chicken and seafood dishes.

LaPlace is known as the andouille capital of the world, and the spicy, smoky, Cajun-style sausage is deservedly popular here. In this butcher shop that doubles as a functional, straightforward restaurant for weekday lunches, you can get andouille in burgers, in gumbo, made into chips for dipping, or worked into white beans and rice.