A guide to the 10 best things to do in Lake Charles Louisiana

The beautiful Lake Charles area in Southwestern Louisiana. The wonderfully vibrant painting is by talented Lake Charles artist Candice Alexander.

I met some of the friendliest people at one of the Mardi Grad celebrations in town. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Charpentier Historic District displays Victorian architecture. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Black Heritage Gallery host an impressive display of artists. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

A huge Sallier Oak tree outside the Imperial Calcasieu Museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Dolores Beaco made all the garments displaying their chosen colors of black, silver, and gold. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Black Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indian Tribe)

In the 1800s, Indigenous American peoples provided sanctuary and support to runaway slaves forming a unique bond between the two communities.

The Montana family started Black Masking in New Orleans in the 1880s, and 2023 marked the 150th anniversary of this legacy.  They fashion their costumes after the elaborate ceremonial regalia of their close Indigenous friends.

Tribe chief Darryl Montana has been making his own intricate designs for the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters for more than 50 years. The yellow costume below took more than 5,000 hours for the beading alone.

Two of Tribal Chief Darryl Montana’s intricate Black Masking designs on display at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

6. Explore Cajun and Creole Cuisine

Before I visited Southwestern Louisiana, including Lake Charles, my knowledge of many of the food offerings I found on menus was pretty limited. Hopefully, this list will help you get better acquainted with the cuisine than I was.

1. 1. Gumbo, a Louisiana stew,  is a classic comfort food served over rice. The recipe starts by making a roux using flour and fat, adding a flavorful sock, then the Creole holy trinity (finely chopped onion, celery, green bell peppers), and a combination of smoked sausage, shrimp, chicken or other meat, crab or basically whatever you have on hand. When we visited New Orleans, were served an alligator gumbo.
   2. Jambalaya is almost the same as Gumbo except the is rice cooked with it and it doesn’t start with a roux. Creole style Jambalaya is cooked with with tomatoes, giving it a red color, while Cajun is brown.
   3. Boudin: see our explanation below under the Boudin Trail.
   4. Po’ Boys are basically a sandwich made with long French bread (a baguette). It can be filled with fried oysters or shrimp, or other meats of your choice, along with lettuce, tomato and a variety of fixings.
   5. Crawfish, as it is called by Louisianians, is also called crayfish, crawdads or sometimes mud bugs, is a freshwater crustacean found in lakes, ponds, swaps, rice fields, wetlands, marshes and, yes, even in front yard drainage ditches. Crawfish season runs from late November to June.
   6. Étouffée is almost like Gumbo, but it has a much thicker consistency and is made with shellfish like crayfish, shrimp or crab and served over rice.
   7. Beignets are a little like a doughnut, but are square and typically sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sometimes they can be filled, making it either sweet or savory. These iconic treats are often served with café au lait.
   8. Cracklins! I can’t get enough of those craklins. It’s like a pork rind, but not, and will have you reaching for more. What’s the difference? Pork rinds puff up and these are fried morsels of fat with a little meat and skin attached is like an extra crispy piece of bacon puffed up.
      

Craklins and Boudin served along the Boudin Trail. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

What is the difference between Creole and Cajun?

Creole is a diverse mix of influences from Spanish, French, Indigenous and African peoples. This style of cooking uses more tomato-based sauces.

Cajun represents French-speaking Acadian people forced to leave Acadia by the British in what is now called Nova Scotia, Canada.

Interesting fact:

The word gumbo is derived from the West African word for okra, “ki ngombo.” The okra plant is said to come from West African, where it was used as a thickener in their version of the dish.

7. Southwestern Louisiana Boudin Trail Lake Charles

Follow the Boudin Trail, stopping at mom-and-pop shops and grocery stores along Highway 10 for a true experience of what the locals are eating. Besides boudin, there are a host of other culinary delights to try, including crispy cracklins, pork skin, hog head-cheese, pulled pork, jerky, brisket, smoked ham and cornbread.

What is boudin?

Boudin is a coveted food staple in Southwestern Louisiana. This coveted sausage mixes culinary traditions from Germany, Creole and Cajun, with deep roots to Canada and France.  Sometimes referred to as “links,” like Gumbo, boudin can be prepared in many different ways. It can also be cooked in the form of a deep fried ball with cheese. Cajun eggs are also stuffed with boudin.

Boudin is usually made up of a mixture of smoked meats; turkey, beef, liver, pork, or deer and, yes, even crawfish, depending on what’s on hand, rice, onions, parsley and a variety of spices.

Smoked Meats

Just about every stop on the Boudin Trail will have their own smoker out back and the wood used can be a combination of pecan, hickory or oak for flavoring.

Rice

First introduced to the area by the French in 1718, rice is at the center of all Southwestern Louisiana Food and cultural identity. There is an abundance of rice mills in the area, with the largest working rice mill in New Iberia, just down the road from Lake Charles.

Richard’s Boudin & Seafood

Serving the community for more than 20 years, Richard’s Boudin & Seafood market serves homemade smoked sausage and Boudin along with seafood, including alligator meat, at 2250 E Napoleon Street in Sulphur.

Famous Foods

This popular restaurant severs some really great cracklin, which I have been craving ever since, along  Boudin sausages and other area specialties at 1475 Gerstner Memorial Drive.

B & O Kitchen and Grocery

Meet Jeff Benoit, a third generation owner of B & O Kitchen & Grocery.

During our boudin tasting tour, Jeff took us around back to show us his Mardi Gras float. He’s a real expert on floats and explained all standard floats built must be at least eight-feet-wide, but a mega float, which he has, for example, is 12-feet-wide, 53-feet-long and can hold up to 80 people. This type of float would fall to the back of the line because of its width and because two of these mega floats can’t be stacked side-by-side on the roadway.

Some of the more elaborate parade floats come complete with amenities, including two bathrooms, drink holders and bead and throw holders.

The catwalk is for the court and the founding members of the Krewe, with the membership situated below. The King and Queen are on the top level of the float, which is the place to be for the best view and from where you can see all the floats and people below. Every year is a different theme and the float, along with the shirts or outfits, change to match.

Jeff Benoit from B&O Kitchen & Grocery, stands on his krewe’s float in Sulphur, LA just outside Lake Charles. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

B & O Kitchen and Grocery on the Boudin Trail in Sulphur. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

While you’re in the vicinity, be sure to check out the Brimestone Museum for their Currioddities Exhibit 923 S. Ruth St, Sulphur Louisiana and stop in to pick up some souvenirs or add a little glitter to your attire with the colorful Mardi Gras clothing available at the Polished Peasant.

Pick up some festive Mardi Gras garb at a Polished Peasant boutique in Sulphur. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Insane Sausages

Insane Sausages owner David Gaspard grew up making weird and odd flavored “insane” sausages that everyone raved about. Sometimes on weekends for family and friends he would make up to 100 pounds of Boudin a day. At his popular shop, he still strives to create something a little bit different.

Besides Boudin, he serves up a variety of other area favorites like the Pork Enchilada Boudin Ball, a delicious fusion of Mexican and Cajun favorites. In 2018, Insane Sausages was the winner of the Boudin Wars competition. Insane Sausages is located in Vinton, about 26 miles from Lake Charles.

8. Lake Charles Casinos

The two largest casinos, L’Aunerge and Golden Nugget, both have a golf course.

Thoroughbred and American Quarter horse racing can be experienced at the Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel and Casino from spring to fall.

9. Street Art and Murals

Discovering amazing street art and murals in and around the downtown area offer plenty of Instagram photo ops.

Mural walls of Lake Charles. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

10. Creole Nature Trail

Venture just outside the city to the wilderness of the marshlands and beaches of Creole Nature Trail, known as the Louisiana’s Outback. This area includes five federal and state wildlife refuges and sanctuaries and is a top birding destination —  400 different bird species call this area their home.
Stroll along 26 miles of sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a great place to find a collection of of sea shells.

Louisiana Blue Crab

Fresh Louisiana Blue Crab can be caught along the local waterways from May through September, and you don’t need to carry a trap. All you need, along with a crabbing license, is a piece of cotton string to lower into the water with any kind of raw meat tied at the end. And watch out for those alligators along the waterways.

Louisiana Outback Creole Nature Trail Blue Crabs.

Where to eat in Lake Charles

Steamboat Bill’s

This is a must visit spot to get your fill of crayfish, or perhaps alligator, oysters, shrimp and soft shelled crab. Steamboat Bill’s serves up all the Southern Louisiana favorites.

Voted as the best restaurant Steamboat Bill’s is famous for their crayfish dishes. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Luna Bar and Grill

This is one of the best brunch spots in Lake Charles. Luna Bar and Grill provides a relaxed, fun atmosphere to enjoy regional flavors and live music. Luna’s Jazz Brunch Sunday offers one of the best  brunches around and we sampled some mighty tasty offerings.

• Galactic Crab Dip, $13 – lump crab meat, Parmesan, cream cheese with fried flour tortillas
• Petite Apollo, $13 – fried shrimp, avocado, apollo (crab cream) sauce
• Eggs Pontchartrain, $16 -two eggs, grilled crab cake, bacon bits, cajun hollandaise sauce, and avocado topped with your choice of shrimp or Louisiana crawfish
• Dr. John’s Voodoo Hash, $13 – hash browns with Louisiana crawfish, feta, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeños, topped with an over easy egg and Cajun hollandaise
• As well as sides of fluffy biscuits smothered in gravy for just $4, and cheddar grits for $3

Luna Bar and Grill is one of the best place for brunch in Lake Charles. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Luna Bar and Grill is one of the best place for brunch in Lake Charles. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Leonards’s Food Quarters

Leonard’s has served the community since 1986. This family-run restaurant serves a mixture of authentic Cajun and Creole cooking. We stopped at Leonard’s for breakfast and to meet Leonard and some of his family. The restaurant is located at 1708 Gerstner Memorial Drive.

Meet Leonard, his son and daughter at Leonard’s Food Quarters. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Latino Kitchen Area 337

Area 337 is a true Latino kitchen. Owners Gustavo Garden and his wife Yuli,  serve up cuisine from Cuba, Venezuela, Spain, and the Dominican Republic. It’s big on flavor and offers a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Gustavo Garden owner of Area 337 showing off some of the restaurant’s delicious and authentic appetizers. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Mrs. Jonnie’s Gingerbread House and Pie Company

A local favorite for the best Calcasieu tea cakes, sweet potato pies, old fashioned apple pies, sweet potato-coconut pies, ginger cakes and more. Get there early as they sell out fast.

Twanie’s Terrific Treats

Antwan Pettis II is the man behind Twanie’s Terrific Treats in Lake Charles, Louisiana. We just had to stop by on Valentine’s Day for these extra special sweet treats to pamper ourselves just a little.

I can see why he has earned the reputation as “Cookie Manster”! His newest creation, Ravashing Red Velvet was launched just in time for Valentine’s Day in 2023. These cookies are huge, highly addictive and can be found at 206 W 11th St Suite B, Lake Charles.

Owner Antwan Pettis II behind the counter at his bakery Twanie’s Terrific Treats. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Crying Eagle Brewing

This microbrewery has a wide selection of craft beers on tap, as well as other beverages, along with house-made food offerings like artisan pizza. Live music is found here six nights a week.

Where to stay in Lake Charles Louisiana

L’Auberge Casino Resort

L’Auberge Casino Resort is a popular getaway destination for travelers from Houston, Texas and New Orleans. The full service, 26-story resort has a large pool and Lazy River, Las Vegas-style gaming and an 18-hole championship Tom Fazio golf course.

Celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez recently opened another Johnny Sanchez restaurant at this location featuring traditional Mexican cooking with a modern twist.

L’Auberge Casino Resort with a view of the golf course. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

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