Looking to enjoy the delicious Southwest Louisiana cuisine during Lent? There are plenty of places to dine in Lake Charles offering a lenten menu or fresh seafood options. Not to mention—the lenten season always falls during the heart of crawfish season!
- 3 minute read
Southwest Louisiana is known for exciting festivals, world-class casino resorts, untouched natural beauty, and, most notably, our delicious cuisine. While some delicacies─ like boudin, cracklins, and gumbo (depending on who you ask)─can be enjoyed year-round, favorites like…
Crawfish
Unless you're abstaining from crawfish for lent, this is a delicious seafood option! Whether you're in search of dine in establishments like BeauxDine's and LeBleu's Landing Restaurant and Oyster Bar or convenient drive thru options like Cody's Crawfish Shop or Pincher's Crawfish & Daiquiri's, crawfish is being boiled at restaurants throughout Louisiana’s Playground.
Southwest Louisiana Restaurants
Back to Top of ListCasa Mañana
Casa, as the locals call it, is serving up the flavor this season with an extensive Lenten menu. With 15 delicious options─from shrimp queso and portabella camaron to chipotle fried fish court bouillon, you can't go wrong at this popular Tex-Mex restaurant in the heart of Lake Charles!
Coffee:30 Café & Express
Indulge in delicious Cajun flavor with Coffee:30's special Lent menu which features their signature beignets topped with a creamy crawfish sauce. Or sample their vegetarian options which include a veggie breakfast bowl and a breakfast burrito.

Zeus
Savor the Mediterranean flavors at Zeus locations in Lake Charles and Moss Bluff including a convenient to-go location. Choose from numerous Lenten meals including the tuna kababs, featuring tuna steaks that have been marinated, seasoned, and seared to perfection, served alongside grilled veggies, rice pilaf, and a hummus and feta cheese side salad.
Bourbon Street Deli
Don't let the locationf fool you! Louisiana has some of the best gas station eats like Bourbon Street Deli, offering two locations to try their delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine. Choose from one of six Lenten specials like the shrimp po'boy, a popular sandwich made with a loaf of fluffy French bread sliced in half and stuffed with fried shrimp, lettuce, and tomatoes and served with a side of crispy French fries.
The M Bar
Every Wednesday and Friday during Lent, this popular sports bar is serving delicious meatless specials in a comfortable atmosphere. Choose from four different meals including the shrimp fettuccini, a homemade pasta topped with sauteed shrimp, covered in a creamy Cajun alfredo sauce, and served with a side of garlic toast.
Crying Eagle
Don't miss the seasonal Lent specials at Crying Eagle Brewing! For a limited time, savor the corn and crab bisque, a rich blend of sweet corn, bell pepper, and lump crab, served with a toasted baguette. Or go for the crispy favorite: Fish & Chips, beer-battered fish served with fries, fresh lemon, and house-made tartar sauce.

Nina P's Cafe
Choose from a robust seafood menu year-round at Nina P's Cafe! With appetizers like the crawfish bread, slices of fluffy French bread topped with a creamy crawfish sauce and entrees like the award winning shrimp and crab seafood gumbo, you can't go wrong!
Leonard's Food Quarters
Chow down on the hearty made-from-scratch shrimp etouffee over rice at Leonard's Food Quarters. They offer a substantial seafood menu year-round featuring fried fish and shrimp entrees.
Joe's Pizza and Pasta
Savor delicious Italian flavors at Joe's Pizza and Pasta. Their seafood menu is perfect for those observing Lent with delicious entrees like the lobster and shrimp ravioli, sauteed shrimp, tomatoes, and garlic in a creamy white wine sauce.
Lighthouse Bend
Indulge in fresh from the Gulf seafood at Lighthouse Bend year-round. Their friendly atmosphere and mouthwatering menu items like the Captain's Platter, a catfish and shrimp entree served with rice dressing and asparagus drenched in a lemon beurre blanc sauce, make it the perfect stop to complete your visit along the Creole Nature Trail-All American Road.
Downtown Lake Charles
Back to Top of ListVilla Harlequin
Enjoy several meatless Italian inspired dishes at Villa Harlequin in Downtown Lake Charles like the crispy fried redfish sandwich on toasted ciabatta bread.
121 Artisan Bistro
Relish incredible seafood dishes at 121 Artisan Bistro year-round like the Shrimp and Crawfish Diavolo, a fettuccini dish topped with sauteed shrimp and crawfish tails in a spicy asiago plum tomato cream sauce.
Area 337
Head to Area 337 to experience delicious Latin flavors this Lenten season like the whole red snapper, a traditional Carribean dish.

Buffi's Peauxboys
Buffi's Peauxboys is known for their flavorful twists on popular dishes, from their peauxboys on perfectly toasted bread to their overstuffed potateuxs, you can't go wrong! Try the crawfish boil potateaux, a spud combining all the best flavors of a Southwest Louisiana crawfish boil including mouthwatering crawfish tails.
Pujo St. Cafe
Delight in an explosion of flavors at Pujo St. Cafe! Their blackened tuna bowl, featuring cubed, blackened tuna served atop white rice with avocado, cucumber, green onions, Pujo's signature Tokyo sauce and a spicy chili aioli is a must-try dish this season.
Casino Resorts
Back to Top of ListTin Lizard Bar & Grill
Head to Vinton to sample the delicious flavors at the Tin Lizard Bar & Grill located within Delta Downs Racetrack, Casino, and Hotel like the pan roasted salmon. Their Atlantic salmon is drizzled in a lemon butter sauce and served alongside rice and sweet peas and available all year long.
Chart House
Savor fresh seafood dishes at Chart House located within Golden Nugget Lake Charles. Go for the shrimp and scallop risotto, a year-round dish crafted with sauteed shrimp and scallops and served with a mushroom and rice risotto.
Vic & Anthony’s
For another popular fine dining option in Golden Nugget, visit Vic & Anthony's. Their pan seared salmon is a mouthwatering year-round entree served with roasted broccolini, baby carrots, lemon butter caper sauce, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Ember Grille & Wine Bar
Looking for another intimate dining experience during Lent? Visit Ember Grille and Wine Bar located within L'Auberge Casino Resort. The Chilean sea bass served with artichoke hearts, carrots, pancetta, onions, creminis, and nage is available all year long.
Gordon Ramsay Steak
Savor the ultimate seafood feast at Gordon Ramsay Steak located within the Horseshoe Casino Resort. The shellfish platter features a half pound king crab, oysters, lobster, a shrimp cocktail and more!
No matter where you choose to dine during the Lenten season, Lake Charles restaurants are sure to satisfy your your appetite. These are just a few locations serving fresh Gulf seafood and flavorful meat-free dishes, that will help you maintain your Lenten commitments without compromising on flavor!