This Viet-Cajun staple specializes in a range of seafood, sauces, and spices. Choose from a Cajun seasoning-based sauce, the Thai Surprise’s basil and chiles, the H-Town Bang garlic butter, or the Saigon heat — a combination of citrus and onion. Spice level ranges from “sissy unicorn” and “fiery phoenix,” to “angry dragon.”

Open Wednesday through Sunday, expect a line at this BYOB establishment, but it's well worth the wait. Crawfish Shack welcomes crustacean lovers of all ages, with an outdoor playground and indoor and outdoor food halls with enough room to get down and dirty in the mudbugs. Buy crawfish at $8.50 per pound and get $1 off per pound if you order 20 pounds or more. Looking for a variety? Go for the shack trio, which comes with 2 pounds of boiled crawfish, a half-pound of boiled shrimp, and one cluster of Dungeness crab, with corn and potatoes for $42.95. Check the Facebook page for updates on their stock, which can often sell out by around 7 p.m.

With consistent, quality crawfish, a laidback vibe, and Louisiana-style dishes, this Crosby joint is worth the 30-minute drive from Houston. Prepare for the main event with the crispy fried calamari, and then choose your spice level for crawfish coming in at $8 per pound. Opt for tasty compliments like boiled shrimp, mushrooms, corn, or sausage, and end your meal with the warm, gooey bread pudding served with a praline sauce. In a hurry? John E’s offers drive-thru specials, which most recently offers 10 pounds of crawfish for $65.

If you’re eagerly awaiting the return of Phat Eatery’s crawfish, you’re not alone. Typically starting in March, the restaurant serves up its critters Malaysian-style, with a sauce made from curry and coconut milk with various spice levels. Check their Facebook to see when their crawfish specials will return. It’s worth the wait.

Whether in search of several pounds of live crawfish to cook at home or a big bag of freshly-boiled 'bugs drenched in spicy butter, this Heights spot offers diners the ability to order crawfish from the comfort of their cars at its drive-thru window. Open from Wednesday through Sunday, guests can also order sides like smoked sausage, corn, and boiled potatoes. For something sweet, opt for a daiquiri or king cake, available as whole cakes or in slices.

Yes, this barbecue joint also has a kickin’ crawfish menu. Available on Thursdays and Fridays from 1 p.m.. to sellout, and weekends starting at noon when in season, guests can order by the pound for $12.95 each including corn, mushrooms, and half of an andouille sausage link. The Feast is an option for someone looking for a little bit of everything. It includes 3 pounds of crawfish, one pound of shrimp, two snow crab clusters, sides, and a full link of sausage, all for $90.

Serving thousands of pounds of crawfish across its 10 local outposts every year, BB’s Cafe has become a Houston favorite — so much so that even Houston-born singer Beyoncé and her husband, hip hop mogul Jay-Z, have stopped by for their crawfish fix. Here, the crawfish are soaked in a Cajun-style boil that injects an explosive punch of spicy flavor.

A staple for crawfish since the 1970s, Ragin’ Cajun gets particular about its seafood. Coming in at $8.99 per pound, the restaurant offers Acadian “rice field” pond-raised crawfish, which is then boiled in their signature Cajun-style boil using a blend of cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder.

Known for its robust smoked turkey legs topped with flavorful concoctions, Turkey Leg Hut also goes all-in on its crawfish. Now in season, the restaurant offers crawfish at $6 to $8 per pound through fishing captain Capt. Sin’s depending on the day or special — and that includes free corn, potatoes, sausage, and turkey necks for dine-in or and to-go. Check their Facebook page for updates on this week’s specials.

This James Beard Award-nominated crawfish restaurant has earned national attention, and for good reason. It may be pricier than some other local spots, but the seasoning blend on this boil is perfectly balanced. Pair a few pounds of Viet-Cajun crawfish with an oxtail hotpot or a plate of noodles for a combination that could only exist in a city like Houston.

At this Alief favorite, sauce up your mudbugs with a variety of interesting and layered blends of flavor ranging from Thai basil to "the Mix," a blend of garlic butter and lemon pepper. If the crawfish aren't enough to satisfy the hunger, go for a dozen Gulf oysters or a pound of littleneck clams drenched in Cajun seasoning.

Stemming from a po’ boy joint in Mississippi, Calliope’s West Bellfort locations serves up a plethora of the New Orleans-style sandwiches with diner’s choice of shrimp, crawfish, oysters, roast beef, fish, chicken, or even turkey burgers. Pick up a steaming bag of spicy garlic butter mudbugs for $1 off per pound between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. daily, or buy 5 pounds and get one free on Fridays and Saturdays.

This seasonal pop-up restaurant does one thing and it does it well — Cajun-style crawfish. The bugs are delivered live every single day from Louisiana, then boiled to perfection and sold for takeout only. (You can also buy live crawfish for boiling at home.) Check the weekly prices on Facebook, then call 832-770-9629 to order.