James Beard-nominated chef Trong Nguyen’s Asiatown restaurant is one of the OGs of Houston’s Viet-Cajun crawfish scene. Enjoy the fan favorite garlic butter crawfish, or the equally excellent “gingergrass” ‘bugs tossed in ginger and fresh lemongrass.

With lines of customers out the door, it’s easy to see why LA Crawfish has quickly expanded with multiple Houston locations. The restaurant offers innovative crawfish creations like crawfish pho and cheesy mudbug empanadas in addition to perfectly-seasoned crawfish tossed in hot and sour sauce, Cajun-style seasoning, and garlic butter.

BB’s Café is synonymous with crawfish each season as it serves thousands of pounds to hungry Houstonians each year. The crawfish are soaked in a spicy boil that infuses each crawfish with a punch of Cajun flavor. The New Orleans-style crawfish etouffee is an equally excellent way to enjoy this freshwater crustacean.

This spot won’t start serving mudbugs until sometime in mid-March, but it’s an essential Space City crawfish destination. The Saturday boils inspire ridiculously lengthy lines, thanks to all-you-can-eat crawfish that’s perfectly spiced.

This Heights institution offers up both live crawfish to cook at home and giant bags full of piping hot cooked ‘bugs drenched in spicy butter. The best part, though? Being able to order either without having to get out of the car.

Stemming from a po-boy joint in Mississippi, Calliope serves up a plethora of po-boys — shrimp, crawfish and oyster — in its West Bellfort location. Stop by for happy hour from Mondays to Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and pick up a steaming bag of the spicy garlic butter mudbugs along with an ice cold beer.

This Westchase seafood shack is perfect for those that want to indulge in several pounds of mudbugs without spending too much cash. Go for the 88 Special, a medley of each of 88 Boiling Crawfish’s three seasoning blends all tossed together in the same bag.

This Asiatown eatery features Viet-Cajun and Thai-influenced crawfish, along with a classic Cajun boil. There’s also an option to blend flavors, making the Thai basil and garlic butter an excellent departure from the typical Houston crawfish.