Restaurants and Culinary Experiences Near Opelousas and Eunice

The Cajun prairie covers a wide swath of central-southern Louisiana, dominated by farmland and bayous. This is the home of the boucherie (a communal feast focused on pork cooked Cajun-style), cracklins (deep-fried pork skins) and boudin sausage. Bold flavors dominate the Prairie Home Cooking trail, and there’s no shortage of experiences you’ll find here to enrich your travels while satisfying your hunger.

Dining Experiences Around Opelousas in St. Landry Parish

Bayou Teche Brewing 

Visit this Arnaudville brewery's tap room, also known as the triangle hangout, for craft beer samples often paired with local boudin and cracklins, and live entertainment and food trucks on Saturdays. Visitors aged 21 or over are welcome to visit the brewery for a tour, offered in English and French.

Targil Seasoning 

Located in Opelousas, spices are a passion at Targil where they create 2.5 billion pounds of spices each year. With more than 25 years of experience, Targil has packaged a lot of local favorites including Slap Ya Mama, Cajun Blast, and Tipsy Chicken. Check out tours where visitors can make their own blend and have it packaged with their own label.

Jean Lafitte National Park & Preserve Prairie Acadiana Cultural Center 

Local artisans, musicians, chefs and more show off their skills with demonstrations of music, dancing, quilting, cooking and the French language. Every Saturday, enjoy a foodways presentation by locals and professional chefs. 

Lundi Gras Boucherie 

This old time boucherie is a community celebration that begins early in the morning with the butchering of the hog. The meat is then prepared for dishes such as boudin, boudin rouge, cracklin, backbone stew and ponce. Nothing goes to waste — even the bones are used to make hogshead cheese.

Port Barre Cracklin Festival 

Begun in 1985, the Port Barre Cracklin Festival is the major fundraiser for the Port Barre Lions Club. This festival showcases the ritual of making cracklins and is attended annually by more than 13,000 people. Festival goers can enjoy terrific food, great Cajun, zydeco and swamp pop music, carnival rides, arts, crafts and a beauty pageant.

Sweet Dough Pie Festival 

Every year at this Grand Coteau fest, pastry chefs and home cooks vie for the title in the sweet dough pie contest, judged by the public. A large variety of pies are available for purchase including fig, custard, lemon, blackberry and other local, seasonal ingredients. Browse through more than 70 vendors of arts, handmade items, flowers and herbs, custom furniture, indoor and outdoor décor, while enjoying local cuisine and live music. Cemetery tours and historical reenactments will also be featured.

Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant

In the town of Washington, in the last of the old steamboat warehouses on Bayou Courtableau, the Steamboat Warehouse Restaurant building was built in the 1820s and restored in 1977. Owner-chef Jason Huguet serves up delicious steaks, seafood, and house specialties. Enjoy a cocktail on the deck overlooking Bayou Courtableau.

The Little Big Cup 

Spend time with locals on the banks of Bayou Fuselier in Arnaudville. Enjoy fine Cajun dining on the deck outside or a specialty cocktail or two at the Little Big Bar. Every Sunday, get a sampling of signature Louisiana dishes from the Boucherie Brunch Buffet and hear live music by petit musicians. Recommendation: the Cajun Kevin Poboy.

Discover even more restaurants and culinary experiences in the Pairie Home Cooking Culinary Trail in Louisiana.