The United States is home to a plethora of regional cuisines. The various culinary traditions take their influence not only from the availability of locally-grown produce and other foods from farmers, but also from the cultures of the people who have settled in an area over the centuries. The American South, for instance, is home to several traditional cooking styles. (Here are 20 iconic Southern foods every American should try.)
Lowcountry and Gullah cuisines on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts both have roots in West African cooking traditions, while Lowcountry also incorporates English, French, and Caribbean influences. In Louisiana, Cajun food is derived from the palates of French colonists who settled in Canada before traveling South, while Creole is a blend of French, Native American, West African, and Spanish cuisines. And in all of these American culinary traditions, seafood plays a major role.
To compile a list of 20 great Southern seafood dishes, 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous books and websites dedicated to seafood and Southern food. In recommending restaurants that serve the dishes in question, we consulted reviews and rankings on websites including Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Eater, and Time Out. While we strived for geographical diversity in our choice of restaurants, half of our choices turned out to be in New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana because so many iconic Southern seafood dishes come out of Cajun or Creole cuisine. Note that the images that follow don’t necessarily represent the dish as served at the recommended restaurant.
From fried catfish to crawfish étouffée, the seafood dishes of the South use fish, molluscs, and crustaceans that are traditionally found in the local region. Oysters and blue crab are big players along the mid-Atlantic coast, while the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast also offer conch, stone crabs, shrimp, and grouper. Crawfish are prominent in Cajun and Creole dishes, and frog legs are also popular in the South, especially in areas with French influence. (Take a look at the worst seafood to eat.)
Click here to see 20 great southern seafood dishes
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Oyster po-boy
> What it is: Deep-fried oysters with rémoulade sauce or mayonnaise on a New Orleans French roll
> Where to try it: Frady’s One Stop Food Shop, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Source: nicolesy / Getty Images
Shrimp and grits
> What it is: Shrimp in tomato and garlic sauce over creamy grits, sometimes with cheese added
> Where to try it: 82 Queen, Charleston, South Carolina
Source: travellinglight / iStock via Getty Images
Blackened redfish
> What it is: Redfish filet coated in spices and blackened in butter in a searing-hot skillet
> Where to try it: Nina P’s Café, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Source: Courtesy of Boone Hall Plantation via Facebook
Lowcountry oyster roast
> What it is: Oysters wrapped in burlap and grilled till they open, served with crackers and cocktail sauce
> Where to try it: One of the Lowcountry’s numerous annual oyster roasts
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Source: Susan Vineyard / iStock via Getty Images
Crawfish boil
> What it is: Crawfish with potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and other ingredients boiled with spices (often Zatarain’s)
> Where to try it: Crawdaddy’s Boil-n-Go, Lufkin, Texas
Oysters Bienville
> What it is: Oysters baked in a shrimp sauce with cheese and bread crumbs
> Where to try it: Arnaud’s, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Source: 144957155@N06 / Flickr / Public Domain
Fried catfish
> What it is: Catfish filets typically soaked in buttermilk then dredged in cornmeal before frying
> Where to try it: Taylor Grocery, Taylor, Mississippi
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Source: Nathan McDaniel / iStock via Getty Images
Crawfish étouffée
> What it is: Crawfish simmered in a sauce that may or may not be made with a roux, sometimes with tomatoes
> Where to try it: The Original Pierre Maspero’s, New Orleans, Louisiana
Shrimp Creole
> What it is: Shrimp in a spicy sauce including celery, bell pepper, and scallion or onion
> Where to try it: Darwell’s Cafe, Long Beach, Mississippi
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Source: Estudio conceito / iStock via Getty Images
Fried frogs’ legs
> What it is: Frogs’ legs marinated, breaded, and deep-fried
> Where to try it: Beaudreau & Thibodeau’s Cajun Cookin’, Houma, Louisiana
Source: Wendy Gunderson / iStock via Getty Images
Conch fritters
> What it is: Chopped conch meat bound with flour and egg, formed into balls or patties and deep-fried
> Where to try it: Alabama Jack’s, Key Largo, Florida
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Source: sbossert / E+ via Getty Images
Oysters Rockefeller
> What it is: Oysters on the half-shell baked with butter, spinach and/or green herbs, and bread crumbs
> Where to try it: Antoine’s, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Stone crab claws with mustard sauce
> What it is: Meaty cracked crab claws with mustard dipping sauce
> Where to try it: Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami, Florida
Source: MemrysbyClo / iStock via Getty Images
BBQ shrimp
> What it is: Nothing to do with barbecue – shrimp in a spicy sauce including butter and Worcestershire sauce
> Where to try it: Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Source: LauriPatterson / iStock via Getty Images
Crab cakes
> What it is: Crab meat usually bound with bread crumbs and/or egg, formed into cakes, and sautéed or baked
> Where to try it: G&M Restaurant, Linthicum Heights, Maryland
Source: Courtesy of Galatoire's Restaurant - New Orleans via Facebook
Shrimp rémoulade
> What it is: Boiled or poached shrimp in a tartar-sauce-like emulsion
> Where to try it: Galatoire’s, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Grouper sandwich
> What it is: Breaded or battered grouper filet, sometimes with spices, served on a bun with condiments
> Where to try it: Grouper & Chips, Naples, Florida
She-crab soup
> What it is: A bisque-like crabmeat soup to which crab roe is traditionally added
> Where to try it: Vic’s River Grill, Savannah, Georgia
Seafood gumbo
> What it is: A soupy stew of shrimp, crawfish, and/or crab and sometimes oysters in a sauce thickened with okra or filé powder (ground dried sassafras leaves)
> Where to try it: Gumbo Shop, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Source: rudisill / iStock via Getty Images
Catfish courtbouillon
> What it is: Catfish filets in a spicy tomato sauce thickened with roux
> Where to try it: T-Coon’s, Lafayette, Louisiana
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