Steamboat Bill’s
1004 N Lake Shore Dr, Lake Charles, LA, 70601
Steamboat Bill’s Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Lake Charles for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lake Charles for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lake Charles for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1004 N Lake Shore Dr
Lake Charles, LA, 70601 - Phone (337) 494-1070
- Website https://steamboatbills.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jeff K.
We had everything fried and even some things boiled. There was some things between slices of bread and even over rice. Over all everything was pretty darn good. There was a lot of confusion by the staff over herding people to the counter to order and then a table to be seated. If you can get past and over this confusion and headache and get your food, you will be pleased. We loved everything that came out of the kitchen. Don't expect anything fancy or healthy. Wear your elastic pants and belly up for some good cooking.
(3)Cameron K.
I ususally don't give dives a good rating but Steamboat Bills deserves an exception. If you are hungry and travelling through Lake Charles, make it a point to stop at Steamboat Bills. You won't be dissappointed. Fried shrimp is good but the etoufee is the bomb-diggity. The gumbo is quite good as well. Best cajun food in SW Louisiana
(4)Michele S.
My husband and I go to Steamboat Bills for date night all the time. My favorite chicken and sausage gumbo in town (ok 2nd to my mothers). If you are looking for real cajun cooking this is the place. I give it 5 stars and recommend you make a point to stop in when you travel through Lake Charles on I-10.
(5)Ann B.
We were waiting in line at the grocery store on our way through Lake Charles, and I asked the customer in front of us if there was a good place to eat that was close by. She suggested Steamboat Bills, so we decided it give it a try. Sure glad we did. We tried a few things that we've never eaten before and fell in love with the shrimp pistolette. The gumbo was very good and my husband ate every bit of his mixed seafood dinner. A 10 star rating for our waiter, Sam, who was friendly and very attentive. Wish we lived in Louisiana, this would be a regular dinner place for us.
(5)April K.
We had the captain's platter just because there was no explanation of local flavors. Being from North Carolina I am not familiar with the La. specialties. When you walk in the door you are handed a menu and told to order and pay at the counter before you are seated. This does not make for a relaxing sit down meal for me. Kitchen runners bring the meal and other staff check on things from time to time. The staff was friendly and helpful for the most part. Glad I got to eat there but would not go out of my way to go back.
(3)Eileen M.
The best Cajunese food I ever Cajuned. Three friends and I split the Captain's platter, the supposed magnum opus of the menu according to the locals. It was an excellent crunchy, semi-greasy seafood spread. Everything from the fried catfish to the stuffed shrimp was delicious. The fried oysters were particularly memorable, as was the boudin. Excellent food, snappy service, and vivacious atmosphere make this place well worth the five pounds you'll gain as a result of partaking in the fishy fun.
(4)Dayla H.
Not a good place to get anything but fried food. They offer one thing that isn't fried in the whole menu! Not good for people who watch what they eat. The lady taking my order was rude and never had anyone give us refills. Boo!
(1)Felicia G.
Food was fabulous! Oysters were great. Serving size was huge. Worth it! Definitely will return to this place. I was told both locations are worth the visit.
(5)Bobby B.
I really like this place when passing through on I-10. The bread is to die for. I could make a meal just on that... Fried seafood platter is really good. Red beans and rice is average. Sauce piquante is good and heavy on the okra. Gumbo is too dark for me.
(4)Alex R.
We stopped in 20 minutes before closing time and we're greeted by a more than friendly staff. I had gumbo and the shrimp pistolette; both of which were fantastic. Our server was super friendly. Overall it was a great place to eat.
(5)Saira T.
My guy and I did a cross country road trip and while driving through Louisiana, a friend suggested this place. It is everything you can ask for Cajun food. The service is great, everyone is really friendly, and they have the cutest accents. I would definitely suggest trying the pistolettes and boudin balls. I was full after having one of each! BUT, I did end up ordering the gumbo. It wasn't too special, but then again, I was full by the time it got to the table. Definitely a must stop to get you a bit of that southern country cooking.
(5)Enrica D.
Nice lunch during our road trip. Also our little one liked it. Gumbo and potato were very good
(3)Brian K.
Best seafood not only in Louisiana, but the entire gulf region. I had the gumbo and stuffed shrimp the first day I was there. The second day, I had the buffalo chicken baked potato. OMG those potatoes are awesome. Damn. I want some gumbo right now. I can't wait to go back to Steamboat Bill's again. Definitely stop here. The food is awesome, the people are awesome, and the prices are awesome. I give it 5 stars!
(5)Shannon S.
One of my favorite places in the country for Cajun seafood. The etouffee is amazing, like a dessert. The gumbo is great as well. Prices are a little high, but I love it anyway!
(4)K L.
Loved the place! Tried a little bit of everything: Had the boiled shrimp - hot and spicy and just right. Fried catfish and shrimp was good. Fries were crisp without being greasy. Also really enjoyed the crawfish Etouffeé with rice - should have gotten a smaller size as this place is generous with portions and the Etouffee is rich. Lunch for three people with food enough for 6 came to about $55.00. This is a half service restaurant that you order at the counter. Once they bring you the food, it is full service all around. Our cups of soda were always full and the staff was very attentive. We definately enjoyed our meal.
(4)Saul S.
The chicken & sausage gumbo is where it's at.
(5)Byoung Kyu S.
When in season, I always get boiled crawfish here. The crawfish sizes here have always been nice and large. Just ate here again yesterday (7/15/14) and the crawfish were still pretty huge. ~$20 for 3 LBs. I've tried some of the other stuff on the menu. I like the pistolette, gumbo, and etouffee, but always order boiled crawfish if available.
(4)Jasmine W.
My family and I live in Texas and my parents came by this place on their way back home. They brought some catfish, stuffed crab, and a shrimp po boy back for me to try. Every thing was delicious! The shrimp and catfish were very well seasoned! In November when we go back to new orleans, they will stop by there again so I can try the gumbo.
(5)Cristie H.
This is my favorite seafood place. I live by Galveston and would drive to Louisiana just for there boiled shrimp...mmm so much flavor. And you must order there rolls.
(5)Mike C.
I can get over the fact that you have to order before you are seated ( which sucks when crowded because they rush you). That aside, I do enjoy the sauce picante and pistolletes , my favorites! When the water is right ( usually late) the crawfish are really nice and spicy! Fried shrimp are really fresh and delicious. The gumbo is hit or miss. I like Steamboat Bill's. I hope they survive a onslaught of Landry corp. restaurants that appear to be on the Lake Charles horizon. But you didn't hear that from me...
(3)Gerald E.
Been here a few times but there are better places to eat around the LC area. The last time I went, it was $45 dollars or so for a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo and a bowl of crawfish étouffée and 2 teas. The gumbo was mostly rice and juice, hardly any meat. Same with the étouffée. I may have had 15 tails at the most in my big bowl. The rest was rice and juice. The food isn't extraordinary by any means either, just mediocre. I got 2 teas for right around $3 each and they didn't get filled up once... Wait staff is always subpar and I can never find them. Being from LC, I knew it was odd that I've only been to this place a handful of times... Then I go again and remember why I don't go there...
(1)Bill G.
If in Lake Charles a must stop. Don't let the traffic jam into the parking lot scare you away. They effectively move the crowd thru fast. The reason they are so busy is the food. Fresh seafood prepared mostly fried but seasoned well and crispy. When in season they have reasonably priced crawfish that is not over spiced or over cooked. They got the art of a crawfish boil down. Try the boudin balls they are our favorites.
(5)Tina S.
We were traveling through Lake Charles to Houston and used Yelp to pick a restaurant for dinner. We were so glad we picked Steamboat Bill's! The shrimp pistollettes were soooo good! (Probably should have stopped there. Lol) but we powered on and shared platters of crab etouffe, fried crawfish, and fried shrimp. My goodness! Lovin' me some cajun food! Almost makes up for LA road conditions! Ha! Steamboat Bill's has a fun atmosphere. Saw many locals hanging out and having fun. I would definitely recommend!
(5)Kimberly N.
I liked the service and how fast it was, but that's it. The crawfish was overcooked and small. It kept breaking when I tried to peel it. The shrimp gumbo was very salty I couldn't finish it (and i ordered the cup). Was very disappointed with the food.
(1)Bryan B.
Was working in Lake Charles and heard I had to go. Glad I did. Food was excellent. They give you a lot of food for the money. Stuffed shrimp and boudin balls was amazing. Go hungry.
(5)Kailyn S.
Love this place! The prices vary throughout the year depending on what is in season. I like ordering the Captain's platter. It features a variety of pretty much all of the food offered at the restaurant. Also order a serving of boudin balls and gator balls! They are both served with ranch dressing and are the right balance of spicy and sweet, crunchy and chewy. This is a popular spot for my family to come to during crawfish season as well! They are always large and full of flavor. Whatever the time of year, this is the place to go for authentic fresh caught Cajun food!
(5)Julie A.
This is a must eat for me when I come home to Lake Charles. Great flavor on the crawfish. They are nice and large when it season. There is not a let down. Yummy to my tummy! I may have to pick up some one more time before I leave. They were that good.
(5)Dawn C.
Good service, good food -- prices are a little higher than expected for the atmosphere and type of food. Pleasant meal but not a memorable one. We had the shrimp étouffée (average), chicken & sausage gumbo (delicious), and popcorn shrimp basket (meh). Rolls are fresh and tasty.
(4)Sean M.
This is a must-stop on I-10 when going back to Houston from New Orleans. The étouffee is solid, their chicken and sausage gumbo is phenomenal, and I would do disgusting things for their softshell crab. Also: pistolettes (do yourself a favor and pick up a bag to take home with you!). They also have a pretty mean iced tea game.
(4)Renetta M.
Yum. I has the shrimp étouffée and it was perfectly seasoned. Don't think the roll on the plate is some hard store bought thing! Try it, it is buttery crispy on the outside and soft yummy in the middle!
(4)Bryan M.
Here is the deal..Yes this place has a big following, yes they have been written up in USA Today and Southern Living and YES you should go there if you are in Lake Charles...BUT...Huge amounts of fried food....GOOD......the folks that work there....SUPER NICE...except the HIGH kid at the register....maybe just a bad day.....Will I go back again and again...no, but glad I went there once. Got the Captains Platter..PLEASE split this with 2-3-4 people...Wish I would have ordered a bowl of the gumbo..looked great on the table next to us.. Go, Enjoy. cross it off your list.!
(3)Leslie N.
Felt rushed by the ordering staff. Food was OK for the money but I don't think I would eat here again. We were wanting Cajun food and for half our party had seafood. The best things on the menu were the ice tea and Louisiana rolls.
(3)Blake B.
My favorite eating spot in Louisiana. I've been here four times now and look forward to my next visit. I've had the fried dinner platters and their etoufees. Their Captain's Platter is a fried seafood feast to be reckoned with. Too much just for one person. The fried shrimp is some of the best I've had, but starting to favor the stuffed crab. Fried oysters are also pretty good. My favorite now is their Etoufees, yes they have the shrimp and crawfish (seasonal) versions. I had their ordered their Crawfish Etoufee, forgetting we're months away from crawfish season. However, it was very good. Perhaps not the biggest and the most freshest crawfish, but it was spiced just right and had the right thickness over rice. They offer the dish in multiple sizes, from cups to bowls. No qualms about ordering crawfish etoufee again in October. Their shrimp pistolettes are awesome! Lightly fried rolls, sliced down the middle with a dollop of shrimp etoufee. It's a great appetizer. One day I'll just have to order a handful of these as my entrée. It's tempting to pull over when passing and have a shrimp pistolette or two. In addition to their great seafood, they're service is quick, never had to wait long to place an order or wait for food.
(5)Miriam W.
Excellent seafood and Cajun/Creole classics in a fun place with a lively atmosphere. We had just arrived in Louisiana from Texas, and I was craving some gumbo. Yes, I was on my way to New Orleans, but it just couldn't wait! Their chicken and andouille gumbo was great and obviously prepared with the time and care that are the hallmarks of this dish when it's at its best. The broth was that deep color you can only get from making a classic roux, and the flavors were terrific. My husband and I both got a medium sized serving of the gumbo and we shared the fried seafood combo of oysters and catfish, and that was plenty of food for the both of us. We even kept it to the regular sized portion of the fried seafood combo and it was lots of food. The catfish and oysters were excellent...Louisianans know how to fry food without making it overly greasy. Yum. I will return!
(4)Edna L.
It's okay, its crowded at lunch. You order at the counter and your food is brought to you. A lot of the food is fried. I do like their gumbo and pistolettes.
(3)Anastasia U.
Everything fried-gross salad wasn't even worth going back for-bad dressing, bad flavor in general. Wait staff didn't have a clue, not sure the girls who took the initial order should even be included in wait staff. One of my coworkers went as well, before I had. Wait staff tried to charge him twice before he even received his food. He had to argue with them about it, all because he went to the restroom. Coworker I went with didn't even like her soup all the much.
(2)Edgar T.
Best welcome experience to Louisiana. Crawfish boil was fantastic. Best oyster poboy we've ever had.
(5)Lauree K.
I don't know how this place gets the reviews it does. Really, have y'all never had good seafood before? This is not it! Way overpriced for what you get, which I could overlook if the food was good. Is it even fresh? We weren't convinced. We had the small seafood platters with supposedly medium shrimp. Anywhere else, the shrimp we got would be considered small or popcorn. To add insult to injury, they were way over cooked. The other things on the platter were okay but nothing to write home about. We'd heard good things about this place and looked forward to trying it. Really good, fresh seafood can be found at too many other places around here. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those places.
(1)Brett S.
Good and Bad The Gumbo was amazing and probably some of the best I ever had. Shrimp was your basic deep fried you get anywhere. Stay away from the Catfish. All breading and a paper thin slice of fish.
(3)Edna S.
My sister and I went to Steamboat Bill's on 12/10/14 and had the gumbo and fried catfish dinner. It was excellent. We will go again when we're in Louisiana.
(5)Steven D.
We eat here every time we come to Louisiana!!! I gotta have boudin balls and a cup of gumbo!!!! Everything else is amazing too!!! Gosh I am soooo stuffed!!!'
(5)Geri B.
Delicious! Great service great food.
(4)Jamie M.
My main goal being from California was to cross state lines from Texas and visit Louisiana, because well I can now say I have been there, ha. Maybe I was expecting a little more, maybe I went in with hopes a lot higher than they should have been for Louisana's all that is deep fried foods, maybe I'm a bit of a food snob, or just all of the above (even possibly beyond full from the bag of Cajun Fries from Five Guys prior). My boyfriend was excited to order the Boudin balls (1.69 a piece) and being that I had never had them I was well pretty darn excited myself. Sadly they were a little bit of a disappointment. My other half said they tasted funny and something wasn't right with them. Le sigh! Disappointed to some degree as aforementioned and really couldn't be to judgmental since well don't know how good ones are supposed to taste, but the disappointment level was not near as much as my boyfriend's who had wanted my first tasting of such to be amazing, haha. Also ordered some spicy boiled shrimp, and these were actually really good. Loved the flavor. I ordered the Shrimp Po-boy (9.99) that came along side some fries (I was glutton for punishment thinking I could stomach more fries). It was good, nothing that knocked my socks off, tasted just as good second day as well. All and all they are pretty cool joint, minus the strange kid that decided to spend a little to much time looking at the artwork on the wall above our table, should have offered him a seat perhaps?
(3)Chris B.
Best gumbo and shrimp in the area, hands down. We get the pistolettes, chicken and sausage gumbo, and the small platter. It's great food, and the staff is friendly. Do yourself a favor and eat here.
(5)Sadaf Q.
Great food ,great price and great atmosphere. This is a really laid back restaurant. The staff is supper nice and the food is even better. We actually stopped her on our road trip from Houston hoping to get some crawfish but unfortunately it was out of season. But we did try a few of the other dishes and everything we ordered tasted great.
(4)Chris W.
Good solid seafood with a very friendly, home town atmosphere. Order in line they bring it to you. Been here several times...best with fried but a good solid gumbo as well...tasty little roles...never had an empty glass. I recommend this while in Lake Charles or just passing through. Bit pricey but to be honest, its worth it these days for a great meal and good service.
(4)P D.
The shrimp ettoufe was super delicious, just correctly spiced , correct temp, the accompanying roll was OMG good!!
(5)Aguila D.
We stopped by here on our way to New Orleans looking for a tasty bite. I was excited to try some delicious fried seafood. I was disappointed when we were told fried oysters were 86'd. Sooo I changed my order to fish and shrimp with fries. Instead I was served a plate full of deep fried salt. The food was greasy and there was entirely too much breading. The catfish filets were gooey inside, and the shrimp was tiny, despite upgrading to medium shrimp. The fries tasted like the standard frozen Sysco fries. The whole dish tasted like straight salt. The best part about this lunch was...psyche! There was no best part. Boooooooo.
(2)Laura A.
OMG. This place had really good fried shrimp. But after tasting hubby's crawfish etouffee, I was SO disappointed I didn't order that. They also had these Louisiana rolls.... they were a cross between a beignet and one of those fried Chinese biscuits.... I don't know if they were fried or not, but were so darn good, I had two of them. At only 49 cents a piece, not a bad deal. They also had really good pecan pralines at the register.... I wish this place were a little closer to my parent's house!
(5)Annie C.
Awesome customer service and the food is fabulous. We asked the greeter her suggestions and it was right on point. We're from Houston, Texas
(5)SM H.
Fast service and huge crawfish. The seasoning can numb your lips. Beware of the red bean and rice...it's SPICY!!
(4)Dylan H.
I agree, this gumbo is fantastic. You should eat here. Sorry I can't be more eloquent with my review, I've got some gumbo to eat...
(4)Amy L.
This is our 1st trip to Louisiana and we planned on having as much regional seafood as possible. We arrived Sunday night and the place was packed. The hostess would not us let inside the restaurant until we know what we were going to order. I understand their strategy to be effect so not a big deal. So we order from the counter when we were all ready. Once you have a receipt the hostess will seat you. Our meal - Boiled crawfish @ $5.99/ lb - (3*) kinda salty Boiled shrimp @ $14.99/ lb - (3*) headless & nothing special Shrimp Etouffeé - I never this before so I can't make any comparisons but I did wish I order the gumbo instead Kiddie Popcorn chicken (3.5) & catfish nuggets (3.5) - not bad for fry food (FYI doesn't come w/ drinks anymore) Service - (3*) cashier was great but took wait staff forever to get a drink refill Ambiance (3) - kinda has that chain restaurant look & feel At least there were free beads for the tourist (actually for all guest).
(3)Anthony B.
This may be my favorite Cajun place in the whole world. It is good enough that my family routinely delays dinner by several hours on our pilgrimages to New Orleans from Austin, just so that we can eat here. The prices are reasonable, the portions are large, the service is fast and friendly. Everything is fresh and flavorful. My personal favorite is the etouffe, but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We have eaten here about a half dozen times, and never had a bad experience. If you are passing through Lake Charles, I would not stop anywhere else.
(5)Sarah K.
Great food for a reasonable price. I come here whenever I'm in town. This place has the best etoufee I've ever found.
(5)Michele S.
Thanks yelp... Would have never stopped here if I hadn't read the reviews... So glad I did! I have gluten & celery allergies, was able to find plenty to satisfy my Cajun hunger! Boiled crawfish, baked potato, even stole some of my husband fried shrimp (battered in cornmeal yay gf) everything was fresh and tasty. Great atmosphere. Already talking about what we will get on our way back to Texas.
(4)Angelica R.
So good! We were heading back to San Antonio Tx from our trip to NOLA Mardi Gra. My friend loves crawfish and wanted to have some before we left LA. I have only had crawfish once and didn't care for it since it was so salty. At Steamboat Bills its was so tastey and I am now a crawfish fan. I loved the spicy kick to it satisfied my Hispanic taste buds. I would definitely revisit if I ever passed through again.
(5)Silvestre B.
If you drive down I-10 West going towards Houston, I'm sure you'll see plenty of billboard for Steamboat Bill's. Just follow the neon lights to the exit and you'll find Lake Charles' staple for the mud bugs. Of course their crawfish is the specialty and they are a good size when in season. Their generous portions of gumbo and etouffee' with spoon sized meats are perfect whether its a cold December afternoon or in a middle of summer heat wave. Try the gumbos and crawfish of course. The crawfish pistolettes are divine as well. Order at the counter and great service once you are seated.
(4)Connie W.
I came here after looking at the reviews in search of some good Cajun food. I was a little disappointed that the food didn't live up to my expectations. I ordered the crawfish étouffée and found that it lacked the spicy seasoning that's characteristic of good Louisiana Cajun food. In fact, I would actually say that Pappadeaux has better crawfish étouffée in terms of taste and portion size. The rest of my group got fried platters - catfish, shrimp, crawfish and they all seemed fairly pleased with their dishes. I did notice however that everyone had to add a decent amount of Cajun seasoning power to add flavor to their food. The portion size for the fried platters is huge so don't feel like you need to order additional sides. You get plenty of French fries already. If you've ever been to Rudy's BBQ in Austin, the set up of this restaurant is a bit similar. You walk in and order at the front and then find a table to be seated at. The difference is that the servers bring the food to you. One big plus to this place is how quick the food comes out. I think we were barely seated 10 minutes before hot plates were served. I gave Steamboat Bills 3 stars for quick service but only so-so food.
(3)Nutchanat P.
Who dat? It's crawdad! Crawdad who? It's badass crawdad from Steamboat Bill's! A must go if you happin to be in this part of town or state or just passin by, make sure you stop by Steamboat Bill's to get a little summpin here. Don't need to go outta your way to go any place else. Great Mudbugs! Get 5lbs for two people. If you don't wanna hassle with pinchin n peelin then get the Captain's platter which is plenty for two. You have to get some bundin balls while you're at it, cuz its alllll good! Warning: Don't suck the head too hard (Yes I'm talking about the crawfish head) cuz its spicyyyyy. We'll be back for sure on our next gambling trip.
(5)Hugh P.
The gumbo was some of the best I have ever tasted. The big fried platter was not so good. The large fillet of catfish looked incredible, but was inedible mush on the inside. The fried shrimp listed on menu as medium, were more popcorn size. The stuffed shrimp and crab were mostly mushy filler. I rarely leave this much food on a plate.
(3)Wendy L.
I ate here twice, once on my way to New Orleans and once one my way back to Texas. After stopping here the first time, we knew we had to come again for the home trip back. This place has really great cajun food and their seafood is absolutely fresh. The first time we stopped here, we ordered the crawfish etoufee and the gumbo. I wasn't wowed by the gumbo and probably won't order it again but the crawfish etoufee was absolutely tasty! On the return trip, my boyfriend ordered crawfish while I ordered the seafood combo with fried shrimp and fried oyster. The friend shrimp and oysters were absolutely fresh and it definitely hit the spot. The crawfish was amazing too with the right kick of spice and definitley flavorful! I would definitely go here again on my way to New Orleans.
(5)Aaron R.
The food was amazing! Had the Cajun chicken strip dinner! They were perfect! My girlfriend ordered the catfish and had me try some. It's to die for! The best I've ever had, and the service was fantastic! We got seated fast and the food was out to us in less then 10 min.
(5)Amanda S.
This place is worth adjusting your travel schedule for. I've stopped here a bunch on my I-10 travels and tried lots of different things. Everything is fresh, perfectly spiced and so, SO GOOD! Hope you're hungry!
(5)Marcus L.
Nice. what i mean is that WOW! yea i missed eating good food from Louisiana. and their food was great! I will go back
(4)Casey C.
If you notice the trend here, of the 18 reviews, not a single reviewer of Steamboat Bills is actually from the area...yet... I live close by and I eat here a few times a year and don't think it's anything special.... the food is pretty standard for the area and I could match their food at about half a dozen or more places in the Lake Charles area. The major draw of this restaurant is the location, which seems to hook a lot of travelers that don't know the area. Don't get me wrong...the food is good. When I'm craving fried seafood and boiled crawfish, this restaurant is in the top three in the area that I would choose from. The catfish and shrimp are nicely fried, and the crawfish do have flavor, but I've have better elsewhere.... They're "A-OK"....
(3)Holly G.
Great food. Crawfish is expensive. Service can be hit or miss. If you're from out of town and just want crawfish, do your homework. It'll taste great here but odds are you can find it cheaper somewhere else. Pistolettes are great.
(4)Brendon D.
Pretty good gumbo and etouffee. Though they are super good, you can tell that there is a lot of butter or something creamy added. Maybe cream? I'd definitely go back here a lot.
(4)Lauren R.
I wasn't ever a huge fan of crawfish. Sure they can be tasty, but all that work for that little thing? I just didn't get it. Now I do. At Bill's, I will peel for hours and hours. I will peel until my fingers scream at the sight of a shelled fish. For Bill, I will peel until I can peel no more. These little guys are FANTASTIC. We sampled some of the gumbo, shrimp creole, and crawfish etouffee. All were very good, but I did have to order more etouffee to go. I couldn't resist. Now that I know about Steamboat Bill's, I'll definitely be taking road trips often just as an excuse for more.
(5)J Von Ryan A.
This place is good, but not great. If you enjoy fried fare, then holy crap this is your place. Fried food is great, but can be a bit much. The seafood platter is a fried seafood platter. Be forewarned. The staff is awesome. No real waiters or waitresses. You stand up and go order beer and pay for it on a different tab. Its a little odd. All in all an average experience. You pick your own seat. I was a bit disapointed based on the reviews.
(3)Tara K.
Best seafood place around Lake Charles!! Make sure you go to the one on lakeshore drive though!!
(5)Billie P.
AWESOME Food! The red beans and rice, chicken and shrimp gumbo and boudin balls are great! Good Margaritas, good prices. Large portions for the kids meals. Always a family stop for us when traveling thru Louisiana. Was on USA Today's Top Ten Road stop places to eat.
(4)Steve S.
A little touristy from the outside. But it was good food and fun inside! Crawfish met the hype. Gumbo was 2.5 stars, ettiffee is 4 stars, cabbage casserole was a 5 star! Highly recommend.
(5)Giggle S.
Yum yum yum!!! The best thing on the menu are the Shrimp pistolette and boudin balls. I would definitely try both, you won't regret it :)
(5)Danny B.
My wife and I decided to try Steamboat Bill's based on other Yelp reviews. We stopped in on a Thursday nigh around 8:00 PM. They were pretty busy but we quickly placed our order and were seated. The service was great and the food came out quickly. We shared a regular order of crawfish etoufee and a large order of catfish. Both of the orders were great and there was so much food we couldn't finish it all. My wife said that the catfish was some of the best that she ever had! We'll be back!
(5)Destiny D.
I LOVE this place! I always have the best food served to me. The only complaint is how small the place is. But other than that it's the best seafood I've ever had.
(4)Philip L.
Consistent! That's what I love about Steamboat. I know what I want when I walk in the door, and they cook it the same EVERY time. I really can't ask for more than that. My wife loves the gumbo and the pistolettes. I consume a healthy amount of crawfish when they're in season. Steamboat has always been the best restaurant in the area for crawfish. Why, you ask? Because they know how to cook them consistently. They may be a little more expensive than some other places, but you know exactly what you're getting every time. They have plenty of room for large parties. The wait staff is fast, efficient, and cordial. You really can't beat the location either. It's easy to locate, park, and leave. Give it a try, you'll like it!
(4)Keslie W.
Good food. Good price. We had a party of six during the supper rush on a Friday night. We ordered promptly and were seated within 10 minutes of arriving. The étouffée was yummy and the popcorn shrimp had good sized shrimp fried golden brown. I highly recommend.
(4)Karen N.
I didn't see any steamboats. Nor was I with Bill. But the food was a-ok. I had the crawfish ettoufee potato and somehow that seems spelled wrong. Ah well. It was kinda like a chowda. I don't really know how I feel about it except that I ate it in two sittings after I nuked it when I got home. I'm still trying to find a good word for it... MOIST. Yes, an adequate word for it... is moist. So if you like a moist potato.. go this route. Otherwise you might want to try somethin fried.
(3)E B.
Always skeptical of reviews and places that sound like a theme park but we stopped here anyway on our way to Baton Rouge. We had the catfish and popcorn shrimp platters. Both were juicy and lightly battered - which is definitely not the norm. Pleasantly surprised. And they have a decent bar selection. Servers were friendly. It is a little strange how the process works but we didn't have any problems and your server can order more things for you. Unfortunately, there was a hostile moment upon departure because, despite the sever saying it was ok to leave with our cup, the host(s) -hope not owners- mumbled some stuff while we were walking buy. We stopped to ask if there was a problem and explained the situation. All we needed was a different to-go container. Considering we asked before we left the table and the nasty mumbling from employees/owners, the above paragraph should be taken with a grain....
(3)Troy K.
Ok so on the way home from Nola I kept seeing a sign that said this spot was voted #1 or something like that in Lake Charles. I figured what the heck and went for it . Parking lot was full and it had a nice rustic Louisiana feel to it. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I liked how it was decorated and they had a large variety of classic fried seafood. I was not real hungry so I ordered a Boudian ball and we decided to split a shrimp Po Boy. The boudian ball was awesome and I wish I had ordered 2. It was super crispy on the outside , had a nice spice to it, and came with a great sauce for dipping. 2 would make a meal. Then came the Po boy. What can I say. These people should be run out of Louisiana for the bread alone. Seriously this was an undercooked, mushy hoagie roll. I would say of the Walmart variety. It was an awful excuse for bread. I mean it was not even a french roll. The fried shrimp on it were pretty good and so I just ate those with the sauce left over from my Boudian Ball. I might give this place another try in the future and stick with the fried shrimp or fish and amazing boudian ball. Avoid the po boy here at all cost. A Denny's in Iowa probably offers a better one.
(2)Arnold N.
We found this place several years ago while making our trips between Florida and Texas. We have eaten here many times over the years and the food is always good and plentiful. This place is always busy, which again speaks to the fact that the food is good, because people don't come here for the ambience, as it is a pretty plain jane kind of place. The crawfish pistolettes are to dye for, small Louisana rolls filled with crawfish etouffee. Fried foods dominate the menu, but there are a few other options. I have a stomach issues, so I have to be careful with the foods that I eat, and I have never had a problem here. The fried food is not greasy, as you find so many times at these type places. They use peanut oil to fry the fish, so if you have a nut allergy, this is not your place. A lot of so called cajun food places, think that putting a lot of spices on the food, makes it cajun. They haven't figured out that the spices should enhance the taste not block the taste of the food. I have found that the spices here have always been reasonable, which enhances the taste of the food. I always look forward to a stop for lunch here, unfortunately, I think this may have been our last trip for awhile. I sure wish they would open one in Pensacola, as we don't have a large choice of decent seafood places.
(4)Roxanna L.
My two brothers live in Louisiana. This spot isn't exactly close to where either of them live, but it's close enough by South Louisiana standards...and on our way in from Texas. It's probably not died and gone to heaven seafood, but it's about as close as you can probably get here on earth. Generally, when you walk in someone greets you, offers you a menu and shuffles you toward a register when you're ready to order. Order and pay at the register - get your drinks - take your number - have a seat. When your food is ready, one of the many friendly staff folks will bring your food. Um you don't really have a "waiter" per se...there's just a whole group of guys (sometimes a gal) that are super friendly and hustle your food to and from the table and bring you drink refills. I should probably say that my immediate family (Mom, Dad, 2 brothers and I) lived on the Gulf Coast for many many years. All the men folk are Game Wardens (current and retired). These men have taken complete amateurs out to fish and come home with limits galore. We've hosted our fair share of fish frys and crawfish boils. We are, therefore, pretty picky about our seafood. Ok, now that that's out of the way...OMG this place is SO YUMMY. I crave it from 5 hours away, and cry that I cannot go at will. (This is probably what earns it the 5th star...the longing...yah know?) They have fried fish, shrimp, oysters...all delicious. Fresh, perfectly seasoned, perfectly breaded, and deep fried in fresh clean oil. They have crawfish (in season of course) and we've put away 5 lbs with 4 people...gone back and ordered another 5 more. They're about as good as you would do yourself without all the toil. They have stuffed crab...ZOMGZ!!!! FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Delectable crab meat stuffing crammed back in its shell then deep fried. *(gonna amend this to say I don't think the stuffed crabs are good like they used to be...they don't have as much crab anymore? Still 'good' but don't expect lots of crab 5/2014). Salads with boiled shrimp (um yum!)...Shrimp AND crawfish etouffe (and their daintier cousins the shrimp or crawfish pistolette)...NOM NOM NOM! Also...gumbo, red beans & rice, boudin, po-boys...etc. I think you're starting to get the picture. I've been here dozens of times, and it's never been disappointing. It always lives up to our expectations. I don't even know how that's possible. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it is a very special spot in our family. If you're ever in the area needing a spot to graze - try it!
(5)Lindsay F.
damn those crawfish pistolettes. we keep to the pistolettes b/c they're the best and inexpensive. i recommend anyone that will listen to go and order these- several friends who stopped by on my rec said they had religious experiences in the parking lot over their to-go box of crawfish pistolettes. we ALWAYS call an order in when we are traveling through Lake Charles on hwy 10- east bound, call an order in ~ 20 mile (get off on exit 29) & west bound, we call an order in ~ 40 mile (get off on exit 30A). nice break in the drive b/c if you call in so they're ready (no line for to-go) and it's so easy to get back on route. i can't believe i haven't reviewed this all these years, was just telling someone about them and thought, i owe SB a review.
(5)Mark G.
The shrimp étouffée was fantastic. Nice casual crowd, quick service, attentive wait staff, comical decor, and interesting barrel shaped bathroom sinks, and relatively clean.
(4)Paul C.
Something to look forward to break up the 6 hour drive between New Orleans and Houston. Love the crawfish and shrimp pistolettes. The boiled shrimp were seasoned perfectly. And, the baked potatoes were also very good. We had one baked potato topped with crawfish etouffee.
(5)Rod C.
The crawfish etouffee was off the chain. The boudin balls were excellent too. Our gumbo seemed to be a little burnt or overdone, but you can't win 'em all. Overall, this was a great place to stop for lunch while traveling I-10, and a great place to get some authentic Louisiana cookin'.
(4)Angel F.
I can understand why so many people think this is great food, there aren't many choices. 1st off, I don't like the concept of this place. When you walk in the door, you're handed a menu, then told to get in 1 of three lines. I felt rushed to order and couldn't fully read over everything and decide what I wanted. 2nd after you order you stand around, in the way while you wait for a random waiter to tell you where to sit. Now on to the food: I had the popcorn shrimp and chicken tenders. Sounded simple enough. The shrimp was pretty good. The chicken tenders on the other hand, not so much. I know you're probably wondering, how can someone mess up chicken tenders? Well here's how...when you fry the chicken in the same grease as you're frying french fries, fish, shrimp, hush puppies and whatever else they fry up here, that's how. Also my chicken was overcooked and the batter tasted like cornmeal instead of what I'm use to (flour and egg) My mom and husband had the crawfish and both said it was really good. I will say the waitstaff and bus boys are on top of things! Definitely give them an A+
(2)W G.
Good food. My wife fell in love with the shrimp Pistolettes. Pretty good. Having been several times the food is usually excellent but occasionally can be over cooked a bit. The food is mostly fried but there is gumbo and other dishes as well. If you like it fried then this is the place for you.
(4)Jared B.
They only get two stars because the boiled crawfish isn't bad. The rest of their food is mediocre and touristy. Sadly, this is perfect for the people of Lake Charles. All of the fried food tastes exactly the same. The rest of the menu is boring and bland.
(2)Chris N.
Tried this place after every local we asked recommended it... Definitely Best Cajun food we've ever had!
(5)Stephanie R.
Fried, fried, and more fried seafood. Oh, they even FRY their biscuits! The boudin balls were DELICIOUS but that's about all. Touristy place so I would recommend visiting if you get the chance.
(3)Missy G.
Small platter was AMAZING! Included: stuffed shrimp (good), stuffed crab (decent), catfish (off the chain great paired with yummy coleslaw!!), medium fried shrimp (delicious), fries (a little better than good) & Louisiana roll (melt in your mouth). Crawfish good if you add more spice. Corn OK. Potatoes bland & gross The ambiance does nothing for me. Staff were attentive but the cashier didn't give us a number & since it was our first time there we didn't know we needed one. Also told me crawfish only comes with 1 potato/corn so I ordered one of each. Come to find out 2lbs does not include corn/potato so we only had one. No big deal like I said potato sucked. Prices reasonable.
(4)Alyson A.
I think it's hilarious that one of the reviews says, "everything fried-gross" in it. C'mon. It's Louisiana. Most of the foods are fried--get over yourself. Maybe I'm just used to it, considering this is my hometown, but if you don't want fried food don't go to a typical Louisiana restaurant. With that being said, I went here with a party of 4 others. I was visiting old friends so our laughing and cutting up melded right in with the general volume of the place. The food was fan-freaking-tastic. The only disappointment? I came all the way from Colorado wanting a crawfish pistolette and had to settle for a shrimp one. ALMOST as good. I had fried fish with french fries and a roll and it made me miss living by water. The fish in CO? Nothing to write home about. Everyone's food was hot, fantastic, and we didn't feel rushed to leave at all. Will I go back when I visit home? A resounding, "hell, yeah"!
(4)Narin L.
I don't understand why this place is rated so high? Elite yelpers rating this place 4-5 stars? Seriously? This place feels like a diner for truckers the very moment you step through the door! It seems like they have a process to get you in and out quick! You're greeted at the door with a menu, order at the counter and seated by a waitress who then brings your food when it's ready... Typical seafood fare with mostly all fried stuff... I ordered the "jumbo" shrimp, my buddy got their gumbo and etouffee and my other friend got their fried catfish! Jumbo shrimp weren't really "jumbo" more like medium to large. My buddy barely even ate his gumbo and took a bite from his etouffee before literally pushing it away. I wouldn't go back to this place and if it weren't for Boudin King being closed we wouldn't even be there in the first place..
(2)Sherry W.
Crawfish étouffée was excellent!! Chicken and sausage gumbo was good. Spicy peel and eat shrimp were awesome!! Easy counter service. Was as great today as it was three years ago!
(5)Gianna O.
Oh Steamboat Bill's! What you do with shrimp is beyond words. You take the freshest shrimp and you batter it perfectly and then you fry it like a pro until it's golden and just impossible to resist. Thank you, Bill, whoever you are. I truly love your fried shrimp. I can honestly say they are among the best I've ever had and certainly the freshest! Other dishes here include the crawfish etouffee. I was in no way disappointed here. The crawfish were plump, juicy, fresh and so yummy! If you don't mind a drive from the Houston area or if you are headed back to the Houston area from Louisiana, make a stop at Steamboat Bill's. It's very much worth the time and drive!
(5)Carl H.
Easy on, easy off location for some consistently good food. Many visits and always a seafood satisfaction for the ride home. The mudbugs at the next table, looked good, but I have not been able to "not" order my favorite ---- butterfly fried shrimp. Maybe next time......
(4)Kiri S.
Fond memories of stopping at Steamboat Bill's on a drive along I-10 from Houston to New Orleans. A coworker had suggested it and I'm glad, otherwise we never would have known it was there (kind of eclipsed by the huge bridge in Lake Charles.) We were there at lunch time on the first Friday of Lent, so it was a zoo, and they had people in the parking lot directing traffic. No matter, we found a spot and made our way in. We ordered one of the platters, with fried shrimp and catfish, plus an order of gator balls. Everything came to the table quickly and more importantly hot. Everything was delicious - and it was a lot of food. Would definitely recommend to those making the trek along I-10.
(4)Jennifer W.
Delicious Cajun food! I never had the chance to visit this place the last time I visited Lake Charles and after 2 years I finally got the chance too! I live in Cali., (born in New Orleans, FYI) and the seafood in CA doesn't compare to the good ole Louisiana seafood. We ordered the Captain's Platter (Fried catfish, stuffed shrimp & crab, shrimp, oysters, fries cole slaw and bread roll), Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Oyster Po-Boy, Boudin Balls, and Fried Mushrooms. AND I literally died and went to fried seafood heaven!! Everything was delicious and unhealthy, but amaze balls..nonetheless. The employees are very friendly, the prices are great, and the food was yummmmm! The only con was that the establishment could be a little more accommodating to the disabled. It was difficult to get my disabled family member through the front door with a tall small side walk and a bench taking up 80% of the room outside.
(4)Sarah R.
Driving from New Orleans to Dallas, we stopped here to see a friend. Great huge crawfish and we were brave and snapped the tails ad ate them like a local.... Except for the head sucking part. Great local flavor!
(4)Lauren M.
Nope. If there is a crowd, don't waste your time. Extremely unorganized. Rude. Even the customers waiting around you are rude. Why spend $100 on lunch to be treated this way?
(1)Matt E.
This was a bit of a disappointment. I came to this restaurant with my wife while driving from Austin to New Orleans this was not a good stop. The etoffee was too salty, as was the same sauce used with the jambalaya. The wait staff was very kind and considerate, and was willing to switch an item when requested. But the food made this place a miss.
(2)David S.
This is our 2nd time here. Wife had the small catfish dinner, same as the first time...and she was happy with it (as before). I had a large shrimp gumbo...not that impressed, a bit soupy for my taste. I like my gumbo to have this silky, buttery mouthfeel. The flavor was good, it was just a bit runny. The side of cole slaw was fresh.
(3)Dan K.
A must stop if you're driving into Lake Charles. Steamboat Bills has some of my favorite crawfish of all time. Don't waste your time with their big menu. Hot and spicy boiled crawfish and shrimp. Maybe get a gumbo (both gumbos are good) and maybe throw in some corn. The fried stuff and poboys get thumbs up from my group but c'mon -- Crawdads! Skip the pistolettes and stuffed crab / stuffed shrimp. They're just filled with a bunch if bread and fried.
(4)Lily V.
The food here is delicious and its always packed with lots of people! It is conveniently located right off of I-10, so its great for people traveling and wanting a quick and DELICIOUS bite to eat. There are tons of menu items to choose from! I actually had a po-boy and the house special of smothered potatoes and sausage. The po-boy was a good size, and the smothered potatoes had just the right amount of cajun seasoning. There were many people eating the crawfish, so I'm sure that was pretty good too! Only downside was I felt that we were a little rushed. As soon as you walk in, you order at the front counter before being seated by a waitress to a table. BUT,this was not a deal-breaker at all. Definitely a must-try if you are in the area.
(3)Vivian H.
Steamboat Bill fries everything, apparently. Don't get me wrong, they do it well, but DAMN. We split a small seafood platter. It came with a huge catfish filets (my fave), bunch of shrimp, stuffed shrimp and crab (ew it's all just filler), a mountain of fries (thick cut and soggy), Louisiana Roll and some coleslaw. We also got a little etoufee, which was okay. We couldn't finish the dish. I'm kinda concerned that any one person would. Lemme just say that I don't like dinner rolls. But if you FRY IT like they do apparently to a Louisiana roll, then well damn I could probably eat a sickening number of them. People here are REALLY nice. They'll teach you what an etouffee is. It's clean, it's big, it's air-conditioned. And they fry their rolls.
(3)Paul G.
Wow! I don't have the credentials to say "authentic", but as far as I know, "can't get no better." The crawfish was awesome - head and all. Shrimp was awesome. The place hums with efficiency. I will come back. Maybe tomorrow!!
(5)Marcy S.
This is one of my favorite Southern Louisiana restaurants! Anytime I'm passing by, I make an excuse to stop for something or another. The pistolettes are my favorite by far but I also love their boudin balls. During crawfish season, they have some of the best (well seasoned) crawfish I've eaten at a restaurant. They do offer a plethera of fried foods, but I'm not a huge fan of those. For anyone in Louisiana who enjoys seafood, this is a MUST try.
(5)Cristina C.
Servers and cashiers were very nice and helpful and food came out fast. Red beans and rice were good but the shrimp gumbo was disappointing. It had baby shrimp and the roux could have had more flavor. My husband got the small platter and said the catfish was good but the stuffed items had too much breading. His favorite item here was the étouffée pistoullie.
(3)Darrell M.
I had high expectations of this establishment from the rave reviews of current coworkers. This was my downfall. We ordered had some traditional "Cajun" dishes and were hoping for some original "secret" recipe taste, but when it was served all we had was bland, "made-from-a-packet" dishes. Everything fried only tasted like the oil it was cooked in, which told me they never changed the oil regularly! The étouffée tasted like it was made a few days ago and warmed back up on our arrival. The prices were too high for the low quality of food. If you have ever had true South Louisiana food from a good cook, don't go here. You will be disappointed. If you're not, you have probably not had very good Cajun style food. ;-)
(2)phill V.
Crawfish étouffée was excellent! Different service as you order from a counter and then they deliver to your table but was very quick and like I said food was excellent! Don't let the crowds scare you this place is big and efficient had more trouble finding a place to park then a place to sit I didn't have any but the steamed/boiled crawfish were VERY popular and looked tasty, only complaint no raw oysters can't have everything I guess Seriously this is a goto place for good local style seafood
(4)Jake C.
This place is a staple for us at work when we have folks who want a Cajun style meal. Food quality is always good. Service level is really high. And they really pile on the food. Do not order the large.
(4)Marie G.
Super fast service. Pistoletes, creole shrimp and gumbo were amazing. Price was very reasonable. Great experience.
(5)Drew K.
Crawfish seasoning here is excellent. It's not just hype in my opinion. I have tried many many other places and each time I return to Bill's I remember what really good crawfish taste like. Sizes were mixed and all on the small side but I can just as easily blame the early season for that. $6 a pound I think was the least price I went through here, so not terribly expensive to share in the experience.
(5)Cesar G.
This is a great place to eat if you want to taste some real Cajun food! They have Crawfish, Gumbo, boundin Balls, and po-boys. They have two stores this one and one in the bad side of town. The locals have all told me that they don't eat at the other place because it isn't as tasty and nice as this one and I agree. For you out of state people I'll give you a quick run through. Crawfish are seasonal and during my time in the area it has averaged $5/lb. Your wife will probably need 4 lbs and for the guys the sky is the limit. So if you are on a budget get at least 3lbs and share them like an appetizer with your family. Make sure to buy a Corn for each member of the family because they are so so good. 50 cent each at the date of this post. The potato's with the crawfish are good but I like the corn more it has this spicy kick to it. You need to try Gumbo but I would say Steamboat bills does not have the best Gumbo in the world it more OK then wow. I like the Gumbo in New Orleans a lot more! Boundin balls are a classic in the area and are considered an appetizer consider getting one for each person in the family or maybe just one and two and cutting it into 1/2 or 1/4's to share with the family. A po-boy stands for Poor Boy. It was supposed to be a poor mans sandwich. I am not a fan the tator sauce always give me a head ache! But if you don't have the same medical conditions that I do go for it, and since this is the south be ready for fried everything! I am sad that Steamboat bills doesn't have alligator meet :( and I have yet to find a place that does but I have been told that they are mostly sold as appetizers in nicer dining areas which this is not so my hunt continues.
(4)Josy J.
Can you be easily embarassed by asking what a Boudin ball is? Yes. Being from the west coast, this was new to me and the lady (actually she was a girl) said "You don't know what a Boudin ball is?" to which I answered, "No" ..I kind of thought she might know the answer to that one already... "Where are you from?" she asked in awe. "California" I answered and I asked again, "What is a Boudin ball?". She smiled and turned to her co-worker and answer he did, very enthusiastically . I ordered one. It reminded me of a hush-puppy, round and crisp on the outside and doughy inside with a spot of meat....I really liked the shrimp!
(4)Alex J.
I guess I came here with high expectations...the gumbo was greasy, my shrimp were overcooked, and the restaurant itself just seemed icky and dirty...not "bad" food, but not exactly "good" food either...
(3)Nikki T.
I've been here twice and haven't been disappointed! The shrimp poboy is awesome, and the next time we split a huge fried seafood platter. It was all good! My only complaint is that there isn't a good selection of veggies (coleslaw is about it...) or healthy kid's items, so if you're on a diet or just like to eat healthy, this is not the place for you(or your kids!) I figure stopping here once a year on our way from Houston to Covington is not going to hurt us :) Bring your own veggies! lol
(4)Brett W.
Etouffe', Red beans and rice, fried shrimp, cole slaw... all of what my wife and I had last time we were here. In the past I've gotten the huge platters of crawfish (even the pinchers had meat in them that's how big they are) . I've been eating cajun/seafood all of my life and I really like coming home and going to Steamboat Bill's. The etouffe' is very good and everything is super fresh. We are really picky about quality of food at restaurants and I asked my wife what star rating she'd give this place and without a seconds thought she said 5. I agree. It isn't fancy but they are super fresh, efficient and friendly. Wish I had some now!
(5)Bob G.
Great place to get your cajun on! I really like Steamboat Bill's. It's in a good location for a pitstop between Houston and NOLA. The food is good and inexpensive. I really enjoyed their boiled crawfish 6lbs / 2 people. It was $5/lb, which wasn't too bad. It was nice and spicy too. I've had most everything on the menu and it's all good. I probably wouldn't recommend the gumbo or etouffee. The service is quick and friendly. Place your order at the counter and they bring the food.
(4)Nick W.
Perfect place located right on the I-10 feeder to stop on a road trip for authentic cajun food. The gumbo and crawfish po boy were excellent
(5)Amy P.
We loved them! Super Yummy!!! Skip the seafood platter and Boudin Balls though - too much going on there, both in calories and fat content... Stick to the boiled crawfish, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)Denise H.
This is a good place to eat seafood in Lake Charles. I'm not a great fan of fried food, but their fish and shrimp are pretty good. The service is very quick and the staff is friendly. Their menu does not disappoint as there are many choices. One of my favorite dishes there is the chicken sausage gumbo. It is very flavorful and not too greasy. This is a family friendly place that I would definitely recommend.
(3)Beth D.
Yummy! It's exactly what you picture when you think Cajun, and the food lives up to the hype. I had fried catfish that was absolutely delicious. Frankly it would be worth coming just for the delicious fried "Louisiana roll". Bonus for me is that they serve Pepsi products instead of Coke, so I could get my Mountain Dew fix. Bonus!
(4)Daniel L.
Cajun seafood heaven. Bring your appetite here because they give you a huge stack of food. This is just past the LA-TX border and greets travelers to Louisiana cajun country with big open arms. We got to the restaurant around 6 pm on a Friday. I walked in and there was a long line to the order station. It moved pretty quickly though and we were able to place an order in about 10 min. I ordered the Captain' Platter which comes with breaded and fried catfish, shrimp, oysters, and crab casserole. This is also a popular place for crawdads but I did not have any of that. We sat in a corner where we could see the rest of the patrons busily taking down their seafood and drinking beer. Just about every table was taken up. The atmosphere is like Hooters, but you will not see any Hooters girls here. Instead of ordering wings, you'll be ordering crawdads, shrimps, or oysters. The food came and it tasted great! The catfish was flaky outside and extremely tender inside. The oysters had that strongly bitter aftertaste with just a hint of salt and the meat melted in your mouth. The staff is friendly and refilled my drink regularly. Anytime I am in Lake Charles I think I will be hitting this place up.
(4)Tracy H.
It's good. It's packed. It's consistent. But all that fried food anymore hurts my tummy. Next time I will go for steamed shrimp and maybe some raw oysters if they have them.
(3)Suzy S.
Hot, fresh and just right spicy! I was going to buy their spice blend until I read the ingredients - every thing I already use at home! The etouffe was meaty and not greasy, the fried shrimp and crawfish crunchy and plenty. Easy to get in and out of from I10. We were there around 11:30 so wasnt crowded yet and service was fast. This will be a regular stop on our way to and from New Orleans from now on!
(4)Belinda B.
Good gumbo, great boiled shrimp, great pistolettes. Good for groups.
(4)Lavisa Y.
Wow...that was so delicious!! Didn't really care for the fish but the red beans & rice was off the chain! The best sweet tea I've ever had!
(4)Lauren A.
I think this place is overrated. We went after crawfish season so any crawfish they served was frozen. My dad got fried popcorn shrimp and crawfish and couldn't tell them apart. It was a cute atmosphere but I wish we had a tried a different place for lunch on our drive from New Orleans to Austin.
(2)Phi N.
I've been here a few times and have gotten a couple of different seafood platters. You get a menu and order your food at the counter and then go sit down. Then somebody will bring the food out to you. Service is kind of so-so and food is nothing to rave about. It's really nothing new or original about it and the food is okay. I've definitely had better fried seafood elsewhere. The price is a lil on the expensive side even though they give you a lot of food. This place seems more of a tourist trap capitalizing on being right next to I-10. I'd probably not go back since there are a lot of better places to eat in Lake Charles.
(2)Frankie B.
Wicked wicked good étouffée. Authentic Cajun food. The roux was hella rich in a sense like I've never had before. Unless you're starving opt for the regular size portion. Will positively make the drive back here to eat. Went back as we were workin' in the area the next night and had the red beans and rice while sharing the seafood platter. Seasoning in the batter was spot on and quantity was definitely copious!
(4)Jill G.
YUM. First place we stopped when got to LA. Gumbo great. Spicy shrimp salad great. And oh yeah that pecan pie with bourbon. It is a must do if in lake Charles.
(4)Chris L.
I won't break Sira's balls for the word "crayfish", he is after all, a Yankee. ; ) [edit--Sira is a girl, therefore no balls to bust!] Everything else in his review is spot on. The crawfish was great; it arrive very quickly and was spiced almost to perfection. I like mine just a tad hotter, but it would be adequate for most folks. I also sampled the Boudin Balls. Basically, a Boudin Ball is the filling from boudin sausage that is breaded in something delicious and then deep fried to perfection. I do believe that I could live on Boudin Balls for the rest of my life. Will you marry me? At Steamboat Bills, you order and pay at the counter. A waitress/waiter will bring your food to you when it's ready. If you want to order seconds, they'll take care of that for you at your table (but they gets their money first, amigo) I had two pounds of crawfish, two Boudin Balls, and a Dr. Pepper for about $13.
(5)Mary B.
Everything was deep fried, it was pricey, It is a very popular place and you have to decide on the fly what you are having before you can be seated. We felt rushed and sort of herded like cattle. We wont be going back
(2)Moki C.
Best food. Not just for the money, but for the actual food! Their crawfish étouffée was to die for. Crawfish po boy, too. If you like étouffée you must get a pistolette. It is a deep fried roll ( amazing) stuffed with your choice of étouffée. The food is hearty and filling, so order regular sized portions and try the appetisers. Fantastic service, too. Buy the rolls to make at home.
(5)Tony J.
Quick correction regarding the location. It's right next to 10 FWY, not Ryan St as map indicates. We ordered Seafood platter for 21 95 and we were stunned when it arrived. The plate must be at least 10K calories! but smelled sooooo gooooood. The taste was so fresh and I absolutely LOVED IT! GOING THERE AGAIN SOON!!!!! No wonder this place was mentioned in US News: Best Places To Eat On The Road.
(5)Alan J.
I am a sucker for good fried catfish, and Steamboat Bill's did not disappoint. It wasn't coated with cornmeal, which I prefer, but the batter was nice and light and didn't pick up a bunch of grease. Service was efficient and friendly. Very nice roll on the side too. Be sure to try it. And the cole slaw was nice and crispy, with a little tang to cut the sweetness.
(4)Jan G.
This is one of the first time's I have checked on Yelp to determine whether or not to stop here. I am glad we did. This roadside joint is a perfect place to break up your trip (see Prejeans in Lafayette) between New Orleans and Houston. My kids and I stopped on a Friday afternoon. Its hard to screw up fried popcorn shrimp and fries for them, but I really enjoyed the Etoufee and Boudin Balls. You order at the counter, but refrain from tipping there as you will have a server bring it to you. We were fortunate enough to get there right before a bus stopped (see kitchen and cashiers complain) but even then, the food came out fast. I wouldnt hesitate to stop here again and if its in season, will try the crawfish, which looked pretty good for this late in the season.
(3)Gill M.
OMG I'm here for the week and can't stay out of the place. I had the shrimp etouffe' yesterday and the Captain's platter today. The food is nothing short of amazing if you're looking for good cajun fare...some of the best in Louisiana! The service is great, staff is friendly and again OMG the food is great!
(5)JESSICA J.
ok, ok, what can i say it was just ok... i walked in and the hostess wasn't very nice. We sat down and thru out our meal we didn't even know who our waitress/waiter was...we had more help and service from the busboys. now I have to say that they are on point. They were very friendly. It wasn't too busy, so i cant say that that was the excuse...it was very convenient and easy to find. If i were to ever go back thru there i would be willing to give it another try.
(2)Stacy A.
Steamboat Bills has a very relaxed atmosphere. The staff are all friendly and helpful. We stopped in here because we heard that we had to try a crawfish pistolette. We had already eaten dinner, and were not impressed by the previous meal, so we were really looking for something to end the evening on a better note with. We each ordered a crawfish pistolette and sweet tea. When it came to the table, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I had placed in front of me. It was a roll, cracked open with crawfish etouffee heaped in the middle and pouring out over it a bit. I took my first bite and I was sold! It was delicious! Next time I'm driving through, I plan on ordering a plate full of those things! I only gave it 4 stars because the process of ordering and getting our food was a bit perplexing and the restaurant was a little loud, which is fine if you have kids or are there watching a football game or something.
(4)Greg G.
Good FRIED seafood. Nothing extraordinary, but good nonetheless. Yes, you must order up front when you walk in the door - so if you haven't been there before, just stand back and peruse the menu before you stand in line. I eat there sometimes when traveling through Louisiana - its conveniently located right off the Interstate. I wouldn't plan my trip around stopping here, but if you are hungry when passing through Lake Charles, it's worth a stop.
(4)S W.
There are a few things on the menu here that are pretty respectable, but all in all, there much better seafood to be had around here. Their location right off the 10 makes it perfect for hooking folks passing through town. You won't find anything bad here, just not great. This is Southwest Louisiana, after all. There's no reason to settle for average seafood.
(3)Patty J.
I absoloutely love this place!!! When I go home, I always stop here for lunch. They have wonderful boiled crawfish that is flavored perfectly! The prices are good and the amount of food you get for the price is good. I can't wait until I go back home to have more.
(5)Sira D.
I experienced crawfish here for the first time the other night. Between the three of us, we put away 6 whole pounds of crawfish, and probably could have managed more. They were amazingly delicious, like tiny spicy lobsters. Everything else that we got was great too, from the Gumbo to the stuffed shrimp and crabs. The wait staff were all lovely and they are smart enough to put whole rolls of paper towel on each table, because eating crawfish is a messy affair.
(5)Ernie S.
We were heading from N'Awlins to Houston and we stopped at this restaurant that was literally inches off the freeway (super easy stop off). Usually I consider places with flashing lights on a freeway exit a bad idea, but the seafood here was amazing, down home, and the best it gets. We had gumbo to start (can't recommend highly enough), fried catfish, and fried shrimp. Even the Louisiana rolls that come with the platters were crispy and fluffy and totally unique. The fries were perfectly cooked and better than average also. We were stuffed when we left. This place does not disappoint. It felt like a beach restaurant in which everyone was walking around in shorts and had a mellow feeling. You order at the counter and then get your food a little later. The prices were great too-- about 10 bucks for a big platter of food. 25 bucks is plenty for two and there's no tip expense to factor in.
(5)Buz B.
Really good food and a small diner on the lake kinda feel. I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 because, honestly, their ordering system is stupid and they didn't have any beers on tap. But, whatever. The food was good. We stopped here on the way back to Slidell, La from Austin and saw the billboard that said "voted #1 Crawfish in Louisiana"! I'm from Southeast La, so I thought, "Oh, we'll see about that!". They seemed to be quite popular, so we stopped in. When you go inside, you're given a rather limited menu and asked to wait in line while you look at the menu and decide what you want, and THEN you go up to the counter to order, you are given a card with a number and you go find a place to sit wile you wait on your food. The server brings the food to your table based on your number. Meh. A little stupid, but whatever. My woman and I both got the crawfish etouffee. I'm a HUGE fan of etouffee and I was absolutely thrilled that their large, although seemingly pricey, came in a humongous bowl. It was a brown etouffee, which I like and when I first tasted it, I was hooked. Honestly, it was some of the best etouffee that I ever had EXCEPT....... it was lacking one thing; crawfish! They could definitely put some more crawfish in that etouffee for $16.99. Come on. The taste is there, but the tail meat... not so much. I'm hoping that i just got a mediocre batch or something by a cook who just didn't gaf the day he made it. I also got a boudin ball to try and it was also among the best I've ever had. IF I were to ever pass thru Lake Charles again, I know where I'll be going to eat. That's for sure. Maybe I'll ask for extra crawfish in my etouffee or something.
(4)Jose G.
We saw the great reviews this place has and saw that it was close to our hotel so we gave it a try. We placed our ordered and were seated promptly. The Crawfish I ordered were perfectly spiced and cooked. My friends said their meals were excellent and some of the best seafood they've ever tried. Our waiter was very attentive and checked up on us often. The price was very fair and I will definitely return to this restaurant when I am in the area again.
(5)The G.
First time having Cajun cooking in Louisiana and this place was great. Had the gator bites, boudin balls were amazing, crab and shrimp gumbo was ok, sausage and chicken gumbo had more flavor, pistolettes (sp?) were amazing, shrimp po boy hit the spot for sure, the house potato was huge and delicious smothered in the shrimp étouffée!!!
(4)Donna Z.
We were driving through Lake Charles on our way to Houston and were so happy with Steamboat Bill's! It was very easy to get to and a great value for what we got. We ordered the Captain's Platter and LOVED sampling the different types of seafood. The staff was also extremely helpful on assisting the out of towners on understanding the menu items. We'd love to go back!
(5)Regina S.
I ordered the fried oysters, coleslaw, and fries. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp, coleslaw, and fries. We mainly got mostly fries ( huge portion, I thought that was the side order...), the coleslaw portion was so small that when we got tartar sauce, it was bigger. Felt cheated...the oysters were also very small. Not worth the high price. I dont see why this place is popular.
(2)Raul Q.
Busy , Rustic , crowded and DELICIOUS ! I read the reviews here and took the advice of the Captains Platter and the Crawfish Étouffée found myself not disappointed . The Captains platter fed our family of four but I look forward to coming back just for the Étouffée .
(5)Eugene K.
The chicken and sausage gumbo is solid but had a pretty smoky flavor to it. The crawfish isn't bad was a little small when I stopped in this past weekend. The seasoning was pretty good though. Service wasn't too bad either considering rush hour traffic for lunchtime on a weekend. They get your orders in quickly. The bread pudding is pretty good too but seems a little overpriced for such a small cup.
(4)Ashley G.
I am a regular here and I usually go on Sundays with my grandparents and my 85 year old great grandma. Usually when we get there it is quite busy but they seat us because of my great grandma. Well today they wanted us to wait til everyone that was ordering was seated before we could get a seat. There is only two seats for waiting one is by the door and the other is for people waiting for Togo orders. I understand that they are doing what they are told but it could have been handled better.Have some curtsy for old people and people with kids.Be prepared to wait to be seated when you go.
(4)Alicia F.
Wow--amazing food here! So glad we stopped by for lunch. It was hopping, but we easily found a spot in the large parking lot, walked in, and got in line. We got our food surprisingly fast, too! Kudos to the people behind the registers here. We started with the hefty boudin balls and beers, then tried the oyster poboy and shrimp poboy. All of it was tasty: crispy fried seafood, creamy mayo, and tons of lettuce, topped with a dash of hot sauce. Large portions, too! I actually ended up taking half of my poboy home because I couldn't finish it all in one sitting. Overall, great environment; perfect for kids, large groups, families, etc. A very "down on the bayou" decor scheme with fishing nets, alligators, neon signs, etc, and friendly staff. I would totally come back the next time I'm in town.
(5)All M.
This establishment is a bit to spicy for my taste and with as many customers as this place has, it really should invest in a larger building with more parking space. Many people love it here, but since watching what I eat and losing nearing 50 lbs, I can't and won't eat here.
(3)Johnny V.
The food was delicious from the catfish to the fries. Red beans and rice are a must order if you walk in the door. If not you're missing out. The atmosphere is a little chaotic so be prepared for that. Your order is placed before you are seated so check the menu before you arrive if possible.
(4)Sean A.
The Cajun food here is good but the prices are ridiculously high. The meals I guess are meant to be eaten family style. Would be nice if they had regular individual priced meals and more reasonable price.
(3)Jeremiah H.
Every time I cross Louisiana state line this is one of my must stop places no matter what simply amazing
(5)Licia S.
This place was everything that I was told it was. The pistolete was phenomenal! I especially enjoyed the crawfish one. The service was great as well! It is a fast place restaurant due to constant inflow of people. I'm glad this place isn't but a two hour drive.
(5)Katie Q.
I tired their CRAWFISH and must say it was so delicious I couldn't stop eating them! I ate here a few times while I was in the area I'm form Texas and must say this place is amazing!
(5)Lydia V.
Oh. My. Word. We were doing a spur-of-the-moment casino trip with a friend and really had a hankering for some good Cajun food. The po'boys are some of the veat we've had and the jambalaya (according to our friend) was outstanding. I had the catfish atchafalaya and would drive the 2.5 hours from Houston back just to have it again. The boudin balls were yummy...not such a fan of the gator bites, but that is only because I was expecting fried gator.
(5)Shawn B.
Go here, eat gumbo and étouffée and you will be happy. Shrimp poboy was good but it's fried shrimp in French bread. But the gumbo and étouffée are very flavorful. You order in one and they are very efficient. It's a good place if you like Cajun food.
(5)Jason J.
Okay stop...if you are here the food is good real good but the shrimp pistolle (sp) is great order about 6 of those bad boys with some fries and thank me later. :) My girlfriend and I had those the fried oysters (my least favorite) fried crawfish and fried catfish with fries and coleslaw. Delish and once again super nice people.
(5)Monika W.
Everything was delicious, but they had no crawfish.... So I must give it a 4. We came for crawfish! The shrimp pistolettes are great . The shrimp étouffée was awesome as was the gumbo. I just really wanted crawfish.
(4)Sydney J.
The crawfish pistollets are a must! The bayou punch is like a Louisiana Bahama mama! Walked in and got our appetizers in less than 2 minutes too! Definitely a must if you're in Louisiana
(5)Amy M.
Excellent place to stop whole traveling down i10. The étouffée was fabulous and their half pound of shrimp was well seasoned. Our order was taken quickly and the cashier was such a sweet heart to my 3 year old daughter. I could tell he enjoyed working here. Food came out in a decent amount of time. I thought it was interesting that the sinks were outside the bathroom. At least it let's guests know if the employees are washing their hands well after they use the bathroom!
(5)Kenneth G.
Always for as long as I can remember excellent food, staff, and service. They never disappoint just wish we lived closer so we could go more often!!!
(5)Anna J.
Went here with a friend on the last weekend of Mardi Gras, so there were a lot of people in town. My friend insisted on an early dinner and I'm glad she did. We got there at 5 and managed to avoid the rush that started at 5:30. We had the butterfly shrimp and it was really good. It still has a fast food feeling about it but as long as that is what you expect I'm sure you'll like this place!
(4)Thian N.
I read ask the reviews and thought I would give it a try. I thought it was okay. I got the fried oyster platter and my friend got the chicken baked potato. Both were decent, but nothing to rave about. Granted the location is very convenient but otherwise I'm not sure I would return here for a meal.
(3)Justin M.
The food was phenomenal! The crawfish were awesome and seasoned to perfection. For only about $6 I got a whole pound, about 20 total. The shrimp pistolettes were out of this world. I travel all over and this is definitely a top 3 cajun/creole resturant in my opinion. I may even go back tomorrow night for dinner.
(5)Jerry H.
The food was good, not great. The shrimp gumbo was tasty but had microscopic shrimp. The soft shell crab was strangely bland. The crawfish etoufee lacked many crawfish and the etoufee seemed heavy on corn starch. The boudin ball was good. The pecan praline bread pudding for dessert was delicious.
(3)Teneha B.
Quite an extensive menu of fried, fried, fried, salad, etouffee, fried, fried, fried oh & fried. Good place for fried seafood. Not many options for healthy eating. Order, pay for your food at the register, get your drink, have a seat & food will be brought to you. Servers are nice. Attentive. And do a good job of clearing the table. (Don't forget to leave your tip) This place fills up quickly & empties just the same. Portion sizes for the price, ehhhhhh lets rethink this equation. Lol. Don't forget to get your soft, striped peppermints as you exit. The hostess is a sweetie pie.
(3)Jeanett L.
We enjoyed eating at this place.
(3)Jeremy W.
It's a popular, perpetually busy place serving fried seafood in huge amounts with a very low wait time. Friendly staff, and very consistent quality. This is a well-designed, well-run business that has avoided falling into any traps in their streamlined operation. They stick to what they're good at, and they don't disappoint. And the crawfish pistolettes...I think I could eat 2 dozen of them.
(4)It's M.
Food- Shrimp salad-it's boiled shrimp on top iceberg Boudin-my first, I don't have comparative Shrimp Gumbo-really brothy Red beans & rice- good This is a Bubba Gump wannabe joint appealing to magazine & travel websites. Clean bathroom.
(1)Blaine D.
Me and my boyfriend ate here today and the food was absolutely amazing !!! The gator bites were to die for ! And the boudin balls were the best I have ever had and I am full blood Cajun so that's a huge compliment ! The portions were great as well we had to take a lot home ! The service was a little slow but nothing to be upset over ! This was a place I would drive back to LA just to eat at !
(5)Joe J.
Good Louisiana seafood at a decent price. Very easy access to interstate 10. Boiled Shrimp salad was fresh and delicious. My son loved the Étouffée. My daughter-in-law had a shrimp poboy. It was served on soft French Bread (unlike the hard French Bread of New Orleans). That is a matter of preference. Walk in, get a menu, order then be seated and served.
(4)Nicole R.
Highly recommend the pistolettes! Loved the swamp fries - could take or leave boudin balls.
(4)Ee Vonn Y.
Upon entering Steamboat Bill's, you feel like you're walking into an organized seafood shack. There were Mardi Gras decorations and desserts in the entrance, which were tempting to look at. By the time you are entranced by the lovely display, at least two friendly employees intercept you, provide you a menu, and guide you to one of the lines for the register to order. They did me a favor--I could've brought home a lot more food than I was supposed to! I've never had the Boudin Ball. I was told this what I should order. It tasted like one giant hush puppy but better. I felt like I was eating a fried dessert. I also got the shrimp gumbo, which had plenty of soft tiny shrimps. I was satisfied with my experience of Louisiana comfort food without having to loosen my pants. The bathrooms are fun. The stalls are inside the bathroom, but you have to go outside, near the dining area to wash your hands over a barrel. It sounds better than I just described. I'm so glad I stopped by this little gem off the freeway. It was definitely worth the trouble!
(5)Amanda M.
I hadn't eaten here in years, since I was a little girl, but we stopped in for lunch on our way from Florida back to Texas. I'm so happy to say that it's still pretty much the same. :) We did shrimp poboys with fries, gumbo, red beans and rice and then chicken fingers for the kiddos. I had been trying to drag my fiancé here for years and he just thought it was a sentimental thing and not an amazing food thing. But now he knows how great everything is. Everything is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The portion sizes are very generous. Can't go wrong here.
(5)Linh N.
Everything was top notch here! Nothing fancy, just a straight-forward seafood place. You order at the counter, place your number at your table, and a runner will bring your food for you! Service was great even after we received our food. The "waiter" frequently checked up on us, refilled our drinks, and even placed another order for me without having me leave the table to go back to the counter! I noticed he was was friendly with some of the other tables as well but still serviced everyone efficiently. My BF's family drives to LC just for the food here! It was my first time here just with the BF and I had a good sample of everything. I ordered the small platter which included fried shrimp, fish, stuffed crab, fries, cole slaw, and a bread roll. Everything was crisp, hot, and not greasy! This is a great sampler to try out most of the seafood. BF ordered the large crawfish etoufee which is his favorite here. It's very flavorful and the large can easily feed 2 people! The bread rolls are SO GOOD. I think someone mentioned before that it's like a mix between french bread and a chinese fried biscuit that you find at a chinese buffet. I was in carb heaven! Most importantly... the crawfish! Sizes ranged from medium to large. They were FRESH and clean. They had a simple cajun seasoning which hit the spot on the spice level. Spiciness was so perfect. It was a tad but salty at times but I didn't care! Currently it's priced at $6.59 per pound. Can't wait to come back!
(5)Chase D.
Better than normal louisiana style cusine. Mostly fried but done right. When in season the crawfish are perfect. Only complaint is the portions are overly large. I felt I had to eat it all and it hurt.
(4)Demetria C.
Stop if your hungry, I've been here several times but never got the wow..... like everyone else. Now you stand to decide and proceed to cashier to order/pay. Then your party is seated with a number and food is bought out . Food arrived nothing special but others said boiled shrimp was good, but etouffee was salty my spicy chicken tenders lacked spice but were a nice size , shrimp po boy was eatable . But hey they are popular among I-10 drivers tour buses and eating before you leave the boot, so stop in but don't expect anything exciting
(3)Cyndee G.
Great fresh seafood we always stop here. It's always busy but the line moves fast, I think they have it down to a science.
(5)Eric D.
A on recent trip to Lake Charles this place was recommended. Oh my! I knew it was going to be great when I walked up and the line was out the door. After a very brief wait it was time to order. I ordered the small platter and despite the name, it was HUGE! Packed with shrimp, catfish, stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, fries, and cole slaw. I was unable to finish even the so-called small platter. I highly recommend this place for amazing tasting food and a great atmosphere. You cannot go wrong here.
(5)K J.
We were lured in by the "voted #1 Seafood" claim on the sign, they don't say by who. The ordering process was a bit annoying with the walk up counter where you place your order. The staff were somewhat unfriendly and made us feel rushed. The menu was limited and very expensive but we didn't mind if the food was good. The shrimp gumbo was probably the worst I've ever had. I thought it might have been the bottom of the barrel since its only ingredient was the tiniest shrimp I've ever seen, and only about 10 or so in a large bowl. The restrooms were way too small for the size of this place and pretty dirty and didn't have sinks to wash your hands; the sinks were outside of the restrooms... Seemed questionable but I guess this is acceptable in LA? All in all it seems like the kind of place where the food would be awesome because there's no other reason why you'd want to eat here... sadly this was not the case.
(1)Alfonso D.
A lot of tasteless food ... I've had better.
(2)Timothy C.
Delicious - Love all they have ! Regular spot ! Best Fried Fish - Gumbo - Pistolittes
(5)Armando C.
The "Now Serving Hot & Spicy Crawfish" sign should say after 5. Besides that the platter and gumbo were great.
(3)Michael M.
Great food! If you enjoy anything fried...fried...and oh, fried! There is a selection of other menu items that won't Induce a heart attack but healthy options are limited, with that being said do you really eat out at a place like Bills and not expect needing to be wheeled away in a wheel barrow? Portions are enormous! So be prepared.. This place is what it is and truly doesn't get a bad review from me, just not a "Must Go" for me on a regular basis.
(3)Jenn O.
You have to decide how much you want to tip before you're even seated; you pay and order first. A large bowl of red beans and rice was $13. Very expensive. Overall a good place, service was great and atmosphere was clean. Just wished they didn't charge so much.
(4)Karin E.
Fun environment, really clean, super friendly staff ( and well organized), good food. The fried bread is delicious! Great place for large crowds or families with kids because it's noisy and a lot is going on. Good place to stop for a quick bight if you're on a road trip or looking for a typical/touristy but satisfying/worth the money food stop.
(4)Roxanne M.
Good food, even if it does cater to tourists. The parking at the downtown Lake Charles location is horrendous. Both the one in Lake Charles location on highway 14 and the one in DeRidder are excellent.
(4)Lisa R.
It's was our first time after reading about it on yelp, we had a very nice dinner, stuff crab and soft shell crab are worth every cent. We also order the stuff shrimp a la carte and that is a little over priced for 2 small pcs of shrimp. Great staff, and friendly
(4)Alan B.
I don't have anything to compare the food to, but I know it was tasty. The atmosphere alone is worth checking out. It felt a little crazy at first because they run things a little differently than most places, but they've got it under control. If you're looking for a fun experience and a full belly, this is your place.
(4)Moses A.
On a cross-country road trip last summer, we stopped by Steamboat Bill's after looking at the great reviews on Yelp. It was one of our favorite stops! The crawfish was truly the best we've had (we've never had them in LA before) but the fried catfish was really great too! We were having seafood at multiple stops along our way back to NYC from San Diego and the catfish here was really super fresh and well battered and had great flavor! Even when in NOLA, besides ACME's chargrilled oysters, we were really missing the catfish at Steamboat Bill's! Great stop!
(5)Nicolee B.
This place had worst management ownership along with service. The hostess had tried to sit me and my family of three against a brick wall with no elbow room we decided to sit at the table across from us that was not being used. The hostess named tiara comes twenty min later when our food arrives and demands we move to another table not asking us polietly and not being courteous at all oh and I am eight months pregnant and was ready to eat and she claimed a lady in a wheelchair was at the table we were currently at which was bologna the wheelchair lady came from the back of the restraunt and was already seated. Then my family tried to talk to the owner but she talked to the hostess and ignored the whole situation which was not professional! I will continue to right reviews until something is done that was the rudest thing that someone has ever done to me at a sit down restraunt is come to the table and be demanded I move with disrespect. If u want good food and good service please go elsewhere because we didn't receive that on fathers day with a eight month pregnant woman in the party of our table. Can't believe people nowadays.
(1)Paige S.
Great food and pretty fast. A good pit stop when on a long drive! The po'boy bread is soft and they give you tons of fries.
(4)Xahnaz J.
Surprise! This place is actually good! Heading back to Texas and found this gem just off the highway. Definitely worth stopping by and ordering some food. Service is quick- order first, then sit and a hospitable waiter will come by to clean the tables and top off your drinks
(4)Lauren A.
If you are passing through town and want a quick place to stop, it's not a bad choice. The staff is friendly and it seems clean. However, my food was just okay/blah- I ordered the buffalo shrimp and it wasn't spicy at all and the side salad is just a pile of iceberg lettuce with cheese. Part of that is probably just poor choice in ordering though... I have a feeling they have better options.
(3)Renee R.
Decent food but nothing special to warrant $70 for 2 people. However, hubs did order the large platter and a regular gumbo. Food was piled high on his plate, unfortunately it was mostly french fries under the variety of seafood. I got the 8 large butterfly shrimp dinner. Like I said, decent but nothing spectacular. Ordering is like a fast food place then they bring the food to your table. Service was ok.
(3)Mark N.
Just awesome like all of the other reviews. Found while passing through and our family is so happy we did. Tried almost everything and it was all excellent.
(5)Lurine F.
Okay stop! If you get the chance go to steam boat bills! It is a little pricey and everything but hey you get what you pay for! I really enjoyed my meal the wait staff was extremely friendly! The good came right out! Definitely not somewhere you go if ur on a diet LOL! Good food great people!!
(4)K R.
You know it's a good sign when you pull up at 4:30 pm and there's a guy directing traffic so you can find parking! The fried shrimp was delicious and if I come back I definitely want to try the crawfish. Everyone around us was having some.
(4)Jon M.
Decent. I just failed horribly when driving through Lake Charles trying to find a restaurant from my past that I cannot seem to pinpoint at all. I fell back to this one, mostly because it was a holiday and they were advertised as being open. They certainly were. They might have been the only thing open with as crowded as it was at 3 pm. I ordered the fried platter. It was done right. There's not much more that can be said about it. Mess it up and it's horrible. Do it right and well.. it's a plate of fried food.
(3)Bob P.
A colleague and I went for a dinner. Biggest surprise was method of ordering. You order and pay up front. Quick service of seating and subsequent delivery of food order. My expectation was a hot basket of fried food and I got what I expected. Between the two of us we sampled boudin balls, shrimp gumbo, etouffee, fried crawfish, fried shrimp, and a pistolette. The regular sized fried platters are decent sized and served with a more than ample serving of good french fries. If you appetizer up small to moderate eaters could do well to split a plate. This being said I am not sure if plate sharing is allowed. All of our food was served hot and the iced tea was a good brew. The table had been properly cleaned, although it should have been dried in my opinion but that was the only thing from a service standpoint I could be picky. If you goal is to get your fix of seafood and peanut oil as was ours then I would recommend it. I will go back.
(4)Ron L.
Gets 5 stars for the chicken and sausage gumbo. Best I have ever had. The fried crawfish tails were average.
(5)Daniel P.
This place is always a great! Good place to stop on the journey from Houston to New Orleans! Great fried Catfish and amazing Gumbo!
(5)Xinxin L.
If you a looking for a fast lunch, this is definitely the right place. Right off the highway, large ads and sighs that you can't miss. Order was taken at entrance, everything very fast. The gumbo and bread come with it is great combination. We also ordered steamed shrimp. Potato and corn in the plate are ordered separately, we had one for each, very spicy and yummy, wish we had ordered more. Stuffed crabs are so-so but very cheap.
(4)Melissa H.
My husband and I stopped here again on the way home from the casino. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. From the moment you walk in and are greeted by a friendly host, to walking up to the friendly cashiers, to the friendly servers, and the delicious food! We were served within minutes of sitting down, we bought 85 dollars worth of food and seasoning to take back home for the next day or so. My favorite is the shrimp ettouffe, my husband loves the boudin balls. Everything there is excellent, this is a must try!!!
(5)Jimmy G.
Does not serve crawfish until 5pm. I wanted to eat earlier then that but NOPE. Fair enough, i will take mu business elsewhere.
(1)Kyle R.
After having mediocre gumbo in Baton Rouge, I swung by Steamboat Bill's to grab a bowl. First off, this place is like a rest area how close it is to I-10! So convenient. I ordered the seafood gumbo and a side of fries to go. I sat outside and devoured the gumbo ... it was really good. They used shrimp and crab as the seafoods with rice mixed in ... good roux as well. Will definitely be stopping in here if I pass through again.
(5)Jim L.
Came for fourth July weekend with a party of 25 with 15 minutes notice they got us in quickly and food came out quickly as well. Receptionist was calm even though the line is wrapping around the corner outside. Awesome service. Crawfish was huge, gumbo was authentic, and the combo platters were superb. Would come again.
(5)Vanessa M.
So far, best crawfish in Lake Charles. A bit expensive but it was early in the season. We picked up our order and brought it home to enjoy. Definitely my go to place for crawfish.
(4)Farrah A.
Skip the awful buffets at the nearby casinos and head to Steamboat Bill's for far better food and prices. Order at the counter, grab your number and the host will find you a seat. The thing about Steamboat Bill's is that they have a large staff, from greaters who hand you a menu, cashier to take your order, host to seat you and food runners. And, they check up on you a lot. So it's not-quite waiter service, nor is it fast food. They have everything on the menu: Crawfish, gumbo, étouffée, red beans and rice, fresh oysters, boudin, fried catfish, soft shell crab poboys, shrimp and crawfish pistolettes (crawfish or shrimp stuffed rolls deep fried). I was *hungry* and ordered 3-lbs of crawfish, a cup of gumbo and boudin. The boudin was the best - heavy on the cornmeal which I like. I don't rec the seafood gumbo. It only came with rice, shrimp and roux ... the more gritty, "dirty"-based roux. No bits of crab, oysters... total "meh." The crawfish, however, was good. Seasoned well, spicy, and a lot of juice. Towards the end, it tasted more on the salty side. And 3-lbs only warrants one potato; order 5-lbs and get one potato and one corn. Not sure what kind of crawfish math that is. Free parking, parking attendance, lots of seating, multiple hand-wash stations, family-friendly, it's worth a stop.
(3)Stewanna M.
The food was a bit too greasy for my liking. I had the small captains platter and hubby had the crawfish étouffée . The stuffed shrimp and stuffed crab stuffing tasted overcooked and it was a bit dry. The étouffée was just ok but my husband enjoyed it. It is easy access from the interstate so that's a plus. I guess I will have to try once more, maybe better luck next time.
(3)Georgia M.
My husband and I stopped in this weekend on our way out of Louisiana. Not the atmosphere I had hoped for. We had to wait in a line outside for about 20 minutes and there is NO organization to how they seat people. It is not first come first serve. If a table that seats more than your party becomes available and there is a larger party waiting they will seat them no matter how long you have been waiting. So we finally make it through the door and they do not seat you and take your order you wait in another line place your own order at the counter like fast a food restaurant and are given a number then seated if your lucky enough to get someone who works there attention. We are finally seated and the food does arrive in a timely manner and was pretty good. The staff once seated was friendly and attentive. My husband had the shrimp gumbo and loved it. Their Boudin balls were very good and a nice size. The prices is average for seafood but a little pricey for the type of environment. I felt like we were being shuffled through like cattle. The food was good but will not go back because of the atmosphere.
(3)Erin D.
There is no doubt in my mind why this is the #1 restaurant according to VisitLakeCharles.org . I have not visited the other location, so I cannot compare, but I have been here several times. When crawfish was in season, it was $4.99/lb and absolutely delicious. Yes, I am from Houston, so you may take my word on that with a grain of salt, but I have had bad crawfish in Louisiana before, believe it or not. I returned earlier this week and for the first time, when crawfish was not in season. This restaurant does not have year-round crawfish. Instead, I ordered the crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, and fried mushrooms. The fried mushrooms are the best I have ever had. They're expensive at $8.99 but totally worth it. They're spicy, not overcooked, and even if you don't like mushrooms, you will like these. These mushrooms don't have a mushroomy taste. The batter used is excellent. I can easily eat the whole portion by myself, which is sad. I ordered too much food as usual. I took about five bites of the crawfish etouffee, and I was stuffed since I had already eaten the mushrooms. The etouffee was creamy, spicy, and came with some deliciously soft but crispy bread. Yum! The red beans and rice were also very good. I only took a couple of bites because I was so full, but I had to try! They also contained sausage. Both dishes had your typical Cajun spices, so if you have a cold, you'll be able to flush out your sinuses. Don't worry though, they're not overly spicy. I would give four stars alone for the food, but the service is why this place gets three stars. The first time I walked in, I didn't know where to go. There are signs saying "Place your order here," but nothing about pickup. It turns out you pick up your food at a ledge about 3in wide around the corner from the cash registers. You stand there, waiting until someone even recognizes your existence. The first time, I waited 5 minutes. There were staff working less than 10ft from me but didn't give me the light of day. It wasn't until I went to the cash register a third time to ensure I was in the right place that the cashier ended up taking care of my to-go order. When you stand at the ledge for pickup, you are RIGHT over two trash cans. This is where the staff scrape food off of dirty plates. It's quite revolting. They scrape the unwanted food into the trash can and then place the dirty dishes in a bin to be washed. Can't the trash cans be moved elsewhere, at least, not right under my nose?
(3)Tom H.
This deserves more than a four , yet it is hard to say barely anyone merits a full five. (That would only be grade inflation for eateries.) The service was great -the food was better The crawfish étouffée was nothing less than splendid and the bread melted in one's mouth. But melted in one's mouth. This dish was such that you do not want to leave A single drop on the plate. Desert was tasty too - and the atmosphere was perfect
(4)Amanda C.
Our food was delicious and fresh. (: very happy we picked this place! The service was great and the staff was friendly
(5)Jim M.
Steamboat Bills is one of my favorite stops along I-10. It's literally right off the highway and has quick service. They've developed a nice little process to help you park, give you a menu to order at the counter, and then seat you with your order number until your food is brought to you. I'd give them 4-5 stars for convenience alone. To the food; their shrimp pistollette and boudin ball appetizers are amazing. Everything is rich, hot, and delicious... Do NOT order these if you are counting calories. Their shrimp étouffée is seriously some of the best I've ever had; top 5 no doubt. Crawfish is very good but I do prefer mine very spicy, however these are cooked perfectly. If you ever find yourself on this part of I-10 or staying in Lake Charles, do your palette a favor and stop here.
(5)Jennifer N.
WARNING: PEANUT ALLERGIES should stay away, they use 100% peanut oil for cooking. Prefect for people on road trips. Right off the freeway, good for grabbing lunch/dinner on the way to your destination. Only would recommend for travelers, the food was alright and quick, but not outstanding. Locals probably have better options. The restaurant was very big! So don't worry if you have a big party, I called 2 hours ahead to let them know we had a party of 30 and they were able to accommodates us with no problem. Food wise, prices are decent for the huge portions they serve. I've tried better gumbo, theirs was too water and didn't have any veggies. The baked potatoes are huge (1lb), and was good so I would recommend. Fried platters also have big portion size.
(4)Siobhan N.
Bleh. I'm sure I just ordered the wrong thing, but most items are fried. Glorified fried food. Expensive glorified fried food. I had fried shrimp, fries, a bread roll that was definitely fried and tasted like an unsweetened donut. Strange. One of the few non-fried foods on the menu is crawfish. My friend ordered 2 Lbs; they were a good size, seasoned well but not spicy so you can add spice to your liking. My other friends both had a Soft-shell Crab Po-boy and they said it was ok but recommend sticking with shrimp or catfish. The staff were nice, but my order got messed up and I had to wait 25 minutes longer than my friends. So not the best service ever but not the worst either.
(2)Michael Q.
I ate here several years ago and it was great. They served a damn good cajun menu. When I found myself in the area for work recently I took some friends there so they could get some cajun grub. Major disappointment followed. The Grub: The menu is much diminished with way fewer selections than in the past. When we asked about several local staples that were no longer on the menu the server sheepishly said they no longer served those items. What's left is largely catfish and shrimp unless craw fish happens to be in season. What you can order was also pretty underwhelming. I had a catfish poboy that was about as bland as you could get. I suspect bland is a cardinal sin in cajun cooking so I have no idea how this is even possible. My companions had similar complaints about the shrimp gumbo. The Little Things. The atmosphere is still there, kitschy without being fake and the service is excellent. Everyone was super friendly, polite and efficient. The Wrap: It's probably not as good as you remember and if you're looking for some decent cajun chow as you cruise down I-10 you should probably keep looking.
(2)Kathy J.
Have some friends who have family down in this area of Louisiana. Asked them what we shouldn't miss. Every one of them said we had to go to Steamboat Bill's. They also mentioned that we had to try the Boudin Balls and Pistolettes. First of all, we are passing through in a 40' motor home towing a jeep. I called ahead to find out if their parking lot could accommodate us. I was told "yes", that they have a parking lot attendant outside from 10:30 am. Okay, this was weird and new to us. A couple of hours later we arrive, at about 11:15. And yes, there was a parking attendant. She directed us to a spot where we would have easy out access. In we went. Not sure what I expected but it was a neat little place. Not huge. They hand you a menu, you order at the counter and then they seat you. After we were seated and as we were waiting for our food, the people started rolling in. Huge lunch crowd. Glad we go there when we did, parking for the RV would have been extremely difficult if we hadn't arrived first. We both decided to have a Po Boy. Hubby had the grilled chicken with coleslaw as his side and I had the popcorn shrimp also with coleslaw. We also ordered one Boudin Ball and one shrimp Pistolette. We have had Boudin balls before on our journeys, but this one was huge, spicy and very good. Had no idea what a Pistolette was, for some reason I thought it would be like a taquito. Wrong! It was a wonderful bread/roll with a dollop of shrimp etouffe in it. It was excellent. I could have had a few of these alone for my lunch. I had tried etouffe before, but was not impressed. The etouffe in the Pistolette was wonderful, you could taste the shrimp, but it wasn't fishy tasting. If that makes sense. This was also our first time having Po Boys. They were yummy! Loved the bread, the tarter sauce, all the crunchy lettuce and tomato. The popcorn shrimp were some of the best I have ever had. They were moist, breaded in a batter that was very light and perfectly seasoned. Excellent staff. The counter waitress was very friendly, as was our server. We left extremely full and satisfied. My waistline is very happy we do not live around here. I would be eating here all the time. Definitely worth a stop!
(5)M Q.
Food: 2 star Service: 4.5 star I spent a week in a small town in Louisiana and got a lot of fresh catfish, shrimp, etc. Steamboat Bills was cap off to the trip and I was so looking forward to more good seafood. Well, I was quite disappointed. Here is why: - Boiled Shrimp: I asked if the seasoning can be omitted. Was told cannot because the shrimp are cooked all together (unlike to cook-to-order places I frequented before). I found it too salty and the seasoning completely masked the shrimp's natural flavor (although I'm sure this is how most people like it). The freshness is subpar compared to the local places I went to all week. If you've never had fresh shrimp, then I suppose it's decent but having had the real deal all week, I can tell the un-freshness right away. - Red Beans and Rice: Pretty tasty and lots of sausage. BUT, I also found it a tad too salty. - Shrimp Etoufee: I like food on the spicy side but I found it was too spicy. Also way way way too salty. So I really want to enjoy this dish but found it impossible to. This is an order at the counter and they bring out the food to your table type of restaurant. Everyone was super friendly. I was checked on a couple times to make sure I got everything needed. They deserve a star for the service.
(3)Maureen K.
This is a fun place, but you'd better get your gall bladder ready for an onslaught of fried food. Fried this, fried that, fried other things (catfish, shrimp, oysters, etc.). All pretty good and, a real treat to our household where Spouse is gluten intolerant, all fried with corn flour and cornmeal. (They told us the owner's son is gluten allergic, so they switched all fried food to corn flour - not the etouffee or gumbo of course. But still - fried food GF,what more can a celiac ask!). Spouse therefore had fried catfish and was happy as the proverbial pig. The "regular" included three huge pieces, some of which are now in our hotel fridge waiting to augment the puny breakfast that comes with the room. I ordered a boudin ball, which was fabulous - it is apparently pork, rice, spices and some other stuff and of course, deep fried. Spicy and good! The etouffee looked so good I asked for an appetizer portion and it would have been enough for my dinner. Good, not the best I've every had, but good. Fried shrimp ($9.99 for four large) were . . . fried shrimp, nothing special. How it works: you come it, decide what you want, and stand in line to order and pay. You get your beverages and a number, and get sent to a table. A server brings your food and acts like a regular waiter for anything else you want, like more tea or a second tiny bottle of wine. The wine was $4 which is pretty cheap for the wee bottle of Barefoot Pinot. Price - by the time you add this and that, we dropped dropped $50 in a place that is fun and on the edge of grungy. They have lots of signs saying they were awarded this or that (as in 2015 Trip Advisor commendation, not too shabby!), which adds to the fun. OH - we arrived at 4:15, had no trouble getting served. But when the crawfish comes out of the boil, better be patient - the place jams up with people waiting, 'cause the locals know what's good for them. We didn't get the crawfish, darn it. But dinner was good.
(4)Victor L.
Man, I'm not too sure about Steam Boat Bill's. Sure it's good. Sure it's got tons and tons of fried seafood of all sorts. I have yet to try their gumbos and ettoufee's. The fried seafood all tastes the same. Maybe that is true for all big seafood joints though.. Like Deanie's... same way... I like Deanie's a bit better. The soft shell crab at Steamboat's was mashed down flat. Stuffed Crab was mainly bread and veggies, and deep fried with everything else. Yuck. All tasted the same. Portions are huge...keep this in mind.. Here is my tip: Get both fried and baked dishes and gumbos and ettoufee's and share. Get a variety of flavors and textures.. A couple of funny things.. My wife Mary was calling this place Steamboat Willie's on the drive from Mississippi towards Houston... I was silent and kept wondering how in the hell could they use that Disney name! She had gotten mixed up! It will forever be Steamboat Willie's to us from now on! Another is they have the bathroom sinks for hand washing afterwards outside in the open on the main restaurant floor! ( I guess they had to make some room for an ADA stall) Keep an eye on who does NOT wash their hands for some cheap entertainment. LOL.
(3)Deidra B.
Not a fan of the ordering at the counter, but it is done in an efficient manner. Also if you want something else while you are at the table, you can have someone bring it to you and just add it into your bill. I had the red beans and rice and the boudain balls. Always good. My companion orderd the pistolettes and she loves them. Gets them every time. I do know for sure the servings at this place are humongous. I see those big huge platters of fried shrimp and fish coming out and woah it is a lot of food! This is always a stop we make before going to the Casino!
(3)Ria A.
Stopped here for a quick bite during our road trip and I was really surprised by their Louisiana bread roll! It was so light and fluffy and so good compared tO other hard as rock rolls. The crawfish étouffée On a bed of rice was spicy but good. You have to line up to get your food and sit down wherever. The waiter forgot about us sometimes but besides that my order was good.
(4)Cameron M.
Great food!! Best place in Lake Charles! Get a Pistollete crawfish is amazing!!! Fried catfish is also a top pick.
(5)Jeri T.
I've eaten here a few times while here on business and LOVE it. The service is great and the food is fabulous. Right now I'm enjoying spicy shrimp gumbo and soon I'll be devouring an oyster po-boy. This location is typically less busy than the one on the freeway but doesn't skimp in service or flavor.
(5)Dika M.
Great food and good prices. I really didn't expect good food off I-10, but was pleasantly surprised. Our group of 8 had red beans and rice, chicken and sausage gumbo, fried shrimp and the kid's chicken tenders. Everyone liked their meals, especially the shrimp pistolettes we had for an appetizer.
(5)Mel M.
Food was so-so. Being this close to the Gulf of Mexico, I would expect generous portions of seafood. The shrimp gumbo had a small portion of salad-sized shrimp. The shrimp étouffée cheese fries had even fewer salad-sized shrimp. My friend got the grilled chicken special. Chicken was bland and dry. The salad that came with it was average with a bunch of wilted lettuce. The prices were high for the quality and portions served. The same meals for similar prices in Houston, TX, also off the Gulf, would have been served with generous portions of large to Jumbo shrimp fresh caught.
(1)Racheal D.
The reviews were not wrong. All of our food was great. The staff was attentive. I would definitely go back.
(4)Jay Y.
Oh man, after more than a decade away from Louisiana, I have forgotten how good Cajun crawfish was until I visited this restaurant. Steamboat Bill's was the first restaurant I visited at Lake Charles and I am so glad to come here to be reminded what true Cajun food was like! When I first came in, a huge crowd was already waiting at the doorway. Fortunately, the setup was that everyone (Take out or dine in) orders at the counter and those who are dining in the restaurant are assigned tables. It is definitely an efficient process for a popular restaurant such as this! Here are what I ordered: 1) 1 lb of boiled crawfish (Market price): Even when not in season, the crawfish was solid! Not only were they fresh judging by the texture, they were also flavorful. I took a while to get used to the taste after having to deal with Texas's watered-down Cajun food for years! 2) Stuffed crab (2 for $3.99): Stuffed crab is always my go-to selection for American seafood because each restaurant has different variation and I was not disappointed with Steamboat Bill's. Especially with two per order, I simply could not pass this opportunity up! I definitely recommend it as a side dish if you also enjoy stuffed crab. 3) Shrimp pistolette (2 for $3.99): This is the first time I had a pistolette so while I can't give you a comparison, I can tell you it's certainly delicious so this is another recommended side dish from me. While the crawfish came almost immediately after I ordered, the other two side dishes arrived a little late. Good thing the casual Cajun decor was so cool to check out that time flew by a little faster! My cashier and my server have been nice, so I also enjoyed the service here. The bottom line is that if you like and want Cajun seafood, you can't go wrong with Steamboat Bill's! Get off I-10 and take a nice meal break here. --- tl;dr version: 1) Solid Cajun seafood! 2) Crowded but efficient in processing crowds 3) Excellent meal stop for I-10 travelers
(5)Richard S.
This is our go to spot on the way home from Nola or Baton Rouge. EZ off EZ back on to I-10 west. That and the fact that the bread the serve with your dinner is redonkulous. Its a bread roll and it's fried. Yep fried bread (thou shalt not judge). We typically swear to each other as we are leaving New Orleans "we're gonna eat better when we get home". Followed shortly by "steamboat bills on way home? This will be our last bad meal". Btw, never had a bad meal here ;-). Fried shrimp po boy. 9 Gumbo. 9 Chicken tenders n coleslaw. 9 Unsweet tea. 9 That freekin bread..10 + Dont stop here if you're not willing to consume many calories. Don't stop here if you're looking for fine dining, white table cloth, attentive waiter, type place. Do stop here if you want to grub tough, listen to some cajun music, and wash it all down with an Abita amber ale.
(5)R S.
Great environment, meals tasted great. Problem, I had the large shrimp etouffee and my wife had the regular crawfish etouffee, neither meal had more than a tablespoon of shrimp/crawfish. My wife and I are from Louisiana traveling from Texas to our current home in Alabama and were looking forward to a good Cajun meal. I would not dine there again.
(2)A O.
My husband loves seafood, so while in Lake Charles I pulled out my Yelp app to look up places to eat. He said the Captain's Platter And the fried Oysters were the best he ever had. The Boudin ball was to die for. People watching was great too!
(5)Kyna S.
Good food. Fair prices. Easy in, easy out. Friendly staff. Good location for travelers. We were driving to Houston from Florida and needed a stop for dinner at 8:30pm on a Saturday. We were traveling with 10 people including two toddlers and a five year old. The food was tasty. We had a variety from the menu because of our large group. Everyone enjoyed what they had. The staff made sure our drinks were always full. When we walked in all the kids got bead necklaces from the hostess who helps seat you after you order and pay. That system works. From the time we drove in and drove away was about an hour.
(4)Robin M.
I was a bit nervous after reading the reviews whether I should give this place a go but I'm sure glad we did. This was our first stop into Lake Charles before we checked into the Golden Nugget. Let me say that from our dining experiences the entire trip this was probably the most memorable and tastiest. We ate at most of the fine venues inside the casino and while they were good they were also very commercialized and over priced. No surprise there. Steamboat Bill's feels like a local institution that makes cajun fun, tasty, and loud. It reminded me of what Razoo's and other cajun franchises try to model their national schemes after. The place had a long line that stretched out the door. The parking lot had attendants to guide people in and out. Why folks try to drive into a small lot with a camper and trailer just perplexes me but this venue is located just off the feeder of I-10 across the casino's at the very end of the bridge.... so you'll see all types of folks in the parking lot and inside the restaurant. The bathrooms do not have sinks to wash your hand. Instead they have a community wash area that exists in between the men's and ladies restroom for quicker access to wash away messy hands that are double dipped in crawfish boil juice and seasonings. When you enter it does seem a bit chaotic but the hostess will slowly guide you up to the register where you will need to quickly order. Make sure to read the menu in advance before going there or while you are waiting in line before you get to the register. Last thing you want to do at this place is hold up the line to a bunch of hungry folks who have been on the road for most of their day or lost alot of money at the casinos across the street. Please be considerate, self-less, and read that menu in advance. It helps keep the chi flowing and the line moving in this place. The food such as crawfish was classic cajun that had enough heat to break a sweat, the corn was sweet, the pistolettes were interesting and filling, gumbo was soaked in sodium but that was expected, and the hot sauce(s) on the table was great. The people working the floor aren't really assigned to any table so if you need something just flag someone down...anyone and they'll be more than happy to get you extra lemons, seasonings, refills, etc. The place is packed so expect to wait at least 15 minutes for entrees. Items like soup, bread, and crawfish tend to come out quicker I noticed. My wife ordered the chicken strips and man was that good. Just simple comfort food done right however she did wait about 20 minutes. We thought they might not have rang it up, that they forgot, but it just took that long. Meanwhile, by the time it did come out I was done with my 2lbs of crawfish. The crawfish was decent in size but that's not saying much for April. I come to expect it to be about 4 inch and mature typically that time of the season. Steamboats is a great departure from the casino and it's easy on the wallet. Give them a try and do it the cajun way while you're in town.
(4)Stephanie E.
Great place to go and eat...so great that we went back to back on our trip... my friend eats Cajun food all the time and for him to want to go back was a big plus.. It's always packed also so that tells u its one of the best in Lake Charles
(5)Bridget W.
We stopped by on our drive from San Antonio to NOLA for lunch. 4 stars for good food at a reasonable price and great service. I would definitely stop by again. Food: I had a combination fried plate (crawfish and oysters), and my SO had beans and rice. My cousin got an etouffee. We all really enjoyed our food. The fried plate is a big portion as others' also say, so you could split it between 2 people and then probably split something else like an etouffee or gumbo. I usually love bread but I didn't care for the bread because it reminds me of the Chinese buffet dinner rolls. My SO loved it (and he is not a bread guy) though! Service: Great service. Someone was in the parking lot directing parking. You order at the cashier before sitting. Our server was great-- super friendly, efficient. If anything, she may have come by a little too often. Environment: It's a large space. The bathroom space is tiny compared, and they have the sinks outside the bathroom in the dining area. It's a little odd... unless you want to watch everyone and look for that guy who doesn't wash his hands... Maybe it saves on water from having separate sink areas? But having that sink space inside a regular bathroom at least gives you an area to wait in line for a bathroom stall. We were all crammed in pretty awkwardly to wait for a stall. Overall, I would be happy to stop by again!
(4)Lauren M.
My husband and I just drove down from Dallas just to get some good seafood. After realizing that Port Arthur is a total dump, we continued east to Louisiana. As we were driving, I found Steamboat Bill's on yelp and we decided to try it a.k.a. I said that this is where we were going. There was a bit of a line but I wasn't deterred thanks to the reviews I'd read. The host passed us along to the cashier even though we weren't 100% on what we would order. I ordered 1lb of crawfish at market price ($6.95) which I was told would take 20 minutes, 2 boudin balls, the hubs got the popcorn shrimp with fries and slaw, and our 2 year old got the kids popcorn shrimp. After one beer, a soda and a kids lemonade, it was $49 and some change. We were promptly seated and within minutes the boudin balls arrived. HEAVEN ON EARTH. Hands down, best I've ever had. The shrimp platters came along before we could even finish the boudin and the portions for extravagant. Flavor was as popcorn shrimp would be expected to be. The crawfish came within 10 minutes and the server fetched some "crawfish dip" which I had never heard of. It tasted like mayonnaise and seasoning. Blegh. The crawfish were spicy but not like I had expected a cajun dish to be. Could have been spicier. And they were the smallest crawfish I had ever seen. I threw out about 10 of them because they weren't worth the time and effort for such a small reward. I ended up ordering 2 more boudin balls and ate about one and a half before throwing in the towel. All in all, good place, good food, decent service. My recommendation is that if you don't eat a ton of food, order from the kids menu unless you live close enough to take home leftovers.
(4)Markisha B.
We came in after a long day and were pleasantly surprised. The order first, get seated second thing was weird but seems to work. Great food, good service. I'll be back!
(5)RanGirl A.
This is my favorite place in Lake Charles to eat!!!!! The Oysters are always great. We get seafood Gumbo for an appetizer, Seafood platter with shrimp and oysters. Ok, the Crawfish Pisolettes are to die for!!!! Let me be very frank......I luv everything about this restaurant. Just waiting on Crawfish season to return because Steamboat Crawfish are the Bessst!!!!
(5)Natalie T.
After checking into our hotel, my friend and I were looking on Yelp to see what local restaurants are around that we can try. Steamboat Bill's was one of the first places that popped up which was perfect since we were both craving seafood at the time. I suggest that if you want to try this place out to go early (5pm or earlier). The line was ridiculously long and out the door by 5:30pm! I ordered the fried catfish and my friend had ordered the shrimp. It was a lot of fried food that we were not expecting to consume. It felt like a Houston Rodeo experience where everything you eat and drink has been battered and deep fried. We also got 2lbs of their crawfish just to try it out. We instantly fell in love with the crawfish because it was not only really tasty but they were huge as well. We will try to stop by here during crawfish season next year cause we were that impressed.
(3)Jane C.
Our seafood and Cajun dishes were wonderful . It was my Italian cousins first experience with southern fried fish and Cajun cooking. She really enjoyed!! Easy access from I-10 I recommend.
(4)Gregory S.
Excellent again! A must after a hard day at the casinos! Or, even a good day. I can always find a good reason to stop at Steamboat Bills!
(5)Sheila M.
Wow!!!!! Enough said. Ate there for the first time. I ordered the the medium shrimp platter and it came with coleslaw, fries, and a roll. The food was excellent and they definitely give you a nice size portion of food and the prices are reasonable. I would highly recommend this place to anyone!!!!
(5)Catt M.
We r staying at golden nuggets. I found this place on yelp so we decided to try their crawfish. It was ok. It didnt look like they purged it right. Thats why i gave them 3 stars. I love our waitress though she was sooo nice. Im suprise they were featured in southern living magazine. Anyway im not sure if we will come back =(
(3)Amy P.
In Lake Charles on business and Steamboat Bill's caught my eye on Yelp. I'm was looking for some good local seafood/Cajun food, something I can't get at home. The service was excellent from the outset. The young man at the door was friendly and explained how the ordering and seating process works. He was kind enough to share that the Catfish Atchafalaya was his most favorite item on the menu. He was also very amused by my pronunciation of "boudin". He smiled, pronounced it for me (boo-dan), and asked where we were from. I would describe him as " Louisiana charming" and he had a nice smile. :-) We ordered and were seated right away and our food was brought out within ten minutes. I was glad I only ordered one boudin ball, it was huge! It had a flavor that reminded me of corned beef hash with a kick. Deep fried and dipped in tarter, it was tasty. I did cut it in half and then shared it. My Catfish Atchafalaya...delicious! It's a deep fried catfish filet served over rice with a shrimp gravy on top. Now, I'm not the biggest catfish fan and it's not the first kind of fish I order when I go out. Sometimes it tastes muddy and is often over cooked and dry. This catfish was cooked perfectly. It was moist, the breaking was light and crunchy, and it wasn't greasy or heavy at all. The shrimp gravy was plentiful with small shrimp and had a nice little kick of spice. Scoop up some gravy on your fork, stab a piece of catfish, scoop some rice and pop it in your mouth; it's a perfect bite! The staff checked on us often and our water glasses were kept topped off. I knew the young man that recommended my meal did not steer me wrong when one of the staff members stopped by the table and shared he eats the Catfish Atchafalaya at least once a week and that it is his favorite too. To respond to other reviews stating the food is too salty: I did not find it too salty but this comes from someone who freely uses salt at home. Now, if you are not someone that uses salt that much in your cooking or adding after then you may find it to be salty to your taste. But hey, just drink some extra water!!
(4)Micaela S.
Most of the food was a 3, but service and atmosphere is a 5. I had a small platter. The catfish was good, the fried shrimp were good, the stuffed crab and stuffed shrimp left a lot to desire. The crab really was just a shell with a bread mix stuffed into it...where was the crab meat? I'm accustomed to crab in the Pacific Northwest so that could be why I didn't care for the stuffed crab or stuffed shrimp. However, the swamp fries were amazing!!! Those could be a meal all on its own.
(4)Miss V.
This place has fast service and good food... I was very impressed with how the staff wit like a well oiled machine to get the food out to you in a timely manner.
(4)Ryan J.
While I was not a fan of the ordering style with a faMily of four and treo if them being under three. The food was amazing! Fire sure a place to stop and obj up some good gumbo abd really anything else.
(5)KRISTOPHER V.
Great seafood/Cajun/creole selections, and quick! Busy but there was little to now wait. I'll be back for more!
(5)Phillip K.
Wonderful, wonderful!! Shrimp is always fresh (right off the boat). Crawfish is wonderful. The crab cakes are to DIE FOR! The rolls are addictive and the rest of the food is good! The sweat tea is okay as I remember it. I don't care for the way you order (fast food style in a sit down restaurant, but I am sure it is necessary for the volume at peak meal times. DON'T EVER PASS IT UP!!!!
(5)John B.
I did not know what to expect. It seemed like reviews were love or hate. I thought I wanted to see for myself. Too bad it is not on the water but the ambiance and food were good. I had the fried large shrimp. 8 large shrimp fo $17. I thought it was a little pricey but the food was good. Service was good. If I come back to Lake Charles. I would return.
(4)Connie M.
Parking was great access. Service was quick. Seafood was fresh and amazing! Going back next week! On our way to Texas.
(5)Andrew P.
Fantastic! This is the only place I want to eat at when I drive through Lake Charles! I have not had anything that I did not care for. The fried catfish is one of the best I have ever had. The crawfish étouffée is up there as well.
(5)Jennifer R.
Loved this place....being I have a gluten allergy I was nervous. We stopped in and I asked if they use flour and they said no just cornmeal....YAY! The shrimp was crispy and delicious and the catfish was crispy and moist. I had the coleslaw instead of french fries. Friendly staff and food was out super fast.
(5)Brandon T.
Stopped in for lunch. Easy to get to off i10. Had shrimp étouffée and it was awesome. They accept AmEx. Everyone was nice as can be. I ran to restroom after ordering and finding a seat. When I got back from restroom my food was already there. Was a great choice!
(5)S B.
We have been coming here for years. Never disappoints! Great gumbo, catfish, crawfish étouffée. Little pricey but well worth money spent.
(5)Sabrinah E.
First Time Here And It Was Absolutely Delicious And The Portions Are Extremely Huge!!
(5)Steve C.
WOW normally only fast food restaurant make you pay up front. Well, we got the food and it was good crawfish was seasoned and fried catfish was good. But service was poor and there no sinks in the bathroom to wash your hands. Would have like to eat more but because we had to pay first we felt rushed. And after eating we where still hungry so we decided to go out to eat!! I don't think I will be going back. And for the young man at the front door that told me they been making people pay up front here for twenty years. FYI twenty years age that building was a message pallor with a happy ending!!!
(1)Jason P.
Very casual joint with decent sized crawfish, but they looked dark and dirty today. This is bargain priced cajun food so you shouldn't expect anything particularly special. Red beans and rice were tasty, crawfish etoufee was nothing to write home about. I liked my Shrimp Poboy. The service was pretty much what one would expect in a joint like this. Overall, the food was acceptable here. But I would expect much more from a Cajun restaurant IN Louisiana.
(3)Kimberly L.
LOVE it!! Chicken & Sausage Gumbo is divine as are the Boudain Balls! We plan trips just so we will pass through Lake Charles during lunch or dinner! Highly recommend!!!!!
(5)Scott S.
Oh hell yes! I stopped through with my boss on a business trip. Their gumbo (shrimp) is off the charts. They burn their rue just the right amount for the right color/flavor combo. Also had a popcorn shrimp baked potato that was just delicious. My boss shared some boiled spicy shrimp that were excellent. They had a nice spice but not obnoxiously hot. I'll be back with my wife and friends next time i'm passing through. Oh, and great service as well. Not hanging over your table service, but attentive, fast and caring.
(5)Jessi H.
This place is very similar to a creole version of Joe's crab shack. They do this very well. Service is great and fast. It's not the best cajun food but it's good. I thought the crawfish was also good! If you are in this area I think it's worth trying.
(4)Brandy B.
While staying in Lake Charles for business, I went in search of a local Cajun style restaurant. I decided on Steamboat Bill's. I should start by saying that I'm not a huge seafood fan...I like shrimp, some fish, and that's usually about it. When entering the restaurant, I was handed a menu and stepped to the side to let others go in front of me while I decided on what I wanted. I finally settled on a cup of shrimp etouffe appetizer to try out, and the small fried seafood platter (fried catfish, a jumbo stuffed shrimp, popcorn shrimp, stuffed fried crab, fries, coleslaw, and a Louisiana roll) so I could try out a little bit of everything. I ordered at the counter, got my drink and number, and proceeded to seat myself. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Personally, I liked the atmosphere and process of ordering and serving. It's very much like a dive restaurant. Not for everyone...if you're wanting something more "swanky" look elsewhere. But I enjoyed it. I first got the etouffe (almost as soon as I sat down). It was my first time trying etouffe and it was delicious! Rice covered with a thick, spicy gravy and chunks of shrimp. I wanted to eat the entire bowl, but restrained myself since I had more food on the way. The fried seafood was so good! I even liked the catfish, and I have NEVER liked catfish! But the breading was too perfect to resist. The crab was rich and creamy. So was the jumbo stuffed shrimp. The popcorn shrimp were tasty, too. And the Louisiana roll...sort of a fried roll...I saved that heavenly bit of bread for my "dessert." I definitely recommend visiting this establishment. Even if you don't like seafood, I can guarantee you will like anything and everything at Steamboat Bill's!
(4)J H.
Well this is the place everybody raves about. My take was it was just okay. Kind of a tourist trap kind of place. The food isn't any different then you would get at probably any other restaurant. The fried fish is greasy. The red beans and rice was delicious! The servers were attentive. They kept my drink refilled. The atmosphere well not a lot to be desired here. Everyone should go I guess at least once. But once was enough for me.
(3)Brian H.
I make it a point to visit Steamboat Bill's whenever I am in Lake Charles. The food is Creole/Cajun and comes quickly by pleasant servers. Take a seat, choose your meal and then go up to the counter and place your order. You will be given a card with a number on it which you display on the paper towel dispenser at your table. In a few minutes your food will arrive. Be prepared for a treat! If you have never had a Pistolette, you should give one (or more) a try. It is a fresh roll filled with either crayfish or shrimp etooufe and it rocks! Always busy often noisy but consistently fun and delicious. Down home fun!
(4)Hugh A.
Awesome seafood, the stuffed shrimp and stuffed crab are great! The portions are massive, I just wish not everything was deep fried.
(4)F H.
I agree with Casey C. , this is NOT where the locals eat good food, if you see a local person in here it is only because it is fast. If you want some good food try Southern Spice, Cajun Charlies, Boiling Point... Anyone else from the area have good Cajun food places to add?
(2)Bryan V.
Awesome,have made many trips through Lake Charles, but have never stopped at Steamboat Bils. I have added this to my list of favorites.
(5)David S.
This is our 2nd time here. Wife had the small catfish dinner, same as the first time...and she was happy with it (as before). I had a large shrimp gumbo...not that impressed, a bit soupy for my taste. I like my gumbo to have this silky, buttery mouthfeel. The flavor was good, it was just a bit runny. The side of cole slaw was fresh.
(3)Dan K.
A must stop if you're driving into Lake Charles. Steamboat Bills has some of my favorite crawfish of all time. Don't waste your time with their big menu. Hot and spicy boiled crawfish and shrimp. Maybe get a gumbo (both gumbos are good) and maybe throw in some corn. The fried stuff and poboys get thumbs up from my group but c'mon -- Crawdads! Skip the pistolettes and stuffed crab / stuffed shrimp. They're just filled with a bunch if bread and fried.
(4)Lily V.
The food here is delicious and its always packed with lots of people! It is conveniently located right off of I-10, so its great for people traveling and wanting a quick and DELICIOUS bite to eat. There are tons of menu items to choose from! I actually had a po-boy and the house special of smothered potatoes and sausage. The po-boy was a good size, and the smothered potatoes had just the right amount of cajun seasoning. There were many people eating the crawfish, so I'm sure that was pretty good too! Only downside was I felt that we were a little rushed. As soon as you walk in, you order at the front counter before being seated by a waitress to a table. BUT,this was not a deal-breaker at all. Definitely a must-try if you are in the area.
(3)Vivian H.
Steamboat Bill fries everything, apparently. Don't get me wrong, they do it well, but DAMN. We split a small seafood platter. It came with a huge catfish filets (my fave), bunch of shrimp, stuffed shrimp and crab (ew it's all just filler), a mountain of fries (thick cut and soggy), Louisiana Roll and some coleslaw. We also got a little etoufee, which was okay. We couldn't finish the dish. I'm kinda concerned that any one person would. Lemme just say that I don't like dinner rolls. But if you FRY IT like they do apparently to a Louisiana roll, then well damn I could probably eat a sickening number of them. People here are REALLY nice. They'll teach you what an etouffee is. It's clean, it's big, it's air-conditioned. And they fry their rolls.
(3)Paul G.
Wow! I don't have the credentials to say "authentic", but as far as I know, "can't get no better." The crawfish was awesome - head and all. Shrimp was awesome. The place hums with efficiency. I will come back. Maybe tomorrow!!
(5)Marcy S.
This is one of my favorite Southern Louisiana restaurants! Anytime I'm passing by, I make an excuse to stop for something or another. The pistolettes are my favorite by far but I also love their boudin balls. During crawfish season, they have some of the best (well seasoned) crawfish I've eaten at a restaurant. They do offer a plethera of fried foods, but I'm not a huge fan of those. For anyone in Louisiana who enjoys seafood, this is a MUST try.
(5)Cristina C.
Servers and cashiers were very nice and helpful and food came out fast. Red beans and rice were good but the shrimp gumbo was disappointing. It had baby shrimp and the roux could have had more flavor. My husband got the small platter and said the catfish was good but the stuffed items had too much breading. His favorite item here was the étouffée pistoullie.
(3)Darrell M.
I had high expectations of this establishment from the rave reviews of current coworkers. This was my downfall. We ordered had some traditional "Cajun" dishes and were hoping for some original "secret" recipe taste, but when it was served all we had was bland, "made-from-a-packet" dishes. Everything fried only tasted like the oil it was cooked in, which told me they never changed the oil regularly! The étouffée tasted like it was made a few days ago and warmed back up on our arrival. The prices were too high for the low quality of food. If you have ever had true South Louisiana food from a good cook, don't go here. You will be disappointed. If you're not, you have probably not had very good Cajun style food. ;-)
(2)phill V.
Crawfish étouffée was excellent! Different service as you order from a counter and then they deliver to your table but was very quick and like I said food was excellent! Don't let the crowds scare you this place is big and efficient had more trouble finding a place to park then a place to sit I didn't have any but the steamed/boiled crawfish were VERY popular and looked tasty, only complaint no raw oysters can't have everything I guess Seriously this is a goto place for good local style seafood
(4)Jake C.
This place is a staple for us at work when we have folks who want a Cajun style meal. Food quality is always good. Service level is really high. And they really pile on the food. Do not order the large.
(4)Marie G.
Super fast service. Pistoletes, creole shrimp and gumbo were amazing. Price was very reasonable. Great experience.
(5)Drew K.
Crawfish seasoning here is excellent. It's not just hype in my opinion. I have tried many many other places and each time I return to Bill's I remember what really good crawfish taste like. Sizes were mixed and all on the small side but I can just as easily blame the early season for that. $6 a pound I think was the least price I went through here, so not terribly expensive to share in the experience.
(5)Byoung Kyu S.
When in season, I always get boiled crawfish here. The crawfish sizes here have always been nice and large. Just ate here again yesterday (7/15/14) and the crawfish were still pretty huge. ~$20 for 3 LBs. I've tried some of the other stuff on the menu. I like the pistolette, gumbo, and etouffee, but always order boiled crawfish if available.
(4)Jasmine W.
My family and I live in Texas and my parents came by this place on their way back home. They brought some catfish, stuffed crab, and a shrimp po boy back for me to try. Every thing was delicious! The shrimp and catfish were very well seasoned! In November when we go back to new orleans, they will stop by there again so I can try the gumbo.
(5)Cristie H.
This is my favorite seafood place. I live by Galveston and would drive to Louisiana just for there boiled shrimp...mmm so much flavor. And you must order there rolls.
(5)Mike C.
I can get over the fact that you have to order before you are seated ( which sucks when crowded because they rush you). That aside, I do enjoy the sauce picante and pistolletes , my favorites! When the water is right ( usually late) the crawfish are really nice and spicy! Fried shrimp are really fresh and delicious. The gumbo is hit or miss. I like Steamboat Bill's. I hope they survive a onslaught of Landry corp. restaurants that appear to be on the Lake Charles horizon. But you didn't hear that from me...
(3)Gerald E.
Been here a few times but there are better places to eat around the LC area. The last time I went, it was $45 dollars or so for a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo and a bowl of crawfish étouffée and 2 teas. The gumbo was mostly rice and juice, hardly any meat. Same with the étouffée. I may have had 15 tails at the most in my big bowl. The rest was rice and juice. The food isn't extraordinary by any means either, just mediocre. I got 2 teas for right around $3 each and they didn't get filled up once... Wait staff is always subpar and I can never find them. Being from LC, I knew it was odd that I've only been to this place a handful of times... Then I go again and remember why I don't go there...
(1)Bill G.
If in Lake Charles a must stop. Don't let the traffic jam into the parking lot scare you away. They effectively move the crowd thru fast. The reason they are so busy is the food. Fresh seafood prepared mostly fried but seasoned well and crispy. When in season they have reasonably priced crawfish that is not over spiced or over cooked. They got the art of a crawfish boil down. Try the boudin balls they are our favorites.
(5)Tina S.
We were traveling through Lake Charles to Houston and used Yelp to pick a restaurant for dinner. We were so glad we picked Steamboat Bill's! The shrimp pistollettes were soooo good! (Probably should have stopped there. Lol) but we powered on and shared platters of crab etouffe, fried crawfish, and fried shrimp. My goodness! Lovin' me some cajun food! Almost makes up for LA road conditions! Ha! Steamboat Bill's has a fun atmosphere. Saw many locals hanging out and having fun. I would definitely recommend!
(5)Kimberly N.
I liked the service and how fast it was, but that's it. The crawfish was overcooked and small. It kept breaking when I tried to peel it. The shrimp gumbo was very salty I couldn't finish it (and i ordered the cup). Was very disappointed with the food.
(1)Bryan B.
Was working in Lake Charles and heard I had to go. Glad I did. Food was excellent. They give you a lot of food for the money. Stuffed shrimp and boudin balls was amazing. Go hungry.
(5)Kailyn S.
Love this place! The prices vary throughout the year depending on what is in season. I like ordering the Captain's platter. It features a variety of pretty much all of the food offered at the restaurant. Also order a serving of boudin balls and gator balls! They are both served with ranch dressing and are the right balance of spicy and sweet, crunchy and chewy. This is a popular spot for my family to come to during crawfish season as well! They are always large and full of flavor. Whatever the time of year, this is the place to go for authentic fresh caught Cajun food!
(5)Julie A.
This is a must eat for me when I come home to Lake Charles. Great flavor on the crawfish. They are nice and large when it season. There is not a let down. Yummy to my tummy! I may have to pick up some one more time before I leave. They were that good.
(5)Dawn C.
Good service, good food -- prices are a little higher than expected for the atmosphere and type of food. Pleasant meal but not a memorable one. We had the shrimp étouffée (average), chicken & sausage gumbo (delicious), and popcorn shrimp basket (meh). Rolls are fresh and tasty.
(4)Sean M.
This is a must-stop on I-10 when going back to Houston from New Orleans. The étouffee is solid, their chicken and sausage gumbo is phenomenal, and I would do disgusting things for their softshell crab. Also: pistolettes (do yourself a favor and pick up a bag to take home with you!). They also have a pretty mean iced tea game.
(4)Renetta M.
Yum. I has the shrimp étouffée and it was perfectly seasoned. Don't think the roll on the plate is some hard store bought thing! Try it, it is buttery crispy on the outside and soft yummy in the middle!
(4)Bryan M.
Here is the deal..Yes this place has a big following, yes they have been written up in USA Today and Southern Living and YES you should go there if you are in Lake Charles...BUT...Huge amounts of fried food....GOOD......the folks that work there....SUPER NICE...except the HIGH kid at the register....maybe just a bad day.....Will I go back again and again...no, but glad I went there once. Got the Captains Platter..PLEASE split this with 2-3-4 people...Wish I would have ordered a bowl of the gumbo..looked great on the table next to us.. Go, Enjoy. cross it off your list.!
(3)Leslie N.
Felt rushed by the ordering staff. Food was OK for the money but I don't think I would eat here again. We were wanting Cajun food and for half our party had seafood. The best things on the menu were the ice tea and Louisiana rolls.
(3)Blake B.
My favorite eating spot in Louisiana. I've been here four times now and look forward to my next visit. I've had the fried dinner platters and their etoufees. Their Captain's Platter is a fried seafood feast to be reckoned with. Too much just for one person. The fried shrimp is some of the best I've had, but starting to favor the stuffed crab. Fried oysters are also pretty good. My favorite now is their Etoufees, yes they have the shrimp and crawfish (seasonal) versions. I had their ordered their Crawfish Etoufee, forgetting we're months away from crawfish season. However, it was very good. Perhaps not the biggest and the most freshest crawfish, but it was spiced just right and had the right thickness over rice. They offer the dish in multiple sizes, from cups to bowls. No qualms about ordering crawfish etoufee again in October. Their shrimp pistolettes are awesome! Lightly fried rolls, sliced down the middle with a dollop of shrimp etoufee. It's a great appetizer. One day I'll just have to order a handful of these as my entrée. It's tempting to pull over when passing and have a shrimp pistolette or two. In addition to their great seafood, they're service is quick, never had to wait long to place an order or wait for food.
(5)Miriam W.
Excellent seafood and Cajun/Creole classics in a fun place with a lively atmosphere. We had just arrived in Louisiana from Texas, and I was craving some gumbo. Yes, I was on my way to New Orleans, but it just couldn't wait! Their chicken and andouille gumbo was great and obviously prepared with the time and care that are the hallmarks of this dish when it's at its best. The broth was that deep color you can only get from making a classic roux, and the flavors were terrific. My husband and I both got a medium sized serving of the gumbo and we shared the fried seafood combo of oysters and catfish, and that was plenty of food for the both of us. We even kept it to the regular sized portion of the fried seafood combo and it was lots of food. The catfish and oysters were excellent...Louisianans know how to fry food without making it overly greasy. Yum. I will return!
(4)Edna L.
It's okay, its crowded at lunch. You order at the counter and your food is brought to you. A lot of the food is fried. I do like their gumbo and pistolettes.
(3)Anastasia U.
Everything fried-gross salad wasn't even worth going back for-bad dressing, bad flavor in general. Wait staff didn't have a clue, not sure the girls who took the initial order should even be included in wait staff. One of my coworkers went as well, before I had. Wait staff tried to charge him twice before he even received his food. He had to argue with them about it, all because he went to the restroom. Coworker I went with didn't even like her soup all the much.
(2)Edgar T.
Best welcome experience to Louisiana. Crawfish boil was fantastic. Best oyster poboy we've ever had.
(5)Lauree K.
I don't know how this place gets the reviews it does. Really, have y'all never had good seafood before? This is not it! Way overpriced for what you get, which I could overlook if the food was good. Is it even fresh? We weren't convinced. We had the small seafood platters with supposedly medium shrimp. Anywhere else, the shrimp we got would be considered small or popcorn. To add insult to injury, they were way over cooked. The other things on the platter were okay but nothing to write home about. We'd heard good things about this place and looked forward to trying it. Really good, fresh seafood can be found at too many other places around here. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those places.
(1)Brett S.
Good and Bad The Gumbo was amazing and probably some of the best I ever had. Shrimp was your basic deep fried you get anywhere. Stay away from the Catfish. All breading and a paper thin slice of fish.
(3)Edna S.
My sister and I went to Steamboat Bill's on 12/10/14 and had the gumbo and fried catfish dinner. It was excellent. We will go again when we're in Louisiana.
(5)Steven D.
We eat here every time we come to Louisiana!!! I gotta have boudin balls and a cup of gumbo!!!! Everything else is amazing too!!! Gosh I am soooo stuffed!!!'
(5)Dika M.
Great food and good prices. I really didn't expect good food off I-10, but was pleasantly surprised. Our group of 8 had red beans and rice, chicken and sausage gumbo, fried shrimp and the kid's chicken tenders. Everyone liked their meals, especially the shrimp pistolettes we had for an appetizer.
(5)Buz B.
Really good food and a small diner on the lake kinda feel. I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 because, honestly, their ordering system is stupid and they didn't have any beers on tap. But, whatever. The food was good. We stopped here on the way back to Slidell, La from Austin and saw the billboard that said "voted #1 Crawfish in Louisiana"! I'm from Southeast La, so I thought, "Oh, we'll see about that!". They seemed to be quite popular, so we stopped in. When you go inside, you're given a rather limited menu and asked to wait in line while you look at the menu and decide what you want, and THEN you go up to the counter to order, you are given a card with a number and you go find a place to sit wile you wait on your food. The server brings the food to your table based on your number. Meh. A little stupid, but whatever. My woman and I both got the crawfish etouffee. I'm a HUGE fan of etouffee and I was absolutely thrilled that their large, although seemingly pricey, came in a humongous bowl. It was a brown etouffee, which I like and when I first tasted it, I was hooked. Honestly, it was some of the best etouffee that I ever had EXCEPT....... it was lacking one thing; crawfish! They could definitely put some more crawfish in that etouffee for $16.99. Come on. The taste is there, but the tail meat... not so much. I'm hoping that i just got a mediocre batch or something by a cook who just didn't gaf the day he made it. I also got a boudin ball to try and it was also among the best I've ever had. IF I were to ever pass thru Lake Charles again, I know where I'll be going to eat. That's for sure. Maybe I'll ask for extra crawfish in my etouffee or something.
(4)Jim M.
Steamboat Bills is one of my favorite stops along I-10. It's literally right off the highway and has quick service. They've developed a nice little process to help you park, give you a menu to order at the counter, and then seat you with your order number until your food is brought to you. I'd give them 4-5 stars for convenience alone. To the food; their shrimp pistollette and boudin ball appetizers are amazing. Everything is rich, hot, and delicious... Do NOT order these if you are counting calories. Their shrimp étouffée is seriously some of the best I've ever had; top 5 no doubt. Crawfish is very good but I do prefer mine very spicy, however these are cooked perfectly. If you ever find yourself on this part of I-10 or staying in Lake Charles, do your palette a favor and stop here.
(5)Jennifer N.
WARNING: PEANUT ALLERGIES should stay away, they use 100% peanut oil for cooking. Prefect for people on road trips. Right off the freeway, good for grabbing lunch/dinner on the way to your destination. Only would recommend for travelers, the food was alright and quick, but not outstanding. Locals probably have better options. The restaurant was very big! So don't worry if you have a big party, I called 2 hours ahead to let them know we had a party of 30 and they were able to accommodates us with no problem. Food wise, prices are decent for the huge portions they serve. I've tried better gumbo, theirs was too water and didn't have any veggies. The baked potatoes are huge (1lb), and was good so I would recommend. Fried platters also have big portion size.
(4)Erin D.
There is no doubt in my mind why this is the #1 restaurant according to VisitLakeCharles.org . I have not visited the other location, so I cannot compare, but I have been here several times. When crawfish was in season, it was $4.99/lb and absolutely delicious. Yes, I am from Houston, so you may take my word on that with a grain of salt, but I have had bad crawfish in Louisiana before, believe it or not. I returned earlier this week and for the first time, when crawfish was not in season. This restaurant does not have year-round crawfish. Instead, I ordered the crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, and fried mushrooms. The fried mushrooms are the best I have ever had. They're expensive at $8.99 but totally worth it. They're spicy, not overcooked, and even if you don't like mushrooms, you will like these. These mushrooms don't have a mushroomy taste. The batter used is excellent. I can easily eat the whole portion by myself, which is sad. I ordered too much food as usual. I took about five bites of the crawfish etouffee, and I was stuffed since I had already eaten the mushrooms. The etouffee was creamy, spicy, and came with some deliciously soft but crispy bread. Yum! The red beans and rice were also very good. I only took a couple of bites because I was so full, but I had to try! They also contained sausage. Both dishes had your typical Cajun spices, so if you have a cold, you'll be able to flush out your sinuses. Don't worry though, they're not overly spicy. I would give four stars alone for the food, but the service is why this place gets three stars. The first time I walked in, I didn't know where to go. There are signs saying "Place your order here," but nothing about pickup. It turns out you pick up your food at a ledge about 3in wide around the corner from the cash registers. You stand there, waiting until someone even recognizes your existence. The first time, I waited 5 minutes. There were staff working less than 10ft from me but didn't give me the light of day. It wasn't until I went to the cash register a third time to ensure I was in the right place that the cashier ended up taking care of my to-go order. When you stand at the ledge for pickup, you are RIGHT over two trash cans. This is where the staff scrape food off of dirty plates. It's quite revolting. They scrape the unwanted food into the trash can and then place the dirty dishes in a bin to be washed. Can't the trash cans be moved elsewhere, at least, not right under my nose?
(3)Tom H.
This deserves more than a four , yet it is hard to say barely anyone merits a full five. (That would only be grade inflation for eateries.) The service was great -the food was better The crawfish étouffée was nothing less than splendid and the bread melted in one's mouth. But melted in one's mouth. This dish was such that you do not want to leave A single drop on the plate. Desert was tasty too - and the atmosphere was perfect
(4)Jeri T.
I've eaten here a few times while here on business and LOVE it. The service is great and the food is fabulous. Right now I'm enjoying spicy shrimp gumbo and soon I'll be devouring an oyster po-boy. This location is typically less busy than the one on the freeway but doesn't skimp in service or flavor.
(5)Kathy J.
Have some friends who have family down in this area of Louisiana. Asked them what we shouldn't miss. Every one of them said we had to go to Steamboat Bill's. They also mentioned that we had to try the Boudin Balls and Pistolettes. First of all, we are passing through in a 40' motor home towing a jeep. I called ahead to find out if their parking lot could accommodate us. I was told "yes", that they have a parking lot attendant outside from 10:30 am. Okay, this was weird and new to us. A couple of hours later we arrive, at about 11:15. And yes, there was a parking attendant. She directed us to a spot where we would have easy out access. In we went. Not sure what I expected but it was a neat little place. Not huge. They hand you a menu, you order at the counter and then they seat you. After we were seated and as we were waiting for our food, the people started rolling in. Huge lunch crowd. Glad we go there when we did, parking for the RV would have been extremely difficult if we hadn't arrived first. We both decided to have a Po Boy. Hubby had the grilled chicken with coleslaw as his side and I had the popcorn shrimp also with coleslaw. We also ordered one Boudin Ball and one shrimp Pistolette. We have had Boudin balls before on our journeys, but this one was huge, spicy and very good. Had no idea what a Pistolette was, for some reason I thought it would be like a taquito. Wrong! It was a wonderful bread/roll with a dollop of shrimp etouffe in it. It was excellent. I could have had a few of these alone for my lunch. I had tried etouffe before, but was not impressed. The etouffe in the Pistolette was wonderful, you could taste the shrimp, but it wasn't fishy tasting. If that makes sense. This was also our first time having Po Boys. They were yummy! Loved the bread, the tarter sauce, all the crunchy lettuce and tomato. The popcorn shrimp were some of the best I have ever had. They were moist, breaded in a batter that was very light and perfectly seasoned. Excellent staff. The counter waitress was very friendly, as was our server. We left extremely full and satisfied. My waistline is very happy we do not live around here. I would be eating here all the time. Definitely worth a stop!
(5)M Q.
Food: 2 star Service: 4.5 star I spent a week in a small town in Louisiana and got a lot of fresh catfish, shrimp, etc. Steamboat Bills was cap off to the trip and I was so looking forward to more good seafood. Well, I was quite disappointed. Here is why: - Boiled Shrimp: I asked if the seasoning can be omitted. Was told cannot because the shrimp are cooked all together (unlike to cook-to-order places I frequented before). I found it too salty and the seasoning completely masked the shrimp's natural flavor (although I'm sure this is how most people like it). The freshness is subpar compared to the local places I went to all week. If you've never had fresh shrimp, then I suppose it's decent but having had the real deal all week, I can tell the un-freshness right away. - Red Beans and Rice: Pretty tasty and lots of sausage. BUT, I also found it a tad too salty. - Shrimp Etoufee: I like food on the spicy side but I found it was too spicy. Also way way way too salty. So I really want to enjoy this dish but found it impossible to. This is an order at the counter and they bring out the food to your table type of restaurant. Everyone was super friendly. I was checked on a couple times to make sure I got everything needed. They deserve a star for the service.
(3)Maureen K.
This is a fun place, but you'd better get your gall bladder ready for an onslaught of fried food. Fried this, fried that, fried other things (catfish, shrimp, oysters, etc.). All pretty good and, a real treat to our household where Spouse is gluten intolerant, all fried with corn flour and cornmeal. (They told us the owner's son is gluten allergic, so they switched all fried food to corn flour - not the etouffee or gumbo of course. But still - fried food GF,what more can a celiac ask!). Spouse therefore had fried catfish and was happy as the proverbial pig. The "regular" included three huge pieces, some of which are now in our hotel fridge waiting to augment the puny breakfast that comes with the room. I ordered a boudin ball, which was fabulous - it is apparently pork, rice, spices and some other stuff and of course, deep fried. Spicy and good! The etouffee looked so good I asked for an appetizer portion and it would have been enough for my dinner. Good, not the best I've every had, but good. Fried shrimp ($9.99 for four large) were . . . fried shrimp, nothing special. How it works: you come it, decide what you want, and stand in line to order and pay. You get your beverages and a number, and get sent to a table. A server brings your food and acts like a regular waiter for anything else you want, like more tea or a second tiny bottle of wine. The wine was $4 which is pretty cheap for the wee bottle of Barefoot Pinot. Price - by the time you add this and that, we dropped dropped $50 in a place that is fun and on the edge of grungy. They have lots of signs saying they were awarded this or that (as in 2015 Trip Advisor commendation, not too shabby!), which adds to the fun. OH - we arrived at 4:15, had no trouble getting served. But when the crawfish comes out of the boil, better be patient - the place jams up with people waiting, 'cause the locals know what's good for them. We didn't get the crawfish, darn it. But dinner was good.
(4)Victor L.
Man, I'm not too sure about Steam Boat Bill's. Sure it's good. Sure it's got tons and tons of fried seafood of all sorts. I have yet to try their gumbos and ettoufee's. The fried seafood all tastes the same. Maybe that is true for all big seafood joints though.. Like Deanie's... same way... I like Deanie's a bit better. The soft shell crab at Steamboat's was mashed down flat. Stuffed Crab was mainly bread and veggies, and deep fried with everything else. Yuck. All tasted the same. Portions are huge...keep this in mind.. Here is my tip: Get both fried and baked dishes and gumbos and ettoufee's and share. Get a variety of flavors and textures.. A couple of funny things.. My wife Mary was calling this place Steamboat Willie's on the drive from Mississippi towards Houston... I was silent and kept wondering how in the hell could they use that Disney name! She had gotten mixed up! It will forever be Steamboat Willie's to us from now on! Another is they have the bathroom sinks for hand washing afterwards outside in the open on the main restaurant floor! ( I guess they had to make some room for an ADA stall) Keep an eye on who does NOT wash their hands for some cheap entertainment. LOL.
(3)Siobhan N.
Bleh. I'm sure I just ordered the wrong thing, but most items are fried. Glorified fried food. Expensive glorified fried food. I had fried shrimp, fries, a bread roll that was definitely fried and tasted like an unsweetened donut. Strange. One of the few non-fried foods on the menu is crawfish. My friend ordered 2 Lbs; they were a good size, seasoned well but not spicy so you can add spice to your liking. My other friends both had a Soft-shell Crab Po-boy and they said it was ok but recommend sticking with shrimp or catfish. The staff were nice, but my order got messed up and I had to wait 25 minutes longer than my friends. So not the best service ever but not the worst either.
(2)Michael Q.
I ate here several years ago and it was great. They served a damn good cajun menu. When I found myself in the area for work recently I took some friends there so they could get some cajun grub. Major disappointment followed. The Grub: The menu is much diminished with way fewer selections than in the past. When we asked about several local staples that were no longer on the menu the server sheepishly said they no longer served those items. What's left is largely catfish and shrimp unless craw fish happens to be in season. What you can order was also pretty underwhelming. I had a catfish poboy that was about as bland as you could get. I suspect bland is a cardinal sin in cajun cooking so I have no idea how this is even possible. My companions had similar complaints about the shrimp gumbo. The Little Things. The atmosphere is still there, kitschy without being fake and the service is excellent. Everyone was super friendly, polite and efficient. The Wrap: It's probably not as good as you remember and if you're looking for some decent cajun chow as you cruise down I-10 you should probably keep looking.
(2)Amanda C.
Our food was delicious and fresh. (: very happy we picked this place! The service was great and the staff was friendly
(5)Deidra B.
Not a fan of the ordering at the counter, but it is done in an efficient manner. Also if you want something else while you are at the table, you can have someone bring it to you and just add it into your bill. I had the red beans and rice and the boudain balls. Always good. My companion orderd the pistolettes and she loves them. Gets them every time. I do know for sure the servings at this place are humongous. I see those big huge platters of fried shrimp and fish coming out and woah it is a lot of food! This is always a stop we make before going to the Casino!
(3)Ria A.
Stopped here for a quick bite during our road trip and I was really surprised by their Louisiana bread roll! It was so light and fluffy and so good compared tO other hard as rock rolls. The crawfish étouffée On a bed of rice was spicy but good. You have to line up to get your food and sit down wherever. The waiter forgot about us sometimes but besides that my order was good.
(4)Cameron M.
Great food!! Best place in Lake Charles! Get a Pistollete crawfish is amazing!!! Fried catfish is also a top pick.
(5)Mel M.
Food was so-so. Being this close to the Gulf of Mexico, I would expect generous portions of seafood. The shrimp gumbo had a small portion of salad-sized shrimp. The shrimp étouffée cheese fries had even fewer salad-sized shrimp. My friend got the grilled chicken special. Chicken was bland and dry. The salad that came with it was average with a bunch of wilted lettuce. The prices were high for the quality and portions served. The same meals for similar prices in Houston, TX, also off the Gulf, would have been served with generous portions of large to Jumbo shrimp fresh caught.
(1)Jay Y.
Oh man, after more than a decade away from Louisiana, I have forgotten how good Cajun crawfish was until I visited this restaurant. Steamboat Bill's was the first restaurant I visited at Lake Charles and I am so glad to come here to be reminded what true Cajun food was like! When I first came in, a huge crowd was already waiting at the doorway. Fortunately, the setup was that everyone (Take out or dine in) orders at the counter and those who are dining in the restaurant are assigned tables. It is definitely an efficient process for a popular restaurant such as this! Here are what I ordered: 1) 1 lb of boiled crawfish (Market price): Even when not in season, the crawfish was solid! Not only were they fresh judging by the texture, they were also flavorful. I took a while to get used to the taste after having to deal with Texas's watered-down Cajun food for years! 2) Stuffed crab (2 for $3.99): Stuffed crab is always my go-to selection for American seafood because each restaurant has different variation and I was not disappointed with Steamboat Bill's. Especially with two per order, I simply could not pass this opportunity up! I definitely recommend it as a side dish if you also enjoy stuffed crab. 3) Shrimp pistolette (2 for $3.99): This is the first time I had a pistolette so while I can't give you a comparison, I can tell you it's certainly delicious so this is another recommended side dish from me. While the crawfish came almost immediately after I ordered, the other two side dishes arrived a little late. Good thing the casual Cajun decor was so cool to check out that time flew by a little faster! My cashier and my server have been nice, so I also enjoyed the service here. The bottom line is that if you like and want Cajun seafood, you can't go wrong with Steamboat Bill's! Get off I-10 and take a nice meal break here. --- tl;dr version: 1) Solid Cajun seafood! 2) Crowded but efficient in processing crowds 3) Excellent meal stop for I-10 travelers
(5)Richard S.
This is our go to spot on the way home from Nola or Baton Rouge. EZ off EZ back on to I-10 west. That and the fact that the bread the serve with your dinner is redonkulous. Its a bread roll and it's fried. Yep fried bread (thou shalt not judge). We typically swear to each other as we are leaving New Orleans "we're gonna eat better when we get home". Followed shortly by "steamboat bills on way home? This will be our last bad meal". Btw, never had a bad meal here ;-). Fried shrimp po boy. 9 Gumbo. 9 Chicken tenders n coleslaw. 9 Unsweet tea. 9 That freekin bread..10 + Dont stop here if you're not willing to consume many calories. Don't stop here if you're looking for fine dining, white table cloth, attentive waiter, type place. Do stop here if you want to grub tough, listen to some cajun music, and wash it all down with an Abita amber ale.
(5)R S.
Great environment, meals tasted great. Problem, I had the large shrimp etouffee and my wife had the regular crawfish etouffee, neither meal had more than a tablespoon of shrimp/crawfish. My wife and I are from Louisiana traveling from Texas to our current home in Alabama and were looking forward to a good Cajun meal. I would not dine there again.
(2)A O.
My husband loves seafood, so while in Lake Charles I pulled out my Yelp app to look up places to eat. He said the Captain's Platter And the fried Oysters were the best he ever had. The Boudin ball was to die for. People watching was great too!
(5)Racheal D.
The reviews were not wrong. All of our food was great. The staff was attentive. I would definitely go back.
(4)Kyna S.
Good food. Fair prices. Easy in, easy out. Friendly staff. Good location for travelers. We were driving to Houston from Florida and needed a stop for dinner at 8:30pm on a Saturday. We were traveling with 10 people including two toddlers and a five year old. The food was tasty. We had a variety from the menu because of our large group. Everyone enjoyed what they had. The staff made sure our drinks were always full. When we walked in all the kids got bead necklaces from the hostess who helps seat you after you order and pay. That system works. From the time we drove in and drove away was about an hour.
(4)Bridget W.
We stopped by on our drive from San Antonio to NOLA for lunch. 4 stars for good food at a reasonable price and great service. I would definitely stop by again. Food: I had a combination fried plate (crawfish and oysters), and my SO had beans and rice. My cousin got an etouffee. We all really enjoyed our food. The fried plate is a big portion as others' also say, so you could split it between 2 people and then probably split something else like an etouffee or gumbo. I usually love bread but I didn't care for the bread because it reminds me of the Chinese buffet dinner rolls. My SO loved it (and he is not a bread guy) though! Service: Great service. Someone was in the parking lot directing parking. You order at the cashier before sitting. Our server was great-- super friendly, efficient. If anything, she may have come by a little too often. Environment: It's a large space. The bathroom space is tiny compared, and they have the sinks outside the bathroom in the dining area. It's a little odd... unless you want to watch everyone and look for that guy who doesn't wash his hands... Maybe it saves on water from having separate sink areas? But having that sink space inside a regular bathroom at least gives you an area to wait in line for a bathroom stall. We were all crammed in pretty awkwardly to wait for a stall. Overall, I would be happy to stop by again!
(4)Robin M.
I was a bit nervous after reading the reviews whether I should give this place a go but I'm sure glad we did. This was our first stop into Lake Charles before we checked into the Golden Nugget. Let me say that from our dining experiences the entire trip this was probably the most memorable and tastiest. We ate at most of the fine venues inside the casino and while they were good they were also very commercialized and over priced. No surprise there. Steamboat Bill's feels like a local institution that makes cajun fun, tasty, and loud. It reminded me of what Razoo's and other cajun franchises try to model their national schemes after. The place had a long line that stretched out the door. The parking lot had attendants to guide people in and out. Why folks try to drive into a small lot with a camper and trailer just perplexes me but this venue is located just off the feeder of I-10 across the casino's at the very end of the bridge.... so you'll see all types of folks in the parking lot and inside the restaurant. The bathrooms do not have sinks to wash your hand. Instead they have a community wash area that exists in between the men's and ladies restroom for quicker access to wash away messy hands that are double dipped in crawfish boil juice and seasonings. When you enter it does seem a bit chaotic but the hostess will slowly guide you up to the register where you will need to quickly order. Make sure to read the menu in advance before going there or while you are waiting in line before you get to the register. Last thing you want to do at this place is hold up the line to a bunch of hungry folks who have been on the road for most of their day or lost alot of money at the casinos across the street. Please be considerate, self-less, and read that menu in advance. It helps keep the chi flowing and the line moving in this place. The food such as crawfish was classic cajun that had enough heat to break a sweat, the corn was sweet, the pistolettes were interesting and filling, gumbo was soaked in sodium but that was expected, and the hot sauce(s) on the table was great. The people working the floor aren't really assigned to any table so if you need something just flag someone down...anyone and they'll be more than happy to get you extra lemons, seasonings, refills, etc. The place is packed so expect to wait at least 15 minutes for entrees. Items like soup, bread, and crawfish tend to come out quicker I noticed. My wife ordered the chicken strips and man was that good. Just simple comfort food done right however she did wait about 20 minutes. We thought they might not have rang it up, that they forgot, but it just took that long. Meanwhile, by the time it did come out I was done with my 2lbs of crawfish. The crawfish was decent in size but that's not saying much for April. I come to expect it to be about 4 inch and mature typically that time of the season. Steamboats is a great departure from the casino and it's easy on the wallet. Give them a try and do it the cajun way while you're in town.
(4)Stephanie E.
Great place to go and eat...so great that we went back to back on our trip... my friend eats Cajun food all the time and for him to want to go back was a big plus.. It's always packed also so that tells u its one of the best in Lake Charles
(5)Lauren M.
My husband and I just drove down from Dallas just to get some good seafood. After realizing that Port Arthur is a total dump, we continued east to Louisiana. As we were driving, I found Steamboat Bill's on yelp and we decided to try it a.k.a. I said that this is where we were going. There was a bit of a line but I wasn't deterred thanks to the reviews I'd read. The host passed us along to the cashier even though we weren't 100% on what we would order. I ordered 1lb of crawfish at market price ($6.95) which I was told would take 20 minutes, 2 boudin balls, the hubs got the popcorn shrimp with fries and slaw, and our 2 year old got the kids popcorn shrimp. After one beer, a soda and a kids lemonade, it was $49 and some change. We were promptly seated and within minutes the boudin balls arrived. HEAVEN ON EARTH. Hands down, best I've ever had. The shrimp platters came along before we could even finish the boudin and the portions for extravagant. Flavor was as popcorn shrimp would be expected to be. The crawfish came within 10 minutes and the server fetched some "crawfish dip" which I had never heard of. It tasted like mayonnaise and seasoning. Blegh. The crawfish were spicy but not like I had expected a cajun dish to be. Could have been spicier. And they were the smallest crawfish I had ever seen. I threw out about 10 of them because they weren't worth the time and effort for such a small reward. I ended up ordering 2 more boudin balls and ate about one and a half before throwing in the towel. All in all, good place, good food, decent service. My recommendation is that if you don't eat a ton of food, order from the kids menu unless you live close enough to take home leftovers.
(4)Markisha B.
We came in after a long day and were pleasantly surprised. The order first, get seated second thing was weird but seems to work. Great food, good service. I'll be back!
(5)RanGirl A.
This is my favorite place in Lake Charles to eat!!!!! The Oysters are always great. We get seafood Gumbo for an appetizer, Seafood platter with shrimp and oysters. Ok, the Crawfish Pisolettes are to die for!!!! Let me be very frank......I luv everything about this restaurant. Just waiting on Crawfish season to return because Steamboat Crawfish are the Bessst!!!!
(5)Natalie T.
After checking into our hotel, my friend and I were looking on Yelp to see what local restaurants are around that we can try. Steamboat Bill's was one of the first places that popped up which was perfect since we were both craving seafood at the time. I suggest that if you want to try this place out to go early (5pm or earlier). The line was ridiculously long and out the door by 5:30pm! I ordered the fried catfish and my friend had ordered the shrimp. It was a lot of fried food that we were not expecting to consume. It felt like a Houston Rodeo experience where everything you eat and drink has been battered and deep fried. We also got 2lbs of their crawfish just to try it out. We instantly fell in love with the crawfish because it was not only really tasty but they were huge as well. We will try to stop by here during crawfish season next year cause we were that impressed.
(3)Amy P.
In Lake Charles on business and Steamboat Bill's caught my eye on Yelp. I'm was looking for some good local seafood/Cajun food, something I can't get at home. The service was excellent from the outset. The young man at the door was friendly and explained how the ordering and seating process works. He was kind enough to share that the Catfish Atchafalaya was his most favorite item on the menu. He was also very amused by my pronunciation of "boudin". He smiled, pronounced it for me (boo-dan), and asked where we were from. I would describe him as " Louisiana charming" and he had a nice smile. :-) We ordered and were seated right away and our food was brought out within ten minutes. I was glad I only ordered one boudin ball, it was huge! It had a flavor that reminded me of corned beef hash with a kick. Deep fried and dipped in tarter, it was tasty. I did cut it in half and then shared it. My Catfish Atchafalaya...delicious! It's a deep fried catfish filet served over rice with a shrimp gravy on top. Now, I'm not the biggest catfish fan and it's not the first kind of fish I order when I go out. Sometimes it tastes muddy and is often over cooked and dry. This catfish was cooked perfectly. It was moist, the breaking was light and crunchy, and it wasn't greasy or heavy at all. The shrimp gravy was plentiful with small shrimp and had a nice little kick of spice. Scoop up some gravy on your fork, stab a piece of catfish, scoop some rice and pop it in your mouth; it's a perfect bite! The staff checked on us often and our water glasses were kept topped off. I knew the young man that recommended my meal did not steer me wrong when one of the staff members stopped by the table and shared he eats the Catfish Atchafalaya at least once a week and that it is his favorite too. To respond to other reviews stating the food is too salty: I did not find it too salty but this comes from someone who freely uses salt at home. Now, if you are not someone that uses salt that much in your cooking or adding after then you may find it to be salty to your taste. But hey, just drink some extra water!!
(4)Micaela S.
Most of the food was a 3, but service and atmosphere is a 5. I had a small platter. The catfish was good, the fried shrimp were good, the stuffed crab and stuffed shrimp left a lot to desire. The crab really was just a shell with a bread mix stuffed into it...where was the crab meat? I'm accustomed to crab in the Pacific Northwest so that could be why I didn't care for the stuffed crab or stuffed shrimp. However, the swamp fries were amazing!!! Those could be a meal all on its own.
(4)Miss V.
This place has fast service and good food... I was very impressed with how the staff wit like a well oiled machine to get the food out to you in a timely manner.
(4)Ryan J.
While I was not a fan of the ordering style with a faMily of four and treo if them being under three. The food was amazing! Fire sure a place to stop and obj up some good gumbo abd really anything else.
(5)KRISTOPHER V.
Great seafood/Cajun/creole selections, and quick! Busy but there was little to now wait. I'll be back for more!
(5)Jane C.
Our seafood and Cajun dishes were wonderful . It was my Italian cousins first experience with southern fried fish and Cajun cooking. She really enjoyed!! Easy access from I-10 I recommend.
(4)Gregory S.
Excellent again! A must after a hard day at the casinos! Or, even a good day. I can always find a good reason to stop at Steamboat Bills!
(5)Sheila M.
Wow!!!!! Enough said. Ate there for the first time. I ordered the the medium shrimp platter and it came with coleslaw, fries, and a roll. The food was excellent and they definitely give you a nice size portion of food and the prices are reasonable. I would highly recommend this place to anyone!!!!
(5)Catt M.
We r staying at golden nuggets. I found this place on yelp so we decided to try their crawfish. It was ok. It didnt look like they purged it right. Thats why i gave them 3 stars. I love our waitress though she was sooo nice. Im suprise they were featured in southern living magazine. Anyway im not sure if we will come back =(
(3)Phillip K.
Wonderful, wonderful!! Shrimp is always fresh (right off the boat). Crawfish is wonderful. The crab cakes are to DIE FOR! The rolls are addictive and the rest of the food is good! The sweat tea is okay as I remember it. I don't care for the way you order (fast food style in a sit down restaurant, but I am sure it is necessary for the volume at peak meal times. DON'T EVER PASS IT UP!!!!
(5)John B.
I did not know what to expect. It seemed like reviews were love or hate. I thought I wanted to see for myself. Too bad it is not on the water but the ambiance and food were good. I had the fried large shrimp. 8 large shrimp fo $17. I thought it was a little pricey but the food was good. Service was good. If I come back to Lake Charles. I would return.
(4)Connie M.
Parking was great access. Service was quick. Seafood was fresh and amazing! Going back next week! On our way to Texas.
(5)Andrew P.
Fantastic! This is the only place I want to eat at when I drive through Lake Charles! I have not had anything that I did not care for. The fried catfish is one of the best I have ever had. The crawfish étouffée is up there as well.
(5)Jennifer R.
Loved this place....being I have a gluten allergy I was nervous. We stopped in and I asked if they use flour and they said no just cornmeal....YAY! The shrimp was crispy and delicious and the catfish was crispy and moist. I had the coleslaw instead of french fries. Friendly staff and food was out super fast.
(5)Brandon T.
Stopped in for lunch. Easy to get to off i10. Had shrimp étouffée and it was awesome. They accept AmEx. Everyone was nice as can be. I ran to restroom after ordering and finding a seat. When I got back from restroom my food was already there. Was a great choice!
(5)S B.
We have been coming here for years. Never disappoints! Great gumbo, catfish, crawfish étouffée. Little pricey but well worth money spent.
(5)Sabrinah E.
First Time Here And It Was Absolutely Delicious And The Portions Are Extremely Huge!!
(5)Steve C.
WOW normally only fast food restaurant make you pay up front. Well, we got the food and it was good crawfish was seasoned and fried catfish was good. But service was poor and there no sinks in the bathroom to wash your hands. Would have like to eat more but because we had to pay first we felt rushed. And after eating we where still hungry so we decided to go out to eat!! I don't think I will be going back. And for the young man at the front door that told me they been making people pay up front here for twenty years. FYI twenty years age that building was a message pallor with a happy ending!!!
(1)Jose G.
We saw the great reviews this place has and saw that it was close to our hotel so we gave it a try. We placed our ordered and were seated promptly. The Crawfish I ordered were perfectly spiced and cooked. My friends said their meals were excellent and some of the best seafood they've ever tried. Our waiter was very attentive and checked up on us often. The price was very fair and I will definitely return to this restaurant when I am in the area again.
(5)The G.
First time having Cajun cooking in Louisiana and this place was great. Had the gator bites, boudin balls were amazing, crab and shrimp gumbo was ok, sausage and chicken gumbo had more flavor, pistolettes (sp?) were amazing, shrimp po boy hit the spot for sure, the house potato was huge and delicious smothered in the shrimp étouffée!!!
(4)Donna Z.
We were driving through Lake Charles on our way to Houston and were so happy with Steamboat Bill's! It was very easy to get to and a great value for what we got. We ordered the Captain's Platter and LOVED sampling the different types of seafood. The staff was also extremely helpful on assisting the out of towners on understanding the menu items. We'd love to go back!
(5)Regina S.
I ordered the fried oysters, coleslaw, and fries. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp, coleslaw, and fries. We mainly got mostly fries ( huge portion, I thought that was the side order...), the coleslaw portion was so small that when we got tartar sauce, it was bigger. Felt cheated...the oysters were also very small. Not worth the high price. I dont see why this place is popular.
(2)Raul Q.
Busy , Rustic , crowded and DELICIOUS ! I read the reviews here and took the advice of the Captains Platter and the Crawfish Étouffée found myself not disappointed . The Captains platter fed our family of four but I look forward to coming back just for the Étouffée .
(5)Eugene K.
The chicken and sausage gumbo is solid but had a pretty smoky flavor to it. The crawfish isn't bad was a little small when I stopped in this past weekend. The seasoning was pretty good though. Service wasn't too bad either considering rush hour traffic for lunchtime on a weekend. They get your orders in quickly. The bread pudding is pretty good too but seems a little overpriced for such a small cup.
(4)Ashley G.
I am a regular here and I usually go on Sundays with my grandparents and my 85 year old great grandma. Usually when we get there it is quite busy but they seat us because of my great grandma. Well today they wanted us to wait til everyone that was ordering was seated before we could get a seat. There is only two seats for waiting one is by the door and the other is for people waiting for Togo orders. I understand that they are doing what they are told but it could have been handled better.Have some curtsy for old people and people with kids.Be prepared to wait to be seated when you go.
(4)Alicia F.
Wow--amazing food here! So glad we stopped by for lunch. It was hopping, but we easily found a spot in the large parking lot, walked in, and got in line. We got our food surprisingly fast, too! Kudos to the people behind the registers here. We started with the hefty boudin balls and beers, then tried the oyster poboy and shrimp poboy. All of it was tasty: crispy fried seafood, creamy mayo, and tons of lettuce, topped with a dash of hot sauce. Large portions, too! I actually ended up taking half of my poboy home because I couldn't finish it all in one sitting. Overall, great environment; perfect for kids, large groups, families, etc. A very "down on the bayou" decor scheme with fishing nets, alligators, neon signs, etc, and friendly staff. I would totally come back the next time I'm in town.
(5)All M.
This establishment is a bit to spicy for my taste and with as many customers as this place has, it really should invest in a larger building with more parking space. Many people love it here, but since watching what I eat and losing nearing 50 lbs, I can't and won't eat here.
(3)Johnny V.
The food was delicious from the catfish to the fries. Red beans and rice are a must order if you walk in the door. If not you're missing out. The atmosphere is a little chaotic so be prepared for that. Your order is placed before you are seated so check the menu before you arrive if possible.
(4)Sean A.
The Cajun food here is good but the prices are ridiculously high. The meals I guess are meant to be eaten family style. Would be nice if they had regular individual priced meals and more reasonable price.
(3)Jeremiah H.
Every time I cross Louisiana state line this is one of my must stop places no matter what simply amazing
(5)Licia S.
This place was everything that I was told it was. The pistolete was phenomenal! I especially enjoyed the crawfish one. The service was great as well! It is a fast place restaurant due to constant inflow of people. I'm glad this place isn't but a two hour drive.
(5)Katie Q.
I tired their CRAWFISH and must say it was so delicious I couldn't stop eating them! I ate here a few times while I was in the area I'm form Texas and must say this place is amazing!
(5)Lydia V.
Oh. My. Word. We were doing a spur-of-the-moment casino trip with a friend and really had a hankering for some good Cajun food. The po'boys are some of the veat we've had and the jambalaya (according to our friend) was outstanding. I had the catfish atchafalaya and would drive the 2.5 hours from Houston back just to have it again. The boudin balls were yummy...not such a fan of the gator bites, but that is only because I was expecting fried gator.
(5)Shawn B.
Go here, eat gumbo and étouffée and you will be happy. Shrimp poboy was good but it's fried shrimp in French bread. But the gumbo and étouffée are very flavorful. You order in one and they are very efficient. It's a good place if you like Cajun food.
(5)Jason J.
Okay stop...if you are here the food is good real good but the shrimp pistolle (sp) is great order about 6 of those bad boys with some fries and thank me later. :) My girlfriend and I had those the fried oysters (my least favorite) fried crawfish and fried catfish with fries and coleslaw. Delish and once again super nice people.
(5)Monika W.
Everything was delicious, but they had no crawfish.... So I must give it a 4. We came for crawfish! The shrimp pistolettes are great . The shrimp étouffée was awesome as was the gumbo. I just really wanted crawfish.
(4)Sydney J.
The crawfish pistollets are a must! The bayou punch is like a Louisiana Bahama mama! Walked in and got our appetizers in less than 2 minutes too! Definitely a must if you're in Louisiana
(5)Amy M.
Excellent place to stop whole traveling down i10. The étouffée was fabulous and their half pound of shrimp was well seasoned. Our order was taken quickly and the cashier was such a sweet heart to my 3 year old daughter. I could tell he enjoyed working here. Food came out in a decent amount of time. I thought it was interesting that the sinks were outside the bathroom. At least it let's guests know if the employees are washing their hands well after they use the bathroom!
(5)Kenneth G.
Always for as long as I can remember excellent food, staff, and service. They never disappoint just wish we lived closer so we could go more often!!!
(5)Anna J.
Went here with a friend on the last weekend of Mardi Gras, so there were a lot of people in town. My friend insisted on an early dinner and I'm glad she did. We got there at 5 and managed to avoid the rush that started at 5:30. We had the butterfly shrimp and it was really good. It still has a fast food feeling about it but as long as that is what you expect I'm sure you'll like this place!
(4)Thian N.
I read ask the reviews and thought I would give it a try. I thought it was okay. I got the fried oyster platter and my friend got the chicken baked potato. Both were decent, but nothing to rave about. Granted the location is very convenient but otherwise I'm not sure I would return here for a meal.
(3)Justin M.
The food was phenomenal! The crawfish were awesome and seasoned to perfection. For only about $6 I got a whole pound, about 20 total. The shrimp pistolettes were out of this world. I travel all over and this is definitely a top 3 cajun/creole resturant in my opinion. I may even go back tomorrow night for dinner.
(5)Jerry H.
The food was good, not great. The shrimp gumbo was tasty but had microscopic shrimp. The soft shell crab was strangely bland. The crawfish etoufee lacked many crawfish and the etoufee seemed heavy on corn starch. The boudin ball was good. The pecan praline bread pudding for dessert was delicious.
(3)Teneha B.
Quite an extensive menu of fried, fried, fried, salad, etouffee, fried, fried, fried oh & fried. Good place for fried seafood. Not many options for healthy eating. Order, pay for your food at the register, get your drink, have a seat & food will be brought to you. Servers are nice. Attentive. And do a good job of clearing the table. (Don't forget to leave your tip) This place fills up quickly & empties just the same. Portion sizes for the price, ehhhhhh lets rethink this equation. Lol. Don't forget to get your soft, striped peppermints as you exit. The hostess is a sweetie pie.
(3)Jeanett L.
We enjoyed eating at this place.
(3)Jeremy W.
It's a popular, perpetually busy place serving fried seafood in huge amounts with a very low wait time. Friendly staff, and very consistent quality. This is a well-designed, well-run business that has avoided falling into any traps in their streamlined operation. They stick to what they're good at, and they don't disappoint. And the crawfish pistolettes...I think I could eat 2 dozen of them.
(4)It's M.
Food- Shrimp salad-it's boiled shrimp on top iceberg Boudin-my first, I don't have comparative Shrimp Gumbo-really brothy Red beans & rice- good This is a Bubba Gump wannabe joint appealing to magazine & travel websites. Clean bathroom.
(1)Blaine D.
Me and my boyfriend ate here today and the food was absolutely amazing !!! The gator bites were to die for ! And the boudin balls were the best I have ever had and I am full blood Cajun so that's a huge compliment ! The portions were great as well we had to take a lot home ! The service was a little slow but nothing to be upset over ! This was a place I would drive back to LA just to eat at !
(5)Joe J.
Good Louisiana seafood at a decent price. Very easy access to interstate 10. Boiled Shrimp salad was fresh and delicious. My son loved the Étouffée. My daughter-in-law had a shrimp poboy. It was served on soft French Bread (unlike the hard French Bread of New Orleans). That is a matter of preference. Walk in, get a menu, order then be seated and served.
(4)Mark G.
The shrimp étouffée was fantastic. Nice casual crowd, quick service, attentive wait staff, comical decor, and interesting barrel shaped bathroom sinks, and relatively clean.
(4)Paul C.
Something to look forward to break up the 6 hour drive between New Orleans and Houston. Love the crawfish and shrimp pistolettes. The boiled shrimp were seasoned perfectly. And, the baked potatoes were also very good. We had one baked potato topped with crawfish etouffee.
(5)Rod C.
The crawfish etouffee was off the chain. The boudin balls were excellent too. Our gumbo seemed to be a little burnt or overdone, but you can't win 'em all. Overall, this was a great place to stop for lunch while traveling I-10, and a great place to get some authentic Louisiana cookin'.
(4)Angel F.
I can understand why so many people think this is great food, there aren't many choices. 1st off, I don't like the concept of this place. When you walk in the door, you're handed a menu, then told to get in 1 of three lines. I felt rushed to order and couldn't fully read over everything and decide what I wanted. 2nd after you order you stand around, in the way while you wait for a random waiter to tell you where to sit. Now on to the food: I had the popcorn shrimp and chicken tenders. Sounded simple enough. The shrimp was pretty good. The chicken tenders on the other hand, not so much. I know you're probably wondering, how can someone mess up chicken tenders? Well here's how...when you fry the chicken in the same grease as you're frying french fries, fish, shrimp, hush puppies and whatever else they fry up here, that's how. Also my chicken was overcooked and the batter tasted like cornmeal instead of what I'm use to (flour and egg) My mom and husband had the crawfish and both said it was really good. I will say the waitstaff and bus boys are on top of things! Definitely give them an A+
(2)W G.
Good food. My wife fell in love with the shrimp Pistolettes. Pretty good. Having been several times the food is usually excellent but occasionally can be over cooked a bit. The food is mostly fried but there is gumbo and other dishes as well. If you like it fried then this is the place for you.
(4)Jared B.
They only get two stars because the boiled crawfish isn't bad. The rest of their food is mediocre and touristy. Sadly, this is perfect for the people of Lake Charles. All of the fried food tastes exactly the same. The rest of the menu is boring and bland.
(2)Chris N.
Tried this place after every local we asked recommended it... Definitely Best Cajun food we've ever had!
(5)Stephanie R.
Fried, fried, and more fried seafood. Oh, they even FRY their biscuits! The boudin balls were DELICIOUS but that's about all. Touristy place so I would recommend visiting if you get the chance.
(3)Missy G.
Small platter was AMAZING! Included: stuffed shrimp (good), stuffed crab (decent), catfish (off the chain great paired with yummy coleslaw!!), medium fried shrimp (delicious), fries (a little better than good) & Louisiana roll (melt in your mouth). Crawfish good if you add more spice. Corn OK. Potatoes bland & gross The ambiance does nothing for me. Staff were attentive but the cashier didn't give us a number & since it was our first time there we didn't know we needed one. Also told me crawfish only comes with 1 potato/corn so I ordered one of each. Come to find out 2lbs does not include corn/potato so we only had one. No big deal like I said potato sucked. Prices reasonable.
(4)Alyson A.
I think it's hilarious that one of the reviews says, "everything fried-gross" in it. C'mon. It's Louisiana. Most of the foods are fried--get over yourself. Maybe I'm just used to it, considering this is my hometown, but if you don't want fried food don't go to a typical Louisiana restaurant. With that being said, I went here with a party of 4 others. I was visiting old friends so our laughing and cutting up melded right in with the general volume of the place. The food was fan-freaking-tastic. The only disappointment? I came all the way from Colorado wanting a crawfish pistolette and had to settle for a shrimp one. ALMOST as good. I had fried fish with french fries and a roll and it made me miss living by water. The fish in CO? Nothing to write home about. Everyone's food was hot, fantastic, and we didn't feel rushed to leave at all. Will I go back when I visit home? A resounding, "hell, yeah"!
(4)Narin L.
I don't understand why this place is rated so high? Elite yelpers rating this place 4-5 stars? Seriously? This place feels like a diner for truckers the very moment you step through the door! It seems like they have a process to get you in and out quick! You're greeted at the door with a menu, order at the counter and seated by a waitress who then brings your food when it's ready... Typical seafood fare with mostly all fried stuff... I ordered the "jumbo" shrimp, my buddy got their gumbo and etouffee and my other friend got their fried catfish! Jumbo shrimp weren't really "jumbo" more like medium to large. My buddy barely even ate his gumbo and took a bite from his etouffee before literally pushing it away. I wouldn't go back to this place and if it weren't for Boudin King being closed we wouldn't even be there in the first place..
(2)Sherry W.
Crawfish étouffée was excellent!! Chicken and sausage gumbo was good. Spicy peel and eat shrimp were awesome!! Easy counter service. Was as great today as it was three years ago!
(5)Gianna O.
Oh Steamboat Bill's! What you do with shrimp is beyond words. You take the freshest shrimp and you batter it perfectly and then you fry it like a pro until it's golden and just impossible to resist. Thank you, Bill, whoever you are. I truly love your fried shrimp. I can honestly say they are among the best I've ever had and certainly the freshest! Other dishes here include the crawfish etouffee. I was in no way disappointed here. The crawfish were plump, juicy, fresh and so yummy! If you don't mind a drive from the Houston area or if you are headed back to the Houston area from Louisiana, make a stop at Steamboat Bill's. It's very much worth the time and drive!
(5)Carl H.
Easy on, easy off location for some consistently good food. Many visits and always a seafood satisfaction for the ride home. The mudbugs at the next table, looked good, but I have not been able to "not" order my favorite ---- butterfly fried shrimp. Maybe next time......
(4)Kiri S.
Fond memories of stopping at Steamboat Bill's on a drive along I-10 from Houston to New Orleans. A coworker had suggested it and I'm glad, otherwise we never would have known it was there (kind of eclipsed by the huge bridge in Lake Charles.) We were there at lunch time on the first Friday of Lent, so it was a zoo, and they had people in the parking lot directing traffic. No matter, we found a spot and made our way in. We ordered one of the platters, with fried shrimp and catfish, plus an order of gator balls. Everything came to the table quickly and more importantly hot. Everything was delicious - and it was a lot of food. Would definitely recommend to those making the trek along I-10.
(4)Jennifer W.
Delicious Cajun food! I never had the chance to visit this place the last time I visited Lake Charles and after 2 years I finally got the chance too! I live in Cali., (born in New Orleans, FYI) and the seafood in CA doesn't compare to the good ole Louisiana seafood. We ordered the Captain's Platter (Fried catfish, stuffed shrimp & crab, shrimp, oysters, fries cole slaw and bread roll), Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Oyster Po-Boy, Boudin Balls, and Fried Mushrooms. AND I literally died and went to fried seafood heaven!! Everything was delicious and unhealthy, but amaze balls..nonetheless. The employees are very friendly, the prices are great, and the food was yummmmm! The only con was that the establishment could be a little more accommodating to the disabled. It was difficult to get my disabled family member through the front door with a tall small side walk and a bench taking up 80% of the room outside.
(4)Jamie M.
My main goal being from California was to cross state lines from Texas and visit Louisiana, because well I can now say I have been there, ha. Maybe I was expecting a little more, maybe I went in with hopes a lot higher than they should have been for Louisana's all that is deep fried foods, maybe I'm a bit of a food snob, or just all of the above (even possibly beyond full from the bag of Cajun Fries from Five Guys prior). My boyfriend was excited to order the Boudin balls (1.69 a piece) and being that I had never had them I was well pretty darn excited myself. Sadly they were a little bit of a disappointment. My other half said they tasted funny and something wasn't right with them. Le sigh! Disappointed to some degree as aforementioned and really couldn't be to judgmental since well don't know how good ones are supposed to taste, but the disappointment level was not near as much as my boyfriend's who had wanted my first tasting of such to be amazing, haha. Also ordered some spicy boiled shrimp, and these were actually really good. Loved the flavor. I ordered the Shrimp Po-boy (9.99) that came along side some fries (I was glutton for punishment thinking I could stomach more fries). It was good, nothing that knocked my socks off, tasted just as good second day as well. All and all they are pretty cool joint, minus the strange kid that decided to spend a little to much time looking at the artwork on the wall above our table, should have offered him a seat perhaps?
(3)Chris B.
Best gumbo and shrimp in the area, hands down. We get the pistolettes, chicken and sausage gumbo, and the small platter. It's great food, and the staff is friendly. Do yourself a favor and eat here.
(5)Sadaf Q.
Great food ,great price and great atmosphere. This is a really laid back restaurant. The staff is supper nice and the food is even better. We actually stopped her on our road trip from Houston hoping to get some crawfish but unfortunately it was out of season. But we did try a few of the other dishes and everything we ordered tasted great.
(4)Chris W.
Good solid seafood with a very friendly, home town atmosphere. Order in line they bring it to you. Been here several times...best with fried but a good solid gumbo as well...tasty little roles...never had an empty glass. I recommend this while in Lake Charles or just passing through. Bit pricey but to be honest, its worth it these days for a great meal and good service.
(4)P D.
The shrimp ettoufe was super delicious, just correctly spiced , correct temp, the accompanying roll was OMG good!!
(5)Aguila D.
We stopped by here on our way to New Orleans looking for a tasty bite. I was excited to try some delicious fried seafood. I was disappointed when we were told fried oysters were 86'd. Sooo I changed my order to fish and shrimp with fries. Instead I was served a plate full of deep fried salt. The food was greasy and there was entirely too much breading. The catfish filets were gooey inside, and the shrimp was tiny, despite upgrading to medium shrimp. The fries tasted like the standard frozen Sysco fries. The whole dish tasted like straight salt. The best part about this lunch was...psyche! There was no best part. Boooooooo.
(2)Laura A.
OMG. This place had really good fried shrimp. But after tasting hubby's crawfish etouffee, I was SO disappointed I didn't order that. They also had these Louisiana rolls.... they were a cross between a beignet and one of those fried Chinese biscuits.... I don't know if they were fried or not, but were so darn good, I had two of them. At only 49 cents a piece, not a bad deal. They also had really good pecan pralines at the register.... I wish this place were a little closer to my parent's house!
(5)Annie C.
Awesome customer service and the food is fabulous. We asked the greeter her suggestions and it was right on point. We're from Houston, Texas
(5)SM H.
Fast service and huge crawfish. The seasoning can numb your lips. Beware of the red bean and rice...it's SPICY!!
(4)Dylan H.
I agree, this gumbo is fantastic. You should eat here. Sorry I can't be more eloquent with my review, I've got some gumbo to eat...
(4)Amy L.
This is our 1st trip to Louisiana and we planned on having as much regional seafood as possible. We arrived Sunday night and the place was packed. The hostess would not us let inside the restaurant until we know what we were going to order. I understand their strategy to be effect so not a big deal. So we order from the counter when we were all ready. Once you have a receipt the hostess will seat you. Our meal - Boiled crawfish @ $5.99/ lb - (3*) kinda salty Boiled shrimp @ $14.99/ lb - (3*) headless & nothing special Shrimp Etouffeé - I never this before so I can't make any comparisons but I did wish I order the gumbo instead Kiddie Popcorn chicken (3.5) & catfish nuggets (3.5) - not bad for fry food (FYI doesn't come w/ drinks anymore) Service - (3*) cashier was great but took wait staff forever to get a drink refill Ambiance (3) - kinda has that chain restaurant look & feel At least there were free beads for the tourist (actually for all guest).
(3)Anthony B.
This may be my favorite Cajun place in the whole world. It is good enough that my family routinely delays dinner by several hours on our pilgrimages to New Orleans from Austin, just so that we can eat here. The prices are reasonable, the portions are large, the service is fast and friendly. Everything is fresh and flavorful. My personal favorite is the etouffe, but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We have eaten here about a half dozen times, and never had a bad experience. If you are passing through Lake Charles, I would not stop anywhere else.
(5)Sarah K.
Great food for a reasonable price. I come here whenever I'm in town. This place has the best etoufee I've ever found.
(5)Michele S.
Thanks yelp... Would have never stopped here if I hadn't read the reviews... So glad I did! I have gluten & celery allergies, was able to find plenty to satisfy my Cajun hunger! Boiled crawfish, baked potato, even stole some of my husband fried shrimp (battered in cornmeal yay gf) everything was fresh and tasty. Great atmosphere. Already talking about what we will get on our way back to Texas.
(4)Angelica R.
So good! We were heading back to San Antonio Tx from our trip to NOLA Mardi Gra. My friend loves crawfish and wanted to have some before we left LA. I have only had crawfish once and didn't care for it since it was so salty. At Steamboat Bills its was so tastey and I am now a crawfish fan. I loved the spicy kick to it satisfied my Hispanic taste buds. I would definitely revisit if I ever passed through again.
(5)Silvestre B.
If you drive down I-10 West going towards Houston, I'm sure you'll see plenty of billboard for Steamboat Bill's. Just follow the neon lights to the exit and you'll find Lake Charles' staple for the mud bugs. Of course their crawfish is the specialty and they are a good size when in season. Their generous portions of gumbo and etouffee' with spoon sized meats are perfect whether its a cold December afternoon or in a middle of summer heat wave. Try the gumbos and crawfish of course. The crawfish pistolettes are divine as well. Order at the counter and great service once you are seated.
(4)Geri B.
Delicious! Great service great food.
(4)Amanda S.
This place is worth adjusting your travel schedule for. I've stopped here a bunch on my I-10 travels and tried lots of different things. Everything is fresh, perfectly spiced and so, SO GOOD! Hope you're hungry!
(5)Marcus L.
Nice. what i mean is that WOW! yea i missed eating good food from Louisiana. and their food was great! I will go back
(4)Connie W.
I came here after looking at the reviews in search of some good Cajun food. I was a little disappointed that the food didn't live up to my expectations. I ordered the crawfish étouffée and found that it lacked the spicy seasoning that's characteristic of good Louisiana Cajun food. In fact, I would actually say that Pappadeaux has better crawfish étouffée in terms of taste and portion size. The rest of my group got fried platters - catfish, shrimp, crawfish and they all seemed fairly pleased with their dishes. I did notice however that everyone had to add a decent amount of Cajun seasoning power to add flavor to their food. The portion size for the fried platters is huge so don't feel like you need to order additional sides. You get plenty of French fries already. If you've ever been to Rudy's BBQ in Austin, the set up of this restaurant is a bit similar. You walk in and order at the front and then find a table to be seated at. The difference is that the servers bring the food to you. One big plus to this place is how quick the food comes out. I think we were barely seated 10 minutes before hot plates were served. I gave Steamboat Bills 3 stars for quick service but only so-so food.
(3)Nutchanat P.
Who dat? It's crawdad! Crawdad who? It's badass crawdad from Steamboat Bill's! A must go if you happin to be in this part of town or state or just passin by, make sure you stop by Steamboat Bill's to get a little summpin here. Don't need to go outta your way to go any place else. Great Mudbugs! Get 5lbs for two people. If you don't wanna hassle with pinchin n peelin then get the Captain's platter which is plenty for two. You have to get some bundin balls while you're at it, cuz its alllll good! Warning: Don't suck the head too hard (Yes I'm talking about the crawfish head) cuz its spicyyyyy. We'll be back for sure on our next gambling trip.
(5)Hugh P.
The gumbo was some of the best I have ever tasted. The big fried platter was not so good. The large fillet of catfish looked incredible, but was inedible mush on the inside. The fried shrimp listed on menu as medium, were more popcorn size. The stuffed shrimp and crab were mostly mushy filler. I rarely leave this much food on a plate.
(3)Wendy L.
I ate here twice, once on my way to New Orleans and once one my way back to Texas. After stopping here the first time, we knew we had to come again for the home trip back. This place has really great cajun food and their seafood is absolutely fresh. The first time we stopped here, we ordered the crawfish etoufee and the gumbo. I wasn't wowed by the gumbo and probably won't order it again but the crawfish etoufee was absolutely tasty! On the return trip, my boyfriend ordered crawfish while I ordered the seafood combo with fried shrimp and fried oyster. The friend shrimp and oysters were absolutely fresh and it definitely hit the spot. The crawfish was amazing too with the right kick of spice and definitley flavorful! I would definitely go here again on my way to New Orleans.
(5)Aaron R.
The food was amazing! Had the Cajun chicken strip dinner! They were perfect! My girlfriend ordered the catfish and had me try some. It's to die for! The best I've ever had, and the service was fantastic! We got seated fast and the food was out to us in less then 10 min.
(5)Casey C.
If you notice the trend here, of the 18 reviews, not a single reviewer of Steamboat Bills is actually from the area...yet... I live close by and I eat here a few times a year and don't think it's anything special.... the food is pretty standard for the area and I could match their food at about half a dozen or more places in the Lake Charles area. The major draw of this restaurant is the location, which seems to hook a lot of travelers that don't know the area. Don't get me wrong...the food is good. When I'm craving fried seafood and boiled crawfish, this restaurant is in the top three in the area that I would choose from. The catfish and shrimp are nicely fried, and the crawfish do have flavor, but I've have better elsewhere.... They're "A-OK"....
(3)Holly G.
Great food. Crawfish is expensive. Service can be hit or miss. If you're from out of town and just want crawfish, do your homework. It'll taste great here but odds are you can find it cheaper somewhere else. Pistolettes are great.
(4)Brendon D.
Pretty good gumbo and etouffee. Though they are super good, you can tell that there is a lot of butter or something creamy added. Maybe cream? I'd definitely go back here a lot.
(4)Lauren R.
I wasn't ever a huge fan of crawfish. Sure they can be tasty, but all that work for that little thing? I just didn't get it. Now I do. At Bill's, I will peel for hours and hours. I will peel until my fingers scream at the sight of a shelled fish. For Bill, I will peel until I can peel no more. These little guys are FANTASTIC. We sampled some of the gumbo, shrimp creole, and crawfish etouffee. All were very good, but I did have to order more etouffee to go. I couldn't resist. Now that I know about Steamboat Bill's, I'll definitely be taking road trips often just as an excuse for more.
(5)J Von Ryan A.
This place is good, but not great. If you enjoy fried fare, then holy crap this is your place. Fried food is great, but can be a bit much. The seafood platter is a fried seafood platter. Be forewarned. The staff is awesome. No real waiters or waitresses. You stand up and go order beer and pay for it on a different tab. Its a little odd. All in all an average experience. You pick your own seat. I was a bit disapointed based on the reviews.
(3)Tara K.
Best seafood place around Lake Charles!! Make sure you go to the one on lakeshore drive though!!
(5)Billie P.
AWESOME Food! The red beans and rice, chicken and shrimp gumbo and boudin balls are great! Good Margaritas, good prices. Large portions for the kids meals. Always a family stop for us when traveling thru Louisiana. Was on USA Today's Top Ten Road stop places to eat.
(4)Steve S.
A little touristy from the outside. But it was good food and fun inside! Crawfish met the hype. Gumbo was 2.5 stars, ettiffee is 4 stars, cabbage casserole was a 5 star! Highly recommend.
(5)Giggle S.
Yum yum yum!!! The best thing on the menu are the Shrimp pistolette and boudin balls. I would definitely try both, you won't regret it :)
(5)Danny B.
My wife and I decided to try Steamboat Bill's based on other Yelp reviews. We stopped in on a Thursday nigh around 8:00 PM. They were pretty busy but we quickly placed our order and were seated. The service was great and the food came out quickly. We shared a regular order of crawfish etoufee and a large order of catfish. Both of the orders were great and there was so much food we couldn't finish it all. My wife said that the catfish was some of the best that she ever had! We'll be back!
(5)Destiny D.
I LOVE this place! I always have the best food served to me. The only complaint is how small the place is. But other than that it's the best seafood I've ever had.
(4)Philip L.
Consistent! That's what I love about Steamboat. I know what I want when I walk in the door, and they cook it the same EVERY time. I really can't ask for more than that. My wife loves the gumbo and the pistolettes. I consume a healthy amount of crawfish when they're in season. Steamboat has always been the best restaurant in the area for crawfish. Why, you ask? Because they know how to cook them consistently. They may be a little more expensive than some other places, but you know exactly what you're getting every time. They have plenty of room for large parties. The wait staff is fast, efficient, and cordial. You really can't beat the location either. It's easy to locate, park, and leave. Give it a try, you'll like it!
(4)Keslie W.
Good food. Good price. We had a party of six during the supper rush on a Friday night. We ordered promptly and were seated within 10 minutes of arriving. The étouffée was yummy and the popcorn shrimp had good sized shrimp fried golden brown. I highly recommend.
(4)E B.
Always skeptical of reviews and places that sound like a theme park but we stopped here anyway on our way to Baton Rouge. We had the catfish and popcorn shrimp platters. Both were juicy and lightly battered - which is definitely not the norm. Pleasantly surprised. And they have a decent bar selection. Servers were friendly. It is a little strange how the process works but we didn't have any problems and your server can order more things for you. Unfortunately, there was a hostile moment upon departure because, despite the sever saying it was ok to leave with our cup, the host(s) -hope not owners- mumbled some stuff while we were walking buy. We stopped to ask if there was a problem and explained the situation. All we needed was a different to-go container. Considering we asked before we left the table and the nasty mumbling from employees/owners, the above paragraph should be taken with a grain....
(3)Troy K.
Ok so on the way home from Nola I kept seeing a sign that said this spot was voted #1 or something like that in Lake Charles. I figured what the heck and went for it . Parking lot was full and it had a nice rustic Louisiana feel to it. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I liked how it was decorated and they had a large variety of classic fried seafood. I was not real hungry so I ordered a Boudian ball and we decided to split a shrimp Po Boy. The boudian ball was awesome and I wish I had ordered 2. It was super crispy on the outside , had a nice spice to it, and came with a great sauce for dipping. 2 would make a meal. Then came the Po boy. What can I say. These people should be run out of Louisiana for the bread alone. Seriously this was an undercooked, mushy hoagie roll. I would say of the Walmart variety. It was an awful excuse for bread. I mean it was not even a french roll. The fried shrimp on it were pretty good and so I just ate those with the sauce left over from my Boudian Ball. I might give this place another try in the future and stick with the fried shrimp or fish and amazing boudian ball. Avoid the po boy here at all cost. A Denny's in Iowa probably offers a better one.
(2)Arnold N.
We found this place several years ago while making our trips between Florida and Texas. We have eaten here many times over the years and the food is always good and plentiful. This place is always busy, which again speaks to the fact that the food is good, because people don't come here for the ambience, as it is a pretty plain jane kind of place. The crawfish pistolettes are to dye for, small Louisana rolls filled with crawfish etouffee. Fried foods dominate the menu, but there are a few other options. I have a stomach issues, so I have to be careful with the foods that I eat, and I have never had a problem here. The fried food is not greasy, as you find so many times at these type places. They use peanut oil to fry the fish, so if you have a nut allergy, this is not your place. A lot of so called cajun food places, think that putting a lot of spices on the food, makes it cajun. They haven't figured out that the spices should enhance the taste not block the taste of the food. I have found that the spices here have always been reasonable, which enhances the taste of the food. I always look forward to a stop for lunch here, unfortunately, I think this may have been our last trip for awhile. I sure wish they would open one in Pensacola, as we don't have a large choice of decent seafood places.
(4)Karen N.
I didn't see any steamboats. Nor was I with Bill. But the food was a-ok. I had the crawfish ettoufee potato and somehow that seems spelled wrong. Ah well. It was kinda like a chowda. I don't really know how I feel about it except that I ate it in two sittings after I nuked it when I got home. I'm still trying to find a good word for it... MOIST. Yes, an adequate word for it... is moist. So if you like a moist potato.. go this route. Otherwise you might want to try somethin fried.
(3)Roxanna L.
My two brothers live in Louisiana. This spot isn't exactly close to where either of them live, but it's close enough by South Louisiana standards...and on our way in from Texas. It's probably not died and gone to heaven seafood, but it's about as close as you can probably get here on earth. Generally, when you walk in someone greets you, offers you a menu and shuffles you toward a register when you're ready to order. Order and pay at the register - get your drinks - take your number - have a seat. When your food is ready, one of the many friendly staff folks will bring your food. Um you don't really have a "waiter" per se...there's just a whole group of guys (sometimes a gal) that are super friendly and hustle your food to and from the table and bring you drink refills. I should probably say that my immediate family (Mom, Dad, 2 brothers and I) lived on the Gulf Coast for many many years. All the men folk are Game Wardens (current and retired). These men have taken complete amateurs out to fish and come home with limits galore. We've hosted our fair share of fish frys and crawfish boils. We are, therefore, pretty picky about our seafood. Ok, now that that's out of the way...OMG this place is SO YUMMY. I crave it from 5 hours away, and cry that I cannot go at will. (This is probably what earns it the 5th star...the longing...yah know?) They have fried fish, shrimp, oysters...all delicious. Fresh, perfectly seasoned, perfectly breaded, and deep fried in fresh clean oil. They have crawfish (in season of course) and we've put away 5 lbs with 4 people...gone back and ordered another 5 more. They're about as good as you would do yourself without all the toil. They have stuffed crab...ZOMGZ!!!! FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Delectable crab meat stuffing crammed back in its shell then deep fried. *(gonna amend this to say I don't think the stuffed crabs are good like they used to be...they don't have as much crab anymore? Still 'good' but don't expect lots of crab 5/2014). Salads with boiled shrimp (um yum!)...Shrimp AND crawfish etouffe (and their daintier cousins the shrimp or crawfish pistolette)...NOM NOM NOM! Also...gumbo, red beans & rice, boudin, po-boys...etc. I think you're starting to get the picture. I've been here dozens of times, and it's never been disappointing. It always lives up to our expectations. I don't even know how that's possible. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it is a very special spot in our family. If you're ever in the area needing a spot to graze - try it!
(5)Lindsay F.
damn those crawfish pistolettes. we keep to the pistolettes b/c they're the best and inexpensive. i recommend anyone that will listen to go and order these- several friends who stopped by on my rec said they had religious experiences in the parking lot over their to-go box of crawfish pistolettes. we ALWAYS call an order in when we are traveling through Lake Charles on hwy 10- east bound, call an order in ~ 20 mile (get off on exit 29) & west bound, we call an order in ~ 40 mile (get off on exit 30A). nice break in the drive b/c if you call in so they're ready (no line for to-go) and it's so easy to get back on route. i can't believe i haven't reviewed this all these years, was just telling someone about them and thought, i owe SB a review.
(5)Jeff K.
We had everything fried and even some things boiled. There was some things between slices of bread and even over rice. Over all everything was pretty darn good. There was a lot of confusion by the staff over herding people to the counter to order and then a table to be seated. If you can get past and over this confusion and headache and get your food, you will be pleased. We loved everything that came out of the kitchen. Don't expect anything fancy or healthy. Wear your elastic pants and belly up for some good cooking.
(3)Cameron K.
I ususally don't give dives a good rating but Steamboat Bills deserves an exception. If you are hungry and travelling through Lake Charles, make it a point to stop at Steamboat Bills. You won't be dissappointed. Fried shrimp is good but the etoufee is the bomb-diggity. The gumbo is quite good as well. Best cajun food in SW Louisiana
(4)Michele S.
My husband and I go to Steamboat Bills for date night all the time. My favorite chicken and sausage gumbo in town (ok 2nd to my mothers). If you are looking for real cajun cooking this is the place. I give it 5 stars and recommend you make a point to stop in when you travel through Lake Charles on I-10.
(5)Ann B.
We were waiting in line at the grocery store on our way through Lake Charles, and I asked the customer in front of us if there was a good place to eat that was close by. She suggested Steamboat Bills, so we decided it give it a try. Sure glad we did. We tried a few things that we've never eaten before and fell in love with the shrimp pistolette. The gumbo was very good and my husband ate every bit of his mixed seafood dinner. A 10 star rating for our waiter, Sam, who was friendly and very attentive. Wish we lived in Louisiana, this would be a regular dinner place for us.
(5)April K.
We had the captain's platter just because there was no explanation of local flavors. Being from North Carolina I am not familiar with the La. specialties. When you walk in the door you are handed a menu and told to order and pay at the counter before you are seated. This does not make for a relaxing sit down meal for me. Kitchen runners bring the meal and other staff check on things from time to time. The staff was friendly and helpful for the most part. Glad I got to eat there but would not go out of my way to go back.
(3)Eileen M.
The best Cajunese food I ever Cajuned. Three friends and I split the Captain's platter, the supposed magnum opus of the menu according to the locals. It was an excellent crunchy, semi-greasy seafood spread. Everything from the fried catfish to the stuffed shrimp was delicious. The fried oysters were particularly memorable, as was the boudin. Excellent food, snappy service, and vivacious atmosphere make this place well worth the five pounds you'll gain as a result of partaking in the fishy fun.
(4)Dayla H.
Not a good place to get anything but fried food. They offer one thing that isn't fried in the whole menu! Not good for people who watch what they eat. The lady taking my order was rude and never had anyone give us refills. Boo!
(1)Felicia G.
Food was fabulous! Oysters were great. Serving size was huge. Worth it! Definitely will return to this place. I was told both locations are worth the visit.
(5)Bobby B.
I really like this place when passing through on I-10. The bread is to die for. I could make a meal just on that... Fried seafood platter is really good. Red beans and rice is average. Sauce piquante is good and heavy on the okra. Gumbo is too dark for me.
(4)Alex R.
We stopped in 20 minutes before closing time and we're greeted by a more than friendly staff. I had gumbo and the shrimp pistolette; both of which were fantastic. Our server was super friendly. Overall it was a great place to eat.
(5)Saira T.
My guy and I did a cross country road trip and while driving through Louisiana, a friend suggested this place. It is everything you can ask for Cajun food. The service is great, everyone is really friendly, and they have the cutest accents. I would definitely suggest trying the pistolettes and boudin balls. I was full after having one of each! BUT, I did end up ordering the gumbo. It wasn't too special, but then again, I was full by the time it got to the table. Definitely a must stop to get you a bit of that southern country cooking.
(5)Enrica D.
Nice lunch during our road trip. Also our little one liked it. Gumbo and potato were very good
(3)Brian K.
Best seafood not only in Louisiana, but the entire gulf region. I had the gumbo and stuffed shrimp the first day I was there. The second day, I had the buffalo chicken baked potato. OMG those potatoes are awesome. Damn. I want some gumbo right now. I can't wait to go back to Steamboat Bill's again. Definitely stop here. The food is awesome, the people are awesome, and the prices are awesome. I give it 5 stars!
(5)Shannon S.
One of my favorite places in the country for Cajun seafood. The etouffee is amazing, like a dessert. The gumbo is great as well. Prices are a little high, but I love it anyway!
(4)K L.
Loved the place! Tried a little bit of everything: Had the boiled shrimp - hot and spicy and just right. Fried catfish and shrimp was good. Fries were crisp without being greasy. Also really enjoyed the crawfish Etouffeé with rice - should have gotten a smaller size as this place is generous with portions and the Etouffee is rich. Lunch for three people with food enough for 6 came to about $55.00. This is a half service restaurant that you order at the counter. Once they bring you the food, it is full service all around. Our cups of soda were always full and the staff was very attentive. We definately enjoyed our meal.
(4)Jason P.
Very casual joint with decent sized crawfish, but they looked dark and dirty today. This is bargain priced cajun food so you shouldn't expect anything particularly special. Red beans and rice were tasty, crawfish etoufee was nothing to write home about. I liked my Shrimp Poboy. The service was pretty much what one would expect in a joint like this. Overall, the food was acceptable here. But I would expect much more from a Cajun restaurant IN Louisiana.
(3)Kimberly L.
LOVE it!! Chicken & Sausage Gumbo is divine as are the Boudain Balls! We plan trips just so we will pass through Lake Charles during lunch or dinner! Highly recommend!!!!!
(5)Scott S.
Oh hell yes! I stopped through with my boss on a business trip. Their gumbo (shrimp) is off the charts. They burn their rue just the right amount for the right color/flavor combo. Also had a popcorn shrimp baked potato that was just delicious. My boss shared some boiled spicy shrimp that were excellent. They had a nice spice but not obnoxiously hot. I'll be back with my wife and friends next time i'm passing through. Oh, and great service as well. Not hanging over your table service, but attentive, fast and caring.
(5)Jessi H.
This place is very similar to a creole version of Joe's crab shack. They do this very well. Service is great and fast. It's not the best cajun food but it's good. I thought the crawfish was also good! If you are in this area I think it's worth trying.
(4)Brandy B.
While staying in Lake Charles for business, I went in search of a local Cajun style restaurant. I decided on Steamboat Bill's. I should start by saying that I'm not a huge seafood fan...I like shrimp, some fish, and that's usually about it. When entering the restaurant, I was handed a menu and stepped to the side to let others go in front of me while I decided on what I wanted. I finally settled on a cup of shrimp etouffe appetizer to try out, and the small fried seafood platter (fried catfish, a jumbo stuffed shrimp, popcorn shrimp, stuffed fried crab, fries, coleslaw, and a Louisiana roll) so I could try out a little bit of everything. I ordered at the counter, got my drink and number, and proceeded to seat myself. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Personally, I liked the atmosphere and process of ordering and serving. It's very much like a dive restaurant. Not for everyone...if you're wanting something more "swanky" look elsewhere. But I enjoyed it. I first got the etouffe (almost as soon as I sat down). It was my first time trying etouffe and it was delicious! Rice covered with a thick, spicy gravy and chunks of shrimp. I wanted to eat the entire bowl, but restrained myself since I had more food on the way. The fried seafood was so good! I even liked the catfish, and I have NEVER liked catfish! But the breading was too perfect to resist. The crab was rich and creamy. So was the jumbo stuffed shrimp. The popcorn shrimp were tasty, too. And the Louisiana roll...sort of a fried roll...I saved that heavenly bit of bread for my "dessert." I definitely recommend visiting this establishment. Even if you don't like seafood, I can guarantee you will like anything and everything at Steamboat Bill's!
(4)J H.
Well this is the place everybody raves about. My take was it was just okay. Kind of a tourist trap kind of place. The food isn't any different then you would get at probably any other restaurant. The fried fish is greasy. The red beans and rice was delicious! The servers were attentive. They kept my drink refilled. The atmosphere well not a lot to be desired here. Everyone should go I guess at least once. But once was enough for me.
(3)Cesar G.
This is a great place to eat if you want to taste some real Cajun food! They have Crawfish, Gumbo, boundin Balls, and po-boys. They have two stores this one and one in the bad side of town. The locals have all told me that they don't eat at the other place because it isn't as tasty and nice as this one and I agree. For you out of state people I'll give you a quick run through. Crawfish are seasonal and during my time in the area it has averaged $5/lb. Your wife will probably need 4 lbs and for the guys the sky is the limit. So if you are on a budget get at least 3lbs and share them like an appetizer with your family. Make sure to buy a Corn for each member of the family because they are so so good. 50 cent each at the date of this post. The potato's with the crawfish are good but I like the corn more it has this spicy kick to it. You need to try Gumbo but I would say Steamboat bills does not have the best Gumbo in the world it more OK then wow. I like the Gumbo in New Orleans a lot more! Boundin balls are a classic in the area and are considered an appetizer consider getting one for each person in the family or maybe just one and two and cutting it into 1/2 or 1/4's to share with the family. A po-boy stands for Poor Boy. It was supposed to be a poor mans sandwich. I am not a fan the tator sauce always give me a head ache! But if you don't have the same medical conditions that I do go for it, and since this is the south be ready for fried everything! I am sad that Steamboat bills doesn't have alligator meet :( and I have yet to find a place that does but I have been told that they are mostly sold as appetizers in nicer dining areas which this is not so my hunt continues.
(4)Josy J.
Can you be easily embarassed by asking what a Boudin ball is? Yes. Being from the west coast, this was new to me and the lady (actually she was a girl) said "You don't know what a Boudin ball is?" to which I answered, "No" ..I kind of thought she might know the answer to that one already... "Where are you from?" she asked in awe. "California" I answered and I asked again, "What is a Boudin ball?". She smiled and turned to her co-worker and answer he did, very enthusiastically . I ordered one. It reminded me of a hush-puppy, round and crisp on the outside and doughy inside with a spot of meat....I really liked the shrimp!
(4)Alex J.
I guess I came here with high expectations...the gumbo was greasy, my shrimp were overcooked, and the restaurant itself just seemed icky and dirty...not "bad" food, but not exactly "good" food either...
(3)Brian H.
I make it a point to visit Steamboat Bill's whenever I am in Lake Charles. The food is Creole/Cajun and comes quickly by pleasant servers. Take a seat, choose your meal and then go up to the counter and place your order. You will be given a card with a number on it which you display on the paper towel dispenser at your table. In a few minutes your food will arrive. Be prepared for a treat! If you have never had a Pistolette, you should give one (or more) a try. It is a fresh roll filled with either crayfish or shrimp etooufe and it rocks! Always busy often noisy but consistently fun and delicious. Down home fun!
(4)Hugh A.
Awesome seafood, the stuffed shrimp and stuffed crab are great! The portions are massive, I just wish not everything was deep fried.
(4)F H.
I agree with Casey C. , this is NOT where the locals eat good food, if you see a local person in here it is only because it is fast. If you want some good food try Southern Spice, Cajun Charlies, Boiling Point... Anyone else from the area have good Cajun food places to add?
(2)Bryan V.
Awesome,have made many trips through Lake Charles, but have never stopped at Steamboat Bils. I have added this to my list of favorites.
(5)Nikki T.
I've been here twice and haven't been disappointed! The shrimp poboy is awesome, and the next time we split a huge fried seafood platter. It was all good! My only complaint is that there isn't a good selection of veggies (coleslaw is about it...) or healthy kid's items, so if you're on a diet or just like to eat healthy, this is not the place for you(or your kids!) I figure stopping here once a year on our way from Houston to Covington is not going to hurt us :) Bring your own veggies! lol
(4)Brett W.
Etouffe', Red beans and rice, fried shrimp, cole slaw... all of what my wife and I had last time we were here. In the past I've gotten the huge platters of crawfish (even the pinchers had meat in them that's how big they are) . I've been eating cajun/seafood all of my life and I really like coming home and going to Steamboat Bill's. The etouffe' is very good and everything is super fresh. We are really picky about quality of food at restaurants and I asked my wife what star rating she'd give this place and without a seconds thought she said 5. I agree. It isn't fancy but they are super fresh, efficient and friendly. Wish I had some now!
(5)Bob G.
Great place to get your cajun on! I really like Steamboat Bill's. It's in a good location for a pitstop between Houston and NOLA. The food is good and inexpensive. I really enjoyed their boiled crawfish 6lbs / 2 people. It was $5/lb, which wasn't too bad. It was nice and spicy too. I've had most everything on the menu and it's all good. I probably wouldn't recommend the gumbo or etouffee. The service is quick and friendly. Place your order at the counter and they bring the food.
(4)Nick W.
Perfect place located right on the I-10 feeder to stop on a road trip for authentic cajun food. The gumbo and crawfish po boy were excellent
(5)Amy P.
We loved them! Super Yummy!!! Skip the seafood platter and Boudin Balls though - too much going on there, both in calories and fat content... Stick to the boiled crawfish, you won't be disappointed!!
(5)S W.
There are a few things on the menu here that are pretty respectable, but all in all, there much better seafood to be had around here. Their location right off the 10 makes it perfect for hooking folks passing through town. You won't find anything bad here, just not great. This is Southwest Louisiana, after all. There's no reason to settle for average seafood.
(3)Patty J.
I absoloutely love this place!!! When I go home, I always stop here for lunch. They have wonderful boiled crawfish that is flavored perfectly! The prices are good and the amount of food you get for the price is good. I can't wait until I go back home to have more.
(5)Sira D.
I experienced crawfish here for the first time the other night. Between the three of us, we put away 6 whole pounds of crawfish, and probably could have managed more. They were amazingly delicious, like tiny spicy lobsters. Everything else that we got was great too, from the Gumbo to the stuffed shrimp and crabs. The wait staff were all lovely and they are smart enough to put whole rolls of paper towel on each table, because eating crawfish is a messy affair.
(5)Ernie S.
We were heading from N'Awlins to Houston and we stopped at this restaurant that was literally inches off the freeway (super easy stop off). Usually I consider places with flashing lights on a freeway exit a bad idea, but the seafood here was amazing, down home, and the best it gets. We had gumbo to start (can't recommend highly enough), fried catfish, and fried shrimp. Even the Louisiana rolls that come with the platters were crispy and fluffy and totally unique. The fries were perfectly cooked and better than average also. We were stuffed when we left. This place does not disappoint. It felt like a beach restaurant in which everyone was walking around in shorts and had a mellow feeling. You order at the counter and then get your food a little later. The prices were great too-- about 10 bucks for a big platter of food. 25 bucks is plenty for two and there's no tip expense to factor in.
(5)Sarah R.
Driving from New Orleans to Dallas, we stopped here to see a friend. Great huge crawfish and we were brave and snapped the tails ad ate them like a local.... Except for the head sucking part. Great local flavor!
(4)Lauren M.
Nope. If there is a crowd, don't waste your time. Extremely unorganized. Rude. Even the customers waiting around you are rude. Why spend $100 on lunch to be treated this way?
(1)Matt E.
This was a bit of a disappointment. I came to this restaurant with my wife while driving from Austin to New Orleans this was not a good stop. The etoffee was too salty, as was the same sauce used with the jambalaya. The wait staff was very kind and considerate, and was willing to switch an item when requested. But the food made this place a miss.
(2)Denise H.
This is a good place to eat seafood in Lake Charles. I'm not a great fan of fried food, but their fish and shrimp are pretty good. The service is very quick and the staff is friendly. Their menu does not disappoint as there are many choices. One of my favorite dishes there is the chicken sausage gumbo. It is very flavorful and not too greasy. This is a family friendly place that I would definitely recommend.
(3)Daniel L.
Cajun seafood heaven. Bring your appetite here because they give you a huge stack of food. This is just past the LA-TX border and greets travelers to Louisiana cajun country with big open arms. We got to the restaurant around 6 pm on a Friday. I walked in and there was a long line to the order station. It moved pretty quickly though and we were able to place an order in about 10 min. I ordered the Captain' Platter which comes with breaded and fried catfish, shrimp, oysters, and crab casserole. This is also a popular place for crawdads but I did not have any of that. We sat in a corner where we could see the rest of the patrons busily taking down their seafood and drinking beer. Just about every table was taken up. The atmosphere is like Hooters, but you will not see any Hooters girls here. Instead of ordering wings, you'll be ordering crawdads, shrimps, or oysters. The food came and it tasted great! The catfish was flaky outside and extremely tender inside. The oysters had that strongly bitter aftertaste with just a hint of salt and the meat melted in your mouth. The staff is friendly and refilled my drink regularly. Anytime I am in Lake Charles I think I will be hitting this place up.
(4)Tracy H.
It's good. It's packed. It's consistent. But all that fried food anymore hurts my tummy. Next time I will go for steamed shrimp and maybe some raw oysters if they have them.
(3)Suzy S.
Hot, fresh and just right spicy! I was going to buy their spice blend until I read the ingredients - every thing I already use at home! The etouffe was meaty and not greasy, the fried shrimp and crawfish crunchy and plenty. Easy to get in and out of from I10. We were there around 11:30 so wasnt crowded yet and service was fast. This will be a regular stop on our way to and from New Orleans from now on!
(4)Belinda B.
Good gumbo, great boiled shrimp, great pistolettes. Good for groups.
(4)Lavisa Y.
Wow...that was so delicious!! Didn't really care for the fish but the red beans & rice was off the chain! The best sweet tea I've ever had!
(4)Lauren A.
I think this place is overrated. We went after crawfish season so any crawfish they served was frozen. My dad got fried popcorn shrimp and crawfish and couldn't tell them apart. It was a cute atmosphere but I wish we had a tried a different place for lunch on our drive from New Orleans to Austin.
(2)Phi N.
I've been here a few times and have gotten a couple of different seafood platters. You get a menu and order your food at the counter and then go sit down. Then somebody will bring the food out to you. Service is kind of so-so and food is nothing to rave about. It's really nothing new or original about it and the food is okay. I've definitely had better fried seafood elsewhere. The price is a lil on the expensive side even though they give you a lot of food. This place seems more of a tourist trap capitalizing on being right next to I-10. I'd probably not go back since there are a lot of better places to eat in Lake Charles.
(2)Saul S.
The chicken & sausage gumbo is where it's at.
(5)Beth D.
Yummy! It's exactly what you picture when you think Cajun, and the food lives up to the hype. I had fried catfish that was absolutely delicious. Frankly it would be worth coming just for the delicious fried "Louisiana roll". Bonus for me is that they serve Pepsi products instead of Coke, so I could get my Mountain Dew fix. Bonus!
(4)Frankie B.
Wicked wicked good étouffée. Authentic Cajun food. The roux was hella rich in a sense like I've never had before. Unless you're starving opt for the regular size portion. Will positively make the drive back here to eat. Went back as we were workin' in the area the next night and had the red beans and rice while sharing the seafood platter. Seasoning in the batter was spot on and quantity was definitely copious!
(4)Jill G.
YUM. First place we stopped when got to LA. Gumbo great. Spicy shrimp salad great. And oh yeah that pecan pie with bourbon. It is a must do if in lake Charles.
(4)Chris L.
I won't break Sira's balls for the word "crayfish", he is after all, a Yankee. ; ) [edit--Sira is a girl, therefore no balls to bust!] Everything else in his review is spot on. The crawfish was great; it arrive very quickly and was spiced almost to perfection. I like mine just a tad hotter, but it would be adequate for most folks. I also sampled the Boudin Balls. Basically, a Boudin Ball is the filling from boudin sausage that is breaded in something delicious and then deep fried to perfection. I do believe that I could live on Boudin Balls for the rest of my life. Will you marry me? At Steamboat Bills, you order and pay at the counter. A waitress/waiter will bring your food to you when it's ready. If you want to order seconds, they'll take care of that for you at your table (but they gets their money first, amigo) I had two pounds of crawfish, two Boudin Balls, and a Dr. Pepper for about $13.
(5)Mary B.
Everything was deep fried, it was pricey, It is a very popular place and you have to decide on the fly what you are having before you can be seated. We felt rushed and sort of herded like cattle. We wont be going back
(2)Moki C.
Best food. Not just for the money, but for the actual food! Their crawfish étouffée was to die for. Crawfish po boy, too. If you like étouffée you must get a pistolette. It is a deep fried roll ( amazing) stuffed with your choice of étouffée. The food is hearty and filling, so order regular sized portions and try the appetisers. Fantastic service, too. Buy the rolls to make at home.
(5)Tony J.
Quick correction regarding the location. It's right next to 10 FWY, not Ryan St as map indicates. We ordered Seafood platter for 21 95 and we were stunned when it arrived. The plate must be at least 10K calories! but smelled sooooo gooooood. The taste was so fresh and I absolutely LOVED IT! GOING THERE AGAIN SOON!!!!! No wonder this place was mentioned in US News: Best Places To Eat On The Road.
(5)Alan J.
I am a sucker for good fried catfish, and Steamboat Bill's did not disappoint. It wasn't coated with cornmeal, which I prefer, but the batter was nice and light and didn't pick up a bunch of grease. Service was efficient and friendly. Very nice roll on the side too. Be sure to try it. And the cole slaw was nice and crispy, with a little tang to cut the sweetness.
(4)Jan G.
This is one of the first time's I have checked on Yelp to determine whether or not to stop here. I am glad we did. This roadside joint is a perfect place to break up your trip (see Prejeans in Lafayette) between New Orleans and Houston. My kids and I stopped on a Friday afternoon. Its hard to screw up fried popcorn shrimp and fries for them, but I really enjoyed the Etoufee and Boudin Balls. You order at the counter, but refrain from tipping there as you will have a server bring it to you. We were fortunate enough to get there right before a bus stopped (see kitchen and cashiers complain) but even then, the food came out fast. I wouldnt hesitate to stop here again and if its in season, will try the crawfish, which looked pretty good for this late in the season.
(3)Gill M.
OMG I'm here for the week and can't stay out of the place. I had the shrimp etouffe' yesterday and the Captain's platter today. The food is nothing short of amazing if you're looking for good cajun fare...some of the best in Louisiana! The service is great, staff is friendly and again OMG the food is great!
(5)JESSICA J.
ok, ok, what can i say it was just ok... i walked in and the hostess wasn't very nice. We sat down and thru out our meal we didn't even know who our waitress/waiter was...we had more help and service from the busboys. now I have to say that they are on point. They were very friendly. It wasn't too busy, so i cant say that that was the excuse...it was very convenient and easy to find. If i were to ever go back thru there i would be willing to give it another try.
(2)Stacy A.
Steamboat Bills has a very relaxed atmosphere. The staff are all friendly and helpful. We stopped in here because we heard that we had to try a crawfish pistolette. We had already eaten dinner, and were not impressed by the previous meal, so we were really looking for something to end the evening on a better note with. We each ordered a crawfish pistolette and sweet tea. When it came to the table, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I had placed in front of me. It was a roll, cracked open with crawfish etouffee heaped in the middle and pouring out over it a bit. I took my first bite and I was sold! It was delicious! Next time I'm driving through, I plan on ordering a plate full of those things! I only gave it 4 stars because the process of ordering and getting our food was a bit perplexing and the restaurant was a little loud, which is fine if you have kids or are there watching a football game or something.
(4)Greg G.
Good FRIED seafood. Nothing extraordinary, but good nonetheless. Yes, you must order up front when you walk in the door - so if you haven't been there before, just stand back and peruse the menu before you stand in line. I eat there sometimes when traveling through Louisiana - its conveniently located right off the Interstate. I wouldn't plan my trip around stopping here, but if you are hungry when passing through Lake Charles, it's worth a stop.
(4)Nicole R.
Highly recommend the pistolettes! Loved the swamp fries - could take or leave boudin balls.
(4)Ee Vonn Y.
Upon entering Steamboat Bill's, you feel like you're walking into an organized seafood shack. There were Mardi Gras decorations and desserts in the entrance, which were tempting to look at. By the time you are entranced by the lovely display, at least two friendly employees intercept you, provide you a menu, and guide you to one of the lines for the register to order. They did me a favor--I could've brought home a lot more food than I was supposed to! I've never had the Boudin Ball. I was told this what I should order. It tasted like one giant hush puppy but better. I felt like I was eating a fried dessert. I also got the shrimp gumbo, which had plenty of soft tiny shrimps. I was satisfied with my experience of Louisiana comfort food without having to loosen my pants. The bathrooms are fun. The stalls are inside the bathroom, but you have to go outside, near the dining area to wash your hands over a barrel. It sounds better than I just described. I'm so glad I stopped by this little gem off the freeway. It was definitely worth the trouble!
(5)Amanda M.
I hadn't eaten here in years, since I was a little girl, but we stopped in for lunch on our way from Florida back to Texas. I'm so happy to say that it's still pretty much the same. :) We did shrimp poboys with fries, gumbo, red beans and rice and then chicken fingers for the kiddos. I had been trying to drag my fiancé here for years and he just thought it was a sentimental thing and not an amazing food thing. But now he knows how great everything is. Everything is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The portion sizes are very generous. Can't go wrong here.
(5)Linh N.
Everything was top notch here! Nothing fancy, just a straight-forward seafood place. You order at the counter, place your number at your table, and a runner will bring your food for you! Service was great even after we received our food. The "waiter" frequently checked up on us, refilled our drinks, and even placed another order for me without having me leave the table to go back to the counter! I noticed he was was friendly with some of the other tables as well but still serviced everyone efficiently. My BF's family drives to LC just for the food here! It was my first time here just with the BF and I had a good sample of everything. I ordered the small platter which included fried shrimp, fish, stuffed crab, fries, cole slaw, and a bread roll. Everything was crisp, hot, and not greasy! This is a great sampler to try out most of the seafood. BF ordered the large crawfish etoufee which is his favorite here. It's very flavorful and the large can easily feed 2 people! The bread rolls are SO GOOD. I think someone mentioned before that it's like a mix between french bread and a chinese fried biscuit that you find at a chinese buffet. I was in carb heaven! Most importantly... the crawfish! Sizes ranged from medium to large. They were FRESH and clean. They had a simple cajun seasoning which hit the spot on the spice level. Spiciness was so perfect. It was a tad but salty at times but I didn't care! Currently it's priced at $6.59 per pound. Can't wait to come back!
(5)Chase D.
Better than normal louisiana style cusine. Mostly fried but done right. When in season the crawfish are perfect. Only complaint is the portions are overly large. I felt I had to eat it all and it hurt.
(4)Demetria C.
Stop if your hungry, I've been here several times but never got the wow..... like everyone else. Now you stand to decide and proceed to cashier to order/pay. Then your party is seated with a number and food is bought out . Food arrived nothing special but others said boiled shrimp was good, but etouffee was salty my spicy chicken tenders lacked spice but were a nice size , shrimp po boy was eatable . But hey they are popular among I-10 drivers tour buses and eating before you leave the boot, so stop in but don't expect anything exciting
(3)Cyndee G.
Great fresh seafood we always stop here. It's always busy but the line moves fast, I think they have it down to a science.
(5)Eric D.
A on recent trip to Lake Charles this place was recommended. Oh my! I knew it was going to be great when I walked up and the line was out the door. After a very brief wait it was time to order. I ordered the small platter and despite the name, it was HUGE! Packed with shrimp, catfish, stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, fries, and cole slaw. I was unable to finish even the so-called small platter. I highly recommend this place for amazing tasting food and a great atmosphere. You cannot go wrong here.
(5)K J.
We were lured in by the "voted #1 Seafood" claim on the sign, they don't say by who. The ordering process was a bit annoying with the walk up counter where you place your order. The staff were somewhat unfriendly and made us feel rushed. The menu was limited and very expensive but we didn't mind if the food was good. The shrimp gumbo was probably the worst I've ever had. I thought it might have been the bottom of the barrel since its only ingredient was the tiniest shrimp I've ever seen, and only about 10 or so in a large bowl. The restrooms were way too small for the size of this place and pretty dirty and didn't have sinks to wash your hands; the sinks were outside of the restrooms... Seemed questionable but I guess this is acceptable in LA? All in all it seems like the kind of place where the food would be awesome because there's no other reason why you'd want to eat here... sadly this was not the case.
(1)Alfonso D.
A lot of tasteless food ... I've had better.
(2)Timothy C.
Delicious - Love all they have ! Regular spot ! Best Fried Fish - Gumbo - Pistolittes
(5)Armando C.
The "Now Serving Hot & Spicy Crawfish" sign should say after 5. Besides that the platter and gumbo were great.
(3)Michael M.
Great food! If you enjoy anything fried...fried...and oh, fried! There is a selection of other menu items that won't Induce a heart attack but healthy options are limited, with that being said do you really eat out at a place like Bills and not expect needing to be wheeled away in a wheel barrow? Portions are enormous! So be prepared.. This place is what it is and truly doesn't get a bad review from me, just not a "Must Go" for me on a regular basis.
(3)Jenn O.
You have to decide how much you want to tip before you're even seated; you pay and order first. A large bowl of red beans and rice was $13. Very expensive. Overall a good place, service was great and atmosphere was clean. Just wished they didn't charge so much.
(4)Karin E.
Fun environment, really clean, super friendly staff ( and well organized), good food. The fried bread is delicious! Great place for large crowds or families with kids because it's noisy and a lot is going on. Good place to stop for a quick bight if you're on a road trip or looking for a typical/touristy but satisfying/worth the money food stop.
(4)Roxanne M.
Good food, even if it does cater to tourists. The parking at the downtown Lake Charles location is horrendous. Both the one in Lake Charles location on highway 14 and the one in DeRidder are excellent.
(4)Lisa R.
It's was our first time after reading about it on yelp, we had a very nice dinner, stuff crab and soft shell crab are worth every cent. We also order the stuff shrimp a la carte and that is a little over priced for 2 small pcs of shrimp. Great staff, and friendly
(4)Alan B.
I don't have anything to compare the food to, but I know it was tasty. The atmosphere alone is worth checking out. It felt a little crazy at first because they run things a little differently than most places, but they've got it under control. If you're looking for a fun experience and a full belly, this is your place.
(4)Moses A.
On a cross-country road trip last summer, we stopped by Steamboat Bill's after looking at the great reviews on Yelp. It was one of our favorite stops! The crawfish was truly the best we've had (we've never had them in LA before) but the fried catfish was really great too! We were having seafood at multiple stops along our way back to NYC from San Diego and the catfish here was really super fresh and well battered and had great flavor! Even when in NOLA, besides ACME's chargrilled oysters, we were really missing the catfish at Steamboat Bill's! Great stop!
(5)Nicolee B.
This place had worst management ownership along with service. The hostess had tried to sit me and my family of three against a brick wall with no elbow room we decided to sit at the table across from us that was not being used. The hostess named tiara comes twenty min later when our food arrives and demands we move to another table not asking us polietly and not being courteous at all oh and I am eight months pregnant and was ready to eat and she claimed a lady in a wheelchair was at the table we were currently at which was bologna the wheelchair lady came from the back of the restraunt and was already seated. Then my family tried to talk to the owner but she talked to the hostess and ignored the whole situation which was not professional! I will continue to right reviews until something is done that was the rudest thing that someone has ever done to me at a sit down restraunt is come to the table and be demanded I move with disrespect. If u want good food and good service please go elsewhere because we didn't receive that on fathers day with a eight month pregnant woman in the party of our table. Can't believe people nowadays.
(1)Paige S.
Great food and pretty fast. A good pit stop when on a long drive! The po'boy bread is soft and they give you tons of fries.
(4)Xahnaz J.
Surprise! This place is actually good! Heading back to Texas and found this gem just off the highway. Definitely worth stopping by and ordering some food. Service is quick- order first, then sit and a hospitable waiter will come by to clean the tables and top off your drinks
(4)Lauren A.
If you are passing through town and want a quick place to stop, it's not a bad choice. The staff is friendly and it seems clean. However, my food was just okay/blah- I ordered the buffalo shrimp and it wasn't spicy at all and the side salad is just a pile of iceberg lettuce with cheese. Part of that is probably just poor choice in ordering though... I have a feeling they have better options.
(3)Renee R.
Decent food but nothing special to warrant $70 for 2 people. However, hubs did order the large platter and a regular gumbo. Food was piled high on his plate, unfortunately it was mostly french fries under the variety of seafood. I got the 8 large butterfly shrimp dinner. Like I said, decent but nothing spectacular. Ordering is like a fast food place then they bring the food to your table. Service was ok.
(3)Mark N.
Just awesome like all of the other reviews. Found while passing through and our family is so happy we did. Tried almost everything and it was all excellent.
(5)Lurine F.
Okay stop! If you get the chance go to steam boat bills! It is a little pricey and everything but hey you get what you pay for! I really enjoyed my meal the wait staff was extremely friendly! The good came right out! Definitely not somewhere you go if ur on a diet LOL! Good food great people!!
(4)K R.
You know it's a good sign when you pull up at 4:30 pm and there's a guy directing traffic so you can find parking! The fried shrimp was delicious and if I come back I definitely want to try the crawfish. Everyone around us was having some.
(4)Jon M.
Decent. I just failed horribly when driving through Lake Charles trying to find a restaurant from my past that I cannot seem to pinpoint at all. I fell back to this one, mostly because it was a holiday and they were advertised as being open. They certainly were. They might have been the only thing open with as crowded as it was at 3 pm. I ordered the fried platter. It was done right. There's not much more that can be said about it. Mess it up and it's horrible. Do it right and well.. it's a plate of fried food.
(3)Bob P.
A colleague and I went for a dinner. Biggest surprise was method of ordering. You order and pay up front. Quick service of seating and subsequent delivery of food order. My expectation was a hot basket of fried food and I got what I expected. Between the two of us we sampled boudin balls, shrimp gumbo, etouffee, fried crawfish, fried shrimp, and a pistolette. The regular sized fried platters are decent sized and served with a more than ample serving of good french fries. If you appetizer up small to moderate eaters could do well to split a plate. This being said I am not sure if plate sharing is allowed. All of our food was served hot and the iced tea was a good brew. The table had been properly cleaned, although it should have been dried in my opinion but that was the only thing from a service standpoint I could be picky. If you goal is to get your fix of seafood and peanut oil as was ours then I would recommend it. I will go back.
(4)Ron L.
Gets 5 stars for the chicken and sausage gumbo. Best I have ever had. The fried crawfish tails were average.
(5)Daniel P.
This place is always a great! Good place to stop on the journey from Houston to New Orleans! Great fried Catfish and amazing Gumbo!
(5)Xinxin L.
If you a looking for a fast lunch, this is definitely the right place. Right off the highway, large ads and sighs that you can't miss. Order was taken at entrance, everything very fast. The gumbo and bread come with it is great combination. We also ordered steamed shrimp. Potato and corn in the plate are ordered separately, we had one for each, very spicy and yummy, wish we had ordered more. Stuffed crabs are so-so but very cheap.
(4)Melissa H.
My husband and I stopped here again on the way home from the casino. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. From the moment you walk in and are greeted by a friendly host, to walking up to the friendly cashiers, to the friendly servers, and the delicious food! We were served within minutes of sitting down, we bought 85 dollars worth of food and seasoning to take back home for the next day or so. My favorite is the shrimp ettouffe, my husband loves the boudin balls. Everything there is excellent, this is a must try!!!
(5)Jimmy G.
Does not serve crawfish until 5pm. I wanted to eat earlier then that but NOPE. Fair enough, i will take mu business elsewhere.
(1)Kyle R.
After having mediocre gumbo in Baton Rouge, I swung by Steamboat Bill's to grab a bowl. First off, this place is like a rest area how close it is to I-10! So convenient. I ordered the seafood gumbo and a side of fries to go. I sat outside and devoured the gumbo ... it was really good. They used shrimp and crab as the seafoods with rice mixed in ... good roux as well. Will definitely be stopping in here if I pass through again.
(5)Jim L.
Came for fourth July weekend with a party of 25 with 15 minutes notice they got us in quickly and food came out quickly as well. Receptionist was calm even though the line is wrapping around the corner outside. Awesome service. Crawfish was huge, gumbo was authentic, and the combo platters were superb. Would come again.
(5)Vanessa M.
So far, best crawfish in Lake Charles. A bit expensive but it was early in the season. We picked up our order and brought it home to enjoy. Definitely my go to place for crawfish.
(4)Farrah A.
Skip the awful buffets at the nearby casinos and head to Steamboat Bill's for far better food and prices. Order at the counter, grab your number and the host will find you a seat. The thing about Steamboat Bill's is that they have a large staff, from greaters who hand you a menu, cashier to take your order, host to seat you and food runners. And, they check up on you a lot. So it's not-quite waiter service, nor is it fast food. They have everything on the menu: Crawfish, gumbo, étouffée, red beans and rice, fresh oysters, boudin, fried catfish, soft shell crab poboys, shrimp and crawfish pistolettes (crawfish or shrimp stuffed rolls deep fried). I was *hungry* and ordered 3-lbs of crawfish, a cup of gumbo and boudin. The boudin was the best - heavy on the cornmeal which I like. I don't rec the seafood gumbo. It only came with rice, shrimp and roux ... the more gritty, "dirty"-based roux. No bits of crab, oysters... total "meh." The crawfish, however, was good. Seasoned well, spicy, and a lot of juice. Towards the end, it tasted more on the salty side. And 3-lbs only warrants one potato; order 5-lbs and get one potato and one corn. Not sure what kind of crawfish math that is. Free parking, parking attendance, lots of seating, multiple hand-wash stations, family-friendly, it's worth a stop.
(3)Stewanna M.
The food was a bit too greasy for my liking. I had the small captains platter and hubby had the crawfish étouffée . The stuffed shrimp and stuffed crab stuffing tasted overcooked and it was a bit dry. The étouffée was just ok but my husband enjoyed it. It is easy access from the interstate so that's a plus. I guess I will have to try once more, maybe better luck next time.
(3)Georgia M.
My husband and I stopped in this weekend on our way out of Louisiana. Not the atmosphere I had hoped for. We had to wait in a line outside for about 20 minutes and there is NO organization to how they seat people. It is not first come first serve. If a table that seats more than your party becomes available and there is a larger party waiting they will seat them no matter how long you have been waiting. So we finally make it through the door and they do not seat you and take your order you wait in another line place your own order at the counter like fast a food restaurant and are given a number then seated if your lucky enough to get someone who works there attention. We are finally seated and the food does arrive in a timely manner and was pretty good. The staff once seated was friendly and attentive. My husband had the shrimp gumbo and loved it. Their Boudin balls were very good and a nice size. The prices is average for seafood but a little pricey for the type of environment. I felt like we were being shuffled through like cattle. The food was good but will not go back because of the atmosphere.
(3)