With crawfish being a delicacy of South Louisiana and the seasons changing allowing for warmer weather and the start of crawfish season, I decided to jump ahead and try a couple of locations that advertised boiled crawfish. The decision was not hard at all after tasting the food that came out from the kitchen of the Boiler Room.The Boiler Room is located on Highway 20 at 101 Brunet St. in Schriever. Even though it is also the home of the Hot Spot nightclub, don’t let the exterior fool you. Once inside, you become engulfed in the atmosphere that creates a safe haven not only for the fine southern cuisine that this area of the state is known for but also for the hospitality that goes with it.

The food was just amazing. I have never had a seafood gumbo from any restaurant before that had the taste quality of a slow cooked roux that lingers on your tongue while visions are created in your mind of someone’s grandmother in the back slaving over the pot to create such a feast. When all of a sudden, you raise your spoon for another taste and are surprised with the amount of seafood you actually have in the bowl, not the amount they advertise. Not too bad for a $6 bowl of gumbo that pretty much filled me up.

For those who know me, I compare everything to Popeye’s Fried Chicken and their many accompaniments that you can order as well. Well, I’m sorry to tell my friends this, but the Boiler Room’s Whiskey Bar Popcorn crawfish blew Popeye’s fried crawfish out the water. The breading is fantastic. The crawfish are boiled, peeled and then breaded and fried to create a taste that is beyond any reasonable doubt the best fried crawfish I have ever had.

I went last Friday – with it being Lent and all – and ordered the lunch special: Shrimp Creole. Now I may hate to say this because it might haunt me, but the dish tasted like Chef John Folse had prepared it himself. The rich tomato flavor, the spices and the amount and size of the shrimp blew my mind. Plus, it came with a large helping of potato salad and garlic bread. It was hard to put the utensils down when I was full, and there was still some left on the plate.

But what I really went there for was the crawfish. I tried Seafood Outlet earlier this season because last year they had some nice size crawfish, and I figured they would please me again. I was way wrong and very disappointed. I thought crawfish season would be a flop until once again Antonio Reymendo, the owner and chef of the Boiler Room, proved how good his establishment is. The crawfish were a great size, and the seasonings they were boiled in only made them better. Not overly peppery with a slightly strong clove finishing note. Not bad, not bad at all. Plus, you get three pounds of these delightful mudbugs with corn and potatoes for only ten bucks.

I’m telling you, if you are in the mood for good seafood (they also serve chicken and beef for those interested), then the Boiler Room is where you need to go. They serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner is available Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. – take-out is an option. Stop by and give them a try; you won’t be disappointed.