Boo-Ray's of New Orleans — Restaurant in Hudson Oaks

My family and I went to Boo-Ray’s in Hudson Oaks on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. We arrived around 7:45 PM and had our orders in around 8 PM. My father and I both ordered 3 pounds of crawfish each. We were excited to dig in since we absolutely love crawfish and were extremely hungry, but right away, we noticed this batch was nothing like what we’re used to from the Boat Club location we frequent. The seasoning was pretty bland and nowhere near enough, like the cook poured just enough in to change the color of the water.

We also noticed a ton of straight-tailed crawfish, typically meaning they were dead before cooking. Normally, I’d just skip over those since it happens sometimes, but the sheer number of them was a huge red flag. On top of that, they clearly weren’t purged or cleaned properly—there was grass, twigs, and even mud still stuck under some of the tails. I don’t expect perfection, but when you’re paying a premium, they should at least be cleaned properly.

But it got worse. As we picked through them, we realized that half or more of the crawfish were undercooked. We eat a LOT of crawfish, both dining out and doing our own boils, so we know for a fact when crawfish aren’t cooked right. Unfortunately, we accidentally ate some of the undercooked ones because we were starving from not eating all day. The potatoes were borderline mushy, like they were thrown in way too early, and the corn was undercooked and still hard.

My mom’s stuffed chicken and dirty rice was fine, no complaints there. My girlfriend’s blackened chicken fettuccine was decent, but some of the thicker chicken slices were slightly undercooked—not bad enough to send back, but she had to push a few pieces to the side.

When we brought all this up to our waiter (who was fantastic, by the way—great service, friendly with a great sense of humor—zero complaints there), he even admitted that the cooks tend to “slack off” near closing time. He apologized sincerely and gave us 25% off each crawfish order instead of the military discount, which we appreciated. I think he went and tried to get them taken off the bill entirely, but that didn’t happen.

Now here’s the worst part—shortly after leaving, both my dad and I started feeling sick. Within an hour and a half, he was throwing up, and I’m feeling like I’m going to be throwing up any minute. It’s been years since I’ve had food poisoning, and I’m furious. We’ve always had great experiences at the Boat Club location, but this was hands down the worst crawfish experience we’ve ever had.

I don’t know what’s going on at the Hudson Oaks location, but whoever’s running that kitchen needs to get it together before someone gets seriously hurt from undercooked seafood. Boo-Ray’s has been one of our family’s favorite spots, but after this, we’re done with that location. This was beyond disappointing—it was downright ridiculous.

I’m sure this was a fluke deal as we’ve never had a bad experience at boo-rays but BEWARE if you come in to the Hudson Oaks location within a couple hours of closing, as the cooks “slack off” close to closing time.

UPDATE: It’s 2:30AM the following morning and I’ve just got back in bed from throwing up. Plus I’m not sure if it’s directly related or not but my 11 month old who I gave a tiny piece to since it wasn’t spicy keeps waking up pain crying and very gassy, which is unusual for him. He’s had little pieces before...

Realistically this place doesn’t deserve more than about two stars. I’m giving it 3 because of the fried catfish and Grilled chicken(expectedly someone from Texas shouldn’t mess that up too bad). This place however is not only inauthentic in regards to their Cajun food, it’s just plain bad.

Let’s start with the fried gator. The pieces were so small and overcooked that they may as well have served us just bits of fried breading. That added to the simple fact that the fries were the primary item on the plate with maybe 8 nickle sized bites of the gator actually ordered thrown in the mix. The fries were good however. 2/10

The chicken and andouille sausage gumbo I don’t believe ever had any resemblance of a holy trinity cooked into the roux which alone tasted as if it was burnt (if they weren’t using a cheap pre-made roux to begin with). The sausage and chicken was so over cooked it simply disintegrated when eaten and turned into a grainy goop rather than the lightly rubbery resistance one expects when eating gumbo. 2/10

The Crawfish Etoufée was a whole different story. Altogether. Flavor was terrible and tasted nothing of the crawfish flavor expected from an Etoufée or one that I’m used to growing up in south Louisiana. The dish had WAY too much salt and the size of the crawfish was simply laughable. I could have made better Etoufée using the frozen crawfish tails found in your local Walmart frozen seafood section. 1/10

Took about 30 minutes to seat our party of 6 + 2 children and a baby. They upcharge for credit card -vs- cash payment by about $5. The “atmosphere” of New Orleans is completely lost on this restaurant apart from the cheap swampy murals covering the walls and “ laissez le bon temps rouler” lights outside.

I’m sure the locals love their fake little “cajun” restaurant to justify the 4.5 star rating online. But anyone who’s ever had or made authentic cajun food knows that this place bears no resemblance to the real deal and certainly not even close enough to justify the $102 price tags my wife and I plus our son paid.

I took a few bites of my friends and wife’s meals which included grilled chicken/mushroom dishes and fried catfish and those were pretty tasty. I sat in envy as I wished I’d ordered theirs. Owners should consider a rebrand to a steakhouse and I bet they will be wildly successful.

3/10 stars total. If you want to know what real cajun food tastes like steer far away...

Boo Ray’s in Hudson Oaks: A Missed Opportunity for Louisiana Flavor

As someone who grew up in Louisiana, I know what good Cajun and Creole cuisine should taste like. Naturally, I was intrigued when I came across Boo Ray’s in Hudson Oaks, a restaurant promising a taste of New Orleans. Unfortunately, my visit proved to be a letdown in nearly every aspect, from the atmosphere to the food and service.

Walking into Boo Ray’s, the setting immediately felt underwhelming. The décor makes a half-hearted attempt at Louisiana charm, but it falls short. Imagine The Waterboy’s Momma’s house with only a few knick-knacks—it doesn’t quite transport you to the bayou. Even the entrance was confusing and lacked any sense of welcome or character.

For my meal, I decided to try the Blackened Chicken Fettuccine, a dish I assumed would be a safe introduction to their menu. At nearly $19, I expected a flavorful and satisfying plate. Unfortunately, it arrived late—long after the rest of my table had been served—and the waiter didn’t even seem to know who the dish was for.

The food itself was disappointing. The chicken wasn’t blackened at all; instead, it was unevenly seasoned and overly salty. The sauce lacked depth, leaving the dish bland and uninspired. In an effort to enhance the flavor, I asked for hot sauce, only to be handed a bottle crusted under the cap. To make matters worse, as I opened it, dried sauce fell into my food. One whiff of the sauce revealed a sour, almost spoiled smell, so I decided not to use it at all. After a few bites, I couldn’t bring myself to eat more than a quarter of the plate.

Service was equally lackluster. I sat with an empty glass for over 30 minutes without a refill, and when it came time to pay, I had to search for someone to handle the check. To add insult to injury, the restaurant automatically applied a 22% gratuity to our group’s bill, bringing the total for two pasta dishes and two soft drinks to nearly $70. While I have no issue tipping generously for good service, being forced to pay a high gratuity for such poor service felt insulting.

In the end, Boo Ray’s failed to deliver on its promise of Louisiana flavor. The food was bland, the service inattentive, and the overall experience overpriced. If you’re craving a true taste of New Orleans, save yourself the trip and look elsewhere. Boo Ray’s,...