SHUCKS! The Louisiana Seafood House — Restaurant in Lake Charles

I am writing this review as a lover of good Cajun food as well as a business owner myself (different industry).

My husband and I went for an early dinner Saturday evening with 4:00 reservations which I’m glad we had because there was already a 25 to 30 minute wait for those without reservations. We were seated immediately and asked if we preferred inside or outside seating. One of the owners, David, came to our table and chatted with us. He seemed very genuine and down to earth. He said most of the recipes are from various family members of the owners: mothers, MILs, etc.

As with any new business there were a few hiccups that will need to be worked through, but that is expected with any new business and absolutely does not have any bearing on the quality of the food or this review because those small nuances will correct themself in time. For example, the wait staff didn’t know the table numbers as food was coming out of the kitchen. They were also out of Dr. Pepper, and blue cheese salad dressing.

For an appetizer, I ordered a cup of corn and crab chowder which was sweet and spicy and delicious!

The salads that came with the entrees was your basic salad. The problem was that mine came out with croutons, my husband’s didn’t. Not a big deal but obviously something that needs to be corrected moving forward. The salad dressing we both ordered was the house sugarcane vinaigrette which was very good!

For entrees, My husband orders the Fried Seafood Platter with onion rings. I got the Shucks Stacker. All of the food was fresh and battered in house including the onion rings. The Shucks Stacker was a filet of fish (catfish), crab cake with a dill sauce, and grilled shrimp (they were deveined). I didn’t have the option of a side. The waitress said it comes with the vegetables and I couldn’t substitute anything else. I also had to clarify the type of fish I was getting because the menu didn’t specify.

All of the food came out in a timely manner and was very good and seasoned well.

The outside seating was very pleasant and relaxing and the added play area is a nice touch.

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our meal and will return again...

We visited Shucks in Lake Charles to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 84th birthday, with family in from Utah who were eager to experience authentic Louisiana flavors.

The restaurant is new and fresh with a great atmosphere, though the music was a bit loud and the acoustics made it even louder with the crowd. We were seated near the back, and while everything looked clean, the menus looked like they’d been through a war—definitely time for a refresh.

We kicked things off with two dozen oysters—half raw and half “Supreme.” The raw oysters were plump, fresh, and had the perfect briny kick. The Supreme oysters were absolutely delicious and stole the spotlight early.

I ordered the fried seafood platter, but it was over-fried and tasted like it came from old oil—disappointing. Our family from Utah ordered the shrimp and grits and loved it—it was their first time trying the dish. The grilled seafood platter got mixed reviews—great fish, but the rest didn’t hit the mark. My mother-in-law ordered the crab meat au gratin and devoured it, raving about the rich flavor. My wife’s Crawfish Étouffée and Fried Tails was the standout—pure Louisiana soul on a plate.

One surprise that really stood out was when the staff brought out a free bread pudding and sang happy birthday to my mother-in-law. It was a thoughtful gesture and made the evening feel even more special.

My only letdown was seeing tilapia on the menu instead of local redfish—felt like a missed opportunity given our location.

The outdoor space is fantastic, and I could see it being a great place to relax and enjoy a drink on a cooler evening.

Shucks has a lot going for it. With some kitchen fine-tuning and a few menu upgrades, it could easily become a Lake Charles favorite.

— Mike “Big Chief” Hiatt, Host of The Whiskey...

This was our first time visiting the restaurant, and we had a great time. The host was incredibly friendly and accommodating—especially when our family requested to move indoors despite how packed the place was. Considering it was peak lunch hour on a Saturday, a 30–40 minute wait seemed totally reasonable.

Our waitress was kind and attentive throughout the meal. We enjoyed the Super Sampler so much that we ended up ordering a second one! We've had oysters at many places, including high-end restaurants, and I must say our oysters today were perfect - all 30 of them. We're usually not fans of fried food, but the fried fish plate was a pleasant surprise—perfectly seasoned with flavorful catfish.

The only dish that missed the mark was the gumbo. While it was loaded with fresh seafood, the roux lacked depth of flavor. That said, I think the issue might just be due to the fact they’re newly opened and dealing with a busy crowd.

There was a small mix-up with the second Super Sampler—it came out with only 12 oysters instead of the 15 listed on the menu—but our server quickly corrected it and brought out the rest without any hassle.

Overall, I really hope this place succeeds. We’ll definitely be...