Craving crawfish? Chris Shepherd visits a Louisiana crawfish farm and then finds some of the best mudbugs in Houston

This is the time of year many look forward to — the rodeo is in town, spring is in the air, and piping hot crawfish are being poured onto tables at restaurants and backyard boils.

While the season started slow, there are still places you can quench your crawfish craving.

In this episode of “Eat Like a Local with Chris Shepherd”, Shepherd heads east to meet Billy Link of Link Rice and Crawfish Farms who explains what it takes to supply Houston with the best crawfish. According to Link, it’s all about timing and location. Western Louisiana and Eastern Texas have the perfect ecosystem for crawfish and rice farming. Crawfish fertilizes the rice fields, and the rice provides the perfect habitat for the crawfish, which is why when crawfish season ends, Link and his farm turn to rice.

Shepherd then visits Crawfish Shack in Crosby where they boil up more crawfish each year than just about anybody. Want cooked crawfish? They’ve got it. Want perfectly prepped live crawfish for your boil? They’ll hook you up with that too.

Crawfish Shack has been operating drive-through only, but with crawfish production picking up, they will open their dining room again in the coming days. Check hours, prices, and availability on their Facebook page before you go.

While traditional cajun crawfish might be what makes your mouth water most, Houston restaurants like Crawfish & Noodles put their own spin on preparing the freshwater crustaceans. Shepherd shares some of his favorite things to order when he enjoys a Viet-Cajun meal at Crawfish & Noodles.

Watch this episode in the video player above

“Eat Like a Local with Chris Shepherd” is your guide to the best food in Houston. Watch new episodes Saturdays at 10 a.m. on KPRC 2.

Bookmark the Eat Like a Local website, so you can find more restaurants serving up great food near you. We’re adding restaurants to the map every week.

Season 1: “Eat Like a Local” episodes