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Crawfish season 2023


TonyTexas

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Handful of places in Houston opened up for the season this weekend, with the rest expected by end of January. Still tough to find anywhere that has live available. I always keep an eye out on the seafood markets down in Seabrook/Kemah and doesn't look like they'll have any until probably next weekend.

I'm highly unlikely to bother with crawfish until March. Not gonna pay crazy prices for undersized catch this time of year. A buddy hooked me up last year with a guy that drives a big refrigerated truck over from Louisiana on the weekends. I'll check in with him in a few weeks and see how prices are looking. Probably at least $6/lb if he's even making trips yet.

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2 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

Handful of places in Houston opened up for the season this weekend, with the rest expected by end of January. Still tough to find anywhere that has live available. I always keep an eye out on the seafood markets down in Seabrook/Kemah and doesn't look like they'll have any until probably next weekend.

I'm highly unlikely to bother with crawfish until March. Not gonna pay crazy prices for undersized catch this time of year. A buddy hooked me up last year with a guy that drives a big refrigerated truck over from Louisiana on the weekends. I'll check in with him in a few weeks and see how prices are looking. Probably at least $6/lb if he's even making trips yet.

 

 

I saw an insta ad for a place in heights "5 lbs for $50!" fuck that. I'm with you, best to wait, plus you know they are tiny right now

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I like crawfish, but I don’t like it enough to eat it regularly or this early in this season.

Pretty good option to feed a shit ton of people. I will give it that. 

I should have enough options on the social calendar to skip the restaurants this year. Not trying to humble brag here. I think the home made boils are better than 95% of restaurants. 
 

I have no issues with the Viet-Cajun garlic butter thing or external seasoning. Some people don’t like fish and need something to spice it up. 

 

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22 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I like crawfish, but I don’t like it enough to eat it regularly or this early in this season.

Pretty good option to feed a shit ton of people. I will give it that. 

I should have enough options on the social calendar to skip the restaurants this year. Not trying to humble brag here. I think the home made boils are better than 95% of restaurants. 
 

I have no issues with the Viet-Cajun garlic butter thing or external seasoning. Some people don’t like fish and need something to spice it up. 

 

I love crawfish too, but shit you can get good sized fresh Texas gulf shrimp at HEB for $8 lb or less. 

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5 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

I love crawfish too, but shit you can get good sized fresh Texas gulf shrimp at HEB for $8 lb or less. 

Yep. Shrimp prices have stayed pretty consistent. Free market economy/capitalism/popularity/ demand all that stuff, but crawfish shouldn’t be more expensive than shrimp. 

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Shit, I won't even look till the middle of March.They will be less than $5/lb., probably $4.79/lb., that is what they bring that time of year. March 22nd is my birthday, we always boil about 4 sacks, $1k weekend, ain't much, but it's one of my big "blowouts" each year. 

CHIEF

  • Hook 'Em 1
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  • 3 weeks later...

Some friends of mine went to Boil House on Saturday. $10/lb and kind of small. 

Cottonwood is doing $5/lb every weekend, but it was apparently a giant CF yesterday. People posting they were waiting 90 minutes for their orders. Vendor just completely overwhelmed. 

Live prices at the seafood markets have been pretty reasonable so far that I've seen ($3 or less during the week, pricier on weekends) but they've been selling out pretty quick on weekends. Pretty much have to reserve sacks well ahead of time.

Live prices about to get jacked up again for Super Bowl Weekend. Seeing $4.50/lb for field run/$4.99 for select at places offering reservations for this weekend. 

Don't think any grocery stores are selling any crawfish yet. Haven't seen anything at HEB or Kroger to this point. 

Edited by Storm the Field
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I think the extremely mild February has greatly helped with harvests. Prices* have plummeted over the past few weeks. Size is already pretty good and it's not even officially Spring yet.. 

*Live prices that is. Restaurants and bars are still committing highway robbery by and large.

My guy that drives the primo crop over from LA on weekends was charging $3.50 Saturday before last. Dropped to $3 this past weekend. 

Seafood market down on the coast where I've bought sacks before went from $2.79 last weekend to $2.29 currently for medium mix. Place next door is $2.59 for large mix.

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OK Mofo's Im gonna fuck myself and help ya'll out.  Next Tuesday, 5 pm at C-boys on SoCo.  Music and complementary mudbugs while they last.  

In Katy last weekend visiting the kid at BB's Tex Orleans they were like $10.99, with a two pound minimum.  I was a little shocked by the price, but the freeze makes sense.  

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The guy I've used in years past isn't making runs from LA on the weekends anymore. Recs for buying live here in Austin?

I've bought from HEB several times and usually have issues with excessive dead so trying to avoid them.
Haven't bought but was here the other day and saw several picking up sacks.

Stuffed Cajun Meat Market
12226 Ranch Rd 620 N, Austin, TX 78750

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  • 2 weeks later...
8 minutes ago, markstanco said:

Is it a badge of honor when you clean out your crawfish pot and it has a small hole in it? I think it is. Been going strong for 20 years with the current pot. JB Weld flavored crawfish this coming Saturday for the final 4 at the lake.

get a new one dont be a loser

  • Haha 1
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Live prices plummeting lately. Buddy of mine had a big boil on Saturday. Our crawfish supplier originally quoted him $2.50/lb, only ended up charging $2/lb when he actually met him to deliver that morning.

I just checked in with him to get a sack for a small boil this weekend. Now just charging a flat $50/sack for mediums. That comes out to about $1.50/lb.

Edited by Storm the Field
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If you're in Houston and got that crawfish itch and don't want to pay out the ass at some of the cajun/crawfish places...I recommend Cottonwood on Sat or Sun.

 

They do $5/lb's and have $6 carafes of Mimosa or $6 select daft pitchers.

Good sized and decent enough for 1/2 the price of other places.

Their "carafes" and "pitchers" are fucking tiny, but still worth it

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