This place deserves every accolade you've probably come across. I'm a transplant to the south and was introduced to good crawfish boils in DFW. Before the season was over I had to make my way to crawfish country and Hawk's couldn't have provided a better experience. Granted due to unforeseen circumstances I had to get them to go as I had a long trip ahead -- they were fantastic while on the road and even at home after reheating them so I can only imagine eating it fresh on site. Pictures speak a thousand words and as you can see they are clean, giant and did I say clean? Meat is cooked just right, sweet, and plenty of the good stuff when you take the head off. Do yourself a favor and just go. read more

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Worst crawfish around Cajun country! Crawfish were boiled in unseasoned water then seasoned on top absolutely horrible!! No potatoes in seasoned water instead served baked potatoes like a steak house who in there right mind does that here... plenty of other crawfish restaurants around would advise to go any place but Hawks. read more

Dirty food was terrible. So bad my 27 year old son wouldn't eat it. If you don't order boiled crayfish, read more

Visiting Hawk's is always an adventure. If you don't mind the drive, it is definitely worth a stop on the LA seafood "bucket list". The establishment isn't fancy, but it doesn't have to be. The product is fantastic. Succulently clean crawfish cooked to perfection. Add corn and potatoes, and it simply cannot be beat. read more

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As advertised!! The BEST and CLEANEST crawfish in the WORLD!! It doesn't get any bettter! read more

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A bucket list destination since I heard about Hawk's years ago. Truly in the middle of nowhere half way between Houston and New Orleans. The purged crawfish are simply delicate and delicious. I ordered spicy which was mostly added dry spice which didn't do much for me, but my cousin who ordered mild liked it so asked for some spice on the side to dip/dredge. Huge crawfish. At $20 something for 3 lbs 50% more expensive than some other area restaurants is well worth it. It was 33% cheaper than Vietnamese crawfish in Houston I ate a couple days later. I'm not sure I would make the 4 hour drive from Houston just for Hawk's but combined with half day in Lafayette Parish for the boudin trail, it was well worth it. read more

Hawk's Restaurant - 3lbs spicy boiled crawfish - Seafood Near Me - Rayne, Louisiana

I've caught and cooked crawfish since I was about 7. That's 70 years. l've never had boiled crawfish superior to the fare at Hawk's. And the service is top notch. Hawk's is worth the drive and worth the price. Go now, mes amis. read more

We had heard from a few people about this place. They all said it was in the middle of the woods and really good. Both are true! The crawfish were really good sizes. They were cleaned by Hawk's special process, and it showed. They also tasted delicious. The bread pudding was one of the best I ever had. Don't forget the bread pudding if you go! read more

Hawk's Restaurant - 5lbs of boiled crawfish with a potato and corn - Seafood Near Me - Rayne, Louisiana

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Awesome boiled crawfish. They are off the beaten path but should not be overlooked if you want some of the best crawfish with 500 miles. The only other place with boiled crawfish this good is in Basile. If you are anywhere near Lafayette don't waste your time with other places, hop in your car and make this drive. You will not be disappointed. They are only opened during crawfish season and only when the crawfish are plentiful so call them before you go just to make sure. The parking lot fills up very quickly. read more

Lafayette, you have a gem in this place!! The best biggest, easiest to peel crawfish I've had in a LONG time. The potatoes and corn seem overpriced, but they are huge. My kids split a combo plate of crawfish etoufee and fried shrimp. It came with a pistolette, two more boiled crawfish, and a side salad! They enjoyed it. The boiled shrimp were also amazing! Had to wait an hour on a Saturday (arrived at 6) but it was worth it!! read more

Small family owned business. One of a kind. Crawfish is what to get - 5lbs XX hot. The best potatoes! My favorite place for boiled crawfish.

I've been going here for about 15 years now. When I first started going here, you had to be "in the know" to know about this place. There was no website and very little info on the internet about it. Our first few vists back then were amazing... the crawfish were HUGE (like small lobsters) and the prices were considerably cheaper than they are now. Over the past few years I have noticed that the size of the crawfish have decreased while meanwhile the prices have continued to increase, most likely due to the publicity and word-of-mouth caused from the internet. read more

Hawk's Restaurant - The filet mignon of crawfish - best I've ever had - Seafood Near Me - Rayne, Louisiana

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This place has a rep as being THE best. I visited them last night and marinated on my experience before writing about it. It's a well earned reputation. Their purging process has been documented by others, so here goes with my quick explanation of what makes them special: they use spring water to aerate and clean the crawfish, only picking the best from what they have to maintain a consistent size among their plates. I took off from my in-laws in Lafayette at about 4:30, the drive was supposed to be 40 minutes, and aside from me gawking about it was right on the money. Have a GPS guide you and be ready to stop and call if you get lost, it's a bit out of the ways. When you get to the street it's on, you'll know you're there when you get to the end of the road, the building is on your right, they have a crawfish painted on the door. As you walk in they'll ask how many you're with, they won't seat you until all party members are there. For this review I travelled solo (my wife doesn't eat much anymore and preferred to stay at home while I took a little excursion on my own) For the rep it has, there's not a ton of space, you get 10-12 families in the place and you'll have a decent wait ahead of you. I didn't really play around with the menu, I knew what I was there for an ordered straight away: The Hawk's Special, it's 3 lbs of crawfish with 1 lb of boiled shrimp. It's definitely the best stars of their menu. They offer in 3 levels of heat: regular, hot, and hotter, I didn't want to tempt fate and end up with something that was nuclear on my first visit so I went with hot, I probably could have handled the hotter upon retrospect. Plate came out relatively quick, but with enough time to know that they're boiling by the order. It's served with Dipping Sauce and Cocktail Sauce for the shrimp, but for the most part I just dug in and ate as is. If you've never had purged crawfish you won't know what you're missing but now that I have, I plan to make sure every sack that goes into my pot from here on out will at least be cleaned up for a good while, these guys have tapped into magic. I finished my plate in probably record time, wanted more, but didn't want to be super stuffed on the drive back to the house so I paid my bill and left, already starting to plan in my mind when I can make it back. If you find yourself in the area OR if you want to make a day long adventure, GO. read more

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Crawfish were big and juicy and tasted really clean but I really think the owners should change their business model here's why I'm only giving this restaurant two stars 1. Crawfish comes with no sides each side you order is $2.50 2. No refills on drinks they bring you out a can and you pour it in your glass 3. No station to wash your hands you have to wait for the restroom 4. The price for me and my wife to eat our bill was $106.24 All in all I don't think we will be coming back here plenty of better choices inside of Lafayette to choose and also the bread putting here is not all that if you want the best in my opinion you have to drive on up to Sammy's in Baton Rouge! read more

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They have been around forever you think by now they would have added on more space to accommodate. Waiting an hour and half in the middle of no where with only nasty major domestic beers would be something I probably won't do again. The crawfish were good but not that good, but the shrimp were fantastic. Not a fan of just adding seasoning on top, flavor should be within but they were cooked right. The boiled potato has no flavor and the corn was ok. The bread pudding was decent and much better with the ice cream. read more

Well worth the trip from Lafayette. Little pricey, crawfish & shrimp were awesome! Service was great!

If you are looking for the best boiled crawfish, Hawk's is the place to go. I am amazed how clean these crawfish are. The service is great! Now for the location, put Hawks in your favorite smartphone map. This place is difficult to find but well worth the trip. read more

Food: Really good food, don't have complaints there. The crawfish are awesome and so are their shrimp and catfish. Chicken tenders for kids, one order will work for two or three kids. Building: Only complaint I have is that there aren't enough bathrooms for as many people go to eat there. The price isn't just high, it's ridiculously high. Overall, I love to eat there, would eat there more if the price wasn't asking an arm and a leg. Usually only get to go once every year or every other year. read more

Rayne is one of our favorite towns to visit for the cuisine and we have been 3 times in the past year. This visit was the 1st time we tried Hawk's and we were absolutely delighted! It was so good we went back the very next night. My husband had the purged crawfish both nights and we have never had better. I tried the boiled shrimp, crawfish etouffe, fried crawfish, and fried shrimp. All equally delicious. The owner/manager was lovely and accommodated our dining companion who required a special preparation even though they were REÀLLY busy. Be prepared to wait. Do not go starving. Be patient and rest assured that you will have some of the best food you could ask for. read more

OK, Let me set this straight ! I am a local native and have been coming to Hawk's since the 1950's, before it was a restaurant. I grew up in Crowley and practiced Medicine in Rayne. My grandparents owned a rice farm in Acadia Parish. The best crawfish come from rice-field "ponds". Hawk's is a BOILED CRAWFISH RESTAURANT ! They offer a few other menu items; but this is a BOILED CRAWFISH RESTAURANT ! Please order boiled crawfish, and you won't be disappointed. For those who don't understand; almost every place purges crawfish now; Hawk was an innovator of the large-volume fresh-water purging system; now used all over Texas & most of Louisiana. "Purging" gets rid of residual traces of the mud in which crawfish frequently live. As to the seasonings; there are two main methods: Some put all of the seasoning in the boiling water. The other prefer to put some seasoning in the boiling water and add more sprinkled-on, to customers' tastes; like Hawks. Your server will explain seasoning options. Hawk's system allows for more latitude in "spiciness" or pepper "heat". Of the sprinkled-on variety, Hawk's is the BEST. Those of us who understand and appreciate this are willing to make 3 hour drives from Houston & New Orleans to Hawk's to eat. Every year. It is easy to see that the ones complaining here don't understand these basics ! I have learned to trust the "Yelp" opinions of LOCALS who understand the genre, rather than "drive-by's" who reveal their ignorance in their comments. If you seek the BEST of the partly seasoned-water, partly sprinkled-on method boiled crawfish; go to HAWK'S ! If you want something else, you'd best go somewhere else. The large crowds of locals waiting for HAWK'S to open every night should speak volumes ! Rick read more

Been 2 out of the last 3 years. We have friends that live local and they dragged us there on a Friday night a few years ago. Place looked like an old cattle slaughter house in the woods from an older 70's horror flick. Hands down best "Mudbugs" I have ever had in my life. We hope to come back next year & enjoy some awesome food. Just wish it wasn't an 1100 mile trip to come eat or we would be spoiled rotten. lol read more

Probably the best crawfish you will ever eat. But come on owner(s) put in a separate hand washing station; an absolute must for a crawfish restaurant. read more

You CAN NOT find better crawfish! Other restaurants can't replicate the purging process of Hawks! It's a far drive bc they're literally in the middle of nowhere, but I promise it's worth it. It'll be like a little adventure into the woods lol. read more

If you're visiting from out of town and want awesome crawfish, go to Hawk's! Plan on a wait as it's a very popular, but with a full bar and friendly bar tender the time passes quickly. read more

The place to go for top shelf crawfish. They purge their crawfish with natural spring water for 48 hours which makes the crawfish meat sweet. It is only open during crawfish season so don't miss out. read more

I was not very impressed. They were out of crawfish when we went. They did warn us they could run out but what made me frustrated was they let us order the crawfish then proceeded to tell us 30 minutes later that they were out! I will say the owner did come over and apologize but why wait 30 minutes! We ended up ordering boiled shrimp and the crawfish étouffée. I loved the shrimp but the étouffée was bland and nothing to rave about. Maybe I'll change my review about this place if I go back for the crawfish. My suggestion is to call ahead to make sure they are not out. read more

A spring pilgrimage to the south is not complete without a trip to hawks! Incredible food and awesome people!!!!!!! Truly the mecca for crawfish! read more

The main attraction is crawfish (mudbugs) in season. Unless you're a local, it is in your best interest to call. I'm reluctant to award more than three stars to place because, if the food is done right, that's all we need. Hawks adds to the affair 'bugs that are freshest and most tongue tingling spicy you'll find. My fried shrimp platter had large, crisp, sweet shrimp. Gosh they were good. As always, eating crawdads is not inexpensive. As of the date of this review, five pounds of 'dads costs $28. Nothing else. I suppose part of the appeal is that Hawks is an out of the way, boondocks sort of place. Restaurant hunter quarry attraction and all that. All in all, if the very limited menu and rather high cost is adequately offset by your desire to munch big old spicy 'bugs, come on over whenever you can! read more

OK, I'm not a local and I didn't have the good fortune to grow up eating Cajun food. Until I first visited the Lafayette area 10 years ago, I had never even seen a crawfish. But since then, I've spent from 1-6 months of every year in Acadiana. And I've devoted my time here to making pilgrimages of up to 50 miles, visiting every famous dining spot and side-of-the-road hut any local ever recommended, searching for "the best" crawfish boil in a part of the country that REALLY knows how to do it right. Folks, I'm here to say there are now three annual events around which I time my yearly visits to Cajun country ... the beginning of crawfish season, Mardi Gras, and the spring-time opening of Hawk's. It's not just that Hawk's serves some of the biggest, juiciest "bugs" in the region (less work for greater reward!). Or that they purge them so thoroughly that the flavor is cleaner, fresher, sweeter and more nuanced than any other place I've visited. Or that their boil seasoning doesn't need any added dusting of spices to deliver a nice, rounded and satisfying kick that enhances but doesn't drown the flavor of the seafood. It's that they do ALL that so consistently and with such pride. And they're so doggone nice and friendly while they do it! Yes, Hawk's is off the beaten path. And don't go expecting ambiance, fancy trimmings or a deep menu. This is a family-run crawfish house, open only during the season. Each spring, they hold their opening until they're sure the ongoing supply will meet their standards for size and quality. Just keep calling -- they update their recorded message to let customers know when opening day is scheduled. Oh, I eat crawfish elsewhere until Hawk's opens every year. I love those tasty little critters and I make it my business to know who's got them early, who's got them cheaper, who's got them bigger. But I also think I know who's got the best. Once they open, I'll be at Hawk's. read more

I love Hawks! They serve the biggest crawfish around! But they are only open for crawfish season, just a heads up!

This might be the most tender, flavorful and consistent crawfish I've ever had. Hawks is well worth the drive.

The best crawfish you'll ever find. Large, clean, perfectly cooked every time. Admittedly, the potatoes don't pick up enough spice but dip them in the Hawk's sauce and they're excellent. Corn is just about perfect, not too spicy and most importantly not overcooked with shriveled kernels like many places. You can get your crawfish with different spice levels, but regardless they're easier to peel and have better flavor & texture than anything I've ever had. If you're in New Orleans, it's about a 3 hour trek to Hawk's but worth it - make sure to also catch some music in Lafayette while you're in the vicinity (it used to be great when the Festival Acadien was in the spring during crawfish season...). Or once a year you can find Hawk's at Simone's Market on Oak Street, the boil is just as good as the restaurant if the wait is a bit longer. Truly the best crawfish you'll find, definitely not the cheapest at $21.99 for 3 pounds (including a small amount of potatoes & corn) but ultimately you get what you pay for here. Well done. read more

I've been here three years running and have to say they know what they are doing. The drive alone is fun as this place really is in the middle of nowhere and you pass through several crawfish ponds that get you in the mood to eat some. Their purge method is the best I have ever experienced as the crawfish are some of the cleanest I have ever eaten. Flavor is a little on the bland side to be truthful but they have different levels of flavor and I have never tried the hottest, usually opting for the hot. They add additional seasoning on the crawfish, which I only see here, so maybe that is a local method? Regardless, they are good and clean crawfish. Got get some crawfish...you will be glad you did. read more

Crawfish were good but not left in the spiced water near long enough. No seasoning at all. They spice them choices hot or extra hot and all they do is put crawfish seasoning on the shells. Had a little trouble landing my second beer, and the potato was a whole yellow potato boiled in plain water, not a small red potato boiled with the crawfish. Not worth the drive read more

I love Hawk's. They've spoiled me for boiled crawfish, I can't imagine eating my mud bugs anywhere else. The other menu items are just as good too. The fried catfish practically me?ts in your mouth, it's so light...and plentiful, you could make two meals out of one serving. I love the bucket of beer too. Hawk"s is a dining experience not to be missed. I wait to see the open notice so I can be sure to be one of the first ones there read more

I was here in April of last year. Simply the best Crawfish I've ever had. I hope you will try this place. The husband and wife team that run this place are great and provide a great product. I drove over from Coushatta to have dinner a great break from the Casino and a wonderful respite. read more

The journey itself is worth it. Rice fields, crawfish ponds- its almost off the map. Service was kind. The crawfish were different- so clean tasting. There is science behind their recipe. Definitely worth the trip. PS- The jalapeño in the boil= genius. read more

This is the best crawfish in Acadiana. They purge their crawfish and fresh running well water from a deep well for more than 48 hours. The seasoning is in the water, not on the shells. Don't be deterred by the remote location and rustic ambience. The Arceneaux family has successfully carried on Hawk's vision. read more

We love Hawks! In fact once you've had their clean and delicious crawfish you won't want to eat it anywhere else!

I will never enjoy boiled crawfish as much as I did when I ate thumb sized tails and sweet corn on the plastic red and white checkered tables at Hawks. This place is the gold standard...and it makes you feel like you are in a timeless moment of deliciousness. Absolutely worth the drive. It's like Mecca for mudbugs. read more