In my neverending quest for the best boudin and cracklins in Louisiana, my father and I searched endlessly during the nineties all over. We differed on taste and opinion about what it takes to make good boudin ... the right amounts of ingredients to "spice" it up. But, we both loved boudin that didn't use "too much rice". Really great boudin is loaded with small chunks or fibres of pork and not too much rice. And, really good cracklins are loaded with meat also, best hot and spicy or unspicy as you wish. My vote for best "spicy" boudin and cracklins is Ray's in Opelousas right across from the Tourist Center on 190 & I-49. Dad liked a place in Addis called the Butcher's Block, really close to Tiger Stadium, but across the River. So, on game days, we'd haul arse to Opelousas and pick up the (Billy's Boudin spicy and fresh hot cracklins) @ Ray's and spin on down another 80 miles to the Butcher's block. Pop really suffered on the ride to Addis ... albeit devouring about 2 pounds of Billy's and innumerable cracklins that he considered TOO SPICY. He'd wash it down with Coors Light and we'd talk about the man-to-man matchups that night and what we'd focus on during game time. When we reached Addis, he'd load up again with frozen (ice chest) and fresh hot boudin. We'd navigate the early traffic and find us a nice oak tree to park under at campus. Pull out the easy chairs and open the ice chest and set up the "Sterno" and warming trays. Invariably, other friends would show up in our favorite parking spot (classified) and the "gaiting" was on. We always overpurchased the boudin and cracklins and always shared with our freeloading buddies. The football talk was fast and furious and the group always split (guys on one side and the hens ... a few brought wives and girls ... on the other). But the boudin pot, the cracklin jars, the potato salad, chili, roast beef, etc and the ice chests were shared by all and there was always more than enough. Strangers even wandered in and joined us. Gametime approached and we'd wander into the stadium fat and happy.
The Best Stop in Scott or Cankton, don't know which one, has some good cracklins. Not too much meat on them, but seasoned perfect. Labatuts in New Roads and a grocery store in Mansura have some good cracklins w/a lot of meat. The best boudin I've had is from T-Jims in Cottonport. Not too hot, but just the right amount of pepper.
I'll second that one. Every time I find myself on I-10 in that general vicinity, there are always two stops to make the Best Stop for boudin and Frog City in Rayne for crappy souveniers. My Texan friends just love shot glasses, t-shirts, etc. from Frog City for some reason.
Ramah - that post is great. Got me really looking forward to gameday(s). I'll have to go by the butcher block as driving all the way to Opelousas is out of the question. Does the butcher block have cracklins, too? I'll share one of my favorite game day tastes - Makers Mark whiskey (or Crown Royal) and diet coke. The only time I drink it is for LSU games. Gotta stop drinking in the 2nd quarter for the drive home. My flask was dumped for one game last year - sad times.
I'll post a homer vote here but I have to say the best place to get boudin and craklins is in VILLE PLATTE, LA. It's about 45 miles north of Lafayette and about 15 miles northwest of Opelousas good people, good food
J2K, we must have traveled the same roads quite a bit. Both are great, but Best Stop has to be my favorite.
At least you can get decent seafood in Mobile. "Good" seafood up here is "fresh" orange roughy. If I asked for boudin somewhere up here, they would look at me like I was crazy. Or from Louisiana.
