La Lucha Brings the Heat at Its Crawfish Boil

This crawfish season has brought some lovely revelations. Among them Sunday at La Lucha‘s outstanding boil: Ford Fry and Bobby Matos’s Heights spot is even better than I originally thought.

La Lucha, which hosts boils on Saturdays and Sundays (starting at noon and ending when they’ve run out), throws aromatics like garlic and habanero peppers into the boil. They’re then tossed in a traditional Creole rub with chilis and a peppery smack, and served with ears of corn and potatoes. You can add on a big ol’ hot link, also rubbed in earthy spices, if you need a little more protein. Snag a picnic table outside for the meal if you can, as it’s the perfect way to enjoy this weekend specialty.

Second revelation: Order Bakfish’s I Tell You Wit to pair with the crawfish. I’ve yet to have a better summertime beer in Space City. Third revelation: Cool down your crawfish numbness with a side order of fries and La Lucha’s oyster mayonnaise. That mayo is even better than I remembered.

Finally, my fourth revelation, and the one closest to my heart: My daughter loves oysters.

It’s surprising we even figured it out, since she typically doesn’t even want to try new foods. But she asked to try one (you’d have to order oysters separately from the boil), and while she couldn’t slurp correctly, she chewed it, swallowed it, then asked for another. The Gulf Oysters we enjoyed—a dozen buttery and meaty giants from Louisiana and Texas—were the finest from the Third Coast that I’ve yet sampled in Houston. 

Try La Lucha’s crawfish boil. I know I’ll be back.