Inconspicuous neighborhood seafood joint offers delicious, spicy, Viet-Cajun crawfish and specialty items like fried corn on the cob.

5314 Telephone Rd, Houston, TX 77087

(713) 360-7610

Website

11:30am–8:30pm (Mon, Wed, Thu); 11:30am–10pm (Fri); 12pm–10pm (Sat); 12pm–8:30pm (Sun); closed Tuesday

Overeager to start our first crawfish season in Houston, we paid inaugural visits to Saigon House and Crawfish and Noodles in late January and early February. While the flavors at these establishments knocked us out, we confess to some mild sticker shock at their market prices. A friend steered us to a Viet-Cajun seafood joint with a solid local reputation, lower prices than famous and/or Midtown options, and a convenient (for us) location in east Houston. We visited Casian Crawfish on March 1—still a bit early according to the native Houstonian who sent us here—but happily we found a budget-friendlier MP: $8.99 per pound for crawfish on the day of our visit, or $25.99 for 3 pounds with potato and corn. We ordered the 3-pound special, a piece of deep-fried corn, and an iced Vietnamese coffee ($2.75).

3 pounds of crawfish, 1 corn, 1 potato ($25.99 at time of visit). Casian Crawfish offers crawfish “Casian style” (with garlic butter), with “Casian sprinkles” (dry Louisiana-style seasoning), or with “lime sprinkles” (dry seasoning plus lime). For $1 extra per pound, you can go “all-in” (butter, dry seasoning, and lime). After picking a sauce, you choose from four spice levels. We ordered all-in at level 3 spiciness, which packed enough heat to draw a few sweat beads to our foreheads, but not so much that we were tempted to rub runny eyes and noses with spice-encrusted digits. While they were not yet the ideal size—more sidekicks than heavyweights—the crawfish had a delicate texture and a zingy citrus flavor that grew more addictive as the shells piled up. Accompanying wedges of key lime added neon zest that paired excellently with the earthy, sweet mudbug meat. The included corn and potato were no great shakes and a bit on the overcooked side, but read on.

Fried corn ($1.99 for one piece). Forego concerns about fried foods: this is the corn cob you require from Casian Crawfish. Like a corn nugget that necessitates a more hands-on approach, this is the quintessence of state fair treats: a cob segment dipped in batter and deep-fried. Someone on staff truly knows their way around cornmeal batter and a fryolator; the thin crust stayed perceptibly crispy throughout this dining episode, and the underlying kernels were tender and sweet. We confidently predict anything Casian Crawfish happens to batter and deep-fry, like chicken wings, will be spot-on.

Casian Crawfish is a gemstone of a spot, and we strongly recommend it to fans of crawfish and fried food. Their menu also offers plenty of other seafood items (crabs, shrimp, oysters, and fish), as well as assorted Cajun, Vietnamese, and fusion specialties including seafood gumbo, bò lúc lắc (shaking beef), bánh mì, and vermicelli bowls. But we’ll be ordering the crawfish every time through early summer.