We found Parrain's Seafood while searching for authentic Louisiana food and a good po'boy/seafood…read morespot before making our drive back home to Houston. We were in Baton Rouge helping our grandson move into his dorm as an incoming freshman at LSU, and Parrain's kept coming up in our searches and reviews. We decided to give it a try, and I'm SO glad we did! We visited on a Sunday afternoon around 2:30 p.m., and when I tell you EVERYBODY and their family was there... I mean everybody! The parking lot was packed. There is plenty of parking, but there were so many people that we still had to hunt for a spot. Thankfully, we found one under a shade tree because it was HOT! When we walked up, we fully expected a long wait. There is plenty of outdoor seating for people waiting, and I also noticed they have both steps and an accessibility ramp leading to the entrance. My daughter and I sat down while my husband stood in line to put our name on the list. About five minutes later, he was waving for us to come inside! Apparently, many of the people waiting were large groups and families coming from church, but since there were only three of us, they were able to seat us almost immediately. HUGE plus! Once inside, it was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. It took our server a little while to initially get to us, but considering how packed the restaurant was, it really wasn't bad at all. Our waitress was very nice, and I was actually impressed with how quickly our food came out. Now let's talk about the FOOD!! We first ordered the onion rings for an appetizer... super delicious I ordered the fried shrimp platter, and those shrimp were fried to PERFECTION! Crispy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The meal also came with salad, fries, hush puppies, and a side. The hush puppies were SO GOOD! They are shaped almost like little donut holes... crispy on the outside and soft and savory on the inside. Delicious! For my side, I chose the fresh green beans instead of the dirty rice. Unfortunately, those were the one thing I didn't enjoy. They didn't have much flavor to me and seemed a little undercooked. Next time, I'll definitely choose another side. My husband ordered the fried catfish platter with dirty rice, coleslaw, and fries, and he loved everything. I tasted his coleslaw, and OH MY GOODNESS! Get the coleslaw! It was different from any coleslaw I've had before. It has whole peanuts in it, which sounds unusual, but somehow it WORKS! The peanuts add this wonderful crunch and flavor. It was SO good. And the French fries!! I've never seen fries cut this way before. They're almost shaped like little Scoop Fritos, with a crispy outside and soft potato inside. So unique and really good! My daughter ordered the catfish strips and fries from the kids' menu. These weren't processed little nuggets... they were actual pieces of catfish cut into strips, and she really enjoyed them. She also ordered the crab fingers, and those were another 10/10! They were incredibly well-seasoned with a little spice and tons of flavor. I tasted one and wanted MORE! I'm watching my sodium intake, so I behaved myself, but they were absolutely delicious. Overall, Parrain's was a 10/10 for us. The only thing I wouldn't personally order again would be the green beans. Everything else, from the shrimp and catfish to those amazing hush puppies, unique fries, crab fingers, and especially that coleslaw, was DELICIOUS. Yes, it was crowded and lively, but we still received really good service and didn't have to wait nearly as long as we expected. With our grandson now attending LSU, we'll be making plenty of trips back to Baton Rouge, and Parrain's has officially made our list of places we will be visiting again!

I had really been looking forward to trying Parrain's Seafood, but unfortunately my experience was…read moredisappointing. Our waitress, Kate M., didn't have the best customer service. She came across as short, unfriendly, and overall not very pleasant. I first ordered a Banana Foster's Martini, but she came back and said they didn't have the ingredients. No problem--I asked for an Espresso Martini instead. A few minutes later, after bringing everyone else's drinks, she returned and simply said they couldn't make that either and asked if I wanted something else. At that point, I just declined. When it was time to order, our table had nine people. She took my husband's order, then went around the table taking everyone else's order. By the time she got back to me, she said, "Okay, is that it?" I had to remind her that she hadn't taken my order yet. I ordered the crab and corn bisque, a salad, and the stuffed catfish with creamed spinach. The salad came out quickly and was very good. Then everyone else at the table received their meals while I only received my bisque. After waiting, I was told my stuffed catfish "didn't come out right" and had to be remade. At that point, I honestly wondered if it was a joke. It wasn't. By the time my entrée arrived, everyone else was nearly finished eating. To the restaurant's credit, they did remove the stuffed catfish from my bill, and I appreciated that. However, the entire experience left me feeling overlooked from start to finish. My biggest suggestion would be for our waitress to work on her customer service. A smile goes a long way. Saying things like "Give me that plate," slamming cups onto the table, and appearing annoyed throughout the meal doesn't create a welcoming dining experience. Hospitality is just as important as the food, and I hope this feedback is taken constructively.

Ribeye with any one of the toppings is awesome! Glazed carrots are excellent! Atmosphere is…read moreperfect! Whether you are sitting in the bar for a drink or sitting at a table. I have always Loved this place.

I'm so glad we decided to venture to this little gem in spite of the few negatives reviews I read;…read morewhich were really very silly. This restaurant is not a prepackaged, boxed food, chain restaurant. In fact it's really special and if you take the time to drive here you should take the time to scan the walls. They are filled with accolades and awards won over the years. I have no vested interest in this establishment nor I don't know the owner/chef. I'm just another traveler passing through, looking at this place more as a living piece of American culture, while avoiding all of the fast food spots dotted along the roads. I wasn't there when someone served overcooked food, but I will tell you that if something wasn't quite right a mere conversation with the sever would've resolved the issue. Dealing out nastiness isn't serving anyone and it isn't helping the management make things better for your dining experience and it isn't serving the community overall. We found everyone to be very nice & efficient at their jobs. The 2 of us arrived Sunday, 8/16/26, at 1pm. We were greeted & seated by a pleasant young person, which promptly was followed up with our server, Lauren, taking and serving our drink orders. Our Salads, Crab & Crawfish Cakes soon followed and cooked as requested; cooked throughout with no soft, fleshy middle. We also ordered and shared the Grilled Chicken, green beans & carrots -- DELICIOUS! Lightly seasoned, juicy & very tender. It was the best chicken we've eaten in a very long time. We skipped desert since we had to get back on the road to Texoma; but, we will definitely seek this place out and dine here again in the future. I took as many photos as time allowed. I hope you will enjoy this beautiful, rustic space as much as we did and don't forget to ask the host to give you a page of history about the building. Safe travels and Bon appetit!

Excellent! Celebrated my brother's birthday with a signature PoBoy. It was fabulous. Will be back…read moreto try other items.

This is my first ever yelp review…read more And my first time eating here Let's start off with their menu prices on Facebook (which is where the web brought me 2 or 3 times) the prices are extremely out dated First and foremost I ordered the blackened steak and shrimp pasta Which I thought was $18.95 The steak was cooked in the microwave (you can't tell me no better There was no "blackened" to be found anywhere on that pitiful "steak" ~ It was barely seasoned And the price was 10 more dollars when I went to the register to pick up my food to go So between the prices and the food I won't be back this was very very disappointing I figured this well established restaurant in town I wouldn't have to double check my food, Everything was bagged up and tied up so I took it under the impression that it was good to go. There was nothing good to go about this dish. I would've went back but they were closed by the time I got home there's nothing worse than working a 10 hour day to come home to $35 worth of trash Wasted time wasted money :(

We've driven by this place several times on our way to Texas from Tennessee and always wanted to…read morestop. Finally we got the chance! It was awesome! At this point, its only outdoor seating but the patio has lots of big fans for summer and has big curtains to close it up when its cold out. We got several things and everything was excellent....homemade mozzarella sticks, gumbo, boudin rolls, and a shrimp po boy!

The best fried pickles on this side of the Mississippi River! Great service too. Love all the sweet…read moregirls who work there! Such a fun spot

Boiled Crawfish and Shrimp were out of this world. Rodney is a great guy. Thanks I appreciate…read morey'all. Romy Matrana

JT's is my number one stop for all things fresh seafood from shrimp to crab to oysters. The service…read moreis great, very friendly folks who aim to please.

great customer service from super friendly people...fantastic food selection…read more super clean location and great at flavors of daquiries and more! clean tables and more! also has a Texaco gas station with cold drinks at same location. worth the wait for fresh hot cooked food...

I've had a lot of things off the menu here. Everything is really good. My favs are their chicken…read moretenders and loaded grilled chicken wraps.

Not what it used to be. Just don't. Not what it used to be…read more Just don't. Not what it used to be. Just don't. Not what it used to be. Just don't.

I think this place is great for the price range it is in. I always get a lot of food served and…read morevery well seasoned. Flavorful, nice people, great service, could not ask for more. I need to remember this place more often when I'm driving through 190 because I get to have lunch twice from one meal.

The quality of the seafood is the best. Service speed is good, even during the lunch hour. Not…read moretoo loud or cramped tables. Very friendly and efficient wait staff.

Not impressed. However it states right on the menu that they "proudly serve domestic and imported…read moreseafood." When I asked where their shrimp came from all the server could tell me was not Louisiana. I don't eat imported seafood. So, I ordered the hamburger steak. Gravy was good, meat was burnt. Though, my Granddaughter liked her chicken strips.

So I've been here before but I didn't get to enjoy it, so after a few years I found myself with…read moresome free time to drive back out here and truly have company I could enjoy with. I'll start with the cons bc it's not that much- the line for seafood can get long bc of how the buffet is set up. If the ppl in front move along you can get through fast. If not you'll have a wait. Due to the location of the door and the hot food side a couple of flies might be trying to find their way in the door to get to a couple of the goods. Pros- seafood was plentiful and good. Crawfish could have used a little more spice but not bad at all. Snow crab were great. They also have Jonah crab but I don't eat those. Full seafood buffet on Saturday and if you don't want to wait too long, get there an hour before and join the waitlist on their website. Worth a drive down. Price wise for 2 with drinks cost 100 bucks so be prepared if bringing a large party. Can order off the menu as well.

Delicious and clean! Very well organized and can handle very large crowds!! They were very…read moreaccommodating for our large party of 10 with one in a wheelchair.

This place has a casual country feel. They're definitely known for their seafood, and they didn't…read moredisappoint. I opted for the Crawfish, and was a amazed of how full of flavor and spicy they were! Some of the best Crawfish I'd had in long time. The server was friendly and attentive, the restaurant was very clean. If you're looking for good seafood, had a good price, eat here!

Great place great food great ambience…read more Prices are very reasonable for what you receive