Fat Tuesday is here and if you’re headed out to celebrate in North Texas, you’ll likely pay more for that coveted pound of crawfish – if you can find it.
Big Shucks in Richardson is preparing to party. Their location on Coit Rd. expects to entertain a thousand people with live music, drinks and finally – crawfish.
Fat Tuesday will mark the first day this season they’ll sell crawfish at their five locations across North Texas.
Selling for $17.95/lb., their supply arrived fresh from Louisiana this morning.
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“This has been our toughest season,” said Kandace Ladis with Aw Shucks & Big Shucks Oyster Bar. “We really take pride serving fresh not frozen crawfish. We’ve waited this long to be able to offer it fresh and of the right size and the right quality.”
Supply is limited, so the restaurant group encouraged customers to come early in the evening.
At Cajun Crawfish Company in Lewisville, owner David Snell put his catering business on hold for February.
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“It is the most unpredictable start to any season,” Snell said.
Last year was his best year ever selling 209,000 lbs. He’s yet to sell a pound in 2024.
“This season is just too expensive to make any sense,” Snell said.
Typically, his February is booked with corporate boils or selling bags of live crawfish so families can host their own parties.
This year his freezer and coolers remain empty following a summer drought that devastated Louisiana’s crop and farmers.
The farm in Louisiana where Snell gets his supply had no crop to sell at the start of the season.
“A few weeks ago they literally put out 250 traps and they caught 14 crawfish. I’m not saying 14 pounds, 14 crawfish,” Snell said.
He’s hopeful he will be able to book events and fill orders for March. Warmer weather may boost crawfish supply and drop prices.
“No one has a crystal ball in this and until we get closer to March and toward April it’s very hard to predict where they are going to bottom out at,” Snell said.
