Houston, Texas - Ragin' Cajun and Luling City Market Barbecue!

After a big day walking all over downtown Houston, it was time to go for dinner

The Ragin Cajun is the place my brother would not stop talking about as we planned this little trip, and for good reason! It seems that the crawfish are coming into season. Medium size they said but I have only ever had them frozen so medium works for me.

We ordered 2 pounds each for the ridiculous price of $8.99 / lbs ( I would have guessed double). They arrive in a bucket with the boil seasoned juices at the bottom.

Spill them out and you realize that 2 pounds are a lot of crawfish. Twist them in half and suck the heads, then peel and eat the tails. They may be on the small side but they are still tasty. This is a very social activity because it is kind of slow to free the meat and you can actually talk between bites. The boil is a bit spicy and I had slightly burning lips. Excellent!

We also had a side dish of Dirty Rice. This is rice cooked with chicken gizzards or livers and pork sausage. It was mind-blowingly good and would make a delicious main course all by itself.

I don't know if it was because it was Monday evening or if the locals turn up their noses at 'medium' sized crawfish but the place was not busy. And there is certainly room for a crowd here. Its counter order and pick up and did not take long. This was a tasty and unique experience.

For what its worth, I would give Rajib Cajun 4 1/2 out of 5.

Of course, one supper is not enough in Houston. Actually, we just wanted a taste from Dave's favourite barbecue place in these parts. So we walked up the road to Luling City Market Barbecue.

Here we had to try the brisket and a pork sausage.

So see? We're not gluttons! The brisket varied from moist to frankly a little bit dry. It is always the danger of smoking brisket. It was tasty, had a good smoke ring and nice bark, but some of it was a bit on the dry side. The sausage, on the other hand, was spectacular. Moist and a bit spicy with a good snap.

And of course, you have to try their sides. The coleslaw was very good, mayo-based and made me feel like I was getting some vegetables. The pit beans were excellent as were the homemade pickles. 

 Here was another place that seemed like it was suffering from what?... Monday evening? Is there a storm coming?

For what its worth, I give Luling City Market Barbecue 4 out of 5. At least 1/4 is just for the smoke smell as you come in the door and realize that you are home!