When we’re ready to laissez les bon temps rouler and all that, we head to Bon Ton in Midtown, where we can crack open crab legs with our teeth under the glow of a sign that says “Fancy Service.” Under that neon pink light, the casual Cajun-Vietnamese restaurant sets the scene for an enjoyable date night with shared charbroiled oysters and sazeracs. Friend groups can gather in comfortable wood-panel booths and throw back rummy hurricanes, fried fish baskets and seafood boils.

The Po’Boy Shop might seem like a small, typical counter service joint in Decatur. But underneath the bright, bare-bones dining area is a neon-lit oasis with pool tables and darts for the 21-and-up crowd. Their menu has all the usual New Orleans standards—gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya. But this place isn’t called The Po’Boy Shop for nothin’, so just get a damn po’boy (there are 21 to choose from, and they’re the best we’ve had outside of Louisiana).

Whether brunch, lunch, or dinner, we can always trust D’Juans to deliver a meal that will upstage the rest of our day. The DJ spinning bounce music seems out of place in the small Vinings restaurant, but we’ll go with it because this NOLA-inspired joint knows how to “pass a good time.” And if the DJ doesn’t move you, the heavy-handed hurricanes should jolt you up right. The gumbo is the best thing on the menu.

Fontaine’s has been a seafood fixture for VaHi locals for more than two decades, so the bright red neon sign with an arrow pointing you toward the door is, for lack of better terms, pointless. And while they’re mainly known as an oyster house and seafood spot, a little NOLA je ne sais quoi spices up the menu with dishes like jambalaya and a seafood gumbo, which is our go-to order.

Buckhead’s Louisiana Bistreaux is usually bumping during lunch with suits grabbing a bite to break up the work day. At night, it’s less crowded, but the food is still sizzling (metaphorically and literally). There’s often a live band, so the giant open room makes for a noisy dining experience, but we like pretending we’re in the crowded French Quarter anyway. The extensive menu offers seafood in every form, including plenty of Creole- and Cajun-inspired dishes.

Since this small, Mardi Gras-colored eatery sits in a gas station shopping center right off the Boulevard exit on I-20, it’s a convenient stop to gas up and grab a bite before hitting rush hour. With a long menu that ranges from muffulettas to seafood boils, Just Loaf’n comes through with big bayou energy. We’re fans of the oyster po’boy—the tangy remoulade spread balances perfectly with salty fried oysters, and the french bread is soft enough that we always finish our end pieces.

Drive by the Cumberland Copeland’s on a weeknight, and you might see a tumbleweed in the parking lot. But their weekend brunch buffet consistently brings a crowd with people lining up outside before it opens. The buffet line snakes through the dining area and has all the breakfast favorites (don’t skip out on the biscuits and gravy), including an omelet bar with toppings like shrimp and jalapeños. But we’re here for the oysters and the jambalaya pasta with a nice kick.

Hippin’ Hops is the state’s first Black-owned brewery (in addition to this EAV hangout, they have a second location in Kirkwood). A brewery and oyster bar isn’t a combination you hear too often, so we love Hippin’ Hops for giving us a place to slurp down great craft beer and awesome oysters. But they also have a few Cajun-flavored items and po’boys that come through when we’re craving a taste of the bayou and want to wash it down with some smooth brews.

All of Pappadeaux’s four metro Atlanta locations stay packed for a reason. The Louisiana-style seafood restaurant is consistent, and crowd favorites like the crab spinach dip and overflowing fried catfish platters are good enough to justify the eight trips you’ll make around the Marietta parking lot to find an open space. Thankfully, we can hit the bar for a drink, then hang out under the fans on the bayou-meets-Warehouse- District-inspired courtyard until we can be seated.

All of the workers at The Food Shoppe in Downtown Atlanta wear T-shirts with the instructions to “ask us about our bread pudding.” And we strongly recommend taking their advice because it’s some of the best bread pudding we’ve had, maybe ever. It’s hard to care much about the main course when the bread pudding is waiting, but their “Walk and Eat Bowls” (which makes sense since the narrow eatery only has two dine-in tables) provide a worthwhile distraction.

With a quad sprawling with artificial turf, two-level outdoor seating, and an empty bar set between several refashioned shipping containers, the West End’s Windsor Street Market has potential to be a cool hangout. But currently the only thing bringing people to the yard is the Cafe Bourbon Street food truck. On nice days, we’re here mainly for the jambalaya egg rolls, which are filled with a well-seasoned mix of shrimp, andouille sausage, and chicken.

Big Easy Grille in West Midtown is as much of a sports bar as it is a NOLA restaurant. The Saints, LSU, and Tulane flags on the ceiling clue you in that they’re supporting everything Louisiana has to offer, from food to football. The small dining room gives off distinct dive bar vibes with a low ceiling, wood on every surface, dim lighting, and a few booths. There are plenty of N’awlins faves like standard po’boys, a smoky gumbo, and jambalaya that has some seriously tasty sausage.