Southern seafood classics every foodie needs to taste

The United States is comprised of several regions that all have different cultures and each region is home to its own traditional style of cooking. As defined by the Census Bureau, there are four regions in the U.S. – Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Some regions are more well-known for their classic cuisine and nothing defines the South more than its customary dishes. If you have a penchant for crustaceans, then these Southern seafood classics are perfect.

According to the Census Bureau, the South is comprised of 16 states – Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Not only is the cuisine of each state influenced by people of all different backgrounds, but each region is as well.

24/7 Tempo consulted numerous books and websites dedicated to seafood and Southern food to compile a list of Southern seafood classics every foodie needs to taste. To better recommend restaurants that serve the dishes mentioned, we consulted reviews and rankings on websites including Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Eater, and Time Out.

While we strived for geographical diversity in our choice of restaurants, half of our choices turned out to be in New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana because so many iconic Southern seafood dishes come out of Cajun or Creole cuisine. Note that the images that follow don't necessarily represent the dish as served at the recommended restaurant. (Here are 20 iconic Southern foods every American should try.)

Here are Southern seafood classics every foodie needs to taste:

Oyster po-boy

Type of dish: Deep-fried oysters with rémoulade sauce or mayonnaise on a New Orleans French roll
Where to taste it: Frady's One Stop Food Shop, New Orleans, Louisiana

Shrimp and grits

Type of dish: Shrimp in tomato and garlic sauce over creamy grits, sometimes with cheese added
Where to taste it: 82 Queen, Charleston, South Carolina

Blackened redfish

Type of dish: Redfish filet coated in spices and blackened in butter in a searing-hot skillet
Where to taste it: Nina P's Café, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Lowcountry oyster roast

Type of dish: Oysters wrapped in burlap and grilled till they open, served with crackers and cocktail sauce
Where to taste it: One of the Lowcountry's numerous annual oyster roasts

Crawfish boil

Type of dish: Crawfish with potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and other ingredients boiled with spices (often Zatarain's)
Where to taste it: Crawdaddy's Boil-n-Go, Lufkin, Texas

Oysters Bienville

Type of dish: Oysters baked in a shrimp sauce with cheese and bread crumbs
Where to taste it: Arnaud's, New Orleans, Louisiana

Fried catfish

Type of dish: Catfish filets typically soaked in buttermilk and then dredged in cornmeal before frying
Where to taste it: Taylor Grocery, Taylor, Mississippi

Crawfish étouffée

Type of dish: Crawfish simmered in a sauce that may or may not be made with a roux, sometimes with tomatoes
Where to taste it: The Original Pierre Maspero's, New Orleans, Louisiana

Shrimp Creole

Type of dish: Shrimp in a spicy sauce including celery, bell pepper, and scallion or onion
Where to taste it: Darwell's Cafe, Long Beach, Mississippi

Fried frogs' legs

Type of dish: Frogs' legs marinated, breaded, and deep-fried
Where to taste it: Beaudreau & Thibodeau's Cajun Cookin', Houma, Louisiana

Conch fritters

Type of dish: Chopped conch meat bound with flour and egg, formed into balls or patties and deep-fried
Where to taste it: Alabama Jack's, Key Largo, Florida

Oysters Rockefeller

Type of dish: Oysters on the half-shell baked with butter, spinach and/or green herbs, and bread crumbs
Where to taste it: Antoine's, New Orleans, Louisiana

Stone crab claws with mustard sauce

Type of dish: Meaty cracked crab claws with mustard dipping sauce
Where to taste it: Joe's Stone Crab, Miami, Florida

BBQ shrimp

Type of dish: Nothing to do with barbecue – shrimp in a spicy sauce including butter and Worcestershire sauce
Where to taste it: Pascal's Manale, New Orleans, Louisiana

Crab cakes

Type of dish: Crab meat usually bound with bread crumbs and/or egg, formed into cakes, and sautéed or baked
Where to taste it: G&M Restaurant, Linthicum Heights, Maryland

Shrimp rémoulade

Type of dish: Boiled or poached shrimp in a tartar-sauce-like emulsion
Where to taste it: Galatoire's, New Orleans, Louisiana

Grouper sandwich

Type of dish: Breaded or battered grouper filet, sometimes with spices, served on a bun with condiments
Where to taste it: Grouper & Chips, Naples, Florida

She-crab soup

Type of dish: A bisque-like crabmeat soup to which crab roe is traditionally added
Where to taste it: Vic's River Grill, Savannah, Georgia

Seafood gumbo

Type of dish: A soupy stew of shrimp, crawfish, and/or crab and sometimes oysters in a sauce thickened with okra or filé powder (ground dried sassafras leaves)
Where to taste it: Gumbo Shop, New Orleans, Louisiana