Louisiana's 'Prairie Cajun Capital' Is A Culinary Paradise Full Of Big Flavors And Scenic Countryside Charm

In the heart of Louisiana's St. Landry Parish, it is said that each week begins on Saturday mornings in the "Prairie Cajun Capital" of Eunice, Louisiana. The Savoy Music Jam Center's traditional Cajun jam session hosts a multi-hour cultural gathering where musicians share their craft, and that's what Eunice is all about. Home of the Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Savoy Family Cajun Band, and Zydeco legends, Eunice is a community where rhythm floats like a simmering étouffée, earthy and fiery in the prairie air.

Eunice sits just off U.S. Highway 190 near Opelousas, approximately 40 miles northwest of Lafayette and parallel to I-10. It is accessible via LA-367 or I-49 from the interstate. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the closest major airport and one of the best airports in America for food if you can't wait until you arrive in Eunice. From Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, or Atlanta, you can reduce your travel time by flying into Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), which is over 100 miles closer to Eunice than MSY.

Louisiana is the king of cuisine and diverse natural wonders, no matter where you are in the state. The Pelican State is home to spectacular adventures, from festivals to Cajun Bayou Food Trail stops, and much more. From Eunice's Prairie Acadian Cultural Center to the nearby Chicot State Park, the town's title of "Prairie Cajun Capital" is evident.

Eunice is a small Louisiana town that takes its culinary identity seriously, starting with boudin. Acadiana Eats — a feature of KLFY in Lafayette — featured Eunice's T-Boys Slaughterhouse and The Superette on YouTube, and some of its patrons commented the Eunice staples were "the only place they buy boudin." Boudin typically combines seasoned pork and rice with vegetables along with spices inside a sausage casing. Versions often feature added seafood or other regional ingredients, including the crawfish and jalapeno variations from T-Boy's.

But boudin is just the beginning. U.S. 190 holds a flavorful stretch of Cajun cafes, food trucks, and meat markets, serving up some of the most home-style Cajun creations in Louisiana. Love Bonez (a food truck in Eunice and also featured on Acadiana Eats) serves up famous burgers, po'boys, fish, and even treats like fried Oreos and funnel cakes. Some consider the crawfish étouffée at The New Ronnie's Cajun Cafe as the best around, and the fried catfish and chicken from Crispy Cajun come with a similar reputation.

Time your visit to Eunice during a Cajun festival or community cook-off, and you won't be disappointed. The World Championship Crawfish Étouffée Cook-Off takes place in Eunice each March, where professional and amateur teams compete head-to-head to see who makes the best Cajun dish. Make it for Courir de Mardi Gras, and you'll have your fill of boudin, bowls of brilliant gumbo, and, of course, a full week of events.

Louisiana's St. Landry Parish isn't just a cultural hub; it's a place where outdoor recreation thrives, from birding and paddling down the bayous to taking in the wonders of the Cajun Prairie at the Cajun Prairie Habitat Restoration site in Eunice. Guided tours are by appointment to view 10 acres of the surviving 150 of the once 2.6 million acre historic Cajun Prairie, managed by the area's Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society.

The Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail is just west of Opelousas and I-49, with floating docks in Port Barre, Leonville, and Arnaudville, and boat launches in Port Barre and Leonville. The trip covers a total of 135 miles, with additional access points along the trail and a printable map detailing routes for experienced and inexperienced paddlers, as well as services available along the way.

Head around 18 miles northeast to the nearby Ville Platte to Chicot State Park for primitive camping and lakefront cabins, a 20-mile hiking trail, fishing on Lake Chicot, and canoeing through a maze of cypress trees. Stop in the town of Arnaudville in St. Landry Parish at Bayou Teche Brewing for a craft brew, or head back to Eunice to relax. While the small town of Eunice offers its own rich slice of Cajun life, you're never far from a wider reach. Less than an hour south, Lafayette is a fabulous place to experience Cajun culture in an underrated town.