Hot N Juicy Crawfish

The disposable plastic tablecloths at Hot N Juicy Crawfish are your first sign that you’re about to have a great, messy meal. This casual Woodley Park restaurant serving steamed mussels, crawfish, shrimp, and crab by the half-pound is one of the best seafood boil spots in the city. It’s deceptively large, so you can stroll in any time and grab a seat, even with a larger group that just finished climbing the hills at the zoo. But digging into juicy crawfish and shrimp dripping with spicy seasoning requires vulnerability, so choose your dining companions wisely. We like to get “The Drool,” a $68 boil that comes with classics like snow crab legs, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn. It’s enough to split with a few people, though you might want to ask for a couple extra ears of corn.