New Orleans: French Quarter Shrimp Boil & Live Music Dinner

Wild-Caught Gulf Shrimp & Live Music in a French Quarter Dining Room

You arrive at a private dining room in the French Quarter and spend the evening eating a multi-course Cajun meal prepared by Mister Gregory, the Shrimp Boil King of New Orleans. The shrimp comes from Gulf boats that morning; the sausage is smoked locally; the music is live. You leave knowing the difference between wild-caught and farmed, and having made friends at the table. Book it if you want the real French Quarter without the tourist crowds and without deciding what to order.

Step-by-step itinerary

French Quarter Shrimp Boil Dinner Party

• Arrive at Shrimp Boil Cabaret
• Taste fresh fish or blue crab appetizer
• Try smoked alligator sausage
• Enjoy Macque Choux corn and pepper stew
• Learn about wild-caught Gulf shrimp
• Eat shrimp boil with local sausage
• Use hot towels to clean up
• Have King Cake dessert
• Taste New Orleans chicory cafe au lait
• Enjoy live local music
• Socialize with small group and host

The experience

"So where exactly are we eating tonight?" That's the question Mister Gregory hears a lot, and the answer is simple: a private dining room in the French Quarter where the shrimp arrives fresh from Gulf boats just hours before you sit down. This isn't a restaurant with a menu you flip through. It's a dinner party, the kind where a small group gathers around a table and the host cooks in front of you, telling stories about wild-caught shrimp and why eating it matters to the Gulf South.

The meal starts with something from Lake Pontchartrain (maybe fresh fish or local blue crab), then moves into smoked alligator sausage and a tasting that explains the difference between wild-caught Gulf shrimp and the farmed kind. Mister Gregory, who grew up in the shrimping trade and now runs the Shrimp Boil Cabaret, walks you through it all. Then comes the centerpiece: a pot of wild-caught Gulf shrimp boiled with local sausage and a Cajun spice blend that tastes like nothing you'll find in a chain restaurant. The corn and pepper stew, the king cake at the end, the chicory café au lait: each course lands in front of you while live local music plays in the background and the people at your table, who were strangers an hour ago, are already laughing.

What makes this different from a typical New Orleans dinner tour is the scale and the access. You're not one of forty people moving through a dining room. You're in a small group with Mister Gregory himself preparing the food, which means he's there to answer questions, to explain why he sources the way he does, to make sure you understand what you're eating and why it matters. The French Quarter has plenty of shrimp boil spots, but most of them are built for volume. This one is built for the opposite, for the people who want to taste the difference between fresh and frozen, between wild and farmed, and who want to sit long enough to actually talk to someone who knows.

All food and live entertainment are included, so there's no menu surprise at the end. Pickup isn't part of this one. The dining room is in the French Quarter itself, and public transportation options are nearby if you need them. The whole experience is wheelchair accessible, and it works for any fitness level since you're sitting the whole time.

What’s included

• Your evening includes a multi-course Cajun dinner with wild-caught Gulf shrimp, local sausage, blue crab, smoked alligator, macque choux, king cake and chicory café au lait.
• Live local music plays throughout.
• Mister Gregory, a licensed guide and the Shrimp Boil King of New Orleans, prepares and narrates the meal.
• All food and entertainment are included in the price.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 19:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Child (1 to 17 years)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Shrimp Boil Cabaret

Is this one for you?Book this if you want an authentic French Quarter dinner without the tourist-trap feel and without deciding what to order: the fixed menu and small group size mean you spend the evening eating and talking instead of navigating a crowded room or a long menu.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 17 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is served at the shrimp boil dinner?

The meal includes blue crab appetizer, smoked alligator sausage, macque choux (a Cajun corn and pepper stew), wild-caught Gulf shrimp boiled with local sausage and Cajun seasonings, and king cake with chicory café au lait for dessert.

How fresh is the shrimp?

Mister Gregory sources the shrimp from local Gulf boats a few hours before the dinner, selecting wild-caught shrimp directly from the dock.

Is this a large group or a small one?

It's a small group dinner party, not a crowded restaurant experience. You eat with other guests at the same table in a private dining room.

Does the price include everything?

Yes. All food and live entertainment are included. There are no additional menu charges.

Where is the dining room located?

The Shrimp Boil Cabaret is in the French Quarter. Public transportation options are available nearby.

Can I get there without a car?

Yes. Public transportation options are available near the venue. Transportation itself is not part of the package, but the location is accessible by bus and other local transit.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are wheelchair accessible.

What if I'm traveling with an infant?

Infants are welcome but must sit on an adult's lap during the meal.