Seither's Seafood

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

The fact that the parking lot is surfaced with oyster shells should tell you something. It's the first of many impressions that this is an old-style, close-to-the-water combination seafood market and cafe. It's like the joints and the people you see after driving a hundred miles into the Louisiana wetlands, except that it's in Harahan, which is only slightly remote from the city. All the freshness and sense of place that this implies are indeed borne out in the cooking.

Why It's Essential

Wherever you find a seafood market, there's a good chance there's a restaurant connected with the operation. One side helps the other: the restaurant gets a better-than-average supply of local fish and shellfish, and the market has a place to sell out any surplus it may have. Seither's is like that. The dining room isn't much to look at, and for the most part the menu is simple. But the food is everything it promises to be.

Backstory

The building has been a seafood market for many decades. (I wish it had been this good when my parents live across the street in the 1980s.) Jason Seither took over the place in 2004, and began a steady expansion of the menu, such that every visit showed a great new item or two since the time before.

Dining Room

About three dozen seats, a little crowded, with the decor you expect from a neighborhood cafe. No two corners of the place look the same. Service can bog down when the place gets busy, but even that fits in with the bayou atmosphere.

For Best Results

Seither's is better at boiling and grilling than it is at frying, which is a bit heavy. The seasoning blends and the skills required for good blackened dishes is far better than in most other restaurants. The seafood cream sauces are also good, but all taste about the same. No problem: just get one.