Louisiana is a cultural melting pot in many ways. Food and the people are king in the boot. It’s a place where the food comforts the soul and where strangers become family overnight.
Lake Charles, located on the western side of the state near Texas, brings in tons of visitors due to the side-by-side Golden Nugget & L’Auberge casino resorts. Texas doesn’t allow gambling, so Lake Charles casinos and local businesses reap the rewards of the influx. These two casino resorts offer top notch hotel rooms, large casino floors with tons of table games, as well as slots, and both have amazing resort pool decks with tiki bars and great service.
For golfers, Lake Charles is a perfect destination, with the two most upscale courses at the casinos – The Country Club at the Golden Nugget and L’Auberge’s Contraband Bayou, designed by Tom Fazio.
In addition to the casino golf properties, two local public golf courses boast challenging layouts and very affordable rates. The National Golf Club of Louisiana, in the town of Westlake, follows the natural terrain of the Louisiana lowlands, while presenting a real challenge with strategic bunkering, large, multi-layered greens, and water features that add scenic beauty and come into play from time to time.
Mallard Golf Club is the newest championship course in the city of Lake Charles. It is a Scottish links inspired golf course designed by Jeff Blume, and wind is a factor on the open layout. The layout is unique to Louisiana, so it should be part of any trip to the area.
Both of these municipal courses also boast clubhouse restaurants that can compete with any of the local joints, serving Cajun and creole inspired dishes as well as regular pub fare.
Speaking of food, there are plenty of great restaurants at the casinos like Saltgrass Steak House and the Blue Martini at the Golden Nugget or Johnny Sanchez and Drago’s Seafood at L’Auberge. Each of the casinos also offer a sports bar with sportsbook and other gambling options.
These were all a part of a hosted trip I took to Lake Charles in October, but I wanted to experience even more of this amazing food, so I trekked back down on my own. And since I am a man of the people, I prefer to dive into the local businesses that make Lake Charles so unique and inviting. Nothing is more amazing than enjoying some food listening to a business owner tell their stories. Mostly all the places we visited were family-owned. Every time we sat with an owner you could see the pain and the joy in their eyes when they told their stories. And as much as golf is a great reason to visit this part of Louisiana, the more we dove into the restaurant scene, the more I realized that for my money, this is the best food destination in America. I said what I said.
We visited over 20 dining establishments in the Lake Charles area and played golf at six courses. We met some of the kindest people in the world here while enjoying some of the best food in the world. This is also the best place in the south for seafood lovers. We did not have a bad meal while in town and our list of restaurants included Rotolo's Pizzeria - Lake Charles, La, T-Doug's Cajun Cuisine & Catering LLC, Big Thicket BBQ, Insane Sausages, Love Bonez, Coffee:30-Lake Charles, LA- College St, Blazin' Hot Chicken, Cravin Flavor, Crave Cookie of Lake Charles, Seafood Palace, Love'Bonez, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux (Lake Charles, LA), Pat's of Henderson, Rikenjaks Brewing Company Lake Charles, Crying Eagle Brewing, Twanie's Terrific Treats, LLC, LA Cheesecake Bakery, Crust Pizza, Darryl’s, Mellow Mushroom of Lake Charles, Lucy’s in Orange Texas 25 min west of Lake Charles, Pujo Street Cafe, Lunas, Nina P’s, Stellar Beans, Tads, and OBs Listen. I know what you are thinking: “that’s a lot of calories”. I have no argument here. You are correct. I made my bed of food and I will eat my way out. I was in Lake Charles for almost two months and didn’t even scratch the surface on local food spots.
While in town for golf and food you can also set up a fishing trip, gator or duck hunt with various local hunting and fishing companies. The Lake Charles area, with all the water access is perfect for a hunt or a fishing trip.
If you are looking for a place to visit that involves golf, food and other outdoor activities, Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana is a great, affordable destination. Food here is extremely cheap. Gas here is just above $2.20. If you prefer privacy and don’t want to stay in the luxury casino hotels, check out the king of Airbnb’s in Lake Charles, Chuck Styron (337) 485-9595. Chuck has over 14 Airbnb options you can choose from. Don’t get me wrong here. The casinos have some beautiful rooms - so beautiful the water even comes from the ceiling to fill up your bathtub in the suites at L‘Auberge Casino Resort.
This is what makes Lake Charles so great. You can choose to treat yourself with first class accommodations, or choose a less expensive place to stay and spend your money on golf, gambling, other outdoor activities, and did I mention the food?
Put Lake Charles on your destination trip list. For a family or boys’ trip, this is very affordable. We will be at the golf expos in early 2024 giving you a chance to register for our October 2024 Lake Charles, golf, food & duck hunt. As we close out this year, I am super grateful for Visit Lake Charles for bringing me to this melting pot of food and golf greatness. Go to www.VisitLakeCharles.org for more information.
Also of note: We will be back in Lake Charles with famed PGA golf pro, Michael Block on New Year’s Eve at the National Golf Club of Louisiana. Golf packages are still available and there’s still time to join us.