Foodie Finds

A guide to eating and drinking your way through Lake Charles, Louisiana

Food and drink are Louisiana's equivalent to heart and soul. While there are several local staples that cannot be missed — a "Darrell's Special" po' boy, an extra-large seafood platter from Steamboat Bill's on the Lake, and boudin and cracklins' along the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail — there are also loads of new local culinary treats worthy of the trip to Lake Charles.

Crying Eagle Brewing Co. is one of the newest additions to the Louisiana Brewery Trail, and it's easy to spend a lazy afternoon hanging out at the taproom. A local favorite is the crisp Louisiana Lager, which pairs perfectly with Cajun seasonings like cayenne, fresh herbs, and The Trinity. Take a tour or just enjoy a few brews, live music, or a stone-fired pizza from The Bistro, located inside the taproom.

While you're sampling the local libations, make sure Yellowfin Vodka and Bayou Rum are on the list. Both are distilled using 100 percent Louisiana sugarcane, and are 100 percent delicious. Take a tour to learn how these craft spirits are made and hear the from-the-ground-up stories of both these businesses while sipping on a few samples.

If you add Acadian Coffee Roasters to your list of stops, you will effectively visit the Southwest Louisiana Brews & Spirits Trail — after all, coffee is a "brew," too. You can get a nice cup of their brew at The Bekery.

There are also several farmers markets to be explored, with a proud community of local producers bringing in fruits, vegetables, meats, honey, jams, and spices.

Pops and Rockets freezes up more than 40 great flavors of gourmet popsicles, all with names inspired by epic '80 tunes, while organic juicers Pure Press Juicery has taken its farmers market popularity and grown into a full culinary experience that can be enjoyed outside of market days and at storefront as well.

Craving Creole? Check out more delicious finds for Creole cooking while in the Lake Charles area here.

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If you're thinking of a spring trip, mark your calendar for the Louisiana Pirate Festival on May 2-5. This family-friendly event features live music, cannon demonstrations, costume contests, local arts and crafts, themed souvenirs, a boat parade, games, carnival rides, and more.

Recover from all that eating at the Golden Nugget's pool.

Golden Nugget pool in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Photo courtesy of the Golden Nugget

Recover from all that eating at the Golden Nugget's pool.

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SAT NEWS

San Antonio airport passenger numbers plummet in first half of 2025

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Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

San Antonio Airport passengers can put their feet up knowing their airport is one of the most reliable in the country.

After a record-breaking 2023 and 2024, fewer people are traveling from the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) in 2025. According to the airport's monthly report, passenger numbers dipped 2.4 percent in January through May.

"Several factors resulted in passenger numbers being below 2024 levels," wrote report author and Air Service Administrator Jacob Tyler. "This includes some reduction in demand because of economic uncertainty."

U.S. consumer confidence has taken a hit in 2025. A late-June survey by global think tank The Conference Board reported a 5.4-point drop in its Consumer Confidence Index in June and a 4.6-point fall in its Expectations Index, a bellwether of customer projections for the overall economy.

Earlier in the year, the San Antonio city budget noted a decrease in hotel occupancy tax revenue due to fewer bookings and a lower average room rate.

There were some bright spots in the SAT findings. Travel to Mexico was up six percent during the report's timeframe despite a slate of well-publicized incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And holidays continue to draw large numbers of travelers.

"SAT did, however, experience its busiest Memorial Day Weekend travel period in the airport's history this year, up one percent year-over-year," noted Tyler.

Tyler also detailed a few new flights that will make SAT more attractive, including new nonstop flights to Atlanta from Frontier Airlines, nonstop routes to Detroit and Nashville from Spirit, and a seasonal increase in departures to Cancun, Mexico, and Minneapolis-St. Paul from Sun Country.

The multi-year closure of the Austin Convention Center is also expected to be beneficial to San Antonio's tourism sector, at least in the short term. The complete renovation of the Capital City's marquee event space is expected to wrap up in 2029.

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