If the mere mention of Mardi Gras makes you hungry for crawfish and jambalaya and anxious to be in New Orleans, you might be surprised to find out that you can stay home and have pretty close to the same experience—at least when it comes to the celebration. Local restaurants and bars are going all out, and if you want to participate, here are a few places you could go:
Archie & Clyde’s
8309 Bell Oaks Dr., Newburgh IN
812-490-7778
ArchieAndClydes.com
Archie & Clyde’s in Newburgh will be celebrating mostly by adding Cajun food to their menu. Co-owner Danny Bradley says, “We’ll be having all the food specials…crawfish, etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice, po’ boys—we do them all.” And if the extended food menu isn’t enough to attract you, they’re also bringing in regional Louisiana beers—the Abitas.
Beef O’ Brady’s
8177 Bell Oaks Dr., Newburgh IN
812-490-9464
BeefOBradys.com
Beef O’ Brady’s is a great place to get a meal and catch a game, and that atmosphere of fun is precisely why they’re a good place to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Club Royale
2131 W. Franklin St., Evansville IN
812-401-1699
Facebook.com/Club-Royale-Nightclub
A normal night at Club Royale involves getting a drink and seeing a good show—and with Mardi Gras coming up, the club promises to be an unforgettable way to celebrate the beginning the Lenten season.
Doc’s
1305 Stringtown Rd., Evansville IN
812-401-1201
Facebook.com/DocsRocks
Mardi Gras is an exciting time to visit any bar or restaurant, and Doc’s is no exception. They’ll be having drink and dinner specials in addition to their already extensive food and drink menu.
Duck Inn
4100 Pollack Ave., Evansville IN
812-402-4835
MySpace.com/TheDuckInn
The Duck Inn is celebrating with both food and entertainment. Owner Steve Roberson says, “We’re doing a full Cajun menu…and we still do live crawfish. We bring them up from New Orleans and cook them here.” They are also featuring the Drop Dead Darlings in a burlesque show (which will include dirty pillow wrestling), as well as featuring several bands like the Addiction Cure on Friday and Apartment F on Fat Tuesday.
Lamasco Bar and Grill
1331 W. Franklin St., Evansville IN
812-437-0171
Facebook.com/LamascoBarAndGrill
Lamasco Bar and Grill is known for always putting on a good show, but especially during Mardi Gras. Owner Amy Word says, “We have live crawfish boil, shrimp po’ boys, creole potato salad, beignets, hush puppies,” says Word. They’re also bringing bluegrass band the Flatland Harmony Experience in on February 18th, and blues band Boscoe France in on Fat Tuesday.
Fast Eddy’s
507 NW Riverside Dr., Evansville IN
812-424-7625
FastEddysEVV.com
Fast Eddy’s is bringing the bayou to the Tristate with the help of 103 GBF. General manager Andrew Fisher says that they’re having a wet t-shirt contest, and they’re featuring a GBF live remote from 10 to midnight. “There will also be $3 liquid cocaine drinks… we’ll have beads and booze,” says Fisher.
Harbor Bay
4428 N. First Ave., Evansville IN, 812-423-0050
4706 Morgan Ave., Evansville IN, 812-402-5122
HarborBayRestaurant.com
Since Harbor Bay’s menu already features seafood, this might be a good location to go if you are looking for
KC’s Timeout Lounge
1121 Washington Square, Evansville IN
812-437-9920
KC’s Timeout Lounge is updating their menu with a few twists. Mickey Schultz, who’s in charge of the kitchen, says, “Food-wise, unless it changes, we’re going to do a crawfish and sausage gumbo, we’re going to have creole style hot wings, Cajun cheese fries, and sautéed crawfish tails…we’re also going to have creole bread pudding with rum sauce.” There will also be live entertainment the whole week.
Mojo’s Boneyard
9420 Bellemeade Ave. Evansville, IN
812-475-8593
Facebook.com/MojosBoneyard
Jeremy Wynn, owner of Mojo’s Boneyard, says that they’re doing the complete Cajun menu. “The crawfish, oysters, gumbo and jambalaya, we’re doing all the items. We’re going to have entertainment. We’ll probably have the typical Mardi Gras Hurricane drinks, and we always have $10 buckets of beer,” says Wynn.
Nick Nackery
201 E. Virginia St. Evansville, IN
812-423-6425
NickNackery.com
Before you go out for Mardi Gras, you need to stop by the Nick Nackery so that you’re prepared. “We’ve got some special deals on beads and we’ve got some really great Mardi Gras masquerade masks– we, of course, have costumes and all of the party supplies you need,” says owner Susie Blesch. Odds are, before your Fat Tuesday is over, you’ll see some beads that came from Nick Nackery.
O’Brian’s
1801 N. Green River Rd., Evansville IN
812-401-4630
If you want to get a drink and play pool, spend Mardi Gras at O’Brian’s where you can celebrate by partying with friends.
Someplace Else
930 S. Main Ave., Evansville IN
812-424-3202
MySpace.com/SomePlaceElseEvansville
Someplace Else is sure to have an exciting Mardi Gras celebration; they’re known for being colorful and fun as it is. Check out their drink menu.
Stockwell Inn
4001 E. Eichel Ave., Evansville IN
812-476-2384
Stockwell Inn will also be celebrating Mardi Gras in style: “We will be having fresh crawfish boil, and we have them brought up from Baton Rouge—we do it the right way,” says co-owner Andrea Wills. They’re even going to have fried gator—and drink specials. They will also be selling beads and donating the proceeds to Wish Upon a Star.
