SHUCKS! | Our Story

From Oyster Bar Roots to Louisiana Legacy

Voted the best oysters in Southwest Louisiana, SHUCKS! Lake Charles serves fresh Gulf seafood, authentic Cajun cooking, hand-cut steaks, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts on Contraband Bayou. A second home to the beloved Abbeville original (open since 1995), our Lake Charles restaurant brings the same generous portions, home-style Cajun flavor, and family atmosphere to SWLA — with the best patio seating on the bayou, where the gators sometimes stop by too. Come pass a shuckin' good time on Contraband Bayou.

Born on the Water

In 1973, Harold Hebert — a working oyster fisherman out of Golden Meadow, Louisiana — and his wife Doris leased a small oyster bar in Abbeville called Dupuy's, a humble spot that had been feeding locals since the late 1800s. Harold knew his oysters the way only a fisherman can: from the water up.

October 2, 1995

When the Dupuy's lease ended in 1994, daughters Linda and Diane and Diane's husband Jack didn't slow down — they opened a bigger, bolder place and named it SHUCKS!. Hundreds of devoted regulars showed up on opening day, and the line hasn't really stopped since.

The Handshake

In 2007, Linda, Diane, and Jack handed the keys to Bert Istre and David Bertrand on two simple promises: the menu stays, and every employee keeps their job. Decades later, the same cooks and shuckers who learned the recipes from the Hebert family are still behind the line.

On Contraband Bayou

The Lake Charles location brought SHUCKS! to the water's edge — bayou-side seating, cypress trees, and cold cocktails where the land meets the slow Louisiana current. Same charbroiled oysters, same Sassy Shrimp, same house-made sauces: just a new view.