Whether you call them mudbugs, crayfish or crawdads, The Woodlands area is home to several eateries serving crawfish by the pound from March until June.

Crawfish boils are an annual tradition for many residents in communities along the Gulf Coast. Lou Caporale, owner of Go Crawfish, sells live crawfish brought in daily from Louisiana and recommends a basic recipe for a first-time boil.

The necessities:

• live crawfish (about 3-4 pounds per guest)
• seasoning of choice
• vegetables
• a large pot for boiling
• a paddle for stirring
• a large cooler to store crawfish before boiling
• long metal tongs for serving
• a scoop with holes or a colander to scoop vegetables and crawfish from pot
• newspaper to line tabletop

The seasoning:

Caporale recommends a basic recipe to start before adding more ingredients based on taste preferences:

• lemon juice
• chopped onion
• garlic cloves
• corn cobs
• potatoes
• andouille sausage
• stick of butter

The boil:

1. Caporale said he recommends putting vegetables, such as corn cobs and quartered potatoes, into the boil first and cooking until them they are soft. The vegetables can be removed before the crawfish is added to the pot.
2. To cook the crawfish, boil them in the pot for five minutes before removing the pot from the heat.
3. Allow the crawfish to continue cooking in the hot water for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep seasonings from settling at the bottom of the pot. This allows the crawfish to soak up additional flavor.

The Meal:

To serve, Caporale said it is traditional to layout the entire meal on a tabletop covered with newspaper, allowing guests to serve themselves.

  Big Cab’s Crawfish Cabin 24527 Gosling Road, Spring 281-704-4827 www.facebook.com/Bigcabscrawfishcabin Bubba T’s Cajun Kitchen 610 Rayford Road, Ste. 638, Spring 281-419-6500 www.bubbats.com Cajun Cantina 19010 FM 1488, Magnolia 281-259-8212 www.facebook.com/cajuncantinamagnoliatexas Crabby Daddy 25186 I-45 N., Ste. 4G, The Woodlands 281-296-2722 www.crabbydaddy.com The Flying Pug 592 Sawdust Road, Spring 832-510-2060 www.flyingpugsportspub.com Go Crawfish 6923 FM 1488, Magnolia 281-814-3655 www.gocrawfish.com (Only available for catering and to-go orders) Molly's Pub 24905 I-45 N., Spring 281-367-1341 www.facebook.com/mollyspub.woods/ (Only served Sat.-Sun. beginning at 4 p.m.) Papa's Icehouse 314 Pruitt Road, Spring 281-3648140 www.papasicehousetx.com (Only served Sundays) Rookies Sports Bar and Grill 305 Sawdust Road, Spring 281-362-9610 www.rookiessports.com Stadia Sports Grill 9595 Six Pines Drive, The Woodlands 281-298-1818 www.stadiasportsgrill.com Tailgators Pub & Grill 8540 Hwy. 242, The Woodlands 936-271-4200 www.tailgatorspub.com Tewbeleaux’s Sports Bar and Grill 2907 Rayford Road, Ste. 101, Spring 281-292-3600 www.tewbeleauxs.com Willie’s Grill and Icehouse 16846 I-45 S., Conroe 936-321-0065 williesgrillandicehouse.com Wolfies 25550 I-45 N., The Woodlands 281-298-9653 www.wolfiesusa.com   Rails and Tails Mudbug Festival • April 30-May 1

The annual Tomball festival features two days of food and live music, including the John Evans Band, Bayou Roux and The Fab 5. Activities include a boudin ball eating contest, a kids zone and crawfish racing. Noon-6 p.m. Free (admission). Tomball Historic Depot, 201 S. Elm St., Tomball. 281-351-5484. www.tomballtx.gov

Texas Crawfish Festival • April 29-May 1, May 6-8

The 30th annual festival is held in Old Town Spring and includes vendors serving a variety of food, including more than 50,000 pounds of crawfish. The crawfish festival also features a live music lineup on two stages as well as family-friendly activities. 6-11 p.m. (April 29 and May 6), noon-11 p.m. (April 30 and May 7), noon-6 p.m. (May 1 and 6). $12 (adult admission), $5 (children ages 6-12).  Old Town Spring, 209 Gentry St., Spring. 281-353-9310. www.texascrawfishfestival.com