Claw Daddy's
Gulfport, MS
Third-generation crawfish family reopens the historic Blow Fly Inn building on Bayou Bernard as a two-story boiled-seafood hall with live music and a dock.
Atmosphere
Claw Daddy's On Da Bayou took over the old Blow Fly Inn building on Bayou Bernard, a spot that's been a Gulfport landmark since 1955, and turned it into a two-story seafood hall with a swamp theme running through it. Upstairs holds the main dining room and a patio looking out over the water; downstairs is built for a crowd, two bars, a stage for live music, and a dock where boaters can pull right up. It seats around 130 inside, more with the bar and downstairs space counted in, so weekends get loud fast once the band starts. It's a bigger, louder operation than the original Claw Daddy's shack on Russell Boulevard, built for a night out rather than a quick pound of crawfish.
What to Order
The crawfish is the whole reason the Cuevas family has a following up and down the Coast: a custom seasoning recipe that goes back to Cameron Cuevas's grandfather, the same blend used on the shrimp, crab legs, potatoes, corn and sausage in every boil bag. Order it spicy if you like heat; it outsells the mild version two to one for a reason. The new Bayou location expands well past the boil, though, with fried green tomatoes, crawfish pistolettes and alligator po'boys pulling in the Cajun-Southern crowd, plus smash burgers and fried gator for anyone who wants something off the seafood track entirely. Wash it all down with a cold beer looking out over the bayou.
Good to Know
Claw Daddy's On Da Bayou only opened in mid-2026, so hours were still settling in that first summer; call ahead or check its Facebook page for the current schedule before you drive out. The original Claw Daddy's on Russell Boulevard, which stays open as a separate location, keeps steadier hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the Bayou location, boaters can dock right at the restaurant, which is worth knowing if you're coming by water rather than by car. Downstairs leans bar-and-band on weekend nights, so it skews toward an adult crowd after dark, while the upstairs dining room and patio are the better bet for families earlier in the evening.
Our Take
Claw Daddy's earned its reputation the hard way, three generations and thousands of pounds of crawfish a week at the original Russell Boulevard shack, and betting that reputation on a much bigger, flashier building is a real gamble. Early word from the grand opening has been positive, and turning the old Blow Fly Inn into a live-music, two-bar seafood hall on the bayou is exactly the kind of ambitious move the building's history deserves. It's the pick for a night out with a group rather than a quiet dinner. If you just want the crawfish without the show, the original Russell Boulevard shack still delivers.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.