This Is the Best Crawfish Boil in New Orleans, According to a Super Bowl Showdown

“You’re not from around here, are you?” That’s been the reaction of more than a few locals as I fumbled my way through my first crawfish boil in New Orleans — right before they kindly stepped in to demonstrate how to crack the crustacean and suck out the meat. Here, people grow up gathering around seafood boils, feeling right at home with the bibs, wet wipes, and paper towels that this beloved tradition requires.

That communal spirit made Pepsi’s inaugural Super Bowl Boil such a hit at Woldenberg Park on Friday. The soda brand invited the public to vote online for their favorite among eight New Orleans seafood boil restaurants — Crawlins Seafood, Dee’s Xquisite Seafood, Dry Dock Café, Melba’s Po Boys, Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen, Peewee’s Crabcakes, Pra_LEES, and Williams Seafood & Po Boy — starting January 13, with the top two contenders advancing to the live cook-off.

The finalists, Crawlins Seafood (from the suburb of Terrytown) and Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen, boiled hundreds of crawfish, corn cobs, and potatoes, piling them high on plates that disappeared faster than the teams could serve them. From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., the waterfront park buzzed with live jazz while enthusiastic attendees cracked crawfish, nibbled corn on the cob, danced, and voted by dropping tokens into ballot boxes.

Onstage, four star judges sampled the seafood as the crowd chanted, “Suck the head!” The panel included Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., former Super Bowl champion Andrew Whitworth, and chef Damaris Lennon Phillips, winner of “Food Network Star” season 9.

“Being from Louisiana, we all come together over seafood. Seeing what good food and drinks can do for the community, it’s been so great to be a part of,” said Thomas Jr., a former LSU athlete.

Crawlins cofounder Jimmy Nguyen served a Viet-Cajun-style boil touting the garlic-parmesan corn and potatoes alongside crawfish and shrimp. Meanwhile, Mr. Shrimp’s founder, Larry G. Thompson, Jr., went for a Creole-style boil, emphasizing that “You have to have that flavor inside the seafood; it cannot be on top.” Both makers, who grew up going to seafood boils, transformed their own traditions into acclaimed restaurant concepts — referencing love as a key component.

Ultimately, Mr. Shrimp’s took home the trophy and a cash prize of $10,000, with Phillips declaring the flavor so irresistible she was licking it off her fingers — a perfect reminder to open that wet wipe packet before digging into your next crawfish boil.