Katherine Vidrine came to Louisiana from Chicago and founded Steamboat Bill's in 1982. The original location was the Seafood Warehouse on Broad Street — a roadside operation. The restaurant now sits at 1004 N Lakeshore Drive, on the Calcasieu lakefront. The menu centers on Cajun seafood: seasoned crawfish boils, gumbo, boiled shrimp, fried platters. The operation has expanded beyond Lake Charles to Pearland, Texas, and DeRidder, Louisiana. You go for the crawfish boils and the lakefront. The rest is what it's always been: a place that boils seafood and serves it.
Quick facts
- ·Steamboat Bill's was founded in 1982 by Katherine 'Kathi' Vidrine, who came to Louisiana from Chicago, Illinois.
- ·The 'On the Lake' location is at 1004 N Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles, on the Calcasieu lakefront.
- ·The restaurant began as a roadside operation; the original Steamboat Bill's location was the Seafood Warehouse on Broad Street.
- ·The menu centers on Cajun seafood: seasoned crawfish boils, gumbo, boiled shrimp, fried platters.
- ·The operation has expanded beyond Lake Charles to additional locations in Pearland, Texas and DeRidder, Louisiana.
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Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.