Think you know the difference between Cajun and Creole food? One is thrifty and rustic (Cajun) while the other is rich and sophisticated (Creole). In Louisiana, Cajun vs. Creole food is one of the great debates—but whichever you prefer, both are delicious, and both take center stage on this list of some of the best restaurants in Louisiana.

1. Begin with a Cajun standby at Myran’s Maison de Manger in Arnaudville, Louisiana

It’s no coincidence that Myran’s “maison de manger” translates to “food house.” This locally owned Cajun eatery on Bayou Teche in Arnaudville has been dishing up fried and boiled seafood platters and po’boys since 1979, and is one of the best restaurants in Louisiana. After that, taste boudin and fried oysters at Kenny’s Cajun Kitchen or head to The Little Big Cup for fried chicken livers with pepper jelly and blackened catfish with crawfish etouffee.

2. Catch some Creole crab at Mansurs and find a mix of styles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In Baton Rouge, chef-owned Mansurs on the Boulevard serves upmarket Creole cooking in a romantic setting. Don’t miss the cream of brie and crabmeat soup, plus any of the award-winning seafood dishes. Then, let the discussion over Cajun vs. Creole food begin at Rice & Roux, where you should try a plate of Cajun jambalaya or the daily lunch special—on Mondays, the special is crawfish etouffee. They also have some of the best gumbo in Baton Rouge. Roux 61 Seafood & Gril is also the spot for shrimp and alligator cheesecake, gator bites and freshly shucked Louisiana oysters, served chargrilled with a garlic, butter and herb sauce and Parmesan cheese.

3. Load up on real-deal Cajun shrimp at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf in Henderson, Louisiana

Situated on the bayou in Henderson, Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant delivers real-deal Cajun cooking, a tradition since 1948. From seafood and okra gumbo to red beans and rice with shrimp any way you like it, Pat’s never disappoints. Dance to live Cajun, swamp pop and zydeco music on weekends at one of the best restaurants in Louisiana. Also, try Crawfish Town USA, a family-friendly spot located in a vintage 19th-century barn. Taste boiled blue point crabs, fried alligator, seafood gumbo or fried oysters—everything is a good pick! For folks on the run, Chicken on the Bayou & Boudin Shop is ideal. Enjoy the casual spot for fried chicken (and quail), seafood po’boys and boudin sausage (remember&mdashl;boo-dan).

4. Cross the Causeway for Creole gumbo at Hambone in Mandeville, Louisiana

Travel 35 miles from New Orleans across the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway to land in Mandeville, a family-friendly neighborhood with several attractions and serious Creole eats. Make Hambone your first stop. Here, chef Luke Hidalgo dishes upscale Gulf South comfort food like his award-winning gumbo, a darkly simmered stew of gulf shrimp, ham hocks and collards, served with pickled okra potato salad. Add a twist to your Cajun vs. Creole food tour with Mandina’s Restaurant, a Creole-Italian favorite featuring trout or catfish meuniere, shrimp Creole and fried oysters. Creole Tomateaux is another affordable option for Bayou surf and turf (roast beef and softshell crab) and fried green tomatoes.

5. Dance through Cajun Country with live music at Prejean’s in Lafayette, Louisiana

Located west of New Orleans on the Vermilion River, Lafayette is a stirring gumbo of Cajun and Creole cultures. No visit is complete without dipping into Prejean’s Restaurant for the best Cajun food in Lafayette. Here, you can dine on three kinds of gumbo and shrimp and grits set to the music of a live traditional Cajun band. Then, check out the Blue Dog Cafe, a museum and an eatery featuring walls crowded with the late Cajun artist George Rodrigue’s blue dog paintings. The blackened Breaux Bridge catfish is a must. Finally, Johnson’s Boucaniere is the spot for housemade Cajun sausages, smoked meat po’boys and some of the best Cajun food in Louisiana.

6. Find Cajun and Creole along the Jefferson Parish Oyster Trail in Metairie, Louisiana

A whopping 70% of U.S. oysters come from the Gulf Coast, a good reason for the oyster trail that marks 20 stops in Metairie and Jefferson Parish, just next door to New Orleans. Don’t miss Riccobono’s Peppermill, a family-owned Creole seafood Italian restaurant known for silky crawfish bisque and fried softshell crab almondine. Look for the hand-painted, three-foot-high oyster outside Drago’s Metairie, the place where charbroiled oysters were first fired on the grill. Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop is the bomb, a Cajun fave with boudin balls, bronzed drum and five gumbos on the menu.

7. Home-grown Cajun and cured meats reign at Toups’ Meatery in New Orleans, Louisiana

Think you can tell the difference between Cajun and Creole? In New Orleans, Creole food is the big draw, but chef Isaac Toups comes by his Cajun pedigree honestly—he was born and raised in Rayne, Louisiana. Toups’ Meatery is his deeply rooted take on Cajun eats, with a specialty of housemade fresh and cured meats and sausages, some of the best Cajun food in New Orleans. For a special outing, dine on Creole fare at Commander’s Palace, the Brennan family classic restaurant in the leafy Garden District. Then, check out how chef Eric Cook is creating lots of buzz at Gris-Gris in the Lower Garden District, an intimate spot for refined Southern and Creole fare, including a killer gumbo and his mom’s chicken and dumplings.

8. Choose your style with local seafood at Frank’s Louisiana Kitchen in Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport, a northern Louisiana city defined by the Red River, is at home with Cajun and Creole culinary traditions. Frank’s Louisiana Kitchen incorporates local seafood into dishes like blackened crabcakes, New Orleans barbecue shrimp and housemade boudin. Café Roux offers gumbo, crawfish etouffee and smoked boudin in a casual setting. Meanwhile, Herby K’s has been the spot for fried seafood and oysters on the half shell since 1936, with some of the best Creole and Cajun food in Shreveport.

So, what’s your verdict: Cajun or Creole food? Whether it’s the robust flavors of Cajun country-style or the finer French-influenced Creole you’re craving, Louisiana has the restaurants to satisfy. Plan a trip today and decide for yourself.