Chuck-Full of Fun: Visiting Lake Charles

The last time my husband, Mark, and I were in Lake Charles was before COVID-19 lockdowns, and boy, has a lot changed in six years. It has been a long road to recovery from multiple

natural disasters, including Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020 and flooding and tornadoes in 2021, leaving Lake Charles’ residents reeling. The city’s comeback speaks to the community’s fortitude. My long-overdue return visit to The Chuck left me impressed by the progress and with a “fun things to do list” that outlasted my stay.

For this trip, we traveled with our kitty, Mac, who doesn’t love car rides but is down for exploring a hotel room. L’Auberge Casino Resort would be his new home for a few days. (Note to those traveling with fur family: The hotel has a $150, nonrefundable pet fee.) Our room was in the tower, and the view of Contraband Bayou from a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows was supreme. Mac was endlessly entertained by bird’s eye birdwatching. With Mac settled in and occupied, we set out to explore downtown, which is a 12-minute drive from the casino.

Downtown Lake Charles offers a mix of old school and new with long-time favorites like Cotten’s and Luna Bar and Grill ensuring no one goes hungry and, pertaining to the latter, that there’s always music to dance to.

The Downtown landscape is still as charming as ever, with an abundance of early- to mid-1900s red-brick commercial buildings now interspersed with newer mixed-use retail and residential buildings. We ducked in and out of shops and galleries and meandered over to the Charpentier Historic District to ogle the quaint neighborhood’s Italian Renaissance, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival homes. There are quite a few food options downtown, but one of our favorite stops years ago was Luna Bar & Grill, so be sure to add it to your list of places to eat while you’re there.

Also downtown is the striking Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, designed in the Spanish Baroque style. Catch traveling exhibitions from Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays, go early to explore the Charlestown Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to noon. Get more culture about three miles away on the lakefront at the city’s new Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Nature and Science Center Port Wonder and the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana, which opened in the spring of 2025. Craft beer lovers (and hungry folks) will be pleased to discover Crying Eagle Brewing Company’s second location on the Lakefront (which opened in October of 2025), a few steps away from Port Wonder. Ahh, a wonder indeed. Be sure to include time to visit the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu. The museum’s former location was destroyed by Hurricane Laura in 2020. Its new, larger, immersive museum is about three miles east of Port Wonder and boasts the world’s largest display of Mardi Gras costumes. Prepare for history, pageantry and so much razzle-dazzle.

Augustine took over the space formerly home to the restaurant 1910 and it’s a must for your night on the town (everything is delicious but don’t skip the crab claws). The Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu’s new, larger, immersive space is fun for the entire family.

In the summer of 2025, Chef Dave Evans debuted Augustine in the space that had been occupied for nearly a decade by 1910. Augustine, located on Ryan Street across from Historic City Hall, is named in honor of Evans’ late mother, restaurateur and Nonancourt, France-native Rose Lucienne Augustine Guincestre (known as Mrs. Pat). We had heard great things about the new restaurant by the same founders as Luna and were particularly excited to try it. I’m thrilled to report that it was the highlight of our trip.

At Augustine, dark, wood-paneled walls dominate the dining room, with curved walls and arched windows overlooking City Hall on one side and the historic Calcasieu Parish Courthouse on the other. A bar is nestled against the wall on the left as you enter. Contemporary wood-top tables and midcentury-style carved-wood chairs with black-upholstered seats and curved backs belie the Jazz Era vibes (and music). That night was a busy night in Lake Charles; the dining room and bar were lively with everything from prom kids and pre-comedy show ticket holders to birthday groups and concertgoers, making up the diverse diners. We enjoyed delectable bread and garlic herb butter and crab claws to start, then I tucked into the award-winning beef bourguignon, which was so rich and flavorful I nearly wept, while Mark opted for the filet mignon and fries. We ended our meal by indulging in a fruit-topped crème brûlée, with many satisfying cracks of the dessert’s signature blowtorched caramelized sugar.

Another culinary agenda item on my list was a visit to The Bekery. Not far from Shell Beach Drive, and just shy of three miles from downtown, the French-inspired bakery is Instagrammable and food is delicious. The light, airy eatery features pastries, such as croissants and quiche, as well as omelettes and other more traditional breakfast fare. The only drawback is that it is nearly impossible to choose, because everything looks, smells and sounds so good. 

We had a considerable number of outdoor activities planned for our trip, but alas, several bouts of rain throughout our stay thwarted them. We opted for the Pintail Wildlife Drive to at least get a little nature. If the weather gods are on your side however, consider the nearby Creole Nature Trail, Holly Beach or Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.

Two promises came from our visit: We won’t wait so long next time, and our dinner was so incredible, we vowed to return soon even if it was solely to experience Chef Dave Evans’ menu again.

LOCATION | Lake Charles

75

Lake Charles hosts more than 75 festivals annually. From the family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration to its Louisiana Pirate Festival, that’s a lot of partying for a city its size.

$73.3M

According to a 2025 report from CDC Gaming, the Lake Charles district is the leading generator of gaming revenue in Louisiana, pulling in $73.3 million in a single month (June 2025) alone.

79,679

Lake Charles’ population peaked in 2020 at around 84,879, but dropped by over 5,200 people between 2020 and 2023. This is a direct reflection of the displacement caused by Hurricanes Laura and Delta and the 2021 natural disasters.