Swamp

Contrary to what cheesy horror movies might tell us, there's no reason to fear what comes out of Swamp. The San Francisco restaurant brings Cajun cuisine and culture to the West Coast, and its chefs cook such specialties as grilled alligator sausage, hush puppies, and Vietnamese-style garlic noodles (used in what Swamp dubs Asian-inspired Cajun seafood dishes).

Neon lights, alligator heads, and other bayou-inspired decor sets the tone for meals, which change with the seasons. Diners can return throughout the year to try seasonal shellfish boils that come with corn on the cob (of course) and shellfish choices like crawfish, lobster, and dungeness crab. Chefs prepare these meals in boil flavors such as garlic butter and ultra-spicy Hurricane sauce, and to add some international flavor into the mix, Swamp's bartenders pour wine from California, France, Argentina, and Italy.