Crawfish boil at Louisiana Charlie’s (Facebook)
Food, Seaport Village

Seaport Village Makes Way for a Host of New Tenants; We Checked Out One of Them for Cajun Fare

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Since assuming ownership of Seaport Village nearly five years ago, the Port of San Diego continues transforming the harbor-side retail complex with new food and beverage offerings. As of now, it has filled more than 24 spaces with fresh occupants—and with more to come.

We sunk our choppers into one of the latest arrivals, Louisiana Charlie’s, which is run by Cajun-cuisine masters Shanda and Eric Laurent. The couple pays homage to their heritage with an assortment of seafood boils, as well as Po’boy sandwiches, fried catfish, crawfish etouffee, and for those with reptilian appetites—alligator legs.

The Port recently inked a lease deal with Los Angeles-based BNG Hospitality Group to bring in a splashy 8,000-square-foot sports bar and restaurant known as Cork and Batter. It will be an offshoot to the original location in Inglewood, CA. It’s expected to open in early 2024.

Also in the pipeline are three dining establishments coming this spring: the homegrown Crack Taco Shop; the coastal-inspired Shorebird; and Zytoun Mediterranean Bistro, launched by the owners of locally based Aladdin Cafe in Clairemont.

And in late summer and early fall look for craft spirits by Old Harbor Distilling and farm-to-table fare by Malibu Farm.