BEAUMONT, Texas — As the crawfish season comes to an end this Sunday, Southeast Texans are bracing themselves for the end of their favorite seasonal delicacy.
Known as mudbugs, crayfish, or crawfish, these crustaceans have become a culinary staple in Southeast Texas.
It's the news no Southeast Texan is prepared to hear, however there is a way to help people get their serving before the season comes to an end.
One tool is in your back pocket, your cell phone.
The “Crawfish App” is a useful tool that helps with locating the lowest-priced crawfish in the area.
This app allows you to search crawfish, boiled or alive, by price and proximity, making it easier to find affordable mudbugs. This feature is especially useful this year, as the crawfish season has been significantly different from previous years.
Kenny Ming, owner of "Touch of Cajun Café" in Nederland, spoke to 12News about his hopes for the upcoming season.
"We've got five days with rain coming, so a lot of rain. That's what helps grow crawfish," said Ming. "The gets [there's] air in the water, the oxygen levels go up, and crawfish really thrive. I think that's going to help for next season."
Southeast Texas hasn't been a stranger to the rain this year. However, due to the drought and freeze that we experienced last year, it caused us to have a late season.
Ming explains that this not only affected prices, but business as well.
"We've got customers that usually come in every week to eat crawfish, and at the beginning, they said we just can't afford it," said Ming. "You know, they come once a month instead of coming once a week."
Affordable crawfish are a priority for many in Southeast Texas.
According to the Crawfish App, the best deals can currently be found at Crawfish Hole in Bridge City, priced at $3.99 per pound. JuJu’s in Fannett follows with $5.99 per pound, and Beaumont’s Crazy Cajun offers them at $6.59 per pound.
Before the season wraps up on Sunday, download the Crawfish App and get your fill before waiting another six months before the mudbugs are back in season.
GET NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS | Download the 12News App to your mobile device
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.