Dupuy's Seafood and Steak: I Shuckin' Love It!

In 1869, an Abbeville native by the name of Joseph Dupuy established Dupuy’s oyster house, the oldest one found in Vermilion Parish, where he “harvested his own oysters and sold them for 5 cents a dozen.” Dupuy did this by being “the first individual to lease the water bottom to cultivate his own oysters.” Eventually his price went up to 10 cents a dozen “(if you took them home), 15 cents a dozen over the counter and 60 cents a hundred in the shell.” Soon after his passing, Joseph’s son, Ferdnand Dupuy, took over the family business, he tried to keep prices at the same rate that his father provided, but World War II permitted him from doing so anymore. After some time, Dupuy’s oyster shop expanded from just selling oysters to becoming a “full-serve, family oriented seafood restaurant” that maintains the same rustic atmosphere in its original building and location. Known for serving the best oysters in town, Dupuy’s also specializes in “Louisiana shrimp and crab, crawfish, catfish, and other seafood delights.” They even offer different ways to prepare entrees and various sides for those who are health conscious like salads, grilled and broiled seafood, and sauteed vegetables. Customers can also request how much butter is used when cooking their food to prevent high cholesterol. One thing that Dupuy’s isn’t frugal with is their use of seasoning. According to Chris Sogga, former co-owner of Dupuy’s, “Every dish is homemade with a unique blend of seasonings and fresh ingredients”, one of those ingredients being Tabasco. They also provide customers with Tabasco hot sauce at their table to add to their meals if they see fit. Due to this, Dupuy’s earned the chance to be featured in a documentary presented by the ABC World News program. According to Dupuy’s former proprietor, Jack Phares, the restaurant “is one of the biggest consumers of Tabasco products among independent restaurants [using it primarily in their] oyster stew and stuffing.” However, even with all the success that Dupuy’s had seen since 1869, the restaurant went through a rough patch from 1994-1995 where the doors closed for some months due to a legal dispute over legal rights to the name of the restaurant. Although, once opened again on April 17, 1995, Dupuy’s continued to find success through a change of ownership, new additions to the menu (such as beef0, and adding a lunch and evening special of the day. These changes landed Dupuy’s current owners, Jody and Tonya Hebert, receiving restauranteurs of the year in 2005 and restaurant of the year in 2011 from the annual Cattle Festival held in Abbeville, LA. In mor recent years, Dupuy’s celebrated their 150-year anniversary on September 6, 2019. The restaurant had food and drink specials for an entire month and held a celebration on September 28, 2019, from 7-10 p.m. to commemorate the success of the business and to thank customers for all their support over the years. Dupuy’s continues to serve the public today in the same building where its founder, Joseph Dupuy, sold oysters for the first time. One can be expected to enjoy the most delicious seafood and steak as they gather with family and friends any time they choose to visit Abbeville, LA.