Crawfish Eating Contest for Charity at Cactus

Fat Tuesday, February 9
6 p.m.

Cactus Bar and Grill will hold their sixth annual Crawfish Eating Contest for Charity on Tuesday, February 9 at 6 p.m. This fun, Fat Tuesday event encourages competitors to consume three pounds of crawfish in the fastest amount of time possible. The participation fee is $20 per person, which includes all-you-can-eat crawfish, and a Hurricane cocktail served in a souvenir glass. All proceeds from the event will benefit K9 4 KEEPS, a 100% volunteer run, Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to dog rescue.

Contestants will be divided into heats, and the winner of each heat will compete in the final round. The first place competitive eater will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to Cactus Bar and Grill; the second place winner will receive a "Hurricanes at Home" gift basket; and the third place participant will win a cooler stocked with Abita beer. Plenty of Mardi Gras accessories, such as beads and masks, will be passed out to the crowd. To reserve a spot in the crawfish competition, please visit CactusChicago.com.

Cactus will feature Mardi Gras menu specials from February 9-12, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting K9 4 KEEPS. Chef Glenn Pistorio will offer a variety of New Orleans themed dishes, such as Chicken and Sausage Gumbo; Catfish Po' Boy sandwich; Shrimp Po' Boy sandwich, SeafoodÉtouffée; and Crawfish Boil Platter. Drink specials include Abita brews, Lakefront Brewing Big Easy Maibock and 3 Floyds Zombie Dust (prices vary) along with Hurricanes ($7 each/$9 with souvenir glass). The menu is outlined below.

Cactus' Mardi Gras Specials
available 2/9 to 2/12

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
$4.99 cup / $6.99 bowl

Seafood Etouffee
Crawfish tails, scallops, shrimp, onions, celery and peppers in a classic New Orleans étouffée sauce, served over rice $13.99

Catfish Po' Boy
Cornmeal dusted catfish filet, shredded lettuce, tomato, creole aioli $12.99

Shrimp Po' Boy
Beer battered shrimp, shredded lettuce, tomato, creole aioli, ciabatta $12.99

Crawfish Boil
A classic New Orleans crawfish boil with whole crawfish, corn and red potatoes $13.99

About K9 4 KEEPS:
K9 4 KEEPS believes that bringing a dog into your family should be forever. For keeps. We are a 100% volunteer run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to dog rescue. We believe rescue should begin with education and counseling of dog owners regarding proper handling and training of their dogs to support positive, forever relationships. K9 4 KEEPS dogs are surrendered by their owners or rescued from Chicagoland area kill shelters and are provided vetting, housing, foster and adoption services.