A Look Inside Toups South, New Orleans' New Pork Chop Powerhouse

Smoked foie gras, sourdough biscuits with crab fat butter, a meat board stacked with fried pork chops and white bread. Such are the many pleasures you'll find at New Orleans' hottest new restaurant from the city's favorite ragin' Cajun chef Isaac Toups.

The hotly-anticipated Toups South officially opens its doors today for lunch and dinner in Central City. The new expansion from the Toups Meatery team—founded by beloved Cajun chef Isaac Toups and partner Amanda Toups— brings a slew of Southern dishes and meaty madness to the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

A revamp of the former Purloo space includes a large oyster mural by Denny Culbert, along with new banquettes and pops of color to match the bar's Imperial Shaker, an old school contraption that shakes multiple cocktails via a hand crank. The bar— a throwback itself, which used to belong to long lost West End restaurant Bruning's— will be home to happy hour on weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.

Food wise, Toups and chef de cuisine David Barbeau are smoking foie gras and lamb legs out back on Aaron Franklin's original smoker and there are a lot of new meaty menu items to try including goat tamales, a daube glace po' boy, and what you're going to want to Instagram immediately— a board covered in a stack of fried bone-in pork chops, served with white bread and accompaniments including a coffee aioli.

You'll still find the Toups Burger on the lunch menu, and the Meatery's cracklins make an appearance at both lunch and dinner along with one of the best boudins in town, but it's clear that this isn't just a repeat of the flagship's menu. It's an exploration of all things Southern cuisine and a welcome addition to the budding OCH corridor.

Status: Officially open at 1504 O.C. Haley Blvd. Hours— lunch, Mon and Wed-Sat, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy hour, Mon and Wed-Sat, 3 to 6 p.m. Dinner, Monday and Wed-Thurs 5 to 10 p.m. and Fri-Sat, 5 to 11 p.m. (closed Tuesday). Sunday Brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (504) 304-2147. Website here.