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A view of a bowl of Creole gumbo and a bread basket on a table with a white tablecloth and red striped chairs. — Creole seafood gumbo at Dooky Chase’s.

25 Classic Restaurants Every New Orleanian Must Try

In a city brimming with classics, these are the places essential to the storied history of New Orleans dining

by Stephanie Carter and Clair Lorell Updated Oct 2, 2023, 3:58pm CDT

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Creole seafood gumbo at Dooky Chase’s.

| Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

by Stephanie Carter and Clair Lorell Updated Oct 2, 2023, 3:58pm CDT

New Orleans is one of the oldest dining cities in the country, and though it seems there’s always a shiny new restaurant opening (and plenty closing), the city has a deep reverence for the restaurants in and around it that earned it that designation.

Here are some of the greatest of New Orleans’ classic restaurants, all of them decades if not centuries old. They range from legendary Creole stalwarts in the French Quarter to gritty po’ boy joints to hidden gems in quiet neighborhoods, all quintessentially New Orleans. It’s nearly impossible to cover all of the city’s classics, best restaurants, or to capture the extent of its dining landscape and heritage in one guide, so let this be a starting point. Here are 27 places essential to the storied history of New Orleans’s dining, from roadside po’ boy shops to white tablecloth fine dining.

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Mosca's

Located in a white clapboard building on a quiet stretch of highway on the Westbank, Mosca’s opened in 1946 with real mafia ties (a New Orleans crime boss used to be the landlord) and today still slings garlic-heavy, family-style dishes like spaghetti Bordelaise, cooked perfectly al dente, chicken a la Grande, red gravy, and oysters Mosca (oysters mixed with Italian seasonings, topped with breadcrumbs, and baked).

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4137 US-90, Westwego, LA 70094

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Brigtsen's Restaurant

Prudhomme’s prize pupil, Frank Brigtsen, opened this namesake charmer in a cozy and tidy Riverbend shotgun with his wife, Marna, in 1986. Since then Brigtsen has become one of the most respected chefs in New Orleans with his inventive Creole/Acadian cuisine. He serves his New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with shrimp calas, a once nearly extinct fried rice ball that street vendors used to sell near the French Market.

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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Street view of Brigtsen’s Restaurant awning and sign in Uptown New Orleans. — Brigsten’s.

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The Camellia Grill

This diner at the historic location on Carrollton Avenue, with long-time waitstaff, grilled pecan pie, chili galore, and usually a wait out the door, will forever be known as New Orleans’s ultimate greasy spoon. Dating back to 1946, it’s nostalgic fun for the whole family, with an old-school counter that winds through the restaurant.

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626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

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A line outside Camellia Grill.

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Jamila's Cafe

The couscous is as legendary as the warm vibes at Jamila’s, perhaps New Orleans’s only Tunisian cafe, located in a small, wood-paneled building Uptown. The main joy of Tunisia’s is the in-person experience, with Jamila waving from the kitchen as her husband Moncef brags about her food to tables. The couscous, excellent lamb chops, and outstanding crawfish, spinach, and zucchini bisque are highlights.

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7808 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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Clancy's

Tucked inside the charming Uptown neighborhood known for Creole cottages and air perfumed with night-blooming jasmine, you’ll find Perlis-clad Uptowners dining on Clancy’s decadent, fried, cold-smoked, crab-topped soft-shells over white tablecloth topped tables as waiters who still wear tuxedos keep the bourbon flowing. It’s as good a homage to the soft shell as there ever was. Reservations are a must.

6100 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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Domilise's Po-Boys

Domilise’s sits in a yellow house with a hand-painted sign in the middle of an Uptown neighborhood near the river. It started as a bar and transitioned into a spot for plate lunches for longshoremen and riverfront workers and finally into one of the most well-known po’ boy shops in the city. It’s worth the trip to see inside the place alone. Take a number and be prepared to wait and place your order when the time comes.

5240 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Street view of Domilise’s Poboy Bar in Uptown.

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Charlie's Steak House

This 1930s-era, working-class steakhouse in the Milan neighborhood has held onto its status as a New Orleans institution throughout the decades. Chef Aaron Burgau has only improved on the old-school service, churning out high-quality steaks and classic sides, with favorites like onion rings, creamed spinach, and potato gratin, in the simple, throwback space.

4510 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

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Brick exterior of restaurant with brown door and Charlie’s Steak House sign

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Pascal's Manale Restaurant

This birthplace of New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, Pascal’s Manale opened in 1913. Today, you'll still find great service, and killer oyster bar with friendly shuckers, and a laid-back attitude at this Uptown legend.

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1838 Napoleon Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

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A nighttime street view of Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, name spelled in neon lights.

Mandina's

A late 19th-century corner store that became a sandwich-slinging pool hall and finally a come-as-you-are, neighborhood restaurant in 1932, Mandina’s serves comforting, old-school Creole Italian seafood and other New Orleans classics (like po’ boys, gumbo, and red beans).

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3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Mandina’s Restaurant with glowing neon window signs night exterior.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

A neighborhood bakery dating back to 1911, which added the “poor boy” to the menu when it was invented in the 1920s. While the place closed in 1993, current owner Jay Nix resurrected the landmark Parkway Bakery & Tavern in the early aughts, serving some of the finest po’ boys in town.

538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Commander's Palace

Commander's Palace has been around since the late 1800s, but under Ella Brennan’s leadership starting in the 1970s, the restaurant essentially redefined New Orleans cuisine and catapulted into stardom with the help of celeb chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Today, the menu and service are still top-notch; make sure to start the meal with turtle soup topped with sherry and end it with the bread pudding soufflé and whiskey sauce.

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Commander's Palace — Commander’s Palace

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Cafe Degas

Cafe Degas is uniquely New Orleans, an ethereal setting for mussels and frites, escargot, French onion soup, and a seasonal soft shell crab dish just a few blocks from the house Edgar Degas lived in during his several-month stint in the city. The dining room, more like an open-air patio with a pecan tree growing in the middle of it, looks out onto one of New Orleans’s dramatically tree-lined thoroughfares, Esplanade Avenue.

3127 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Cafe Degas on Esplanade Avenue.

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Liuzza's by the Track

It started as a neighborhood bar near the horse tracks in 1936. Sixty years later, James Lemarie and Billy Gruber bought Liuzza’s by the Track and turned it into the quintessential neighborhood corner joint and the unofficial gathering place for Jazz Fest. Order the garlic oyster po’ boy and a cold beer, served in a large frosted goblet.

1518 N Lopez St, New Orleans, LA 70119

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Willie Mae's Scotch House

The wet-battered fried chicken at this Treme soul food institution (open since 1957) is the stuff of legend, which is why the line to get inside Willie Mae’s Scotch House usually wraps around the building. The best bet for getting in quickly is to come with a party of two. Do yourself a favor and get the mac and cheese and red beans too. NOTE: Willie Mae’s is currently closed due to a fire.

2401 Saint Ann St, New Orleans, LA 70119

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A plate of crusty, dark fried chicken next to a bowl of red beans and rice topped with parsley. — Fried chicken and red beans from Willie Mae’s.

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Dooky Chase Restaurant

The legendary Dooky Chase’s turns out a mean gumbo and what some consider the best fried chicken in town, and is regarded for its role in the Civil Rights movement and collection of African-American art. A “buffet” isn’t a fair description of the spread of glorious dishes that feed a steady lunch crowd: fried chicken, lima beans, and sausage, among others. One of the most beloved restaurant meals of the year is on Holy Thursday at Dooky Chase, when the restaurant serves its famous gumbo z’herbes.

2301 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119-5025

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A table with a white tablecloth has a bowl of gumbo filled with seafood. — Dooky Chase’s Creole gumbo.

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Galatoire's

A Friday lunch at Galatoire’s is the stuff of legend. The black and white tiled downstairs dining room at the more than a century-old Bourbon Street reprieve is the place to be — but good luck getting a table (while it now accepts reservations, a seat in the main dining room is not guaranteed). Favorites include the Galatoire goute (crabmeat maison and shrimp remoulade); pompano meuniere with crabmeat; oysters Rockefeller; and fried soft shell crab laced with brown butter when it’s in season. Jackets required.

209 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Friday lunch at Galatoire's — Friday lunch at Galatoire’s

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Arnaud's Restaurant

To last more than a century means embracing tradition and change, something this huge restaurant with its labyrinth of dining rooms does well. Arnaud’s offers stellar fine-dining service and Creole dishes that are still on point. Arnaud’s is also home to the award-winning French 75 Bar. Whatever you do, have the souffle potatoes with drinks to start.

813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

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arnaud’s bar — Arnaud’s French 75 Bar.

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Li'l Dizzy's Cafe

New Orleans nearly lost this Treme institution, but a third generation of Baquets came through to keep the family-owned favorite going. It first opened its doors in 2015 but has become a citywide staple for grilled catfish and grits, gumbo, po’ boys, and top-notch fried chicken. The low-key corner building on Esplanade Avenue has walls covered in New Orleans, Saints, and Baquet family memorabilia, and is as welcoming as it gets.

1500 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

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Brennan's

Brennan’s iconic pink Royal Street building is where a number of now-famous creations came to be: bananas Foster, the bloody bull (a twist on the bloody mary made with beef bouillion), and eggs Hussarde. A meal here is a lavish affair, set against a backdrop of colorful dining rooms, many of which look out at the brick courtyard and turtle pond through huge plate glass windows.

417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Brennan’s dining room

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Antoine's Restaurant

The oldest continuously operating restaurant in America, this sprawling French Quarter jewel box is a maze of elaborate, storied dining rooms known for waiters who have been there for more than 50 years. What to order: oysters Rockefeller, which originated at Antoine’s; cafe brulot, a coffee and cognac drink flamed tableside (also created at Antoine’s); and the fragile, puffed-up souffle potatoes.

713 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Baked Alaska from Antoine’s.

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Napoleon House

Named for the famous Frenchman intended to live there after his exile from France, Napoleon House is a 200+ year old historical landmark. The speakers play classical music and there’s a lovely courtyard. Order a Pimm’s Cup and a muffuletta, served warm.

500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Muffuletta at Napoleon House

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Tujague's

The second oldest restaurant in New Orleans and the birthplace of the grasshopper cocktail, Tujague’s relocated down the street in 2020 with a revamp, an upgraded bar program, and a freshened-up menu (but still remains a classic).

429 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Cafe Sbisa

Originally opened in 1899, this classic French-Creole restaurant is led by the talented Alfred Singleton, now chef and partner. Cafe Sbisa’s menu is old-school Creole, and the crab cakes are some of the best in town. This place is a stunner, with original wood, intimate balcony and patio dining, and a staircase that harks back to a golden age, just right for a date night or special occasion meal.

1011 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116

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Street view of Cafe Sbisa, a local business in NOLA, exterior signage hangs above a store in South Louisiana. — Cafe Sbisa.

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Adolfo's

Adolfo’s is a cozy and bustling Frenchmen Street institution with a slew of loyal regulars. The grouper with lemon, capers and artichokes is savory goodness and the herbaceous, peppery lamb rack is tender. In a city where Creole Italian is highly regarded and heavily debated, Adolfo’s is known for a slightly chaotic, familial experience in a throwback setting.

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611 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70117

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The outside facade of Adolfo’s Restaurant on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans’s Marigny neighborhood including a red door and awning.

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Jack Dempsey's Restaurant

Jack Dempsey’s small white building is named after a New Orleans police reporter from back in the 1980s, becoming known as a down-home Poland Avenue spot known for overflowing fried seafood platters. Still family-owned and on the affordable side, it’s a nice experience away from the hub of downtown.

738 Poland Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117

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Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant in Bywater Neighborhood — Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant

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Where to Eat the Best Soft Shell Crabs in New Orleans

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Mosca's

4137 US-90, Westwego, LA 70094

Located in a white clapboard building on a quiet stretch of highway on the Westbank, Mosca’s opened in 1946 with real mafia ties (a New Orleans crime boss used to be the landlord) and today still slings garlic-heavy, family-style dishes like spaghetti Bordelaise, cooked perfectly al dente, chicken a la Grande, red gravy, and oysters Mosca (oysters mixed with Italian seasonings, topped with breadcrumbs, and baked).

Open in Google Maps

4137 US-90, Westwego, LA 70094

Visit Website

Brigtsen's Restaurant

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Prudhomme’s prize pupil, Frank Brigtsen, opened this namesake charmer in a cozy and tidy Riverbend shotgun with his wife, Marna, in 1986. Since then Brigtsen has become one of the most respected chefs in New Orleans with his inventive Creole/Acadian cuisine. He serves his New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with shrimp calas, a once nearly extinct fried rice ball that street vendors used to sell near the French Market.

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Street view of Brigtsen’s Restaurant awning and sign in Uptown New Orleans. — Brigsten’s.

The Camellia Grill

626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

This diner at the historic location on Carrollton Avenue, with long-time waitstaff, grilled pecan pie, chili galore, and usually a wait out the door, will forever be known as New Orleans’s ultimate greasy spoon. Dating back to 1946, it’s nostalgic fun for the whole family, with an old-school counter that winds through the restaurant.

Open in Google Maps

626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

A line outside Camellia Grill.

Jamila's Cafe

7808 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

The couscous is as legendary as the warm vibes at Jamila’s, perhaps New Orleans’s only Tunisian cafe, located in a small, wood-paneled building Uptown. The main joy of Tunisia’s is the in-person experience, with Jamila waving from the kitchen as her husband Moncef brags about her food to tables. The couscous, excellent lamb chops, and outstanding crawfish, spinach, and zucchini bisque are highlights.

Open in Google Maps

7808 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Clancy's

6100 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Tucked inside the charming Uptown neighborhood known for Creole cottages and air perfumed with night-blooming jasmine, you’ll find Perlis-clad Uptowners dining on Clancy’s decadent, fried, cold-smoked, crab-topped soft-shells over white tablecloth topped tables as waiters who still wear tuxedos keep the bourbon flowing. It’s as good a homage to the soft shell as there ever was. Reservations are a must.

6100 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Domilise's Po-Boys

5240 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Domilise’s sits in a yellow house with a hand-painted sign in the middle of an Uptown neighborhood near the river. It started as a bar and transitioned into a spot for plate lunches for longshoremen and riverfront workers and finally into one of the most well-known po’ boy shops in the city. It’s worth the trip to see inside the place alone. Take a number and be prepared to wait and place your order when the time comes.

5240 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Street view of Domilise’s Poboy Bar in Uptown.

Charlie's Steak House

4510 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

This 1930s-era, working-class steakhouse in the Milan neighborhood has held onto its status as a New Orleans institution throughout the decades. Chef Aaron Burgau has only improved on the old-school service, churning out high-quality steaks and classic sides, with favorites like onion rings, creamed spinach, and potato gratin, in the simple, throwback space.

4510 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Brick exterior of restaurant with brown door and Charlie’s Steak House sign

Pascal's Manale Restaurant

1838 Napoleon Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

This birthplace of New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, Pascal’s Manale opened in 1913. Today, you'll still find great service, and killer oyster bar with friendly shuckers, and a laid-back attitude at this Uptown legend.

Open in Google Maps

1838 Napoleon Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

A nighttime street view of Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, name spelled in neon lights.

Mandina's

3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

A late 19th-century corner store that became a sandwich-slinging pool hall and finally a come-as-you-are, neighborhood restaurant in 1932, Mandina’s serves comforting, old-school Creole Italian seafood and other New Orleans classics (like po’ boys, gumbo, and red beans).

Open in Google Maps

3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Mandina’s Restaurant with glowing neon window signs night exterior.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

A neighborhood bakery dating back to 1911, which added the “poor boy” to the menu when it was invented in the 1920s. While the place closed in 1993, current owner Jay Nix resurrected the landmark Parkway Bakery & Tavern in the early aughts, serving some of the finest po’ boys in town.

538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Commander's Palace

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Commander's Palace has been around since the late 1800s, but under Ella Brennan’s leadership starting in the 1970s, the restaurant essentially redefined New Orleans cuisine and catapulted into stardom with the help of celeb chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. Today, the menu and service are still top-notch; make sure to start the meal with turtle soup topped with sherry and end it with the bread pudding soufflé and whiskey sauce.

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Commander's Palace — Commander’s Palace

Cafe Degas

3127 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Cafe Degas is uniquely New Orleans, an ethereal setting for mussels and frites, escargot, French onion soup, and a seasonal soft shell crab dish just a few blocks from the house Edgar Degas lived in during his several-month stint in the city. The dining room, more like an open-air patio with a pecan tree growing in the middle of it, looks out onto one of New Orleans’s dramatically tree-lined thoroughfares, Esplanade Avenue.

3127 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Cafe Degas on Esplanade Avenue.

Liuzza's by the Track

1518 N Lopez St, New Orleans, LA 70119

It started as a neighborhood bar near the horse tracks in 1936. Sixty years later, James Lemarie and Billy Gruber bought Liuzza’s by the Track and turned it into the quintessential neighborhood corner joint and the unofficial gathering place for Jazz Fest. Order the garlic oyster po’ boy and a cold beer, served in a large frosted goblet.

1518 N Lopez St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Willie Mae's Scotch House

2401 Saint Ann St, New Orleans, LA 70119

The wet-battered fried chicken at this Treme soul food institution (open since 1957) is the stuff of legend, which is why the line to get inside Willie Mae’s Scotch House usually wraps around the building. The best bet for getting in quickly is to come with a party of two. Do yourself a favor and get the mac and cheese and red beans too. NOTE: Willie Mae’s is currently closed due to a fire.

2401 Saint Ann St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

A plate of crusty, dark fried chicken next to a bowl of red beans and rice topped with parsley. — Fried chicken and red beans from Willie Mae’s.

Dooky Chase Restaurant

2301 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119-5025

The legendary Dooky Chase’s turns out a mean gumbo and what some consider the best fried chicken in town, and is regarded for its role in the Civil Rights movement and collection of African-American art. A “buffet” isn’t a fair description of the spread of glorious dishes that feed a steady lunch crowd: fried chicken, lima beans, and sausage, among others. One of the most beloved restaurant meals of the year is on Holy Thursday at Dooky Chase, when the restaurant serves its famous gumbo z’herbes.

2301 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119-5025

Visit Website