In our latest Friday Open Thread, we asked you, dearest readers, to tell us the handful of restaurants that every serious restaurant lover should try when they cross the bridge or take the ferry to the Westbank. From Algiers to Barataria, here now are the top recommendations from the Eater reader universe. While Vietnamese restaurants rule the map, there are also spots for Thai, Creole Italian, comfort food, crawfish, pizza, and even steak. Here's Where To Eat on the Westbank, decided by readers.
Da Wabbit has been around since 1949, complete with their iconic sign of a Bugs Bunny type character, but for the past eight years Eric Savoie has been offering Gretna a solid option for neighborhood dining, ie. po boys, fried chicken, seafood and lots of other New Orleans style comfort food.
One Eater tipster has this to say about this Westbank Vietnamese favorite: "The food is consistently phenomenal, the portions are enough for two meals at the price of one, and their bubble teas are creamy and delicious--the avocado is a must-have." FYI, they have a killer banh mi and goat curry.
Seafood lovers look no further than Salvo's in Belle Chasse. The totally casual restaurant does all-you-can-eat daily specials on boiled and fried seafood. A lot of people head here from New Orleans for the crawfish, but you can indulge in fried frog legs and alligator if you're feeling adventurous.
"DiMartino's makes the best muffalettas in the city in my humble opinion," says a fan. While there are four family-run locations of the sandwich hotspot, the Terrytown flagship is the place to hit up for muffaletta, po boys, and potato salad.
New Orleans isn't exactly a town known for Thai food, but the Banana Blossom, located in Terrytown stripmall, is probably the best option for authentic dishes, like the spicy clams. Chef Sue Zemanick of Gautreau's has even proclaimed her love for the cafe's seafood dishes in Food & Wine Magazine.
Pho Tau Bay is the preeminent New Orleans' pho institution, hands down. While the location is on the sketchy-looking-stripmall side, the family run restaurant is by far the 504's favorite for pho on the cheap, and also offers an array of spring and summer rolls and tasty banh mi.
With no relation to Mandina's in Mid City, Tony Mandina's has been serving up Southern Italian and seafood specialties (Creole Italian, really) in Gretna for over 20 years. If you're in the mood for red sauce and fried calamari, with real live piano music and a real live Yats, this is the place.
A Westbank stalwart since it opened in 1990, Nine Roses (Hoa Hong 9) has an absolutely gigantic menu, meaning hundreds of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, most of which you've probably never heard of. Most people bypass the Chinese options, and go straight for the more exotic authentic Vietnamese.
Every year this Westwego pizzeria holds Mo's Pizza Fest, which raises money for Children's Hospital, and the Westwego police and fire departments. When they're not being such do-gooders, the pizzeria serves what some consider to be the best pie in the New Orleans area, and what are most certainly the biggest. They also serve po' boys, chicken parmesan, wings, and the like.
Located on the historic Hope Haven campus in Marrero, Cafe Hope provides restaurant training/GED prep for at-risk youth with the help of Catholic Charities. The cafe features a full lunch menu of local, seasonal produce/ingredients. A real lunch steal is the 3-course special for $15, and they now offer Friday night suppers as well.
For fine dining and steaks, "O'Brien's Grille is a solid upscale option," says a commenter. "I've never eaten a bad meal there." The restaurant, which has been open since 2008, also prepares solid seafood dishes, and has appeared on several of Gambit's listicles, touted for their steak selection and "supper club" vibe.
"For a really fantastic dim sum brunch," Eater tipsters recommend you head to Panda King in Gretna on the weekends. Why? It's apparently "magical the way the carts of little plates of food keep coming and coming." From dumplings galore to Peking Duck, dim sum at Panda King is "worthy of a trip over the CCC."
Da Wabbit has been around since 1949, complete with their iconic sign of a Bugs Bunny type character, but for the past eight years Eric Savoie has been offering Gretna a solid option for neighborhood dining, ie. po boys, fried chicken, seafood and lots of other New Orleans style comfort food.
One Eater tipster has this to say about this Westbank Vietnamese favorite: "The food is consistently phenomenal, the portions are enough for two meals at the price of one, and their bubble teas are creamy and delicious--the avocado is a must-have." FYI, they have a killer banh mi and goat curry.
Seafood lovers look no further than Salvo's in Belle Chasse. The totally casual restaurant does all-you-can-eat daily specials on boiled and fried seafood. A lot of people head here from New Orleans for the crawfish, but you can indulge in fried frog legs and alligator if you're feeling adventurous.
"DiMartino's makes the best muffalettas in the city in my humble opinion," says a fan. While there are four family-run locations of the sandwich hotspot, the Terrytown flagship is the place to hit up for muffaletta, po boys, and potato salad.
New Orleans isn't exactly a town known for Thai food, but the Banana Blossom, located in Terrytown stripmall, is probably the best option for authentic dishes, like the spicy clams. Chef Sue Zemanick of Gautreau's has even proclaimed her love for the cafe's seafood dishes in Food & Wine Magazine.
Pho Tau Bay is the preeminent New Orleans' pho institution, hands down. While the location is on the sketchy-looking-stripmall side, the family run restaurant is by far the 504's favorite for pho on the cheap, and also offers an array of spring and summer rolls and tasty banh mi.
With no relation to Mandina's in Mid City, Tony Mandina's has been serving up Southern Italian and seafood specialties (Creole Italian, really) in Gretna for over 20 years. If you're in the mood for red sauce and fried calamari, with real live piano music and a real live Yats, this is the place.
A Westbank stalwart since it opened in 1990, Nine Roses (Hoa Hong 9) has an absolutely gigantic menu, meaning hundreds of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, most of which you've probably never heard of. Most people bypass the Chinese options, and go straight for the more exotic authentic Vietnamese.
Every year this Westwego pizzeria holds Mo's Pizza Fest, which raises money for Children's Hospital, and the Westwego police and fire departments. When they're not being such do-gooders, the pizzeria serves what some consider to be the best pie in the New Orleans area, and what are most certainly the biggest. They also serve po' boys, chicken parmesan, wings, and the like.
Located on the historic Hope Haven campus in Marrero, Cafe Hope provides restaurant training/GED prep for at-risk youth with the help of Catholic Charities. The cafe features a full lunch menu of local, seasonal produce/ingredients. A real lunch steal is the 3-course special for $15, and they now offer Friday night suppers as well.
For fine dining and steaks, "O'Brien's Grille is a solid upscale option," says a commenter. "I've never eaten a bad meal there." The restaurant, which has been open since 2008, also prepares solid seafood dishes, and has appeared on several of Gambit's listicles, touted for their steak selection and "supper club" vibe.
"For a really fantastic dim sum brunch," Eater tipsters recommend you head to Panda King in Gretna on the weekends. Why? It's apparently "magical the way the carts of little plates of food keep coming and coming." From dumplings galore to Peking Duck, dim sum at Panda King is "worthy of a trip over the CCC."
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