FAQs
Okay, maybe these aren’t frequently asked questions, but I wanted to have a better breakdown of the restaurants. Not necessarily rankings by categories or favorites, but random stuff. Like…
What’s your favorite restaurant?
It’s Jacques-imo’s (see right side). Get the carpet bagger steak or the blackened redfish. Also, try the shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake. I know it sounds weird, but just give it a try.
Are you a foodie?
Nope, I don’t consider myself a foodie. I like to eat food that tastes good to me. I really have no clue what goes into any of these foods, I don’t know how they’re prepared and I often don’t even know why I like things. In other words, I really have no clue. My tastes tend to skew towards less high-end food as well, so if a place tries to get overly fancy, I’m probably not going to like it. I usually say I’m an eater, not a foodie.
What’s a good, cheap and easy stop for creole/New Orleans food?
I don’t know. I struggle with this one all the time. I sometime say Liuzza’s, but not sure I actually like it. But it does have the whole range of “NOLA’ basics like jambalaya, oysters, gumbo, etc. But…I don’t know. I’m thinking if you want “real” New Orleans food, you probably shouldn’t try to do it on the cheap.
UPDATE! I was informed that Praline Connection on Frenchman Street in the Marigny is perfect for this question. I haven’t tried it yet, but will try to get there soon. The menu looks perfect for people looking for a good “taste o’ nola.” Plus it’s always good to check out Frenchman.
Where are the best fish tacos?
There are a lot of places with fish tacos in New Orleans. For tacos in general, I would recommend Rum House as it has a lot of variety. Their fish tacos are quite good, as are the two options at Juan’s Flying Burrito. However, I think the best fish tacos are at the Taceaux Loceaux food truck – it’s usually easiest to check Twitter to find out where the are, followed closely by Woody’s Fish Tacos – maybe try to find Woody through Facebook.
How about hot dogs? I hear there are a lot of gourmet dog shops in NOLA.
New Orleans was on a dog craze for quite a while, but most of those gourmet hot dog places are dying out. While I still struggle to pay close to $10 for a hot dog, I would say the best ones are at Dat Dog. Great bread at Dat Dog which makes any meal good.
What’s a good quick restaurant with loud music that I can find some tattoo suggestions?
Juan’s Flying Burrito.
Have you tried any of the local food trucks?
Why yes, yes I have! I really enjoy the food trucks, but don’t count them towards my restaurant list. Here are the ones I’ve tried (including twitter handles as this seems to be the best way to find them):
Taco Loceaux: As much as I dislike the “-eaux” thing, I think these are the best tacos in town.
Frencheeze has some outstanding sliders and great parmesan fries. However, they really like slathering on the aioli. I like aioli, but sometimes it can be a bit much (on both the burgers and fries).
Slider Shak: This guy used to camp out at the Bridge Lounge on weekends, but I haven’t seen it in quite awhile. Outstanding sliders! Where did you go slider man?
Woody’s Fish Tacos: Not sure if this is a really a truck or a moving stand, but regardless, you can catch them at most festivals and they have tasty redfish tacos.
Food Drunk NOLA: These guys became locally famous with the invention of the King Cake Burger, which I wasn’t impressed with. Just get the mac and cheese; it’s awesome.
I believe Sweet Daddy has an actual restaurant on the Northshore, but I sure don’t go over there. Seems scary. I did visit their truck at Second Line Brewery and the Big Daddy Bowl was amazing. Mac and cheese with brisket piled on top? Absolutely!
Where should I eat before a movie in Elmwood or when I’m taking someone to the airport?
It’s very sad that my go-to burger place in Elmwood is gone. Phil’s Grill had a great variety of burgers (not far from the memorable cross streets of Hickory, Dickory and Dock). But it’s gone now. Just skip dinner. Everything is ruined now.
Are there any sports bars in New Orleans?
Not really. Getting better though. I think the best one (actually in Orleans) is probably Walk-on’s, which I don’t actually count on my list as it’s a chain. I keep debating that. Should I include it? Small chain, but still a chain. I’m not counting it. But Walk-on’s has beer taps right at some of the tables, so that’s pretty cool. We also just added a Dave & Buster’s (summer 2017). Is that good? Maybe.
Is there anywhere that has cheap barbecue on paper plates and high-end mixed drinks?
12-Mile Limit
Does New Orleans have any restaurants with a lot of booze?
Yes.
What’s a good historic restaurant that I could take my mother to on her birthday?
Antoine’s.
What’s the best place run by a family member of an Olympic Gold Medalist?
Cowbell.
Where should I go if I want really uncomfortable chairs?
Very good question! I would have to say Chiba. It has terrible chairs with something that jabs in your back. Very tough to relax there, so I recommend it – at least for people who want discomfort. What are they called? Masochists?
Where’s the best bourbon?
Bourbon, you say? Hmm. I guess I would have to say at Cellar Door. The word is they have a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23. Goes for $100 a glass, so I haven’t tried it. Yet. I had Pappy 15 at Gautreau’s and at Desi Vega’s. I’ve had two other glasses of Pappy, both at random residences, so you probably shouldn’t go there for it (I think we drank it all anyway).