BACKDRAFT
201 Aris, Metairie 828-3473
Traditional favorites top this changing menu. Daily specials offer items like roast beef, fried chicken and red or white beans with rice. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
BARRECA’S
3100 Metairie Road, Metairie 831-4546
Barreca’s has been a longtime favorite among a Metairie neighborhood crowd that enjoys the daily, four-course early-bird specials for $12.95. Dinner visitors love the crabcakes and horseradish-mustard sauce, followed by boneless roast duck over Cajun rice with peach brandy sauce. For dessert, order tiramisu. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and Sunday, dinner Saturday. Credit cards. $$
BIG EASY PIZZA
3210 Metairie Road, Metairie 833-3352
Gourmet pizza isn’t the only thing cooking at Big Easy. This Metairie eatery offers a slew of other options, including pasta and wings. Daily specials guarantee great deals. Football fans, listen up: Big Easy offers specials during Saints games and Monday Night Football. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $
BLUE MOON TAVERN
115 Focis St., Metairie 831-6725
The former Tavern on the Ridge now has a new name but continues to serve the famous cheeseburgers and classic tavern fare. The tuna Caesar salad is a new favorite. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
BYBLOS
1501 Metairie Road, Metairie 834-9773
Somehow, Byblos manages to transform this Old Metairie location into a distinctly Lebanese place. Due in part to the decor, this transporting effect also comes from preparations of all the Middle East classics, including tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, and hummus. Another specialty is the rack of lamb, grilled and served with two sides. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
CAFE ROMA
2026 Metairie Road, Metairie 833-7662
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
CC’S GOURMET COFFEEHOUSE
701 Metairie Road, Metairie 831-1449
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
COFFEE COTTAGE
2559 Metairie Road, Metairie 833-3513
www.coffeecottage.com
Although there’s coffee in its name, the Cottage is widely known for making us sleepy at Jazz Fest with the legendary crawfish bread. The freshly baked bread comes in handy for the focaccia club sandwich, as well as the California turkey wrap with turkey, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, pepper jack cheese and tomato. The white chocolate bread pudding is a favorite. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $
GALLEY RESTAURANT
2535 Metairie Road, Metairie 832-0955
This galley puts out more seafood in one day than some ships could catch. Try white beans with fried catfish, Caesar salads with fried oysters, pecan-fried catfish dinners and Jazz Fest-sanctioned softshell crab po-boys. Homemade roast beef is another bestseller, as is paneed veal with crabmeat and Alfredo pasta. Reservations recommended for large parties. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
GENNARO’S
3206 Metairie Road, Metairie 833-9226
Built in 1938, this restaurant and bar serves New Orleans favorites like po-boys, meat pies and plate lunch specials. Tuesday’s hamburger steak is served with onion gravy and creamed potatoes; return the next day for pork roast with smothered green beans. Or try corned beef with smothered cabbage and buttered parsley potatoes. No reservations. Lunch weekdays. Credit cards. $
LA THAI CUISINE
933 Metairie Road, Metairie 828-3080
New Chef Merlin Chauvin has completely revamped the menu at this Metairie taste factory. Try the Duck Delight, a de-boned and fried duck topped with baby shrimp, minced pork, water chestnuts and mushrooms in a spicy sauce. The eggplant stack is topped with sauteed jumbo shrimp, baby corn, mushrooms, green onions and bell peppers in a light, spicy sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, dinner Saturday. Credit cards. $$
MARK TWAIN’S PIZZA LANDING
2035 Metairie Road, Metairie 832-8032
The man himself would be proud of this modest, family-run restaurant serving hand-tossed pies and gigantic bowls of pasta. Tom Sawyer’s shrimp po-boy is packed with sauteed, garlicky shrimp; the Mysterious Stranger pizza is topped with spinach, feta, your choice of vegetable and either Canadian bacon or charisse (hot sausage). Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Credit cards and checks. $
MR. TAI’S
701 Metairie Road, Metairie 831-8610
Make no mistake, this is classic Chinese cuisine. Most popular on the menu would probably be the Hunan Beef, which is a fried slice of steak sauteed with orange peel, wine, sugar and hot chiles. Don’t miss the chicken with sesame sauce, which is a chicken breast sauteed with vinegar, sugar, wine, sesame seeds and a tangy sauce, garnished with steamed broccoli. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Credit cards. $
NEW YORK PIZZA
3210 Metairie Road, Metairie 833-3352
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
NOBLE BISTRO
2700 Metairie Road, Metairie 828-8484
Here’s another one from the creators of Sake Cafe. Noble Bistro serves Japanese food with an American bent. Expect, for example, to find 3-lb. lobsters coated in Japanese barbecue sauce. Sushi-esque menu selections include the Green Lady roll: snow crab and tobiko outside; mint, red snapper and lime on the outside. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
ODYSSEY GRILL
2037 Metairie Road, Metairie 834-5775
www.odysseygrill.com
Odyssey Grill proprietor Rosita Skias features a different Mediterranean cuisine each month; look for the tastes of France and Italy this fall and winter. Off the regular menu, choose marinated and grilled octopus, grilled whole fish or rack of lamb. Live musical entertainment every Wednesday. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, breakfast Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $$
OSCAR’S
2027 Metairie Road, Metairie 831-9540
The darts are always flying and the grill is always cooking at Oscar’s, where a hearty selection of food exists at almost any hour. Newest to the menu is the yellowfin tuna steak, served as a sandwich or by itself with a loaded baked potato or salad. No reservations. Lunch Tuesday through Saturday, dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $
PJ’S COFFEE & TEA
800 Metairie Road, Metairie 828-1460
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
ROYAL BLEND COFFEE & TEA
204 Metairie Road, Metairie, 835-7779;
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
SUN RAY CAFE & GRILL
619 Pink St., Metairie 837-0055
See "Citywide" listing for restaurant description.
TAJ MAHAL INDIAN CUISINE
923-C Metairie Road, Metairie 836-6859
You can count on Taj Mahal for a bountiful lunch buffet, as well as tandoori meats and fish and oodles of lentils. The well-known Navrattan korma combines a veggie medley with paneer cheese, almonds and raisins, all cooked with cream and fresh herbs. Shrimp and okra bhuna combines locally familiar ingredients, while the baingan bharta involves spiced and broiled eggplant. Delivery available. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Credit cards. $$
VEGA TAPAS CAFE
2051 Metairie Road, Metairie 836-2007
Vega prides itself on being New Orleans’ only restaurant serving tapas exclusively. The management especially recommends seared scallops served over couscous with sweet peppers, heart of palm and mango-basil vinaigrette, and eggplant Napoleon layered with housemade mozzarella, oven-dried tomatoes, arugula and pesto. Round out your meal with a Rioja from Vega’s wine list. Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards and checks. $$
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