Show Some Love to These Black-Owned Restaurants in New Orleans (2024)

Peewee’s Crabcakes draws crowds of locals (and a handful of lucky tourists operating on a solid tip) to its cherry-red storefront. Inside, the dining room hums with R&B on heavy rotation and head-turning plates piled high with seafood. The sit-down, counter service restaurant is the realization of a dream for owner Charles “Peewee” Armstrong, who got his start making delicately crisp crab cakes in the kitchen of his Central City apartment. At Peewee’s, they arrive in a mini size, perched on deviled eggs, stuffed inside po’boys and loaded baked potatoes, or on top of generous platters of stuffed lobster tails and rich seafood pasta. For something lighter, try the superb seafood gumbo, overflowing with crab legs, shrimp, and sausage for under $10.

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We Dat’s menu doesn’t mess around with extraneous offerings: hot wings and fried seafood are the name of the game here. While each has a satisfyingly crunchy coating that gives way to juicy, flavorful meat, the wings come in 13 flavors (garlic parmesan, sweet heat, and citrus chipotle, among others) — and toppings like cheese, jalapenos, ranch, and bacon are only a dollar. The sweat-inducing Wuzzam wings, coated in a tingling blend of Buffalo and lemon pepper sauces, will have you reaching for an ice-cold Pepsi to wash it all down. The Canal Street location, lined with New Orleans-themed murals, stays open late, a boon for the late-night warriors.

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Courtesy of We Dat’s Chicken & Shrimp

Brunch (and every other meal) is a party at this astronomically popular spot at the edge of Gert Town. Between bites of fried chicken and fleur-de-lis-shaped waffles, patrons hop out of their seats to dance between tables as a DJ keeps the party going. Other menu highlights include chargrilled oysters and “messy” fries, loaded with crawfish cheese sauce, marinated chicken, sausage, bacon, jalapeño, and a fried egg. It’s almost always crowded, so be sure to make a reservation — and try not to leave before grabbing a photo by the neon “food freak” sign.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Larry Thompson earned the moniker Mr. Shrimp as a seafood supplier to local restaurants. Now he brings the same lauded seafood to his own eatery in the Riverwalk Mall food court. While his plates of hot boiled shrimp are an undeniable treat, daily specials like yakamein (a local Creole soup) and other menu items like shrimp-studded fettuccine alfredo with a side of fried catfish are well worth ordering. Instead of camping out at a table in the mall, grab your meal and a Pepsi and slip out onto the patio for some of the best views of the Mississippi River.

• Open in Google Maps

Courtesy of Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen

The black walls of this French Quarter stunner pop with artist Anne Marie Auricchio’s custom renderings of big pink hibiscus flowers and golden dragons winding their way up the columns and across the ceiling. But all this just sets the stage for the real star, Korean-inspired dishes made in homage to owner Larry Morrow’s Korean-born grandmother. The deep fried Yum Yum Pork Ribs are presented as a dazzling spectacle under a smoke-filled glass dome, and the Fish-in-a-Boat stays true to its name: Chunks of fried snapper surrounded by the whole fried fish arrive in the kind of big boat that might be reserved for large sushi orders at another restaurant. According to Morrow, this restaurant — a love letter to his maternal grandmother — is his most personal yet.

• Open in Google Maps

Located in a one-time auto garage, restaurateur Larry Morrow’s joyful Mid City restaurant, Monday, enjoys a wealth of outdoor dining spaces. The casual menu includes barbecued blue crab claws, tacos, po’ boys, and sweet potato beignets. While Mondays aren’t known for being the most popular day of the week, the happy hour here each Monday features discounted prices on snacks like boudin egg rolls — and may just make a fan out of Monday’s most adamant haters.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

With Morrow’s 2018 debut, Larry Morrow quickly established himself as a New Orleans restaurant heavyweight. His stylish approach to dining, a menu of classic Creole cuisine (and a few Korean dishes thanks to his mom’s hand in the kitchen), good music in the background, and a photographable interior meant that this restaurant became just the first of many under his company Morrow Hospitality. Six years in, Morrow’s still packs the dining room night after night: It seems no one can stay away from the crawfish bread, gumbo ramen, or Hawaiian bread pudding.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Courtesy of Morrow’s

This DJ-fueled co*cktail lounge buzzes late into the night with young, energetic club-goers. The party spot includes indoor and outdoor seating, hookahs, and late-night bar snacks like burgers and loaded crawfish fries to enjoy under a halo of string lights. While Pepsi is always on offer, Treehouse is 21 and up only.

• Open in Google Maps

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of Dooky Chase in New Orleans history. Leah Chase nurtured the spot, once the only fine dining establishment where Black people could dine in New Orleans, to one of the most respected restaurants in the country. It was a secret meeting place for Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Bus Riders; presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush dined there; and in the dining room hangs one of the most impressive collections of mid- and late-20th century African American art out there. While Chase died in 2019 at the age of 96, her family still runs the restaurant. The gumbo (loaded with crab, shrimp, chicken, two kinds of sausage, ham, and veal brisket) flows as it always has, and tables are still laden with Creole favorites like Shrimp Clemenceau, red beans and rice, and chicken Creole.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Co-owner Vyoone Segue Lewis’s African Creole, Canadian French, and Cherokee background finds its way into many of the dishes at this charming Warehouse Districtgem. While European dishes like velvety French onion soup and garlicky escargot over bone marrow are on the menu, focus on the dishes channeling Louisiana and its unparalleled seafood. Start with the crisp crab cakes atop a crawfish cream sauce, and move on to the New Orleans barbecue shrimp that arrive head-on and brothy in a cast iron skillet over creamy smoked gouda grits.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Tanya Dubuclet’s buzzy Mid City restaurant churns out generous portions ofthe dishes that put New Orleans on the culinary map. Inspired by her grandmother’s Creole cooking, Dubuclet’s sizzling chargrilled oysters, crab-stuffed shrimp, and filé gumbo studded with smoked sausage, ham, and shrimp shine. Daily specials like fried chicken and mustardgreens over white rice make a good excuse to pull up a chair any day of the week. This popular spot doesn’t take reservations, so plan to arrive early to avoid a long wait.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

This summer, Larry Morrow’s newest restaurant concept —his fourth in six years — is coming to The Standard, a part of the South Market Development Complex on Julia Street. While not open yet, Morrow Steak will serve steakhouse dishes alongside specialty sushi rolls and appetizers featuring Asian and Creole influences. While the menu contains classics like an iceberg wedge and Parker house rolls, we’re most excited for the gumbo made with lump crabmeat and Gulf shrimp, as well as the crab cakes served alongside a charred corn relish and citrus tarragon aioli.

• Open in Google Maps

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Peewee’s Crabcakes draws crowds of locals (and a handful of lucky tourists operating on a solid tip) to its cherry-red storefront. Inside, the dining room hums with R&B on heavy rotation and head-turning plates piled high with seafood. The sit-down, counter service restaurant is the realization of a dream for owner Charles “Peewee” Armstrong, who got his start making delicately crisp crab cakes in the kitchen of his Central City apartment. At Peewee’s, they arrive in a mini size, perched on deviled eggs, stuffed inside po’boys and loaded baked potatoes, or on top of generous platters of stuffed lobster tails and rich seafood pasta. For something lighter, try the superb seafood gumbo, overflowing with crab legs, shrimp, and sausage for under $10.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

We Dat’s menu doesn’t mess around with extraneous offerings: hot wings and fried seafood are the name of the game here. While each has a satisfyingly crunchy coating that gives way to juicy, flavorful meat, the wings come in 13 flavors (garlic parmesan, sweet heat, and citrus chipotle, among others) — and toppings like cheese, jalapenos, ranch, and bacon are only a dollar. The sweat-inducing Wuzzam wings, coated in a tingling blend of Buffalo and lemon pepper sauces, will have you reaching for an ice-cold Pepsi to wash it all down. The Canal Street location, lined with New Orleans-themed murals, stays open late, a boon for the late-night warriors.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Courtesy of We Dat’s Chicken & Shrimp

Brunch (and every other meal) is a party at this astronomically popular spot at the edge of Gert Town. Between bites of fried chicken and fleur-de-lis-shaped waffles, patrons hop out of their seats to dance between tables as a DJ keeps the party going. Other menu highlights include chargrilled oysters and “messy” fries, loaded with crawfish cheese sauce, marinated chicken, sausage, bacon, jalapeño, and a fried egg. It’s almost always crowded, so be sure to make a reservation — and try not to leave before grabbing a photo by the neon “food freak” sign.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Larry Thompson earned the moniker Mr. Shrimp as a seafood supplier to local restaurants. Now he brings the same lauded seafood to his own eatery in the Riverwalk Mall food court. While his plates of hot boiled shrimp are an undeniable treat, daily specials like yakamein (a local Creole soup) and other menu items like shrimp-studded fettuccine alfredo with a side of fried catfish are well worth ordering. Instead of camping out at a table in the mall, grab your meal and a Pepsi and slip out onto the patio for some of the best views of the Mississippi River.

• Open in Google Maps

Courtesy of Mr. Shrimp’s Kitchen

The black walls of this French Quarter stunner pop with artist Anne Marie Auricchio’s custom renderings of big pink hibiscus flowers and golden dragons winding their way up the columns and across the ceiling. But all this just sets the stage for the real star, Korean-inspired dishes made in homage to owner Larry Morrow’s Korean-born grandmother. The deep fried Yum Yum Pork Ribs are presented as a dazzling spectacle under a smoke-filled glass dome, and the Fish-in-a-Boat stays true to its name: Chunks of fried snapper surrounded by the whole fried fish arrive in the kind of big boat that might be reserved for large sushi orders at another restaurant. According to Morrow, this restaurant — a love letter to his maternal grandmother — is his most personal yet.

• Open in Google Maps

Located in a one-time auto garage, restaurateur Larry Morrow’s joyful Mid City restaurant, Monday, enjoys a wealth of outdoor dining spaces. The casual menu includes barbecued blue crab claws, tacos, po’ boys, and sweet potato beignets. While Mondays aren’t known for being the most popular day of the week, the happy hour here each Monday features discounted prices on snacks like boudin egg rolls — and may just make a fan out of Monday’s most adamant haters.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

With Morrow’s 2018 debut, Larry Morrow quickly established himself as a New Orleans restaurant heavyweight. His stylish approach to dining, a menu of classic Creole cuisine (and a few Korean dishes thanks to his mom’s hand in the kitchen), good music in the background, and a photographable interior meant that this restaurant became just the first of many under his company Morrow Hospitality. Six years in, Morrow’s still packs the dining room night after night: It seems no one can stay away from the crawfish bread, gumbo ramen, or Hawaiian bread pudding.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Courtesy of Morrow’s

This DJ-fueled co*cktail lounge buzzes late into the night with young, energetic club-goers. The party spot includes indoor and outdoor seating, hookahs, and late-night bar snacks like burgers and loaded crawfish fries to enjoy under a halo of string lights. While Pepsi is always on offer, Treehouse is 21 and up only.

• Open in Google Maps

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of Dooky Chase in New Orleans history. Leah Chase nurtured the spot, once the only fine dining establishment where Black people could dine in New Orleans, to one of the most respected restaurants in the country. It was a secret meeting place for Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Bus Riders; presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush dined there; and in the dining room hangs one of the most impressive collections of mid- and late-20th century African American art out there. While Chase died in 2019 at the age of 96, her family still runs the restaurant. The gumbo (loaded with crab, shrimp, chicken, two kinds of sausage, ham, and veal brisket) flows as it always has, and tables are still laden with Creole favorites like Shrimp Clemenceau, red beans and rice, and chicken Creole.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Co-owner Vyoone Segue Lewis’s African Creole, Canadian French, and Cherokee background finds its way into many of the dishes at this charming Warehouse Districtgem. While European dishes like velvety French onion soup and garlicky escargot over bone marrow are on the menu, focus on the dishes channeling Louisiana and its unparalleled seafood. Start with the crisp crab cakes atop a crawfish cream sauce, and move on to the New Orleans barbecue shrimp that arrive head-on and brothy in a cast iron skillet over creamy smoked gouda grits.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Tanya Dubuclet’s buzzy Mid City restaurant churns out generous portions ofthe dishes that put New Orleans on the culinary map. Inspired by her grandmother’s Creole cooking, Dubuclet’s sizzling chargrilled oysters, crab-stuffed shrimp, and filé gumbo studded with smoked sausage, ham, and shrimp shine. Daily specials like fried chicken and mustardgreens over white rice make a good excuse to pull up a chair any day of the week. This popular spot doesn’t take reservations, so plan to arrive early to avoid a long wait.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

This summer, Larry Morrow’s newest restaurant concept —his fourth in six years — is coming to The Standard, a part of the South Market Development Complex on Julia Street. While not open yet, Morrow Steak will serve steakhouse dishes alongside specialty sushi rolls and appetizers featuring Asian and Creole influences. While the menu contains classics like an iceberg wedge and Parker house rolls, we’re most excited for the gumbo made with lump crabmeat and Gulf shrimp, as well as the crab cakes served alongside a charred corn relish and citrus tarragon aioli.

• Open in Google Maps

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