Italian. Sandwiches.
Jefferson: 4402 Jefferson Hwy . 504-324-5613 . Map.
Lunch Tuesday-Saturday. Dinner Wednesday-Saturday.
Casual.
MC V
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Jefferson Highway is the longest thoroughfare in East Jefferson Parish, lined with industry, businesses, and neighborhoods (some of then affluent). But it has very few restaurants. In Old Jefferson, the closing of Alonso's left the area without a good neighborhood cafe. Joe Sepie's, despite its minuscule size, is the best of a few who have filled this gap.
WHY IT'S GOOD
For such a tiny place, Joe Sepie's has a menu that covers more ground than do most neighborhood places. The joke in the name (say "Giuseppe") clues us into the Italian aspect of the kitchen. From it comes the standards of pasta and red (or white) sauce. Poor boy sandwiches are a big deal here, too. These achieve distinction by offering new variations on the standard ingredients (the roast bef poor boy, for example, can be had with a special sauce with mushrooms and an almost barbecue-like tang). They fry seafood platters to order and grill burgers of such juiciness that the name "splatburger" is entirely appropriate. They even make their own hot tamales--among the best around.
BACKSTORY
This little spot, for many years shared with a hardware store, opened in 2004 and quickly created a buzz among people who live and work in the area (notably among the staff at the enormous Ochsner Hospital, a mile away). It had been a poor boy shop called Grand Central Station for a few decades before, so it was easy for the neighbors to define.
DINING ROOM
The dining area is limited to a handful of tables just in front of the order counter, but with big enough windows to make it comfortable enough.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Gumbo
Tamales
Greek salad with chicken or shrimp
Fried onion rings
Poor boy sandwiches:
Roast beef
Ultimate roast beef (with mushrooms, cheese, etc.)
Grilled ham
Pastrami
Meatball or sausage with red sauce
Fried oyster or shrimp
Muffuletta
Splatburgers (very juicy)
Red beans and rice with choice of sausages
Fried seafood platters
Crab cakes with white remoulade
Angel hair pasta with New Orleans sweet red sauce and meatballs or Italian sausage
Fettuccine Alfredo with crawfish, veal, or chicken
Angel hair pasta with meatballs, Italian sausage, breaded veal, or chicken
FOR BEST RESULTS
Show up on the late side of lunch, or for dinner. The Ochsner Hospital crowd loves the place.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
More space is the most obvious need.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment
- Consistency +2
- Service +1
- Value +2
- Attitude
- Wine and Bar
- Hipness +1
- Local Color
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Sidewalk tables
- Open all afternoon
- Closes for dinner at 8 p.m.
- Unusually large servings
- Quick, good meal
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- No reservations
This review was updated with new information on 6/2/2010.
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