Harbor Seafood
It stands to reason that a seafood restaurant allied with a retail fish and shellfish market will likely serve fresher, better seafood than a restaurant without such a connection. It also works for the retail side: fish that hasn't sold in a day or two is still fresh enough to be cooked and served without any significant problems. It's only been in recent years that this symbiosis has become common, But the Harbor has been at it for quite some time, accumulating enough plaudits for it to be the best place the eat seafood in Kenner.
Anecdotes & Analysis
It stands to reason that a seafood restaurant allied with a retail fish and shellfish market will likely serve fresher, better seafood than a restaurant without such a connection. It also works for the retail side: fish that hasn't sold in a day or two is still fresh enough to be cooked and served without any significant problems. It's only been in recent years that this symbiosis has become common, But the Harbor has been at it for quite some time, accumulating enough plaudits for it to be the best place the eat seafood in Kenner.
Backstory
Harbor opened in the mid-1980s, and slowly but steadily attracted a crowd that includes not only Kennerites but a rather substantial number of people who have a long break between flights and want to eat one more New Orleans meal. The restaurant is close to the airport, and the seafood market next door offers to pack seafood for the flight--a major draw for those who live in places without the rich seafood availability we have here.
Dining Room
The building looks like a warehouse, and the undersize dining room is only slightly less utilitarian. Nobody cares about that, because getting a table here is a victory unto itself. It's almost always busy, a fact that dictates the frantic state of the service. That does not seem to affect the food, whose consistency across the board is impressive. A line outside is not uncommon, especially on Fridays. The amount of space given to the bar looks lavish until you notice that most of the people sitting there are eating, not drinking.
Why It's Essential
Harbor Seafood is the restaurant arm of Fisherman's Cove, an excellent fresh seafood market next door. This brings an unusually large selection of fish to the Harbor's menu, at attractive prices. They cover all the ground that a good neighborhood seafood restaurants would be expected to, from boiled crawfish, crabs and shrimp in season to poor boys to excellent grilled fish platters. The place is packed almost all the time.
Why It's Good
Not only does Harbor have good fresh fish to play with, but its kitchen is adept at its tasks. Especially good are the grilled and blackened fish--two options that are not often handled this well in moderate-price, casual restaurants. The presence of an oyster bar makes a strong statement. The fried seafood platters and poor boys come out hot, greaseless, and well seasoned.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em> Oysters on the half shell Boiled shrimp, crawfish, and crabs in season Fried calamari Fried crab fingers Stuffed artichoke Seafood-stuffed mushrooms Seafood gumbo Turtle soup Artichoke oyster soup Shrimp and corn chowder Crawfish etouffee Caesar salad with blackened shrimp or tuna Seafood salad <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em> Seafood-stuffed eggplant pirogue, crawfish cream sauce Grilled or blackened fish Fried shrimp, oyster, catfish, or soft shell crab platters Shrimp, oyster, or catfish poor boy Soft-shell crab poor boy Roast beef poor boy Hot sausage poor boy <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em> Bread pudding Bourbon pecan pie "Chocolate Beyond reason" (an intense chocolate cake)
Deficiencies
They need to either expand the dining room or move it to a bigger building with more parking.
For Best Results
Dine in the middle of the afternoon, avoiding weekends and Lent--unless you don't mind standing around waiting for a table. The grilled fish is better than the fried, but the fried is very good.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Local Color
2
Value