Jack Dempsey's
Backstory
The restaurant is named not for the famous prizefighter, but for a much-loved, old-style crime reporter for the old States-Item newspaper. Indeed, he seems the perfect namesake for a neighborhood hangout in the Ninth Ward. It opened in 1978, had a few ups and downs, but after about a decade had established itself as the place to go if you measured restaurant excellence by portion size.
Dining Room
The restaurant occupies a well-worn shotgun cottage, and makes full use of all the local color that might fit onto the walls. The music is largely from the Sixties, with a heavy emphasis on local pop and R&B artists. Anyone with Yat blood (I am a Yat passing as a cultured person) will feel a certain familiar comfort here.
Why It's Essential
With a mix of customers from both local and faraway sources, Dempsey's fits a popular definition for a great New Orleans restaurant: a funky, Yat kind of place in N old neighborhood, serving enormous piles of food from a menu overwhelmingly dominated by fried seafood. When it's at its best, it's not bad, but the size of the portions and low prices are the main selling points.
Why It's Good
The fried seafood at Jack Dempsey's is what you came for. They could do a lot better in seasoning the coatings, frying to order, and getting the food out while it's still hot and crisp. The large quantities may make up for that for some people, but not for me.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Seafood gumbo<br /> »Onion rings<br /> Fried okra<br /> Stuffed mushrooms<br /> Boiled shrimp<br /> Fried calamari<br /> Fried eggplant<br /> »Italian stuffed artichoke<br /> Oysters on the half shell<br /> Fried shrimp salad<br /> Fried oyster salad<br /> Fried chicken salad<br /> Shrimp and king crab salad<br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> Fried shrimp<br /> Fried catfish<br /> Fried breaded veal cutlet<br /> Fried oysters<br /> Fried redfish<br /> Fried soft shell crab<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Fried shrimp platter<br /> »Fried oyster platter<br /> »Fried catfish platter<br /> Fried crawfish platter<br /> Fried redfish platter<br /> Soft shell crab platter<br /> Fried frog legs platter<br /> Fried boneless chicken platter<br /> Seafood platter (several sizes)<br /> »Broiled redfish (with or without crabmeat)<br /> Steak and stuffed lobster<br /> Seafood stuffed lobster<br /> »Stuffed flounder<br /> Rib-eye steak<br /> Rib-eye surf and turf<br /> Rib-eye and Dungeness crab<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Bread pudding <br /> Cheesecake<br /> Barq's root beer float<br /> »Bananas foster ice cream cake<br />
Deficiencies
The fries are truly terrible. Even though the house policy of adding an automatic 18 percent tip (20 is you get separate checks) is clearly stated in big letters on the menu, that makes the service less than it could be.
For Best Results
Instead of ordering seafood platters with a few of everything, get several plates of one item or another and pass it around.
Bonus Ratings
1
Environment
2
Local Color
1
Value