Liuzza's
Anecdotes & Analysis
Liuzza's is a pleasant throwback: a neighborhood "Bar & Rest." The signature drink is frozen glass schooners of root beer and not-so-root beer. The menu is implausibly large, starting with a really good roast beef poor boy and continuing with homestyle daily specials, seafood platters, and Italian dishes. Fresh-potato fries and the hole in the dining room wall through which you see evidence of a bursting kitchen are artifacts of the style, once far more commonplace than it is now.
Backstory
Founded in 1947 by the namesake family--which left the place behind for more modern and less interesting restaurants--Liuzza's changed hands a few times over the decades. The family that owns it now has held it since before Katrina, but the tragic loss of its two most dynamic members marked a sad low spot. The restaurant recoved, thanks to its many regulars.
Dining Room
The stucco building with rounded windows is a throwback to another era's neighborhood "Bar & Rest." The bar is on the right, the dining room on the left; both are busy most of the time, the customers very comfortable to this unalloyed expression of New Orleans tastes in everything.
Why It's Essential
In Mid-City, a neighborhood blessed with an abundance of neighborhood cafes in the old style, Liuzza's feels most as if it had been transported across time from fifty years ago. The big schooners of frozen root beer and not-so-root beer are a trademark. The enormous menu serves a bit (a large bit, at that) of everything. The conversations could only be heard in New Orleans.
Why It's Good
Although Italian food dominates the menu, Liuzza's makes terrific poor boy sandwiches, excellent daily specials, more-than-decent fried seafood and and fresh-cut French fries. In other word, everything you'd expect from a restaurant with this look and location.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters & Sides</strong></em><br /> »Fried onion rings<br /> Fried dill pickles<br /> Eggplant casserole<br /> »Eggplant medallions, red gravy<br /> Stuffed artichoke<br /> Calamari<br /> French fries<br /> Fried green tomatoes, sauteed shrimp remoulade<br /> Fried sweet potatoes<br /> »Chicken & sausage jambalaya <br /> Mashed potatoes, brown gravy<br /> »Red beans & rice<br /> Pasta & red gravy<br /> Spinach Lougia (sauteed with garlic)<br /> Fettuccine alfredo<br /> Mustard greens, ham, potatoes<br /> Dipping sauce<br /> Potato salad<br /> Gumbo (chicken, sausage, shrimp, & okra)<br /> Cream of artichoke & shrimp soup <br /> Soup du jour<br /> Combination salad<br /> Chef salad<br /> »Italian salad<br /> »Sauteed shrimp remoulade or cocktail<br /> Spinach salad<br /> »Oysters remoulade <br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Shrimp, fried or char-grilled<br /> »Char-grilled or panneed pork chop<br /> Catfish, fried or char-grilled<br /> Fried oysters<br /> »Seafood platter (catfish, oysters, & shrimp)<br /> Soft shell crab<br /> »Open-faced roast beef, gravy<br /> Char-grilled or panneed chicken breast <br /> Fried chicken<br /> Grilled calf liver, smothered onions & gravy <br /> »Red beans & rice, smoked or hot sausage<br /> Hamburger steak, smothered onions, mashed potatoes, gravy<br /> Lasagna <br /> Fettuccine alfredo<br /> »Meatballs or Italian sausage, pasta, red gravy<br /> Panneed chicken breast, veal, or pork chop, fettuccine alfredo<br /> Sauteed shrimp, fettuccine alfredo<br /> Artichoke & shrimp pasta<br /> Eggplant casserole, meatball, pasta, red gravy<br /> »Eggplant St. John (with pasta, shrimp & artichoke sauce)<br /> Eggplant, chicken or veal parmesan, pasta & red gravy<br /> Spinach Lougia with pasta<br /> Italian sausage, sauteed shrimp, or grilled chicken with pasta spinach Lougia<br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> »Muffuletta on French bread<br /> French fried potato poor boy, brown gravy<br /> Italian breaded eggplant poorboy, red gravy<br /> Panneed baby white veal strips poor boy<br /> Sauteed shrimp remoulade poor boy<br /> »Fried oyster, shrimp or catfish poor boy<br /> Fried green tomato poor boy<br /> »Roast beef poor boy, brown gravy<br /> Hamburger<br /> Smoked or hot sausage<br /> Italian sausage <br /> Cold or grilled ham<br /> »Char-grilled or panneed chicken breast<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Bread pudding, rum sauce<br /> Dessert of the day<br />
Deficiencies
Liuzza's gets a point for offering fresh-cut fries, but they're too oily. The cash-only lolicy--one of very few remaining in this age--is nothing but an inconvenience as far as its customers are concerned.
For Best Results
Everything here is too big to remain good through the entire eating. Come with friends and split appetizers and entrees.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
2
Local Color
2
Value