Mr. Ed's
1001 Live Oak St, Metairie, LA 70005, USA
Metairie 2: Orleans Line To Houma Blvd
Backstory
Ed McIntyre opened the original edge-of-Bucktown version of Mr. Ed's in 1989. It was such a hit that Ed spun off numerous satellite restaurants, most of which he ran for awhile but then sold. Currently, in addition to the Bucktown original, there's a smaller but handsomer edition in Kenner. McIntyre also owns the more ambitious Austin's in Metairie.
Dining Room
In Bucktown, there are two big dining rooms with a bar between them, a pleasant but spartan environment. They can get noisy when full. The Mr. Ed's in Kenner took over a failed gourmet bistro that left behind a sleek, suave look that Ed has only slightly toned down. That one also has a row of outdoor tables that are surprisingly pleasant, even though the whole place is in the middle of a large parking lot.
Why It's Essential
Both locations of Mr. Ed's are fine examples of the modern New Orleans neighborhood restaurant. It came along at the perfect time, when more people were dining out more often, and at the same time turning away from any kind of fanciness in their restaurants. Few restaurants have such an all-encompassing menu of everyday, local-style eats. Scattered among all that are just enough sophisticated eats to keep the places interesting.
Why It's Good
Good food runs through the whole menu. Poor boys are as good as the seafood platters, which are as fine as the spaghetti and Italian sausage or the fried chicken. The portions are grossly oversize, to the point of being a negative. The restaurant defeats such matters with its very appealing prices and cooking to order of everything. The best food here is, oddly, the most ambitious dishes, particularly those based on fresh local fish.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Fried eggplant sticks<br /> »Fried calamari<br /> »Homemade onion rings<br /> French fries<br /> Garlic bread<br /> Cheese fries<br /> »Shrimp cocktail or remoulade<br /> Potato salad<br /> Fried mushrooms<br /> »Gumbo<br /> »Turtle soup<br /> »Italian salad<br /> Chef salad<br /> Grilled chicken salad<br /> Tuna salad plate<br /> Club salad (fried chicken breast, cheese, bacon<br /> »Fried or boiled shrimp salad<br /> Grilled chicken Caesar salad<br /> Chicken salad<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Fried seafood platters (catfish, oysters, shrimp, stuffed crab, or combinations)<br /> Meatballs and spaghetti<br /> Italian sausage and spaghetti Ravioli<br /> Veal parmesan<br /> »Chicken parmesan<br /> »Eggplant parmesan<br /> »Lump crabmeat au gratin<br /> »Eggplant casserole with crabmeat and shrimp<br /> Bell peppers stuffed with shrimp, crabmeat, crawfish<br /> Two panneed or grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes<br /> »Panneed veal with fettuccine<br /> »Red or white beans and rice, sausage or pork chop<br /> Grilled shrimp, catfish, or red snapper<br /> »Stewed chicken, rice, macaroni and cheese, vegetables<br /> »Baked or barbecue half chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables<br /> »Fried half chicken<br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> <em>Poor boys: </em><br /> »Roast beef<br /> Barbecue beef<br /> »Ham<br /> Turkey<br /> Meatball<br /> »Italian or hot sausage<br /> »Muffuletta<br /> Mr Ed's special (roast beef, ham, turkey and Swiss) <br /> Fried catfish, shrimp or oyster<br /> Mr Club (ham, turkey, cheese, dressed)<br /> Grilled chicken club<br /> »Panneed veal<br /> »Veal or chicken parmesan<br /> Fried chicken fillet<br /> Hamburgers<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Bread pudding<br /> Flan<br /> Chocolate mousse <br /> Lemon icebox pie<br /> Peanut butter pie<br /> Cheesecake topped with strawberries<br /> »Banana Foster pie <br /> Chocolate mousse cake<br />
Deficiencies
The red sauce on the Italian dishes could use a bit more complexity. When either restaurant is busiest, there's no comfortable place to wait.
For Best Results
Because it attracts so many families and older customers, Mr. Ed's is much busier in the early evening than later.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Environment
1
Local Color
2
Service
2
Value