R&O's
Backstory
R&O (it stands for Roland and Ora, the founders) began in 1980 as a tiny cafe in the back of an ancient Bucktown grocery store. It served then most of what it does now: poor boys, pizza, and seafood. It drew crowds so large that it since moved twice, each time to a bigger spot. It still remains full at all hours. In 2007, they opened a second location in Covington, but it never took off, and is now closed.
Dining Room
One enormous room with a high ceiling, the walls decorated with mounted fish and other standard lakefront touches. On the noisy side, largely because of the number of people who jam in. The service staff squeezes between the tables to deliver a rushed service that doesn't seem to upset the hungry customers.
Why It's Essential
A restaurant will never go too far wrong with enormous servings at lower-than-normal prices. That has always been the hallmark of R&O's food--but it's good, too. Now that nearby West End Park is bereft of its restaurants, R&O and its neighbors in Bucktown are even more important to the casual dining scene, even without a view of the nearby lake.
Why It's Good
The three specialties have always shown some distinction. The thin-crust pizza is the best item on the menu, followed closely by the poor boy sandwiches, made with a light, seeded, Italian-French bread. The fried and boiled seafood come in third, but they're far from bad. For many people the quantities of seafood serve make up for a certain dullness in the coating.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Hot tamales<br /> Barbecue shrimp<br /> French fries<br /> Sweet potato fries<br /> »Stuffed artichoke<br /> Boiled shrimp<br /> Shrimp remoulade<br /> Crawfish pie<br /> »Seafood gumbo<br /> Vegetable soup<br /> Shrimp salad<br /> Italian tossed salad<br /> Artichoke salad<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Pizza (all kinds, but especially garlic)<br /> Spaghetti and red sauce<br /> »Meatballs and spaghetti<br /> »Italian sausage and spaghetti<br /> Chicken or veal parmesan<br /> »Fried shrimp plate<br /> »Fried fish plate<br /> »Fried oyster plate<br /> »Fried soft shell plate<br /> Stuffed crab plate<br /> Seafood platter<br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> »R and O special (ham and roast beef)<br /> »Roast beef<br /> »Meatball with mozzarella<br /> Chicken or veal parmesan poor boy<br /> »Ham<br /> Turkey<br /> Shrimp<br /> Fish<br /> »Oyster<br /> Soft shell crab<br /> Stuffed crab<br /> »Hot sausage<br /> Italian sausage<br /> Muffuletta<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Hot bread pudding<br /> Cheesecake<br />
Deficiencies
Except for the pizza, which is genuinely terrific, the food at R&O is lacking in the finer points. The gravy on the poor boys, the crispness of the seafood, and the boil of the shrimp is a shade below excellent. However, the low prices keep it all a fair deal.
For Best Results
Show up later in the evening rather than the busy early hours. Have one person with a cellphone wait in the restaurant while the others with you (one of whom also has a phone) hangs on the levee across the street. Avoid Fridays.
Bonus Ratings
1
Local Color
2
Value