Royal House Oyster Bar- French Quarter (New Orleans, USA)

I'll admit that I rarely dine in the French Quarter (with the exception of our beloved Mr. B's). Not because there aren't great restaurants in the area but mainly because many of the places are overly touristy and well plain and simple I don't like Southern fried food. There I said it.

But when friends and family are in town and you have spent the day walking around the quarter with the water bottle being your best friend, you will get hungry and will end up eating anywhere and anything in site. On this particular day, I was showing around my cousin who had travelled all the way from Switzerland to be a part of our wedding day.  Hungry and famished we found ourselves at the Royal House Oyster Bar.

Perhaps we went at an odd time in the day (around 4 p.m.) but the place was half empty. We asked to sit upstairs on the balcony. The second floor was emptier. Yet it took a good 15 minutes for someone to greet us at our table. Apparently they hadn't noticed us sitting on the balcony. The ambiance: dull at best. It wasn't the happiest of places I've visited in the quarter.

Cousin hates raw oysters and rarely eats fried food in Europe and I was on a pre-wedding health cleanse. That really limited our choices. I begged Cousin to try a po-boy while she was in town and so she ordered the fried shrimp po-boy with a side of fries. As for myself, I ordered a cup of gumbo and a blackened grilled shrimp salad.

The cup of gumbo was your average tasty gumbo; however, lacked anything special to make it memorable.

The shrimp po-boy, I was told was good. I'm not a fan of po-boys! I'm probably one of the only people living in the South that doesn't enjoy a good po-boy. Maybe its because I've never had an exquisite mouth watering one down here. But every time I have had it, I haven't really enjoyed it much. Perhaps its the combination of all that white bread and fried meat that has led me to dislike it so much. I like my sandwiches on the healthier side and definitely not fried.

The salad was good. The sauce was ordered on the side which I hoped meant that it was a bit healthier. Overall, I can't say that I was impressed by our meal. Perhaps those going for their oysters have a different opinion, after all it is called the Royal House Oyster Bar and maybe that is what they specialize in. As for the rest, I am not so sure.

Chewie's Steam and Oyster Bar(Vancouver, Canada)

A New Orleans inspired restaurant in the heart of Vancouver? This I had to try. It had been a while since my last trip down to NOLA. Craving some fried chicken and Cajun inspired dishes I headed to Chewie's Oyster Bar in Kitsilano. The place is inspired by Rodney's Oyster House in Yaletown but with a Southern twist.  Mr. Chewie himself and the staff are all ex-Rodneys staff, who spent some time in New Orleans learning from the best and bringing their favorite recipes home to Vancouver for all of us to try. 

The atmosphere was lively yet laid back. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about each dish. The menu offered fresh oysters in addition to their Cajun dishes. We tried the fried chicken and Jambalaya. Not being a fan of oysters limited our choices to the main menu. 

The Jambalaya was the typical Jambalaya dish I've had in New Orleans- although in all honesty I haven't had that much Jambalaya, usually choosing to go with the Gumbo instead. My dish- the Southern Fried Chicken was served with a honey drizzle, mash potatoes and green beans. The chicken was marinated in buttermilk for two days and tasted tender and juicy.  However, I felt that it lacked in flavor. I had to add a lot of salt to make it flavorful. If you like your food less salty then you will enjoy this dish. For dessert, we just had to try the beignet inspired by Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. It was served with a side of creamy vanilla sauce and was delicious and probably not so light on the calories. 

All in all, this was a great place to spend the evening: great ambiance, an all male serving staff, great food and great service. 

Acme Oyster House (New Orleans)

Looking for great Chargrilled oysters in the French Quarter? Then look no further. Acme Oyster House on Iberville street offers a delicious variety of oysters (raw and chargrilled), gumbo soup, jambalaya, soft shell crab, etc. The atmosphere is also great. There is usually a line up outside to be seated since the restaurant is on the smaller side; however, it really doesn't take long to get seated. Plus its all part of the fun. If you are in the french quarter then definitely stop over at Acme's for some oysters. 

Acme Oyster House: 724 Iberville St, New Orleans 

Charbroiled Oysters at Dragos (New Orleans)

Dragos Restaurant: If you want to try charbroiled oysters or raw oysters this is the place for it. Although there are several other restaurants that specialize in charbroiled oysters, Dragos is the largest. Other dishes on the menu include charbroiled lobsters , grilled fish and Po'boys. But our tradition is to go in for the oysters and their perfectly flavored bloody mary. But we only have the oysters... it is the best thing on the menu.

2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA / 3232 N Arnoult Road Metairie, LA

Cup of delicious seafood gumbo

Bloody Mary

Charbroiled Oysters

Romantic Vacation
New Orleans