Best Food in Metairie, LA
Metairie's Food Scene
Metairie sits just west of New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, and while it does not get the same national attention as the French Quarter, the food here is every bit as good, and often more affordable. There are no tourist markups, no hour-long waits for a table on Bourbon Street. Just quality neighborhood restaurants that have earned loyal followings by doing one thing well for a very long time. The Airline Drive corridor is especially dense with great spots: a stretch of road where Vietnamese pho shops sit next to Honduran pupuserias, taquerieas, and family-run seafood joints. Metairie is one of the most culinarily diverse areas in the greater New Orleans metro, and the best way to experience it is to just start driving and eating.
Where to Eat in Metairie
Drago's Seafood Restaurant. If Metairie has a single biggest culinary claim to fame, it might be the charbroiled oyster, and Drago's is widely credited with popularizing it. Oysters on the half shell get topped with a rich garlic-herb butter and Parmesan, then hit with an open flame until they are bubbling and slightly charred. The result is smoky, buttery, and unlike any other oyster preparation you have had. Drago's sits on N. Arnoult Road and has been a destination restaurant for decades.
R&O's Restaurant. Old-school Italian-Cajun in Bucktown, right near the lake. R&O's is legendary for fried seafood poboys (the shrimp and the soft shell crab are both outstanding), but the roast beef poboy and the pizza deserve just as much attention. It is the kind of place where nothing on the menu is fancy and everything is exactly right. A Metairie institution that has been feeding families for generations.
Deanie's Seafood. Another Bucktown staple, Deanie's is classic New Orleans-style fried seafood done with generous portions and no pretense. Buckets of boiled crawfish in season are a rite of passage, and the fried shrimp platter is big enough to share, though you probably will not want to. Family-friendly, loud, and exactly what a neighborhood seafood restaurant should be.
Morning Call. Beignets and cafe au lait, served around the clock. Morning Call was originally established in 1871 in the French Quarter and has since relocated to Metairie's Lakeside Shopping Center. Open 24/7, it is the kind of place you end up at after a late night or an early morning: hot, pillowy beignets dusted in powdered sugar and strong chicory coffee. Simple, perfect, and deeply New Orleans.
Sake Cafe. For a different take on Japanese cuisine in Metairie, Sake Cafe on Metairie Road offers upscale sushi, sashimi, and creative specialty rolls in a sleek, modern setting. It is a good date-night spot and a solid choice when you want Japanese dining with a polished, sit-down atmosphere.
Dorignac's Food Center. Not a restaurant in the traditional sense, but absolutely a Metairie landmark that belongs on any food list. Dorignac's on Veterans Boulevard is a specialty grocery store with an incredible prepared foods section, a deli counter, and a butcher shop that locals swear by. The kind of place where you walk in for one thing and leave with three bags.
Acme Oyster House. The Metairie location brings the French Quarter classic to the suburbs. Raw oysters shucked to order at the bar, chargrilled oysters, po-boys, and gumbo, all without fighting for parking in the Quarter. A reliable spot for visitors and locals alike who want the full New Orleans oyster experience closer to home.
And Then There's Yami
For something completely different? Japanese-Cajun fusion with hibachi plates, poboys, and sushi all under one roof. That is where we come in. Yami Hibachi And Poboy is on Airline Drive, and we do something nobody else in the area does: teppanyaki-style grilling meets Louisiana sandwich tradition. If you have worked your way through charbroiled oysters and fried seafood and want to try a hibachi poboy or a fresh sushi roll, we are happy to be part of your Metairie food tour. You can read more about what makes Yami different if you are curious.
The Airline Drive Food Corridor
Airline Drive itself is worth a dedicated visit. This stretch of road through Metairie is one of the most culinarily diverse corridors in the entire New Orleans metro area. Vietnamese, Honduran, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, soul food, and everything in between, all in mom-and-pop shops serving honest food at honest prices. It is not a polished restaurant row. It is real, everyday food from communities that have made Metairie their home, and that is what makes it special. If you are spending time in the area, check out our guide to things to do in Metairie beyond the food scene, and if poboys are your thing, we have a dedicated guide to the best poboys in Metairie and the greater New Orleans area.