West End & Bucktown

The generic, forgettable name and the corny menu language ("gumbeaux") disguise some very good neighborhood seafood restaurant. Overloaded platters of fried oysters, shrimp, catfish, and soft-shell crabs are all prepared to order, crisp and hot. And they grill as well as they fry. The three locations have aspects of a neighborhood cafe, with poor boys, beans, gumbo, and specials.

Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon

It's a classic New Orleans casual menu that stops short of being a cliche. They take all of the cooking seriously, something best seen in the daily specials. Many customers know exactly which day to be there for what. Portions are almost grossly oversize, and if that's not enough, they have an all-you-can-eat catfish deal that runs every day. Despite that, seafood in general is a strong suit here.

French Quarter