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Audubon Clubhouse Cafe
Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon: 6500 Magazine. 504-212-5282. Map.
Casual.
AE DC DS MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The setting in the center of the gigantic oaks of the Audubon Park golf course is highly appealing. Some people come here before or after a round of golf, but others are there to be there. Club membership isn't required.
WHAT'S GOOD
The breakfast cooks work just a small notch above the basics. The menu is abetted by a small buffet, which persists through the lunch hour. Beyond that, the lunch menu tops out with big, well-built salads and a broad range of sandwiches in poor boy, burger, deli and wrap styles. The most popular meal of the week is the $30 Sunday brunch buffet, the only one of its kind anywhere Uptown.
BACKSTORY
After a major upgrade to the Audubon golf course in 2001, the Audubon Institute--which owns the park and its famous zoo nearby, among other things--ramped up its food services. This infuriated many of the restaurants who had been supporting Audubon's Zoo To-Do fundraiser for many years but were now shut out of catering gigs in the park. That controversy still simmers. After Katrina was cleaned up, the Clubhouse Cafe was open to the public more than it had been, and benefited from the Magazine Street boom.
DINING ROOM
The building resembles an oversize cottage, with lots of room on the porches for having a drink and a light meal. Even if you're inside, the windows are big and numerous enough for the greenery outside to pour in visually. The place is big enough for large wedding receptions and similar business, of which it does much.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Starters
»Fried onion rings remoulade
Sweet potato fries, pepper jelly vinaigrette
»Fried eggplant sticks remoulade
Fried green tomatoes, parmesan, chili sauce
Fried chicken tenders, with honey mustard
French fries
Soup of the day
Salads
»Audubon salad, spring mix, mandarins, blue cheese, almonds, avocado
Caesar salad
Spinach & berry salad
Chunky chicken salad plate
»Chinese chicken salad
Hawaiian chicken salad
»Grilled shrimp Greek salad
Citrus salmon Caesar salad
Sandwiches
Hamburger
Turkey burger
St. Charles grilled or fried chicken sandwich
Fried catfish poor boy
Fried shrimp poor boy
Italian meatball poor boy
Club sandwich
Chicken salad on a croissant
Tchoupitoulas open face chicken wrap
»Lowerline (shaved roast turkey, Swiss, avocado, bacon on croissant
Upperline (grilled chicken wrap, parmesan, lettuce, ranch sauce
Irish Channel Cobb sandwich (turkey, melted Swiss, avocado, cheese toast, honey dijon)
Reuben sandwich
»Prytania (ham, Swiss, avocado, cheese bread)
Nashville (ham and bacon melt)
Oak Grove (fried green tomato BLT)
»Classic BLT
Entrees
Seafood platter (changes daily)
»Other specials
FOR BEST RESULTS
Don't have high expectations of the food. It's pretty good, but nothing memorable. It's the environment that makes the CLubhouse Cafe popular.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
I have had enough very good food from the buffet to make me think that it is capable of ironing out the inconsistencies. In these days of hamburgers made by top chefs, there's a lot of room for improvement of the Audubon's burger.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment +2
- Consistency -1
- Service-1
- Value +1
- Attitude +1
- Wine & Bar
- Hipness -1
- Local Color
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Courtyard or deck dining
- Romantic
- Good view
- Good for business meetings
- Open Sunday lunch
- Open all afternoon
- Historic
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- Reservations accepted
