K Gee's Oyster Bar. Mandeville: 2534 Florida. 985-626-0530.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris May 16, 2011 18:44 in

3 Fleur
Average check per person $15-$25
 BreakfastNo Breakfast SundayNo Breakfast MondayNo Breakfast TuesdayNo Breakfast WednesdayNo Breakfast ThursdayNo Breakfast FridayNo Breakfast Saturday
LunchNo Lunch SundayLunch MondayLunch TuesdayLunch WednesdayLunch ThursdayLunch FridayLunch Saturday
DinnerNo Dinner SundayDinner MondayDinner TuesdayDinner WednesdayDinner ThursdayDinner FridayDinner Saturday

K Gee's Oyster Bar

Mandeville: 2534 Florida. 985-626-0530. Map.
Casual.
AE DC DS MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Not many oyster bars can be found on the North Shore, and this one may be the best of them--even in these times when oysters often come from other than the traditional beds from which we've eaten well for decades. K Gee's is a seafood generalist beyond oysters, however. Everything within the Louisiana seafood spectrum is here--including boiled crawfish and shrimp in season.

WHAT'S GOOD
Fried seafood is impressive, performed with fresh product of excellent quality (nice little catfish, for example). Everything is fried on command and comes out crisp and greaseless. Also here are more and better broiled items than most casual seafood places do. The regular menu is to the point, but the daily specials extend the range deliciously.

BACKSTORY
Kathy and Grant Williams opened K Gee's in June 2011, after working in a well-known seafood restaurant on the South Shore. At the time, the BP oil spill was in full career, and oysters were hard to come by. To fill the gap (they were figuring that oysters would be the house specialty), the Williamses diversified the menu to include a good number of original dishes, most of which are pretty good.

DINING ROOM
A long space in a glass-fronted strip mall extends from the oyster bar to a more concentrated dining room, with a drinks bar in the center. Both K and Gee are there most of the time, and the rest of the staff seems like family.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Starters
»Raw oysters
»Char-broiled oysters (sometimes)
»Boiled shrimp or crawfish in season
Stuffed artichoke
Fried crab balls
»Shrimp remoulade
»Tasso beignets
Spinach and artichoke dip, thick fresh-cut potato chips
»Chicken and andouille gumbo
»Soup du jour
“Naked” (marinated) oyster salad
Big salad, fried or grilled chicken or shrimp
»Shrimp remoulade salad
Entrees
»Seafood platter
»Shrimp platter, fried or broiled
»Fried oyster platter
»Fried or broiled catfish platter
Stuffed crab platter
Grilled redfish
Hamburger steak with grilled onions
Grilled chicken breast, artichoke cream sauce
Baked catfish with crabmeat dressing
Stuffed eggplant with shrimp and crabmeat
Creole etouffee (shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage)
Sandwiches
»Hamburger
Roast beef
»Hot sausage
Grilled chicken
Fried or grilled pork chop
Fried or grilled shrimp
»Fried oyster
»Fried catfish
Stuffed crab
Desserts
»Bread pudding

FOR BEST RESULTS
The three or four daily specials may be the best food here on any given day.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
I'd say they fry the seafood a little too hard, but it's not a major problem.

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
  • Consistency +1
  • Service+1
  • Value +2
  • Attitude +2
  • Wine & Bar
  • Hipness
  • Local Color

 

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Open Monday lunch and dinner
  • Open all afternoon
  • Oyster bar
  • Quick, good meal
  • Good for children
  • Easy, nearby parking