If a restaurant could scream “New Orleans” every time the door opened, it would be the Ruby Slipper Cafe. This breakfast and lunch place has spread out across the city, opening locations seemingly every year. There are now 11, and the expansion includes Baton Rouge and the Gulf Coast. I learned something about the Ruby Slipper when I visited recently. The name is a take on the slippers Dorothy wore on the “Wizard of Oz,” because the owners craved a return to their beloved city after Katrina.
The one I visited was on Metairie Road in Old Metairie, the newest location. It pained me to see this chain take over the space occupied by Cafe B. The once-upscale space was blanketed in red paint, with the folk art signs seen all over the city. Every New Orleans cliche is here, on the menu and everywhere else.
The staff at the Ruby Slipper is helpful and friendly, and there are a lot of them. It was tough to decide what I wanted on the menu. It is very large with a lot of complex dishes. Customers or maybe the owners have a difficult time with decisions, because there are a few options to share either pancake choices or Benny choices. I did this with the pancake option, but if a corned beef hash is on the menu I will get it every time. I wish now that I had gotten it as a side, because it was most unusual and I would like to have seen it. As a Benedict, it was covered with eggs and Hollandaise.
The hash was unusual, a little much, but definitely the best I have had. The chunks of corned beef were falling apart and had a delicious flavor. The potatoes were absurdly large. This hash was really good. Eggs were done exactly as I asked and the Hollandaise fine. The biscuit was enormous and rather ordinary.
For pancakes, I ordered the split of two orders option: a basic buttermilk pancake and a bacon and praline pecan pancake. The specialty pancake had bacon baked inside, pecans, and a praline caramel topping. This was served with two slices of bacon and is much better than it sounds. I had to stop myself from eating more of this. It was great without any butter or syrup.
There is a very large menu of French Toast and pancakes, omelets, Benedicts, even unusual items like Migas. There is a healthier egg white section of more than one option, and a much-larger-than-expected drink menu and a lot of sides.
The combination of the extensive and fun menu, efficient and helpful staff, and overall happiness vibe, I can see why these restaurants keep reproducing. Finally, I get it.
Ruby Slipper Cafe
11 locations
Monday-Friday 7-2
Saturday & Sunday till 3
therubyslippercafe.net
