VooDoo BBQ. Harahan: 5110 Jefferson Hwy. (Inside Wal-Mart).. 504-729-2442.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris September 20, 2010 04:12 in

2 Fleur
Average check per person $5-$15
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VooDoo BBQ

Harahan: 5110 Jefferson Hwy (Inside Wal-Mart). 504-729-2442. Map.
Very Casual
AE DC DS MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The six New Orleans locations of VooDoo are among the most convenient and reliable vendors of real barbecue in the area. The menu is more extensive than those of most other barbecue joints, and they make four excellent sauces in different styles. Although some of the barbecue is less than thrilling (there's never quite enough smoke flavor and crusty "bark" for my tastes), the food impresses me more with every visit.

WHAT'S GOOD
A lot of the food at VooDoo comes from a central commissary. This is a good thing, because the consistency of flavor and seasoning is nearly perfect. It's all slowly smoked--no faking anything there. Across the menu, the pepper levels are higher than average. The side dishes are the best offered by any barbecue outfit in the area.

Brisket..

BACKSTORY
VooDoo BBQ was a spinoff, in 2002, of the short-lived Hyde Park Grill, an upscale steakhouse on St. Charles Avenue (where Zea is now). The owners started VooDoo in the old McKenzie's on the corner of St. Charles and Martin Luther King, and set up a major smokehouse operation a block away. It has now grown into a chain with over fifty locations around the country. The original St. Charles Avenue VooDoo seems to be golden.

DINING ROOM
Each location is different, but all have assisted self-service (you order and pay at the counter and fetch your own drinks, then they bring the food to you). The St. Charles Avenue VooDoo is the most cramped; the one in Mandeville the most spacious.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
»Barbecue brisket.
»Barbecue pulled pork.
»Caribbean jerk chicken.
Bone-in barbecue chicken or tenders.
Cajun smoked sausage.
St. Louis ribs.
»BBQ shrimp.
Sandwiches of any of the above.
Hamburger.
Barbecue-stuffed baked potato.
Caesar salad.
Beans.
»Corn pudding.
»Gris-gris greens.
»Cole slaw.
Potato salad.
Macaroni and cheese.
Cheesecake.
White chocolate bread pudding.

FOR BEST RESULTS
Brisket is the best of the offerings. Chicken--available in three different styles--is better than in most barbecue shops. Get extra sides; the corn pudding and the greens are especially tasty.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Ribs are just okay, and the low point of the menu. (Not tight enough.) The hamburger is strictly for kids who eat nothing else.

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

 

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

ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
An unusual and pleasant touch at VooDoo is its trio of sauces, each quite different in style from the others, and from standard barbecue sauce. The hottest and thickest of them is the "mojo" sauce. The mango-Crystal sauce generates an interesting fruit, sweet heat. And the vinegar sauce gives a flavor of the Carolinas for those who like that (and I do).