VooDoo BBQ. Harvey: 1901 Manhattan Blvd. 504-304-1600.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris October 03, 2012 16:10 in

2 Fleur
Average check per person $5-$15
 BreakfastNo Breakfast SundayNo Breakfast MondayNo Breakfast TuesdayNo Breakfast WednesdayNo Breakfast ThursdayNo Breakfast FridayNo Breakfast Saturday
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VooDoo BBQ

Harvey: 1901 Manhattan Blvd. 504-304-1600. 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. The three sauces offer interesting contrasts. You get major red pepper from the "mojo" sauce, the thickest of the three. The mango sauce has the expected sweet heat. And the vinegar sauce gives a flavor of the Carolinas for those who like that (and I do). 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

ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
VOODOO BBQ & GRILL IS COMING TO HARVEY (New Orleans, LA) A brand new VooDoo BBQ and Grill is opening soon on the Westbank. The award-winning New Orleans-style BBQ restaurant’s new location will open in Harvey at 1901 Manhattan Boulevard in the Fountain Park Center in early February. The opening coincides with the Franchise’s eleventh anniversary. New Orleans-Style BBQ VooDoo BBQ & Grill brings together favorite BBQ styles and then kicks them up a notch with Caribbean, Cajun and Creole spices to create New Orleans-style BBQ. The meats are dry rubbed with amazing Cajun spices and slow-smoked to perfection with oak and pecan. VooDoo BBQ is famous for their homemade signature sides with a decidedly southern drawl like Gris Gris Greens, Corn Pudding and Sweet Potato Soufflé. A Local Favorite Comes To The Westbank The newest VooDoo BBQ & Grill is owned and operated by Steve Stumpf of Gretna. “We’re excited to be opening a VooDoo BBQ in Harvey,” said Stumpf. “We’ll be offering delicious New Orleans-style BBQ seafood options just in time for the lenten season. We want everyone to come and ‘Taste Our Magic’.” About VooDoo BBQ and Grill VooDoo BBQ & Grill was born on Mardi Gras day in 2002 on St. Charles Avenue. Since opening the doors on their first location, VooDoo BBQ & Grill is poised to become one of the largest national BBQ Restaurant franchises in the United States with fifty four currently operating and licensed locations and development sites in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida with additional plans to expand into Alabama, Georgia, Maryland and Washington D.C. For franchise information visit http://voodoobbqfranchiseblog.com/