Andy's Bistro

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

"Andy" is Chef Andrea Apuzzo of Andrea's fame. He consulted in the opening of the restaurant and is a minority owner. Most of the signs show a logo much like that of the chef's Italian place. But don't expect to see him or much of his food here. (And these days, this may be a good thing.)

This location is tied with the restaurant space on the downtown river corner of Prytania and Robert in the number of restaurants that have come and gone over the years. But with the landlord also being the restaurateur, Andy's may show more longevity. I'm pulling for it to apply the brakes to the recent acceleration of chain restaurant openings along Veterans Blvd.

Why It's Essential

This is an Americanized Creole bistro, specializing in basics: fried and grilled seafood, steaks and chops, hamburgers and pizza. All of this is prepared reasonably well, but it seems to compete more with the upscale chains than their local equivalents. That said, Andy's is a pleasant place to hang out and have a casual lunch or dinner.

Backstory

Kevin Bennett and his sons Blake and Brandon opened Andy's early in 2013. Kevin--who did well in the fast oil-change business--owns the building. It has been many restaurants since the 1970s, beginning with Archie & Danny's, Romanoff's, the Butcher Shop, India Palace and (most recently) Sid Mar's. The problem seems to be that while the location is quite convenient for Metairie people, it's just far enough off Veterans to be only marginally visible. Andy's wasn't exactly packing them in at the outset, but seems to have pulled together a strong regular customer base.

Dining Room

An L-shaped space wraps around a large, usually well-populated bar, with medium-dim lighting. All surfaces are hard: tile floor, lots of mirrors and windows, and unclothed tables contribute to high sound levels when the place is busy. The service staff shows all the friendliness and cooperation we look for, but needs a few more months of training in the fine points of their craft.

For Best Results

Start with cocktails and those onion rings, which are good enough to make the whole trip worthwhile. The pizza makes a good starter, too. The steaks are nearly as good as those of the high-end places, and a little cheaper.