Red Maple

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

You enter an old, somewhat dark building through a small walled courtyard, and (if it’s lunchtime) join attorneys and politicians from the nearby Jefferson Parish seat for a repast of Creole eats. The Red Maple started its long life as a steakhouse, but its menu now includes all the basic local specialties and much seafood. Its bread pudding is one of the best around. The Red Maple, a Gretna mainstay since the early 1960s, underwent a major facelift a coupple of years ago, resulting in a much handsomer restaurant without any loss of charm. Chef Randy Barlow, formerly of Kelsey's, was here for a time, but was replaced by a former chef from Delmonico. So the food has moved up the scale a good bit, too, especially at dinner.

Why It's Essential

For about fifteen years and until very recently, the Red Maple was the only restaurant on the West Bank with anything like a white-tablecloth, formal, traditional style. During that same time, a renovation and the hiring of a series of excellent chefs improved the offerings enough to make it worth a trip across the river. For those who work around the Jefferson parish Courthouse, it's almost indispensable. The restaurant runs several low-price dinner promotions during the week, but these are of less interest than the main menu.

Backstory

REVISE The Red Maple opened in 1963, taking over the old family home of the owners, the Trauth family. Until the 1990s, it was primarily a steakhouse, but when Chef Randy Barlow began a stint in the kitchen, the restaurant diversified into all corners of Creole cooking. Expansion and renovation in the late 1990s also improved the restaurant greatly.

Dining Room

The main dining room, with its low ceilings, exposed beams, and hundred of hanging beer steins, looks decidedly Germanic. (It seems perfect for the holidays.) A newer, larger dining area, built from a former courtyard, is brighter and more spacious. A few smaller, less appealing dining rooms are scattered around the floor plan.

For Best Results

The lobster night and other such promotions sound like a good deal, but the food on the regular menu is much better. And the restaurant fills up for such deals. Coming here at lunch at noon might get you caught in a crowd.