As a ratio of goodness of the food to obscurity, this may be the best restaurant in New Orleans. It's a throwback to another era. No web site, only open for lunch and then only weekdays, nothing on the menu even slightly off the standard New Orleans neighborhood eatery beat. But what they cook they cook well, and serve in obscenely large portions at prices that almost make the many nearby Vietnamese restaurants seem expensive.
Once you're past Paris Road heading east on Chef Menteur Highway, if you're hungry you have two choices: the community of good Vietnamese restaurants just past Michoud, or Vucinovich's. The latter is a long-running neighborhood cafe in the local style, with a long list of poor boy sandwiches, the basic seafood platters, and the traditional daily specials. All of these are marked by lower prices than you'd find elsewhere in town and amply-filled platters. People who come here to eat have been doing real work, and need a bellyful.
Vucinovich's has been a staple in the East since long before the hurricane, and came back shortly after the water went down. Owner Herman Vucinovich is always there, as he is at the Jazz Festival every year, serving fried seafood poor boys.
The dining room cannot be mistaken as anything but a pure local establishment. The walls are covered with memorabilia, from religious items to family photographs to hard-to-figure items. It's a good place to dine in if you have a taste for local color. The owner will engage you in conversation if you've a mind to listen.
The daily specials can usually be checked on a recorded message at 504-254-5246. The hours are pretty strict: 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Don't consider going later.
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| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 0 |
| Local Color | 1 |
| Service | 0 |
| Value | 2 |
| Wine | 0 |
