Best Restaurants, Must Try Places in Metairie

"Last on our list of the top 7 bars and restaurants in New Orleans: nestled in the Garden District, Commander’s Palace has been a New Orleans landmark since 1893, known for its award-winning food and its lively atmosphere. With some of the best Creole cuisine in New Orleans and whimsical Louisiana charm, Commander’s Palace is a quintessential New Orleans upscale dining experience. Not to mention they offer 25 cent martinis during lunch with a full entree (limit 3 per person)."

"Housed in a bright turquoise-colored Victorian mansion, this Garden District institution has been a fine dining destination for visitors and residents alike for decades. Come dressed—business attire is encouraged—for the 25-cent martini lunch (yes, really!) and stay for the sherry turtle soup and other house classics like the house Creole gumbo and wild Louisiana white shrimp curry. Save room for dessert: the Creole bread pudding soufflé is excellent."

"Housed in the iconic pink building in the heart of the French Quarter, Brennan’s prides itself on serving traditional New Orleans cuisine alongside modern interpretations of Creole and French dishes. Breakfast at Brennan’s has been a local tradition since the 1950s. Get the Eggs Hussarde, which are perfectly poached eggs on housemade English muffins and Canadian bacon, with hollandaise and marchand de vin sauce."

"If you want to experience one of the best brunches in the French Quarter, stop looking and head to Brennan’s. Since 1946, this fine-dining landmark on Royal Street is famous for its Creole cuisine, posh breakfasts, and bananas Foster dessert. You can’t mistake the building – just look for the iconic pink exterior."

"Owen Brennan founded a fine-dining restaurant empire in 1946, when the proprietor of Arnaud’s taunted him by saying that no Irishman could succeed with anything other than a hamburger joint. Brennan got his revenge at this French-and-Creole..."

"For more than a century, there’s been a long line outside Galatoire’s, the most famous restaurant on one of the world’s most famous streets (Bourbon). Like the city itself, Galatoire’s is a restaurant that combines elegant with raucous. From the Soufflé Potatoes appetizer followed by Black Drum topped with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat to Carmel Cup Custard and a cup of Flaming Café Brûlot, this is an experience not to be missed."

"Galatoire's is another of the French Quarter's grand, family-owned restaurants, sharing much in common with Antoine's. It was opened on Bourbon Street in 1905 by Jean Galatoire, a French immigrant, and focuses on French-Creole cuisine. The main dining room is at street level and features a high ceiling with fans, mirrors along the walls, and numerous coat hooks that hang above them."

"If you're lucky enough to go on a night when soft-shell crab is on the menu, it'll be one of the best damn pieces of food you'll ever put in your mouth."

"If you enjoy seafood dishes with a bit of international flair, then GW Fins is a good option. On the menu, you will find dishes featuring seafood from everywhere from the Gulf to New Zealand. The restaurant is co-owned by Gary Wollerman and Chef Tenney Flynn."

"GW Fins is probably the French Quarter’s crowning jewel when it comes to seafood. But what’s all the hype about?. It’s just seafood, right?"

"Dat Dog has mastered the art of gourmet hot dogs growing from a small hot dog stand in 2011 to a critically acclaimed restaurant with four locations across New Orleans. They offer many creative hot dog experience’s but what you must try here is the Crawfish Etoufee Dog which is made with crawfish sausage, sour cream, onions, tomato’s and creole mustard. To be honest, there are a few other must eat’s at Dat Dog so let’s mention some of the other incredible options; The Guinness Special (Irish Guinness sausage, andouille sauce, onions, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, yellow mustard), and the Rougarou (alligator sausage, grilled onions, creole mustard, tomato’s, jalapeno’s, BBQ sauce, and bacon)."

"The gourmet hotdog spot has a large, colorful outdoor space on Magazine Street near Louisiana Ave. Order at the counter, and grab yourself one of the many picnic tables to enjoy your meal. If you’re looking to catch a game, TVs are located around the outdoor area as well. Photo courtesy: Dat Dog"

"Address: 5030 Freret St (although the restaurant has four other locations in Magazine st, Frenchmen st, Lafayette and College st.). Phone number: (504) 899-6883. What’s better than some smooth jazz?"

"Café Beignet has the advantage of having an adorable storefront as well as photogenic food. Get a table by the doors for the best lighting to get the perfect beignet photo, and then head outside to grab a photo of the front. Like Café du Monde, Café Beignet also is very popular, so you’ll like have crowds to deal with."

"311 Bourbon St., (504) 525-2611; 334 Royal St., (504) 524-5530; Shops at Jax Brewery, 600 Decatur St.; www.cafebeignet.com. An andouille omelet includes white cheddar cheese and is served with grits and French bread."

"Start your morning right with one of the two most famous spots to grab a beignet in the French Quarter at Cafe Beignet. (Don’t worry you’ll be going to Cafe du Monde during your 3 days in New Orleans too!)"

"Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave.; St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave.; (504) 475-7979; www.feteaufete.com. Crawfish poutine features crawfish-boil potatoes topped with crawfish etouffee and pepper Jack cheese."

"Coop's Place has a rabbit and sausage jambalaya; make it "supreme" by requesting shrimp and tasso. Variants of New Orleans' dishes the world over owe to the city's long history as a major port, where food, flavors, and people from all over came into contact. In the case of beignets, we can thank French colonists arriving in the 18th century."

"With sampling and sharing as the winning strategy, here’s your game plan for tasting the best cheap eats in New Orleans."

"St. Bernard Highway, Suite B, Arabi, (504) 277-6996; www.thepalmstoo.com. Soft-shell crab Camille is a grilled or fried crab topped with lemon-caper-butter sauce and served with salad and a side. Reservations accepted."

"Rock-n-Sake’s raucous interior energizes with loud music and and lots of colored panel-covered lights. There’s nothing minimalist about it, least of all the menu. In addition to precision-perfect classic sushi staples, the restaurant serves sushi deviled eggs (truffle and spicy sesame deviled eggs with topped with tuna tartar and black tobiko), tuna nachos, and creative special rolls like the salmon zest roll, zingy with ponzu and lemon zest."

"823 Fulton St., (504) 581-7253; 2913 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 267-9761; www.rocknsake.com. Pork belly lettuce wraps include Granny Smith apple, carrots and hoisin-cilantro glaze."

"I ate at this place maybe a month ago with two of my girlfriends and had the best time!. So of course for my birthday I wanted to get my family and friend..."

"Elmwood Shopping Center in Harahan is over 1 million square feet, making it one of the largest open-air shopping centers in Louisiana and one of the highest performing regional shopping centers in the United States. Elmwood’s tenant anchors include Home Depot, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Best Buy, Office Max, Petsmart, DSW, Ulta, Old Navy, Cost Plus World Market and Michael’s Arts and Crafts."

"Elmwood isn't an enclosed mall, but a sprawling outdoor collection of department stores, boutiques, big box retailers and more. Some of the big names holding court are Best Buy, Big Lots, World Market, Old Navy, Ulta and Marshall's. As you drive from place to place, there are tons of national and regionally based food places for you to grab a quick bite."

"The Shops at Jax Brewery, located in what once was the largest independent brewery in the South built in 1891, combine a riverfront location with a portfolio of national and local brands including Chico's and Gumbo Kids. The property has four floors of shops, cafes and boutiques, with the top floor offering some pretty spectacular views of the city. A few of the shops offer witty screen print t-shirts with local sayings and attractions that are sure to be a hit."

"The Shops at Jax Brewery are located in an architecturally striking 19th-century former beer brewing facility - opened in 1891, the Brewery was the largest independent brewery in the south. The property has four floors of shops, cafes and boutiques, with the top floor offering some pretty spectacular views of the city. A few of the shops offer child and adult-themed screen print items of local witticisms and attractions that are sure to be a hit."

"Coffee came to European markets via the Middle East in the 1600s. Then it arrived in North America by way of European settlement, and it appears that its first point of entry may very well have been none other than New Orleans!. The French — who often used a unique coffee/chicory mix — brought it here in approximately 1720."

"United Apparel Liquidators (U.A.L.) on Chartres is the local location of the original store founded in Hattiesburg, Mississippi back in 1980. Now in three states with multiple locations, including this one in the French Quarter U.A.L. is a great place to browse. The concept is simple: the store trades in overstock from designers, showrooms and retailers at deep discounts."

"This Sicilian family-run Chalmette icon is about a 20 drive from downtown, but well worth the trip with a cafeteria style operation where huge portions of macaroni and cheese, red gravy, stuffed peppers, and perfectly fried soft shell crabs are doled out on the daily."

"On a recent visit for $23, two of us had a meal that was packed home to easily feed six. There is a 20-minute wait for a four-piece order of perfectly executed fried chicken. It is worth the wait and comes with a side of whatever “vegetable” you choose."