New Orleans - Locals' restaurants
 

We are visiting NO in a month. We like nice restaurants like Delmonico's, etc but we also like hole-in-the-walls with great, unpretentious food. We'd like to hear from some locals on where to eat.
Thanks

I'm not a local, but we found Deja Vu (http://www.dejavurestaurant-bar.com/). Open 24/7 and definitely fits the description you're talking about.

Jacques-Imo's on Oak Street is my favorite. You can only make reservations for 5 or more and if not, plan to wait in the tiny bar or outside, but that's what makes it even better. You walk through the kitchen to the dining area - a real locals place to go. Also, Dick & Jenny's on Tchoupitoulas - also a wait on the closed in porch on the swing, but a wonderful SMALL restaurant with a great wine list.
For breakfast, try Petunias on St. Louis.
Also, since your coming next month, you should try some crawfish - you'll be here during the height of the season!
Check out nola.com or bestofneworleans.com for the restaurant guides. Both put Top 10 Best... brunch, bistro, etc.

For breakfast - the Bluebird on Prytania.

Shrimp po-boys - Parasol's on Constance

Dinner - Lola's on Esplanade

Another great one I don't ever see mentioned is Drago's. WONDERFUL food! Eat the broiled oysters (if you eat them, which I don't!) or try the seafood stuffed lobster. Ohhh! Making me with I still lived there!!! :`(

DejaVu restaurant?
Hmmmm...I'd swear I've been to that one before. :-?

Another vote for Jacques Imos.
Muriel's, too.

The very unprententious Port O' Call for the best cheeseburger/baked tater I've ever tasted...not to mention a Monsoon that puts the Hurricane to shame!

Jacques Imos is about 99% tourists at this point. Ditto for Mothers, Port of Call, Irene's and other "locals" places.

By the time they are listed in guidebooks, the word is out.

My "local" faves: Dick & Jenny's, Voodoo BBQ, Blue Plate Diner on Prytania, Meauxbar on Rampart and Le Citron Bistro.

for dinner go to Clancy's uptown. for a special lunch try to get in to Galatoire's- famous but still a local favorite.

What about Camille Grill at the end of the trolley line?
Ohmigod, now I am going to think of the chili cheese omelet and pecan pie all day!!!

Deja Vu has huge omelets and lots of other goodies on their menu. It's a great place for late night. Another place that I always recommend is Star restaurant on Decatur Street across from the Bienville House Hotel and up a little toward House of Blues. I go there each year on my birthday and get their oyster appetizers and then the prime rib and sometimes lobster. It's a great hole-in-the- wall.

I'm sorry--I was so busy drooling over this post that I forgot some other recs. Johnny's Po-boys, Frank's for muffalettas, Deanie's for fried seafood, and Mike Anderton's are all good and are all in the Quarter. The only bad place I've ever eaten in NO is a place called Papa Joe's Original or something like that on Bourbon Street.

http://roadfood.com/ Is a great place to find local restaurants all over the country, and their forums are great too!

Deja Vu is not the cleanest place in the world (the kitchen is dreadful!) but if fills a need: good greasy food when you've had too much to drink!

Dan: I was telling my husband how nice the website looks for Deja Vu and we both got a good laugh out of it! I still like the food though, and have seen all walks of life in there.

Years ago, Deja Vu was apparently a nightclub/bar frequented by drag queens. My next door neighbor was perplexed when I told her we had breakfast there one day. She asked me if I did drag. We were both looking at each other with confused looks!! My wife loves telling the story about "the time I did drag."

Dan - LOL!

Again, I'm not a local, but we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Stella! on the edge of the FQ in the fall.
cheers,
CC

Hey, I'm not a local, but in NOLA right now. We just love Ugelsich's which is in the 1200 block of Baronne. It is such a hole in the wall, but with great food. They are only open for lunch, Monday thru Friday, and while we were there today, heard the owner say that he will be retiring before the Jazz Fest this year. This news breaks my heart.

Stopped at Deja Vu for a beer this trip, and really can't imagine eating there....maybe I'd better lower my expectations!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Now, all we have to do is narrow down the choices to fit into the time we have. So many restaurants, so little time.

Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro in the 700 block of Orleans is a must especially if you love great food and wine parings! This is the best place we ate in the French Quarter! (and a local told us it was a godsend for them)