New Orleans oyster bar?
 

What is your favorite New Orleans oyster bar. I am looking at ACME, Felix's and Mr Ed's. Are these the best or are there others that you like better. Want both raw and grilled. Opinions on best food, best atmosphere, best prices, etc.

I had some very tasty charbroiled oysters at Drago's. You can sit at the bar and watch them being prepared. Have not been to the others you mentioned. I was at their Hilton Riverside location.

I love Acme for oysters raw or fried and it's in a great location.
They won me over years ago when I was waiting in line for a table and the shucker handed me a nice raw oyster over the bar.

Acme is famous for its lagniappe. I've never had an order that was less than 13 to the dozen. I don't see any reason to choose between Acme and Felix's though. A dozen or so at each place would make a good start on dinner, which I think is better at Felix's.

IMHO, Acme and Felix's are interchangeable, though I don't really care much about oysters - I can take them or leave them. However, if the line at one is too long, this means you can easily go to the other one instead. They're across the street from each other.

If you are going to be Uptown you might check out Pascal’s Manale. Lots of great oyster options plus great BBQ shrimp as an added bonus!

Another fan of Drago's and Pascal's Manale.

For our next trip.
Thanks.

Thanks for the replies. This New Orleans BBQ shrimp is intriguing me as well, sounds wonderful.

It's not what most people think of when they hear "BBQ shrimp". It's Pascale's Manale's special dish and it is amazing - although I do order it when the heads pulled which is pretty much high treason in NOLA. A friend born and bred there makes a darn good version of it.

Arnaud's is really good too and their more casual sister restaurant, Remoulade, is good. Neither is a sub for Drago's oysters or PM's BBQ shrimp but a third option if you have the time.

Buyer beware. We are cold water oyster lovers. Had all intentions of eating dozens at Drago. We started slow and ordered 6 raw and 6 grilled. We managed to only toss back one of each and left the rest behind. And the kitchen didn't have cocktail sauce so the bartender made a failed attempt with ketchup and bar ingredients that just didn't cut it. If you like warm water oysters you should be pleased. Our visit was a few years ago, so maybe things have changed and they have a selection of oysters.

LUKE has a very good happy hour for oysters, and is very well thought of by many chefs. http://www.lukeneworleans.com/


We also liked Felix, for cooked oysters:


http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...food-quest.cfm

What goes around goes around forever in NO.

Pascal's Manale and Arnauds have been serving those dishes since, when?, the Thirties?

In the 1970's, it seemed that no one under 80 aye there. Classics are back, if they ever went away. Brings joy to my heart!

Another vote for Drago if you want charbroiled oysters. If you've never had them but like oysters, please give them a try.

ACME for raw oysters.

Ack, me too! :-)

Don't forget Antoine's. I was lucky to start visiting NOLA on expense account and our local folks wanted to entertain at only Antoine's and Arnauds but the customers wanted to go see what Emeril was doing at Commander's Palace. We went to customer-less meals at PM.

Hermes Bar in one of Antoine's former dining rooms is a way to try some of their food without the long and formal service -
http://www.antoines.com/menu/hermes-bar-menu.html

My first trip to New Orleans, a client of my husband's took us to Pascal Manale's for dinner, it was soooo good.

"And the kitchen didn't have cocktail sauce so the bartender made a failed attempt with ketchup and bar ingredients that just didn't cut it."

Not sure what you consider cocktail sauce but it is basically ketchup and horseradish. I like to add lemon juice and tobasco to mine but these ingredients are readily available at any good oyster bar or any bar for that matter.

I live in Florida and have been eating gulf oysters my whole life and they are wonderful. I have had cold water oysters as well and like anything else there are good oysters and bad oysters from all different waters.

Most people I knowin the South would not want cocktail sauce made (or poured from a jar more likely) in the kitchen.

Real Men and Real Women make their own, as gmoney describes above.

And Lord preserve us from mignonette and other trendy sauces that they teach in cooking school. You eat oysters with your dominant hand and drink champagne with the other. You don't mix them.

I could diss Pacific Northwest oysters (big, beautiful, and not much flavor) but why would anyone care?

I shared this five years ago, but thought you'd all get a kick out of it. It's the menu from Antoine's in July 1963. My family took a cross-country road trip. I was 12. I had pompano en papillote and it was delicious!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HVyJ7rW3m8d4RCf43

Darn, the link didn't work, did it? Let me know, if not, I'll try again.