I Lunched at Tujagues Yesterday

As a follow up to the thread about the Tujagues building possibly being sold, I made sure to have it on my list for my current trip to New Orleans. We were a party of 8. We made reservations for noon on Sunday which happened to be during a heavy rain. Upon our arrival there was only one couple in the main dining room. There was a large party in the back room and a number of people were passing a good time in the bar. Before all of our party arrived at least two other parties of 10 or 12 arrived so they ended up having a decent lunch crowd.

I ordered an Old Fashioned for old time sake. It was very good. My appetizer was the shrimp remoulade which I consider a must have. I and 4 others in our party had the brisket. Three of them needed take home boxes as they couldn’t finish it all. I finished mine but was very full. The creole sauce with the brisket is strong by my standards so make sure you start with a small amount until you know the level of zing you like. My wife had the crawfish etouffee which she enjoyed. I tasted a sample of hers and it was very good. Everyone also enjoyed the fresh French bread. Service was very good and well-coordinated between our waiter and server. The Chicken Bonne Femme was not on the menu but they did prepare it for one in our party who requested it.

The only slightly negative thing for me was the lighting. It was not as bright as I am used to for lunch, more subdued like you might have for a romantic dinner. However, I quickly adjusted.

All of our entrees were $15 or less which I consider a good deal. I was happy to visit like an old friend. I’ve had many more drinks in the bar than meals in the dining room. In my mind Tujagues is more of a neighborhood restaurant that just happens to be in the French Quarter. I hope they can stay open for a long, long time.