10 Legendary Family-Owned Restaurants That Define New Orleans

New Orleans kitchens are the beating heart of a city famous for incredible food culture. Family-owned restaurants have passed down secret recipes and cooking techniques through generations, creating flavors you simply can’t find anywhere else.

Humble po-boy shops to elegant dining rooms, these 10 legendary family establishments have shaped what it means to eat like a true New Orleanian.

1. Domilise’s Po-Boys: Sandwich Royalty Since 1924

Tucked away in a weathered yellow house on Annunciation Street, Domilise’s serves po-boys that locals line up for rain or shine.

Behind the counter, you’ll often find multiple generations of the same family assembling these legendary sandwiches. Many swear their shrimp po-boy, perfectly fried seafood on crispy French bread with a smear of mayo, is absolutely unbeatable in the city.

2. Cochon: Farm-to-Table Cajun Excellence

James Beard Award-winning chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski transformed traditional Cajun cooking into something extraordinary at Cochon.

Wood-fired ovens produce succulent roasted meats while honoring Louisiana’s rural cooking traditions. Savoring their signature cochon de lait (slow-roasted suckling pig) feels like being welcomed into a sophisticated yet homey South Louisiana kitchen.

3. Willie Mae’s Scotch House: Fried Chicken Paradise

Once you bite into Willie Mae’s legendary fried chicken, you’ll understand why food pilgrims journey to this humble Treme neighborhood spot.

Founder Willie Mae Seaton’s great-granddaughter now carries on the tradition of impossibly crispy, perfectly seasoned chicken. Surviving Hurricane Katrina and winning a James Beard Award, this family treasure serves what many consider America’s finest fried chicken.

4. Katie’s Restaurant: Mid-City’s Beloved Neighborhood Gem

Rising from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina, Katie’s embodies New Orleans resilience and community spirit. Lunch crowds pack in for creative po-boys like the cochon de lait with apple-jalapeño coleslaw.

Owned by the Scot family since 1984, this Mid-City institution serves elevated comfort food that keeps locals coming back generation after generation.

5. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant: Civil Rights History on a Plate

Walking into Dooky Chase’s feels like entering a living museum where civil rights leaders once gathered over gumbo.

Late chef Leah Chase, known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, fed everyone from presidents to freedom riders. Now run by her family, the restaurant continues serving her famous fried chicken, gumbo z’herbes, and shrimp Clemenceau in an art-filled dining room.

6. Mother’s Restaurant: Home of the Ferdi Special

Since 1938, hungry locals and tourists have flocked to this unpretentious Poydras Street institution for authentic New Orleans flavors.

Mother’s claim to fame is the Ferdi Special: a po-boy stuffed with ham, roast beef, debris (beef bits soaked in gravy), and all the fixings. Standing in line might test your patience, but one bite of their jambalaya or famous breakfasts makes everything worthwhile.

7. Commander’s Palace: Garden District Grande Dame

Beneath the iconic turquoise-striped awning, the Brennan family has orchestrated fine dining magic since 1974.

Legendary chefs including Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme launched careers in this kitchen, revolutionizing Creole cuisine. Jazz brunch here remains a quintessential New Orleans experience, with 25-cent martinis at lunch proving that elegant dining can still be playful.

8. Neyow’s Creole Café: Modern Creole Soul

Vibrant conversations and clattering plates create the perfect soundtrack at this Mid-City hotspot owned by the Charbonnet family. Customers rave about chargrilled oysters bathed in garlic butter and their famous “bow wow” punch that packs a serious kick.

What started as a small family operation has blossomed into a must-visit destination for authentic Creole soul food served with genuine warmth.

9. Liuzza’s by the Track: Neighborhood Joint Near the Fairgrounds

Racing enthusiasts and neighborhood regulars squeeze into this tiny corner spot near the Fair Grounds Race Course during Jazz Fest. Famous for its BBQ shrimp po-boy, messy, buttery, and absolutely worth ruining your shirt for, Liuzza’s embodies unpretentious New Orleans charm. Sip an ice-cold beer in a frosty mug while watching locals debate everything from politics to Saints football.

10. Parkway Bakery & Tavern: Po-Boy Perfection Since 1911

Sandwich seekers have made pilgrimages to this Mid-City landmark for over a century, standing in line for po-boys that define the genre.

President Obama himself couldn’t resist Parkway’s famous surf and turf, packed with golden fried shrimp and roast beef debris. Owned by the Zucha family, who rescued it from abandonment, this beloved institution survived floods and changing times while maintaining sandwich superiority.