Dooky Chase's Restaurant

Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans' Tremé neighborhood is one of the most historically significant dining establishments in the American South. Founded in 1941 by Dooky Chase Sr. as a sandwich counter, it was transformed into a full-service fine Creole restaurant by his daughter-in-law Leah Chase, who became one of the most important figures in Louisiana culinary history. During the Civil Rights Movement, Dooky Chase's served as a rare space where Black and white activists could dine together, and Leah Chase fed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and later Presidents Obama and Bush. The kitchen centers on Creole soul food classics: fried chicken with a thin, crackling crust that set the benchmark for generations; gumbo z'herbes — a meatless Holy Thursday green gumbo made with up to twelve leafy greens that Leah Chase prepared every year until her death in 2019; and shrimp Creole simmered in a tomato-and-pepper sauce. The dining rooms are lined with an extraordinary collection of African American art that Chase assembled over decades, including works by Elizabeth Catlett and Jacob Lawrence. The restaurant remains family-run and upholds Leah Chase's recipes with reverence. Lunch service runs Tuesday through Friday; dinner is available Thursday through Saturday. Given its historic significance and modest seating, reservations for dinner are strongly advised.