Mother's Restaurant

Mother's Restaurant at 401 Poydras Street in New Orleans' Central Business District has been feeding the city since 1938, when Simon and Mary Ann Landry opened a neighborhood lunch counter that quickly became a local institution. The restaurant is best known for its po'boys — the Debris po'boy and the Ferdi Special stand above the rest. Debris refers to the tender scraps of roast beef that fall into the dripping pan during carving, mixed back into the juices and piled onto toasted French bread; it is a richly flavored, unctuous preparation that exemplifies the Louisiana tradition of using every part of an animal. The Ferdi Special layers both ham and roast beef with debris on the same roll. Red beans and rice, bread pudding, and daily plate lunches round out a menu that has barely changed in decades. The dining room is large, cafeteria-style, and perpetually crowded, with a line that typically stretches out the door and onto Poydras Street. The line moves briskly thanks to an efficient ordering system. The walls are covered with photos, memorabilia, and a menu board that visitors study while waiting. Mother's draws an egalitarian crowd of office workers, tourists, families, and New Orleans regulars who grew up eating here. Service is counter-style: order at the front, find a table, pick up when called. Open seven days a week from early morning through evening.