Dooky Chase Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

Douglas Weisz

Joined 3 years ago

Worst restaurant experience. We arrived at 1:30 for Lunch and there were 4 parties ahead of us waiting in the holding area. A young lady took our name. It looked like there were about 10-15 tables open but none clean. We waited for 10-15 min and were the last waiting. The hostess was clearing tables. The staff and manager were rarely seen. People sitting at their tables with dirty dishes in front of them. I saw one man chase a staff member across the room wanting to pay his bill

Two men walked in while we were waiting to be seated next and asked if there was a line or if they needed to put their names in. The hostess finally came back and she seated them ahead of us and immediately upon her arrival. I will not dwell on this because it is not the worst of the situation but I felt discriminated against and I will not elaborate further about it you can use the worst of your imagination on this.

We were finally seated but were without menus or water. We sat for about 5 min and finally the manager came out and she apologized for the wait. She brought water and told us who our waiter would be. We waited another 5 minutes and I decided to get up and look at the buffet. It looked tired and hotel pans were empty. Clearly menus were in order. We asked the hostess for them but she had none. She went to a table of ladies that were finished with their meals and took theirs.

The waiter finally came by and took our drink order. He briskly disappeared, came back a few minutes later without the drinks, walked by us and started to talk to another table. 40 minutes after we walked in the door, we walked out the door.

New Orleans is a great city filled with people who are proud of their restaurant industry. We have never experienced anything but warm and hospitable service until yesterday. This was the worst experience at any restaurant anywhere. I would move on to any of the wonderful restaurants this city has to offer and skip this nightmare.

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Michele0wens

Joined 5 years ago

Dooky Chase Open for Take Out - March 2008. I will be visiting New Orleans for the first time in a few days and Dooky Chase was highly recommended. Sadly, all internet searches resulted in temporarily closed or no information at all...so I call for myself. As of today, they are OPEN. They have take out only, but may be open for sit down service as early as Tuesday, March 26th. I am very hopeful about having the Dooky Chase experience on my soon visit to N'awlins.

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sroberts784

Joined 7 years ago

lucky. I'm so glad I got to savor this restaurant before the storm. If ever they open up, imagine you're having the best soul food in town set out as if you were fine dining. Good ambiance for business dinners wanting a taste of a New Orleans kitchen.

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adinahj

Joined 8 years ago

Dooky Chase is one of a kind!. I was in New Orleans last week after attending a family reunion in Biloxi, and my mom and I stopped by after other tourists recommended it for dinner. I was floored by the gumbo and enjoyed every bit of the paneed veal. My mom had the prime rib which was done to perfection! After dining across from Patti Labelle (who randomly ate their that night while she was in town) we bought the Dooky Chase cookbook, by Leah Chase, who graciously autographed it for us. I definitely recommend eating at Dooky Chase for anyone who wants soul food!

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dstarr2112

Joined 8 years ago

Excellent fresh home-made Creole and seafood !. Dooky Chase's is a great place out of the hustle and bustle of downtown and the french quarter. Chef Leah Chase's personality shows in her signature dishes. I had the Chicken and Shrimp Creole. The chicken and shrimp were so tender and flavorful. The creole sauce was very fresh tasting and light. You can tell that this dish was made fresh to order. The "House" salad dressing is out of this world. It is a wine and oil based dressing with a hint of sweetness and a bite of red pepper. My wife had the excellent split pea soup. For dessert we split the hot apple pie and ice cream. Excellent. To top off the great diner, we also got to meet Ms. Chase. What a wonderful sweet lady to chat with. Her stories about the famous people she met over her lifetime were priceless.

We will be back!

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wadejina

Joined 8 years ago

User review by wadejina. Chef Chase is a warm and wonderful lady, she came out to see us and talk to us, that was the best food I have had in ages.

The service was great and value is moderate. I went to about 5 restaurants while I was New Orleans, it is the best out of them all, funny enough it is not listed in the hotels books nor Where magazine.

I will also recommend this place anytime.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Nationally acclaimed center for gourmet soul food.. The Scene
The plum-colored walls of the Central City restaurant's large and elegant main dining room are filled with colorful, local African-American art, offset by the mauve and burgundy linens covering the tables.

The Food
Chef Leah Chase, nationally renowned for her down-home soul food recipes, serves a mean fried chicken in her family-run restaurant, originally opened by her in-laws as a sandwich shop more than 50 years ago. She also serves an amazing fried shrimp, paneed veal and Creole-style crab bisque, named for her grandmother. Indeed, this is the place to order any Southern favorite; stewed okra, file gumbo and sweet potatoes, for instance, are all prepared in traditional Creole style. Don't expect the usual greasiness that accompanies most Southern food.

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samchild7

Joined 10 years ago

Dooky Rules. Leah Chase defines warm, graceful hospitality. Her cooking is first rate -- greaseless Southern/Creole cooking is a rarity, even in New Orleans, but she manages to pull it off with flair. The crab bisque was heavenly, the lake shrimp wonderfully light, the shrimp clemenceau remarkable, and the pecan pie flavorful without being overwhelming. Leah's grandson, Trevor, offered us the most professional yet engaging service we have experienced in the United States (and elsewhere for that matter). Make sure you ask for sweet potatoes with any dish -- they are light, comforting but not too sweet. A planned interior "freshening" will take care of our downgrade on ambiance. Don't be put off by the exterior of this restaurant or its location -- its a different world inside!