Liuzza's By The Track

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
Located mere steps from the New Orleans Fair Grounds, this Jurassic-era neighborhood barroom is a nerve center during JazzFest, and a comfortably seedy room the rest of the year. No frills, but the basics are solid--a single smoky room with sassy waitresses and frosty schooners of beer.

The Food
Though this is a dive with a capital D, that doesn't keep a creative kitchen staff from updating standard deep-fried bar fare. Soups and chunky gumbos are always outstanding, but the portions are out of control: A cup is a bowl, and a bowl is a vat. Salads are gargantuan plates of micro-greens topped with fresh seafood (fried shrimp are amazing) and house-made dressings. Po' boy selections break barriers with inventive combinations like fried oyster drizzled with garlic butter, or gloriously sloppy roast beef with gravy and horseradish mayo. Corned beef fans should give the crunchy Reuben a shot.