New Orleans Eats Forums at NOLAEats.com

I've had to work on the Westbank the past two weeks. Before this, I could count the number of times I've been over here on one hand. I browsed previous suggestions for Westbank dining here and came up with some good ones.
My co-worker and I went to O'Brien's Grill on Belle Chase Hwy last week. I had the Irish sandwich. It was corned beef, roast beef, creole mustard and wilted cabbage. It was delicious. I was very pleased to find they serve you an option of fries, fruit salad and there was one option I can't remember. It wasn't some gooey out of the can fruit salad. It was fresh grapes, pineapple, & strawberries. My co-worker had the soup of the day: eggplant bisque with lump crabmeat. It didn't sound tasty but it was excellent. She also had a steak salad that had very fresh greens.
Yesterday, we tried Clementine's. She got the onion soup. I wanted it but knew I'd eat every bite of that melted cheese on top. She had the chicken & mushroom crepe. I can't remember the name of what I had but it was a Finnish stew. It was cut-up pieces of beef with a base that was sort of like turtle soup. I could taste some sherry or wine in it. There were belgian fries on top (looked like home fries to me). I dipped them in the left-over stew instead of using the bread basket. I was too full for dessert but they were offering a crepe Makado. It's a crepe with melted chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmm.
Any other places we should try over here? Anyone familiar with the Hookah Cafe or Cafe Zen?

Cafe Zen is pretty decent sushi & rolls. I haven't eaten anything else from there.

Tough location you are in, don't know if the Beef Connection is open for lunch or not, up the Belle Chasse Hwy. @ Gretna Blvd.

Go down BC hwy to Behrman hwy turn left there is a new sushi & hibachi grill restaurant, can't think of the name. It will be on the left.

All the way up BC hwy across WB expressway is Red Maple which is pretty good.

JRO, is that Hanna House, or something like that? Right behind Hooters, near Pep Boys. Oh, and Beef Connection is open for lunch.

Laura, are you at Ochsener/Meadowcrest? If so, quick lunch at Sun Ray Grill across the side street.

From Clementines, 2 blocks up toward Oakwood is Kim Son, and 2 blocks behind it is Nine Roses. Both very good. Across the Expressway is Tony Mandina's, but don't know lunch hours. Four blocks east of Clementines is Cafe DiBlasi, again not sure about lunch hours.

Two blocks from O'Briens is another Italian place, believe called Antonio's (In the Winn DIxie shopping area at Wall Blvd.) I ate dinner there once, and I know Isabella has dined there. Good food, check about lunch. Also, behind Home Depot is La Fiesta, a very small Mexican Rest, and there is a Cuban sandwich shop, Christy's across from the Wendys on Stumpf. Few blocks from there is Cafe 615 - Da Wabbit, which I hear has great lunch specials, and a great variety. It's one block from Franklin, at the corner by The Real Pieman, which has some great BBQ.

All of those places are near Clementines. If you are starting out in a different area, say near West Jeff Hospital, let me know and can come up with some more.

Edited to add:
OOH! I forgot one of my favorite spots for great lunch (well, at least if you like Mexican...)!
El Mexicano! On Lapalco, next door to Breaux Mart. Great specials at lunch.

Bon Apetite`

Oh, we've already hit SunRay 3 times! Thanks for all the suggestions.
My co-worker has to bring doughnuts to a meeting tomorrow and they want Krispy Kreme. Is there one over here near Ochsner Westbank?

LauraMc wrote:My co-worker has to bring doughnuts to a meeting tomorrow and they want Krispy Kreme. Is there one over here near Ochsner Westbank?

Marrero
4808 Lapalco Blvd
Marrero, LA 70072

Laura, how much longer will you be on the WB?
I'd love to meet up with you for lunch!

Thanks for your report on O'Brien's! I have not been.

Zen is my choice of sushi place & would be close to Meadowcrest/Ochsner.

I personally like to get the Medium Special Rolls that I can only get at Zen or Hana (the Riverbend Hana). They are a bit bigger than regular rolls but not huge, hence Medium.

They have nice lunches, but you will have tons of leftovers.

Krispy Kreme is near where Belle Promenade used to be near Barataria on Lapalco. Personally, I like Coffee &'s donuts much better (and I am not a donut eater at all), but hey, give them what they want I guess.

Antonio's is ok, but it's pasta, pizza & such. They do have salads. It would not be my first pick or my 2nd or 3rd!

We have a new Sushi place as Oyster mentioned.
Not my kind of place - too many big widescreen TVs, kind of has an upscale sportsbar feel to it, trying a bit too hard to be hip. I imagine some folks love it for that exact reason. I was not impressed by 2 out of 4 of the rolls & hesitate to go back just because it's not my kinda joint. They do have hibachi also.
Fuji Hana
1130 Behrman Hwy, Gretna 70056
504-394-2820

Cafe DiBlasi is one of my favorite places.
Crabmeat Fettucine is outstanding.
They have specials everyday. One of my faves is Panneed Lemon Chicken, but they have a wide menu. Ask for Jorge as your waiter & tell him you're a friend of mine. He'll take good care of you! Instead of salad you can get a small antipasto plate with your meal. I always do! But you have to ask for it - it is something regulars know about.

Nine Roses is my favorite Vietnamese place. If you go, I can recommend several dishes. They also have lunch specials but they are mostly Chinese.
Not that there's anything wrong with that! In fact, I never eat Chinese food anymore, but if I do get it once in a Blue moon - it's there. In fact, we're going there tomorrow night.

Tony Mandina's is good too, but again, Italian and honestly with your Italian MiL, maybe you're looking for something else.

I'll switch gears & go in the other direction. Down the road from Ochsner/Meadowcrest toward Belle Chase is Zydeco.
It's a typical seafood joint. Not sure what their oyster situation is right now, but the shrimp are good too as well as everything I've gotten there.
They also have a nice grilled shrimp salad. Sometimes it's mixed greens & other times more iceberg . . . you could always ask.

For Mexican, I like Taqueria Jalisco on Terry Pkway between Daniels Rd & Carol Sue. It's next to SAV A LOT. You can order tacos, quesadillas ala carte for a lighter lunch - my fav is Deshabrado which is shredded beef.
If you like guacamole, get it! It's freshly made! Do not get the Fajitas.
This is like walking into a little Mexican Village restaurant!
I also love the Sopa de Res (beef soup).

Please do not go to Cucos!!

And I'd skip Hookah Cafe. If you want Mediterranean go to Cleopatra instead. It's on Manhattan, on the swamp side of Lapalco. They have a nice grilled shrimp plate that you can get with hummus instead of fries, comes with a salad too.

I could give you more recs, but need to make some phone calls. PM me if you need my cell number.

If you get back to O-Brien's, try the artichoke cheesecake with sauteed oysters. It's one of the best apps I've had in a long time.

Also, try the hot dog place on Huey P. Long in Gretna. "Easy Dogs" I think. They cook the dogs in crab boil and they're good.

Also, try "Da Wabbit" for a hamburger steak. It's also really good.

Jonathan

Just today and tomorrow, hopefully. I'm ready to go back to my tiny, little office with my comfy chair. I guess it's like sleeping in your own bed.

We're early lunchers too. Usually 11 a.m. unless we get delayed by a work issue but I'll p.m. you my cell.

Isabella Maja wrote:Laura, how much longer will you be on the WB?
I'd love to meet up with you for lunch!
.

Pho Tau Bay is my favorite WB lunch spot, and it opens at either 9 or 10 am, so it's perfect for early lunches. Don't overlook the Taqueria Sanchez stand on the expressway for a picnic (can't sit inside).

hungryone wrote:Pho Tau Bay is my favorite WB lunch spot, and it opens at either 9 or 10 am, so it's perfect for early lunches. Don't overlook the Taqueria Sanchez stand on the expressway for a picnic (can't sit inside).

I swecond Taqueria Sanchez. I love that place