Restaurant
Commander’s Palace
A Garden District institution run by the Brennan family since 1974, serving what it calls New Haute Creole cooking, with weekend jazz brunch and a strict…
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant
A family-run Creole restaurant in Tremé, open since 1941, linked with the chef Leah Chase and with civil rights history in New Orleans.
At a glance
- Type
- Creole
- Area
- Tremé, New Orleans, United States
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- dookychaserestaurants.com
Good to know
- Reservations recommended
- Art collection
- Family run
Why we recommend it
Dooky Chase's Restaurant on Orleans Avenue in Tremé is one of the most historically important restaurants in New Orleans. It began in 1939 as a sandwich shop and lottery ticket outlet and opened as a restaurant in 1941, founded by Emily and Dooky Chase Sr. Their son Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr. and his wife Leah later took over and made it one of the few upscale places in the city where African American diners could eat and socialise. Leah Chase, now honoured as executive chef emeritus, became internationally known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine.
In the 1950s and 1960s the restaurant was a safe meeting place for civil rights leaders, who used its rooms to meet and plan, and it was named to the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail in 2021. In 2025 the James Beard Foundation named it an America's Classic. Over the years it has served guests including Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Hank Aaron and Quincy Jones. It is still family owned and operated.
The cooking is Creole, and the menus for lunch and dinner are posted on the website. The restaurant also has an art collection, described on its website. After Hurricane Katrina the building needed major work and the restaurant was closed for about two years before reopening.
The restaurant mainly serves lunch on weekdays, from 11am to 3pm, Tuesday to Friday, and serves dinner on Friday and Saturday only. Because hours can change, confirm on the website before you go. Reservations are strongly recommended and are made through OpenTable; the restaurant says seating may not be available without one, so book early, especially for dinner.
Lunch on a weekday is the simplest way to visit, and dinner on Friday or Saturday needs a reservation well ahead.
Dooky Chase's suits travellers interested in Creole cooking, African American history and the story of Tremé, as well as families. It sits on Orleans Avenue in Tremé, outside the French Quarter, so check directions before setting out; a taxi or ride-share is the simplest option for most visitors. A visit here makes a good start to an afternoon in Tremé, one of the city's historic neighbourhoods, and pairs well with St Louis Cemetery No. 1 on a history-focused day.
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant FAQs
When is Dooky Chase's open?
Lunch is served Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 3pm, and dinner on Friday and Saturday only. Confirm current hours on the website.
Do I need a reservation?
Reservations are strongly recommended through OpenTable, as seating may not be available without one.
Who was Leah Chase?
The chef who ran the restaurant with her husband, Edgar Dooky Chase Jr., and became known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine.
Why is the restaurant historically important?
It was a meeting place for civil rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s and is on the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail.
When did it open?
It began as a sandwich shop in 1939 and opened as a restaurant in 1941.
What awards has it received?
The James Beard Foundation named it an America's Classic in 2025.
Is the restaurant family run?
Yes. It is still family owned and operated.