This place is honestly amazing and perfect for a birthday, date night or just hanging out in general.
We arrived around 9:40pm Saturday night and the place was almost full. We happily were placed at the back of the restaurant away from the -40 wind.
While we were looking at the menu, we were able to absorb the cozy but very New Orleans Mardi Gras- esque atmosphere and the down south soul blues. The band was wonderful with a pretty decent lead vocalist.
We got the fishbowl and lulu's corn bread to start. K - this was honestly my favourite alcoholic beverage - it even beats out my revered strawberry daiquiri! It's pricey at $25 a bowl but it's good for two which is why we got it to try. Corn bread was incredible and the fat spice butter - yum!
For our mains, I got the jambalaya which I thought was very good but oddly really sweet - almost like a tablespoon of sugar was added to it so I added lots of hot sauce. Best part of the jambalaya was the andouille sausage! My partner got the blackened catfish over grilled veg which he loved which he rated a 9/10. We also got a side of collard greens which we polished off happily and it was probably the best collard greens I've ever had. The portions are good for one person and are not meant to share.
To finish we got the beignets which were incredible - they were crisp on the outside and pillow soft on the inside served with melted chocolate sauce. Honestly I wanted to order a second plate but didn't want to look like a pig.
The entertainment was fun and energetic all night. I saw many people dancing and mingling and a few on very happy dates so this does seem like a hot spot. Many people knew each other so it seems the locals keep coming back which is always a good sign.
Lastly the service is amazing. Our waitress was incredibly helpful, attentive and I think because we were near the kitchen doors she was able to keep better track of us. My only issue was I think she expected a bigger tip than was left because after the bill was settled - she seemed a little upset and didn't say goodbye or anything. What can I say - even though it's NBA All Star weekend - not everyone earns enough to leave very large tips like pro athletes?
Honestly - I would go back to this restaurant/bar every weekend if it was close by. The food, atmosphere and general vibe is amazing and addictive. We stayed for about 3 hours, never felt rushed and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
I definitely recommend this place!