Acme Oyster House

Acme Oyster House, at 724 Iberville Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, has served Gulf Coast seafood since 1910, making it one of the oldest continuously operating oyster bars in the American South. The restaurant operates on two floors in a building that captures the French Quarter's authentic character — exposed brick, high ceilings, communal tables, and a raw bar counter where skilled shuckers work at speed through the service. The atmosphere is loud, convivial, and unapologetically casual; Acme does not aspire to fine dining and its regulars prefer it exactly this way. The oysters — Louisiana Gulf oysters from the waters of the Mississippi Delta — are the centerpiece. They are available raw on the half shell, char-grilled (the preparation most associated with the New Orleans style: placed in their shells on a gas grill, topped with garlic butter and Parmesan, and cooked until the edges curl and the shells begin to blacken), or in various cooked preparations. The char-grilled dozen, at approximately $22, is one of the best values in New Orleans and a dish that visitors often cite as the meal that made them understand New Orleans oyster culture. Po'boys — the definitive New Orleans sandwich on Leidenheimer French bread with shrimp, oyster, roast beef, or catfish — are the secondary program. Red beans and rice and gumbo appear on the menu as honest representations of the New Orleans Monday tradition. The French Quarter location draws both tourists and locals, with the latter forming the backbone of the lunch crowd.