ACME OYSTER HOUSE
NEW ORLEANS, LA
I have never visited New Orleans without one, two or three visits to the Acme Oyster House just off Bourbon Street. This place serves the freshest and best Oysters, Boiled Crawfish, Po Boy's, Gumbo and Jambalaya. Absolutely love this place. The Oysters are shucked only when you order them. You can taste the freshness. I always order Crawfish here too. They are boiled in a slightly spicy seasoning and brought to your table by the pound. You rip off the tail and then suck the juices out of the head. This is where the flavor is. The tail takes some work to get out the small piece of meat. All the work is worth it as these little crustaceans are delicious. Everything at Acme Oyster House is good. You cannot go wrong eating here.
In 1910, before Satchmo had ever formed his first band, the Acme Café was opened on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Acme has been pleasing the palates of discriminating diners ever since.
In 1924, a disastrous fire caused the collapse of the three-story Acme Saloon building. The Café was re-established as Acme Oyster House around the corner at 724 Iberville, where it still operates today.
Acme has been shuckin’ ever since by serving food so good Prohibition wasn’t a problem at prices so low the Great Depression wasn’t all that depressing.
After many decades of success, business had slowed for Acme and many other French Quarter businesses in the early 1980’s. For a while, Acme closed at 4:00 and had only one waitress on staff. This prompted Acme to make the now famous “Waitress available sometimes” neon sign, which is proudly displayed in each restaurant and on the menu.
Despite the lack of business, and staff, native New Orleanian Mike Rodrigue recognized the potential. He bought Acme Oyster House in 1985 and revived the charming New Orleans’ institution without having to make too many changes.
Acme served about 250,000 raw and chargrilled oysters in Mike’s first year. 23 years and four new locations later, Acme shucked well over 3.6 million fresh oysters in 2008. That’s almost 10,000 oysters a day and doesn’t even include the fried ones.
Acme’s key to success is to not get too far from the source. In addition to the original French Quarter location, Acme Oyster Houses are open in Covington, Metairie, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in Sandestin on the Florida panhandle. Each location is a short, refrigerated drive away from where Acme’s oysters are harvested so they are always shucked and served at their freshest.
There has to be more than just great seafood to make a New Orleans’ restaurant famous. For Acme, maybe it’s eating under the glow of neon lights, or the checkerboard tablecloths, or enjoying a good meal with close friends and complete strangers at the same time. Maybe it’s the ice cold beer. Whatever it is, we’re glad you like it. Thanks to everyone for a great first hundred years.
ACME OYSTER HOUSE IS A TASTE OF HAWAII FAVORITE!
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| ACME OYSTER HOUSE |
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| ACME OYSTER HOUSE JUST OFF BOURBON STREET |
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| SIT AT THE OYSTER BAR OR GRAB A TABLE |
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| LARGE SEATING AREA. PLACE IS ALWAYS BUSY AND SOMETIMES THERE IS A LINE TO GET IN. |
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| THESE GUYS SHUCK THOUSANDS OF OYSTERS A DAY AND THEY ARE LIGHTNING FAST. |
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| ONE DOZEN OF THE FRESHEST OYSTERS |
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| LARGE AND MEATY OYSTERS GO DOWN LIKE BUTTER |
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| FRESH CRAWFISH SERVED BY THE POUND |
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| LARGE CRAWFISH IN A SLIGHTLY SPICY |
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| PULL OFF THE BODY AND SUCK THE JUICES OUT OF THE HEAD |
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| TAKES A BIT OF WORK TO GET THE CRAWFISH TAIL BUT IT IS WORTH IT! |
N.O. is my hometown but I've never been to the Acme. So many great places to eat, you could not get a bad meal in the Crescent City even it's the so-called hole in the wall.
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