The Jefferson Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. and the Louisiana Tourism Recovery Program created the Jefferson Parish Louisiana Oyster Trail in 2012. The trail is an experience focusing on Jefferson Parish restaurants serving Louisiana Oysters! Visitors and locals alike will experience the local flavor, and as “lagniappe” (a little something extra) get to enjoy the whimsy of each participating restaurant’s 3-foot tall oyster sculpture hand-painted with the flare of a local artist! It’s really a neat concept and as you travel through Jefferson Parish it’s fun to look for one of the famous “oyster” designs out in front of a restaurant.
Photo Credit: Louisiana Oyster Trail
Presently ‘the trail’ has 26 participating restaurants, and continues to grow which means more great oyster eateries are showcased and more Louisiana oysters are eaten in a variety of ways! The Louisiana Oyster Trail spans the parish extending from restaurants in the metropolitan areas surrounding Lake Pontchartrain & the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico! A Louisiana Oyster Trail brochure with a map indicating locations is available by clicking here. Please note, not all participating locations are represented in this brochure due to publication date but you can see a complete list of participating restaurants HERE
I was able to sample the delicious offerings at 2 of the Oyster Trail restaurants during my visit and still can’t decide which one I loved more! Both were fabulous and served the most delicious oysters ever!
For over 100 years, Acme Oyster House has been satisfying the hungriest of people and I have to say my absolute favorite dish here was the char-grilled oysters. It’s quality you can taste in the fresh, hand-shucked Louisiana oysters – served in so many different ways its difficult to decide what to order so we ordered tons! Acme oysters are some of the best you’ll ever have. They offer much more than oysters for those that are looking for something different. The atmosphere is fun and lively. I would definitely not miss the Acme Oyster House on my next visit to the New Orleans area.
Restaurant des Famillies – OMG! some of what I had here has me wanting to go back now! Alligator stuffed mushrooms; turtle soup; and, pecan pie cobbler with fresh ice cream. I will admit I left here after over-eating one of the best lunches I have ever had. The 15-mile drive from downtown New Orleans will take you through the Jean Lafitte National Park. You’ll arrive at Restaurant des Familles and park under moss-filled century-old oak trees. The restaurant’s Acadian-style architecture provides a glimpse of bayou life that once was. The view from the interior of the bayou is beautiful. The menu features authentic Cajun and Creole favorites such as Crawfish Etouffée, Seafood & Okra Gumbo, Seafood Platters and that absolutely favulous Turtle Soup. The Alligator Stuffed Mushrooms with Alligator Sauce Piquant, is one of their specialties and will tempt even the most timid diner.
My meals and visits were provided by the Jefferson Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.
