Acme Oyster House

Acme Oyster House Serves Up Great Classic New Orleans Comfort Food
By Don Redman

Acme Oyster House is a real pearl among seafood restaurants in the Gulf South, offering some of the finest oyster dishes in the region.

Above: Freshly shucked oysters are available at Acme Oyster House locations, including the restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Richard Nowitz-New Orleans CVB photo Below: A favorite on the seasonal menu, the barbeque shrimp offered at Acme is rich and delicious and served in a perfect bread bowl for dipping. Don Redman photo\

Acme is a favorite among locals who love their oysters and take great pleasure in dining on what could be best described as New Orleans comfort food. From red beans and rice to jambalaya, seafood gumbo to crawfish etouffee, Acme was a varied menu to please just about every palate.
   
Originally located on Royal Street in the French Quarter, the Acme Café was established in 1910, but in 1924, a disastrous fire collapsed the three-story Acme Saloon building. The café was later re-established as the Acme Oyster House at its present location, 724 Iberville St. in the French Quarter.
   
The restaurant began to expand its borders beginning in the late 1990s when it opened a restaurant in downtown Covington, which was later relocated to its current address at 1202 N. Highway 190. Since then, Acme has opened additional oyster houses in Metairie, Baton Rouge and Sandestin, Fla.
   
For this review I dined at the Acme Oyster House in Covington.
   
Appetizers include artery-clogging Boo Fries with roast beef gravy and cheese (simply sinful); meat pies; and fried crab claws and crawfish tails. Of course, there is a great offering of salads, too.
   
Their seafood po-boys (fried shrimp, oyster and catfish) are consistently good, using the freshest seafood, perfectly spiced batter and the ever-important fresh oil for frying. Then there is the classic roast beef po-boy oozing with gravy-down-the-elbow goodness.
   
On the day of my visit, I selected an item from their summer menu, barbecued shrimp. For the uninitiated, barbecued shrimp actually has nothing to do with barbecue, but it does have everything to do with a lot of butter, pepper and spices and plenty of bread for dipping. In this case, Acme serve’s its barbecued shrimp in a bread bowl. The dish was outstanding.
   
I also ordered a sampling of fried oysters and shrimp, which were cooked to perfection–lightly battered and freshly fried. Skipping dessert, I can attest from previous visits that the bread pudding is divine and there should be a law against the rich chocolate caramel pie.
   
Adding to the exceptional family dining experience is the exceptional value that won’t break the family’s budget.
   
I highly recommend placing Acme Oyster House at the top of your list of casual dining restaurants you’ll want to experience again and again.
   
The Acme Oyster House in Covington is open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (985) 246-6155 or visit www.acmeoyster.com.