It's a bit odd, but one of the first recommendations I received when I told folks I was traveling to New Orleans was "Try Willie Mae's fried chicken!"
New Orleans is not typically the place I would associate with fried chicken, but I trusted the recommendations and put it on my "must visit" list.
My Uber driver to get there was entertaining and called out to the police officer outside to make sure I got a seat inside right away because it was raining. Laughing, the police offer nodded and escorted me to a table - no wait!
Willie Mae’s Scotch House was established in 1957 as a bar in New Orleans’ Historic Treme neighborhood. After a year, the bar was moved to its current location, which consisted of a bar, a barbershop and beauty salon in the front. In the early 1970’s, the beauty salon closed, which brought on the demand for a restaurant from Willie Mae’s bar customers. The aromas of Mississippi and Louisiana cuisine emanating from the kitchen filled the air and brought on constant demand for delicious food. Their demand was met and the rest is history. In 2005, Ms. Willie Mae Seaton was honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for “America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region.”
Willie Mae's is laidback, but it's clear they take what they do very seriously. I ordered the fried chicken (white meat) with sides of macaroni & cheese and peas.
And, wow, people weren't lying. It's fried chicken, done very well. Crispy chicken, moist meat - and tasty sides to top it all off!
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