Located at:

8324 Oak St., New Orleans, La. 70118 • 504-861-0886

From the outside, Jacques-Imo’s looks like a grungy New Orleans hole-in-the-wall, but once you sit down and take your first bite you know you’re in the right place. It’s a home-style New Orleans restaurant with a lot of flair. When being seated, you are escorted straight through the busy kitchen and get placed in the back room, which is cozy and has walls covered with brightly colored paintings and posters. Remember to get there early though, because after 6 p.m., a line starts to form out the door, but it is definitely worth the wait. If mom complains, then just offer her one of their famous watermelon mojitos (made from real crushed up watermelons) to tide her over. The meals are pricey, but with every entrée you get a green salad with a fried oyster on top and the best corn bread muffin you’ve ever had. The entrées start at $25, but the options range from shrimp and grits to stuffed pork chops to Blackened Tuna. Don’t forget to try the Alligator Cheesecake, a scrumptious cornbread made with alligator sausage.

RUNNERS-UP:

Commander’s Palace

1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, La. 70130 • 504-899-8221

Emeril’s

800 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, La. 70130 • 504-528-9393 

(SOPHIA TAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)