13 Best Restaurants in Metairie (2026)

Charbroiled oysters are the reason to sit down at Acme, the butter and garlic pooling in the shell the way it should. The fried oysters hold up alongside them, and crab fingers round out a straightforward Gulf seafood order. The room runs casual and group-friendly, which suits first-timers working through an oyster anxiety before committing to the raw bar. Serviceable, honest, and the charbroiled preparation does the heavy lifting.

Southerns runs a menu that moves between familiar Southern comfort and a few Asian-inflected detours, with creative chicken sandwiches as the headline. Gumbo and jambalaya anchor the Louisiana side of the board. The Metairie brick-and-mortar location supports online ordering with orders ready on arrival, which keeps the operation brisk. For a casual mid-price meal that doesn't settle for the obvious, it holds a reliable place in the neighborhood rotation.

Walk-On's punches above the standard sports-bar ceiling. The red beans are worth ordering on their own terms, the burger lineup has depth, and the specialty cocktail program has been refreshed with enough range to reward repeat visits. The room runs loud and group-oriented on game nights, which is the point. For Metairie residents heading out before a movie or after errands, it functions as a dependable neighborhood anchor that happens to have screens on every wall.

Bobby Hebert's Cajun Cannon draws on the Saints quarterback's name but earns its keep through the kitchen. The pasta has earned repeat visitors, described as the kind of dish that lingers in memory after the meal. Bread pudding holds up as a closer, and the burger serves the casual-stop crowd well. The room reads welcoming for both locals and visitors passing through Metairie, with a beer-and-a-burger register that keeps the atmosphere unhurried.

Birria tacos are the anchor order at Tacos del Cartel, the consommé-forward preparation that has become the standard by which the dish gets judged anywhere in the metro. The appetizer menu skews toward smaller portions, which suits a happy-hour table grazing through drinks. The room handles large parties without friction and the pricing sits comfortably in the casual tier. Happy hour is the moment the space operates at its best, with the full birria order as the anchor.

The Metairie Outback runs the chain's familiar playbook: the Outback Special sirloin, the Bloomin' Onion at the table's center, and Alice Springs Chicken as the reliable middle-ground order. The kitchen's execution is uneven enough that takeout orders tend to travel better than some dine-in experiences on busy nights. For the price point and the format, it serves its purpose as a family-friendly steakhouse option in a suburban corridor without a deep bench of casual steak rooms.

Ruth's Chris in Metairie operates as an expense-account and special-occasion room, with the bread and butter service drawing consistent praise, the Leidenheimer pistolette arriving crispy-shelled and soft inside. Mac and cheese and potatoes au gratin are the sides to know, though availability can run short on busy evenings. The FOH polish suits a business dinner format; the room delivers the steakhouse reliability the brand is built on, without surprises in either direction.

Chicken tikka and butter chicken are the dishes that keep Taj Mahal's regular clientele returning, and the lamb biryani rounds out a focused menu that rewards repeat ordering. The kitchen runs as a family operation, and the room is small enough that service stays personal on weeknight visits. For Metairie, which does not carry a long roster of Indian options, Taj Mahal has held the position of neighborhood standard for years, with consistent execution across its core dishes.

Carrabba's grilled pork chop is the dish regulars come back to sort out, the cooking method yielding results consistent enough that guests puzzle over how it's done. Chicken Bryan and shrimp scampi fill out the middle of the menu. Sunday lunch runs smoothly here, with parking that eases the suburban logistics. Service consistency holds across most visits, though the kitchen has shown slower nights that test patience. A reliable chain anchor for the Metairie corridor.

Casa Garcia's guacamole arrives in generous portions and sets the table well for a casual group lunch. Tacos and enchiladas carry the menu, with consistency across visits being the room's real selling point. The staff runs welcoming and attentive on most occasions. One practical note: the restaurant adds a three-percent surcharge on card transactions, which is worth knowing before the check arrives. For steady, affordable Mexican in Metairie, it holds its lane without overreaching.

Bang Bang Shrimp is the Bonefish signature that most tables order first, and the wood-grilled salmon and lobster tail handle the heavier end of the seafood menu. The room has developed a following for its ticketed four-course martini pairing events, which close the floor to walk-ins and create a more curated sit-down format at around sixty-five dollars a seat. For Metairie, where special-occasion seafood rooms are not abundant, Bonefish fills a practical gap.

Pepperoni pizza and deep dish are the workhorses at That's Amore, and the kitchen runs prompt enough on casual weeknight and Sunday visits to keep the room from feeling like a wait. The beignets are an unexpected closer, a nod to the local sweet tradition that plays well at the end of a pizza dinner. Order accuracy has shown inconsistency on some occasions. For a neighborhood pizza night in Metairie without a long drive, the room serves the purpose.

El Paso Mexican Grill operates on consistency rather than ambition. The enchiladas and birria tacos are the main draws, though the birria has divided regulars on execution. Margaritas on the rocks run strong on some visits and flat on others, per the pattern in the order record. The room suits a reliable post-work weeknight stop where the expectation is familiar Mexican at a steady price. Diners who know exactly what they want from a neighborhood spot tend to leave satisfied.