Blue Rooster

Good food, fun spot, but get there early as restaurant fills up quickly! Catch Lauren Mitchell Band there for a great night. The mac n cheese is a must do!

Went to down to the Blue Rooster on a Saturday, thinking it was going to be more crowded than it was. Had to pay a cover for the band that would be playing at 830, which I was thrilled about but the band turned out to be quite good. Excellent food, good beer selection craft and domestics, and friendly service. My dad was in from our of town, he really enjoyed it as did I. We'll definitely be back in again for the food and to hear the different types of music they have going on each night!

This was the first time sitting down for a meal and definitely not my last. Because I spend a lot of time in New Orleans, I have always been wary of a new, self proclaimed Southern restaurant as my favorite places for soul food were immaculately conceived- they've always been there.  Having recently had fried chicken at Willie Mae's Scotch House in the 9th Ward in NOLA, I didn't think it fair to order it here so I had the fried catfish.  Deftly prepared with the perfect cornmeal crust accentuating the flavorful, moist catfish fillets.  My wife's shrimp and grits were also on point.  Creamy, cheddar-y grits, big, perfectly prepared shrimp with a great mango chutney.  Fried green tomatoes were good although I think a 4th slice would not kill their food cost and make for a better sharing appetizer.  My greens were slightly under cooked and moreover they were gritty from improperly rinsed leaves.
The atmosphere is very hip- barn wood walls, semi-industrial accents, 2 great communal tables in the bar area that are perfect for beers, food and music, cool pop art prints of blues icons and a great stage (they need to work on their sound for their live acts, sometimes too loud for diners and/or poorly mixed for full bands).
About the music- I give them a lot of credit for featuring off the beaten path live music.  Their line-up is a great departure from the live club bands that many of us that live here are tiring of.  I've heard some bands that weren't fantastic but I still love and listen for their originality.
The service was casual, friendly and basically pretty good.  I am on a mission to right a dining room faux pas, though.  Any restaurant, and at the very least a restaurant that has entrees priced north of $15-$20, DO NOT ask me to hold on to my dirty silverware. Bring me clean silverware for my next course!  I do not apologize for having worked fine dining for years and understanding that placing dirty silverware on a table is taboo, under any circumstances.  It is such an unnecessary corner to cut- the cost to the restaurant is negligible at best and the difference in quality of service is immeasurable.