5 Stars -- Incredible food, generous portions, and the BEST desserts!…read more We came in with a big group -- kids, grandkids, the whole family -- and we were blown away by how good the food was across the board. We started with the fried boudin balls and crispy house-smoked bacon. Both were delicious and packed with flavor. We also shared a bowl of red beans & rice, and even my one-year-old grandson devoured it (and wore a good portion of it on his face!). The brunch board was a huge hit -- such a fun assortment of waffles, pancakes, pastries, fruit, sausage, bacon, and more. Truly something for everyone, and perfect for sharing. For mains: * I had the Trout Almondine with cheese grits -- and those grits were honestly the BEST I've ever had. Creamy, cheesy, and perfect. * My daughter ordered the ribeye and loved it. * My husband had a burger and cleaned his plate. Everything came out hot, fresh, and full of flavor. We weren't disappointed in a single item. And then... the desserts. Oh my goodness. We tried the cheesecake, pecan pie, and bread pudding. The cheesecake was the best I've ever had, and my daughter agreed. The pecan pie tasted like something straight out of a grandmother's kitchen -- my husband said it was the best he's ever had. The bread pudding was rich, warm, and equally delicious. The staff was friendly and patient with the kids, which made the evening stress-free and fun. Bottom line: we loved everything -- from appetizers to dessert -- and we will absolutely be back!

Staying in Hammond in mid-September, a coworker mentioned this spot so we both trekked down south…read moreto check it out. We got here around 8ish in the evening and it was raining so not many people here. So we propped up at the bar and ordered. I was in a martini mood so Gin martinis were my calling; they made them the way I like: slightly dirty w/ extra olives. I can't remember how many of those I ordered but they went down smooth. I didn't want to order anything heavy so I decided on the Brussels Sprouts and a cup of the Chicken/Andouille Gumbo. The Brussels were crispy and had a nice soy glaze to cap it off. They garnished it with some peeled scallions which gives a nice finish. I'm a sucker for Brussels Sprouts; if they're on the menu, I'm very likely gonna order them. The gumbo was pretty good, had a tomato richness to it. I forgot what my friend ordered; probably cause I had too many martinis. It's about a 10-15 minute drive from Hammond but it's worth it. Check it out when you're in the area!

After a stop in Pass Manchac looking for outside dining but finding a jammed inside-only restaurant…read morewith no masks, we headed up US 51 into Ponchatoula to look for an alternative. J Rucker's was listed as open, but when we arrived no one was there and it was marked closed. When we called, we were told "yes, we are open" but no one appeared in front. Finally just as we were about to drive off, someone came running across the parking lot. "We are open, and you can sit outside." After that little bit our time confusion (to the restaurant's credit, we were looking for a place around 4:30 in the afternoon and some listings showed a 5 pm opening, while others implied open from lunch to dinner. No big deal), we got seated and offered menus. "Fried ribs" jumped out immediately as (1) unhealthy in many ways (2) unique and (3) of course, something we have to try once. We put in an order for that, along with fried shrimp and stewed chicken. Unfortunately a few minutes later the kitchen informed our server that fried ribs would not be offered that evening. I changed to stewed chicken. For starters, the fried broccoli and boudain balls were hot, fresh, not greasy, and served with a house dipping sauce that had a bit of kick. The stewed chicken arrived in the dense gravy on rice, tasty but beware also on the salty side (this bothered some other diners in my party more than me). The fried shrimp actually might have been the best thing on the table: hot, crispy, with almost like a tempura texture served on a bed of thin-sliced french fries. We were stuffed and facing a ride back to the south shore, so no dessert..."but tell us what you have, anyway." One of the options was "Bananas Foster ice cream." Uh oh, looks like we ARE having dessert. Highly recommended, with a strong banana flavor and actually frozen bits of ripe banana in there. (Some may not like that texture, but didn't bother me one bit). Chicken and waffles are one of the options for entree, as is an ice cream and waffle dessert that looked good as it went out to another table.

We were driving by on our to to another restaurant. This is a wonderful little hole in the wall…read morewith excellent staff! We were instantly seated and the staff had the most tasteful recommendations. The food was insanely delicious! They were so festive. We are definitely coming back time and again!

We visited for a birthday dinner. Let me first say, Hammond has come so far from when I was at SLU…read morein 2000. So! It was raining and freezing when I arrived, so I didn't get to see the beautiful outdoor seating, running inside from the cold. This place has an amazing vibe. The bar area was like the watering pool in a Disney cartoon. Music, drinking, mingling. The dining room was much quieter and calm. Great option for a romantic date night. Our food and service was pretty good. Not really amazing, but for a party of 11, it's tough to give amazing service. Everyone enjoyed their food. I'll absolutely be back

If there were ten stars, this place would get a ten!…read more What is wrong with you people giving 3s and 4s...you must not get out to eat a lot. I travel all over the world and this food is on par with some of the best bistro dishes Ive had on the coast of Spain!! Excellent!! Fabulous!! I'm coming back often...even though I live 60 minutes away.

Best food and service on the North Shore, IMO. Drinks from the bar are consistently on point, and…read morethe service from the bar is top notch. Ask about the specials, and prepare yourself to be impressed. The kitchen staff obviously take pride in the work they do to produce such unique renditions of traditional favorites while still respecting the dish's origins. Awesome creativity going on in the back, for sure! Great food, great drinks, great service, wonderful place. If you haven't been, go see what you've been missing. Favorite appetizer: Bille's Bacon. Available with fried or grilled shrimp, or fried oysters on top of a THICK slab of bacon. Seafood rests on generous amounts of Gorgonzola cheese, and the Calabrian chili honey glaze drizzle just puts the kiss on top. KILLER grub! I had the grilled shrimp. Gulf shrimp, of course.

Pretty dope Italian spot in Hammond! OpenTable brought me and fellow teammates here for a couple…read moreteam dinners. Located in the downtown area of Hammond, this may be my favorite restaurant in the area and for good reason! The interior has the right amount of lighting to give an intimate feel and there's plenty of indoor seating where tables can be pushed together for large parties. The bar area is also comfy if you're looking to pop in for a glass of wine or a cocktail. Speaking of which, there's plenty of wine by the glass and featured bottle wines. It doesn't have as expansive of a bottle wine menu like other Italian spots but they don't need to as they offer about a dozen wines each from the USA and from the Italy/Spain/Argentina regions. So you'll find whatever you need to suit your tastes. And then there's cocktails. All the classics (Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Old Fashioned) are here with some Italian favorites like the Negroni. The popular ones amongst us were the Limoncello Spritz (think of a vodka sparkling lemonade), the Espresso Martini, and the Basil Cucumber Gimlet. Tasty and pretty presentations! As for eats, the shareables that are must-orders are the Italian Meatballs (served in polenta w/ spicy tomato sauce), the Calamari, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and Caprese Salad. These always made the table whenever we were here; the meatballs and brussels sprouts being the ones people couldn't stop eating. The turtle soup is also a good first course if you're going light. It was my first time having turtle soup and I enjoyed the heck out of it! For pastas/entrees, it depends how heavy you want to go. The pastas that we loved were the Fusilli and Casarecce. The Fusilli has a cajun spicy tomato base w/ shrimp, italian sausage, basil, and mushrooms; an excellent combination of ingredients for a delicious pasta dish. The Casarecce is more simple using a parmeson garlic cream sauce and a pan-fried breaded chicken breast on top. For entrees, the pork osso buco, duck breast, and diver scallops were all wonderful. The osso buco especially being super tender was a crowd-pleaser. They also have a filet mignon special w/ a fried potato cake and asparagus garnish finished in a red-wine demi glaze; this special was ordered by several people each time and had all of us oohhh'ing and ahhh'ing every time it was delivered. The filet is super tender and the potato cake is a great complimentary side to it. For dessert, we usually share the house cheesecake which has chocolate chips and caramel with a cookie crust; a perfect way to finish off the meal. That's if we save room for dessert! This spot is a must-visit and a place we plan to frequent whenever we're in Hammond. They also have a lot of gluten-free options in case you have a gluten intolerance. Do yourself a favor and check this spot out; you won't regret it!

The food is great, traditional Mexican fare. There are plenty of things to choose from, and you…read morereally cannot go wrong! It's affordable and quick and family friendly! Also, the margaritas are terrific!!!

So we have been staying in Ponchatula and have to eat out often. El Rancho is great, they have 3…read morelocations near home so we know the food is going to be good! The servers are always great here and the restaurant is always clean! Julie has a peach margarita sometimes and loves theirs! I recommend the tacos carne asada, the special hot sauce that comes with it is wonderful!!

The seafood is great. Service was excellent. Place kind of felt like a fast food restaurant. They…read moredid have a drive through. Men's bathroom, well everything was broken. Soap dispenser- broken soft soap on the sink., paper towel dispenser... Broken, just a roll hanging free, automatic toilet flush... Broken, push button works.

Service was excellent the tables were well attended. Desene made sure we had everything we needed.read more

Great food! Comfortable and clean restaurant! We walked in for a late lunch and were seated right…read moreaway. Very reasonable house wine $ and the trio fajitas were delicious!

Food and service was great. They have a good lunch menu. Seems like they did a little remodeling…read moresince the previous business that was here and it looks clean.

2 for Tuesdays!!!! Love this place. They have a drive…read morethrough but going inside is always quicker. They have pool tables but the two times I visited this week, they had signs up that the pool tables were closed. The best part about Daiquiris is that you can mix flavors. First visit I had piña colada, second visit I had a tropical piña colada. I personally wasn't a fan of this flavor. Service is amazing, the staff is attentive, and the ambiance is a vibe. Like a small bar, but not dirty or seedy.

Great staff and delicious daiquiris! This place was veryyyyyy clean and cute inside. Their prices…read morewere also very reasonable. If in the area, definitely come here for some alcoholic beverages.

Updating to make it clear they stole money from us and lied about us having picked up our order.read more

You'll never mistake Pontchartrain Vineyards' tasting room for one of the distination wineries in…read moreNapa Valley. The building reminded me more of what I would encounter in northern Sonoma, to the west of Healdsburg, or further south in the Paso Robles region. The tasting room is a decent size, although as I was the only visitor at the time, it seemed quite large. Quite a different experience from trying to enter on a Saturday night of a Jazz'n in the Vines concert. There is a patio terrace next to the building which overlooks the vineyard. Since it was a blazing hot June afternoon, I stayed inside rather than sit on the patio. There were seven wines to taste for a modest $5 fee. Four were from sourced grapes (California), two were American/French hybrids grown on the estate and the final was from a native American cultivar, also grown on the estate. All vintages were between 2005 & 2007, except for the recently released Syrah/Cabernet blend which is a 2009. I liked the Roux Saint Louis (a white wine based on the Blanc du Bois grape) as a nice summer wine. The Rouge Militaire is based on the American Cynthiana/Norton (a native red grape). It's a heavier red wine, and still needs a little time to open up. John Seago, the winemaker is often behind the bar, in the tasting room, but was out working the fields on this trip.