Chargrilled oysters at Dee's Xquisite are a must-try
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The chargrilled oysters at Dee's Xquisite come covered in the restaurant's signature garlic butter. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Dee's Xquisite is making finger-licking-good boiled seafood in a New Orleans East strip mall.
Why it matters: The oysters give Drago's a run for its money, in my opinion.
Catch up quick: Owner Demond Matthews has a huge following on Instagram, and I wanted to see if the food lived up to the hype.
- It did.
What I ordered: Chargrilled oysters ($25.99) and the Xquisite package ($29.99).
- The Xquisite package is the restaurant's most popular item, Matthews says, and comes with a Dungeness crab cluster, corn, potatoes, shrimp and turkey necks.
- I took Matthews' suggestion and ordered the peach cocktail ($8) created to pair with the seafood.
The food was delicious. I especially enjoyed the oysters and the turkey necks.
Between the lines: Dee's didn't have crab crackers when I went because people keep stealing them, the server said.
- Bring your own and plan to get messy.
The big picture: Matthews is a self-taught chef and started selling his food on the street corner.
- His seafood stands out, he says, because customers get a taste of boiled, smoked and grilled in each bite, along with his special garlic butter sauce.
- He opened a location about five years ago in the St. Bernard area, and now operates a full-service location at 8700 Lake Forest Boulevard.
If you go: Most people were getting takeout or sitting at the bar on the Friday I went for lunch.
- It's very casual.
