Drift Inn Diner now open in Algiers Point
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The Drift Inn's opening menu has a great burger, plus drinks with housemade syrups. Photo: Chelsea Brasted/Axios
The Drift Inn Diner is now open in Algiers Point.
Why it matters: The sweet, vintage-inspired spot brings something new to a New Orleans neighborhood where food options have grown by leaps over the last few years.
The big picture: Algiers Point, just across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter, has in that time replaced a pizza joint and added a Jamaican restaurant, taco stand, wine bar and sake bar to its dining roster.
- They joined a couple great bars, a breakfast cafe and corner stores to make for a suddenly thriving scene.
Between the lines: One reason for all that growth is Algiers resident Bryson Aust, who, now with the Drift Inn diner open, has his hands in four of those.
Zoom in: For the Drift Inn, Aust and Barracuda's Brett Jones brought in Aaron Miller and veteran bar industry pro Kirk Estopinal to run the show.
- Miller's the chef behind the Rabbit Hole breakfast club pop-up, which served up hangover-cure-style plates draped in melty American cheese and googly-eyed, sunny-side up eggs.
Dig in: The menu is short, for now, Miller says, as the staff gets acquainted with the new restaurant. But a focus on approachable, vintage diner food won't change. (Hopefully the touch of whimsy in the drink menu, which combines classic soda shop flavors with alcohol for the grown-ups, doesn't either.)
- During the soft opening, Miller and company are slinging out burgers that come wrapped in parchment paper that's more functional than decorative. The wrapping contains a pile of grilled onions, pickles and house sauce slathered on a patty thick enough to still be a touch pink by the time it arrives on its potato bun. It is, in a word, outstanding.
- The menu also includes a green salad with a bright, tangy garlic dressing and buckwheat "crispies" that crunch like Pop Rocks with every bite.
In addition to homemade soft serve and a kids menu, other options include a tuna melt and a breakfast bowl with tofu and grits.
- Notably, "you don't have to hack the menu to make it vegetarian," Miller says.
If you go: The Drift Inn Diner is open Wednesday through Sunday from 3 to 5pm for a bar-focused "ice cream hour." The full menu is served from 5pm to 9pm.
- Expect the hours and menu to expand over time.