Staying power tastes good in New Orleans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Tujague's, one of the country's oldest restaurants, created the Grasshopper cocktail. Photos: Courtesy of Tujague's
Restaurants aren't just businesses in New Orleans — they're institutions. And several are hitting big birthdays this year.
Why it matters: In an industry where beloved spots close all the time, longevity is worth toasting.
The big picture: Big anniversaries mean throwback menus, special pricing and plenty of reasons to revisit an old favorite.
Some of the anniversaries this year...
🍽️ Tujague's marks 170 years, making it one of the country's longest-running restaurants.
- It's celebrating with $1.70 Grasshopper cocktails, which were invented here, and historic dishes from the 1800s and early 1900s.
- It also has an 1856 table d'hôte dinner menu, with five courses for $32 per person, plus the cost of the entrée. There's also a two-course brunch special for $18.56.
- The anniversary specials run all year.
🍌 Brennan's celebrates its 80th anniversary with $80 multi-course menus for breakfast and dinner.
- The prix fixe meals feature signature specialties spanning eight decades. The menus are available until the end of the year.
- Don't miss the bananas Foster, which was invented at Brennan's. It's made tableside.
🍓 Brigtsen's marks its 40th anniversary this weekend with a five-course meal celebrating the season.
- For $165, you'll get a crawfish eggroll, Ponchatoula strawberry salad, oyster soup, red snapper amandine and a cane syrup and fig cake.
- The restaurant also rolled out extended hours this year for Friday and Saturday nights.
- Plus, chef/owner Frank Brigtsen has a new cookbook coming out this summer with recipes from the city's finest Creole kitchens.
⭐️ Emeril's wraps its 35th anniversary celebrations this month with a dinner prepared by New Orleans' Michelin-starred chefs.
- Chef Sue Zemanick of Zasu and Trey Smith and Blake Aguillard of Saint Germain will cook with Emeril and E.J. Lagasse for the March 25 event.
🦞 Liuzza's by the Track throws a block party March 29 for its 30th anniversary with crawfish, oysters and live music.
🐟 GW Fins celebrates its 25th anniversary Monday at a sold-out party.
- We're told there are several more celebrations in the works. Details will be posted on their social media.
🍴 Restaurant August celebrates 25 years of contemporary Creole cuisine with limited-time dishes from its archives, commemorative Mignon Faget drinkware and tasting events.
- Events happen on the 25th of every month for the rest of the year.
🐷 Cochon celebrates 20 years in April. It's doing a yearlong series with guest chefs, special meals and featured drinks.
- The next event is a crawfish boil on March 21.
The bottom line: In a city that lives to eat, decades of staying power is something to savor.