The Blind Pellican

When I was exploring the Garden District, there was a place on the corner of St Charles Ave. and Euterpe St. that looked like it might be too fancy for my wallet. As a matter of fact, it reminded me very much of the Blue Bayou at Disneyland - but that was from across the street.

After venturing a little close, there was a sign - literally - which altered the course of my plans for that evening:



 

This is not a one time offer. The Blind Pelican runs this oyster special every day of the week. Even if you don't care for oysters (heathen!) you can always just bring friends, give them the oysters, and keep the drinks for yourself - EVERYONE WINS!

 

They aren't small oysters, either.

 

 

The Blind Pelican offers way more than just (strong) drinks and plates of oysters (but really, what more do you need in life?) - They offer po'boys, soft shell crab plates, crawfish boils, burgers, personal pizzas, and lots of other treats for every craving, at prices that are too good to pass up.

 

 

On our first trip, we had the oysters (naturally), a personal pizza, and a grilled duck breast & bleu cheese sandwich (and beer).

 

Grilled duck breast & bleu cheese





Quite honestly, after looking at the menu, I wasn't sure that I could settle on any one dish, and asking for EVERYTHING would have killed me. So, I asked the waitress, and she recommended the duck breast sandwich over everything else. The meat was tender, with a hint of smokiness, and went very well with the gator & andouille hash on the side. The pizza was fantastic - dripping with melted cheese and a crust that was nice and thin, but not overcooked to the point where you would mistake it for an oversized cracker.

 

  

The drink selection is practically as large as the dinner menu, boasting a great selection from New Orleans breweries, as well as the usual suspects found everywhere else. Where the Blind Pelican goes a step beyond is in having a description of each beer, so you know what your tastebuds are getting into before you take a sip (something I wish more restaurants would do with their beer selections).

 

 

For me, it was the Mechahopzilla, brewed by New Orleans Lager & Ale. It has the very intense taste of hops, a slightly higher alcoholic content than other beers, and unfortunately will no longer be available because of some stupid lawsuit from Toho, Ltd.

 

This looks pretty delicious as-is, but they added crawfish & sausage to it 5 minutes later!

Offering both outdoor and indoor seating, fantastic specials, and an extensive selection of drinks and seafood, there is absolutely no reason NOT to take a little detour when you're in the Garden District to check out the Blind Pelican. Odds are, if it's during Happy Hour, I'll be there, as well!

 



Prices: Good (average entrée is $6-14)

Staff: Funny & knowledgeable
Atmosphere: Open & casual

Food: Excellent

Location:

1628 St. Charles Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70130

Phone: 504-558-9399

 

Web Site: None Currently