Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop — Restaurant in Metairie

Chas says to me one day "The best restaurant in New Orleans sits on the exit ramp from the highway". I am no stranger to finding good meals in locations that I was not expecting...but this one was kind of wild to think about. All you ever hear is the main streets down in the French Quarter. Decatur, Bourbon, Dauphine, Chartres, Royal...I did not imagine that one of the best places i'd dine in New Orleans would be located on an exit ramp off Route 10 a few miles outside of the downtown French Quarter area.

Upon meeting Chef Ron you realize why this food is so good. He has a humble restaurant (that he fills many times daily) and he is a very even tempered and calculated Chef. People outside of the industry may not understand this as much, but the difference between working for/with an even tempered chef and a hot tempered chef often is the difference between a happy and unhappy life. It also always reflects in the chef's food. The flavors here are so well crafted and the dishes are carefully selected and are clearly items that mean a lot to the Chef.

So as a Chef who has worked in many kitchen's over my 20-ish year career in Culinary and has tried many different gumbo's, I am very comfortable saying that this is the best Gumbo I've ever had. That is including my own, which is a very hard thing to say, but it's true...Chef Ron has perfected the art of the gumbo. Chas orders the same gumbo but he has them add fried shrimp over top. The fried shrimp made this dish even BETTER because there was a texture variation with the crunch of the fresh fried shrimp. I believe the seasoned flour was the same for the shrimp as it was for the gator bite special we tried. Similar flavors...both awesome.

Speaking of awesome, Chicken Jefferson seems as far as I can tell, to be a Chef Ron original. A juicy floured and fried chicken breast is topped with a cream based sauce that has a very healthy portion of shrimp and crawfish and served with white rice. I wouldn't call this dish super complex, however, it was super flavorful. The combination of the seafood in the cream sauce with the chicken is a real winner. This stuff is so good that Chef Ron offers the sauce alone as a side dish on the menu!

We tried dishes I didn't even speak much to in this post. The Crawfish Etouffee was incredible, the bread pudding was incredibly sweet and delicious with great body, the sausage grilled cheese was not at all what I expected but nearly caused me to immediately order a second one. Chef Ron has got something special going down in the bayou and you absolutely, positively, CANNOT visit the area without getting a meal here. He was named one of the top chef's in Louisiana and there is an absolute truth to that claim. Don't visit him during lunch Monday through Friday though unless you get there when he opens...or you won't be getting a seat. Lines out the door is what you'll encounter, and for...

This is the best gumbo I've had and that Chicken Jefferson is true crack. I have not had too many gumbo but that gumbo was so so good, I got the mumbo gumbo as a side with the Chicken Jefferson by the way and it was the full on 12oz for a total bill of $25 tax included! Some said the gumbo is bland which I do not understand at all! You might have to stir it up because the bottom is more concentrated than the top though the top is very nice even without stirring, but after stirring up it was SUPER great and VERY well-rounded in seasoning. If anything I wish it was a little more spicy and a little dash of hot sauce rounded it up an umph in both spice & flavor. Next time I might try asking if they have chilli or something for a change but overall, AMAZING gumbo. Not slimy at all, it has okra so it has some of that effect/denser & smoother but definitely just right! I cleaned that gumbo and all the rice so fast I swear. The Chicken Jefferson was great fried chicken steak, very moist & crispy & a BIG piece, smothered in a crawfish & shrimp cream sauce. I can tell they cook their seafood and their shells to make this sauce because the flavor is so so so good. It's not loose at all, lots of seafood & butter & cream & seasoning. The texture is amazing, lots and lots of shrimp & crawfish on top. I was basically licking utensils at the end because the sauce was so so good. Some of the best things I have had for a hot while along side the gumbo. The staff is the NICEST! Crystal literally pointed out to me how I can save money and food without ordering 2 separate things but the Chicken then the gumbo as a side (didn't see that on the menu or its not on there), which is 5 bucks cheaper than 2 things separately and only 3 bucks more than just the Chicken. She checked up on me all the time and was the sweetest lady ever. My water didn't even get halfway empty haha. Overall, worth my Uber drive to Metairie just for this! Shop is super cute, spacious & unique too, and food...

I really wish I could have given this restaurant 5stars . Because the food was MAGNIFICENT.

My son was in the mood for restaurant style chicken pasta. So this place was first on the list when he searched the internet. I was a bit sacred because the parking lot was completely empty. But then I heard there was an LSU game on. So that explains it.

When we entered we were greeted very politely. I ordered the blackened chicken pasta, the chicken Jefferson, and a catfish platter. Everything was delicious and seasoned well. Except for the potato salad. I was a bit confused at first glance I thought it was chicken salad. My son raved about how good his chicken pasta was. My chicken Jefferson could have used a tad bit more sauce. But let's get to why I gave it 3stars. The gentleman that took our order was about to give himself a 20% tip, had I not reviewed the pad to pay. I saw him press something on the pad and that's what made me look down before giving him my card. He was adding the gratuity fees.. Then when I went to sit and wait for my food. He came close to me and tried to grab my breast. I pushed him away and then he tried to offer me something to drink while I waited. Sir I want nothing else from you. I just wanna sit in the corner and be confused at what just happened. At this point I was very upset and ready to go. I only stayed because my child had been asking for "restaurant style pasta."

I will still recommend this restaurant, because the owner was very sweet when I told him what occurred. I didn't want him to refund me my money because everyone is in hard times. And the food was good. And the crazy part is I'll return because the food was just...