Junebug — Restaurant in New Orleans

I think maybe it’s best not to try a restaurant when it first opens because they haven’t worked out all the kinks…but still I was there. It is a gorgeous restaurant but beware there is no cell phone service in here. I do want to say that as a disclaimer I think my experience would’ve been better with possibly a different server. Our server was very nonchalant and did not know much about the menu. Being that it is a new restaurant there are virtually no pictures to look at so when we asked questions about the menu he didn’t have the answers and never came back with the answers.

We started off by ordering dirty martinis. 15 minutes later our server came back and said they were actually out of olive juice. That was strange to me because they have olives as a starter on their menu but I ended up ordering a lemon drop. The cocktail glasses are tiny and my drink wasn’t even full nor was there any rim. For food we started with the tuna crudo, fried oysters and duck & bacon crepinettes. All 3 were great! I asked for salt and pepper and I was brought out 2 condiment containers instead of a shaker. For entrees my friend ordered the lamb gnocchi and 3 of us ordered hangar steaks. I ordered medium for my temperature and the server said they recommend medium rare and can’t guarantee the quality if we don’t get that temperature. I have literally never heard that in all my life of eating steak. Anyway, the steak was fine but I wasn’t aware it would be drowned in sauce. I didn’t care for the sauce at all. The manager, LB, was very kind and a perfect example of how management should address customer concerns.

Anyways, I’ll be back once they kind of get into...

I was lucky enough to get a preview of Junebug—sometimes, it’s all about who you know. From the moment I walked in, I could tell a lot of care had gone into the space. The interior is beautifully designed, striking the perfect balance between cozy and spacious. And the bar? Absolutely stunning. I could go on for days about the thoughtful details.

I don’t usually pay much attention to cocktail menus—I’m more of a beer and Irish whiskey drinker—but Junebug’s selection had me hooked. The menu leans heavily on eau de vie-based cocktails, and after just one, my two guests and I couldn’t stop trying the next… and the next. Even the two whiskey-based cocktails I sampled made me rethink my usual drink order.

And the food? We tried seven or eight dishes, and I’m still thinking about a few of them. The foie on banana bread was the unexpected star of the night. I’ll admit, it didn’t sound appealing at first, but I’m so glad we ordered it—a pillowy foie mousse on dense, barely sweet, dark banana bread. Perfection. Other standouts included the coal-roasted carrots, eggplant schnitzel, smoked olives, and the pâté melt—a brilliant play on a patty melt that took a classic sandwich to a whole new level.

The only miss? The duck cracklins—unfortunately, they were just soggy skin in breading. I hope they’re crispy next time, but honestly, on a packed preview night, one small miss is understandable.

Make sure to take a walk through the space—it’s huge, stretching far back with a semi-outdoor area and an entire hall of photos that could keep you entertained for ages.

Bottom line? I loved it, and I wholeheartedly recommend...

Junebug has the vibes. Beautiful building and nicely decorated….almost like an old speakeasy. So very cool 😎 and fun! We were a party of 3 with reservations. Our server was Sav who was knowledgeable explaining Junebug’s extraordinary drink menu - very unique. Sav was also attentive without too much hovering. Our evening consisted of martini set up, frozen slow gin fizz, pickled shrimp dip, hot fried oysters, tuna crudo, hanger steak- ordered by two of us, the gulf fish- this was a red fish, fries with comeback sauce and a preserved lemon semifreddo. The drinks were fabulous, the appetizers - dip, oysters & crudo - delectable. The entrees were limited about four to choose from. Certified something for everyone though. The gulf fish was a red fish; was very flavorful. The hanger steak were cooked to perfection but, the Worcestershire sauce was just too over baring to enjoy the perfectly cooked to perfection steak. Junebug was very thoughtful on our remarks and cooked us another steak without the sauce. I would ask for sauce on the side for dipping next time. The fries with comeback sauce was not a must have in my opinion, the two other guest who were with me had also stated this same feeling. The dessert was not my favorite but we were sharing and my friend said it was enjoyable but probably would not order that again when coming back to Junebug. This restaurant is fairly new, only operating about six months and maybe some tweaking still needed as far as Junebug’s menu. We all said we...