J'anita's--what's the deal?

[HungryC]

So I popped over to J'Anita's two weeks ago. I love BBQ, NOLA needs more BBQ, etc. Except that the pulled pork was sorry--wet, soggy, not one iota of outside/crust. And the house special sauce was oddly thick, sort of gelatinous, and sort of sour/horseradish-y. Side dishes of coleslaw & beans were hit & miss: slaw was fine (though ordinary), but baked beans were overly cumin'ed and verged dangerously close to chili in taste & texture. Has anyone else tried this place? I keep hearing good things, but I did not experience anything that made me want to return.

[TAPrice]

I also don't get the local adoration of the place. The fish sandwich is good. The guac was pretty good, but the animal crackers perched on it kind of turned my stomach. The gumbo was terrible. My bowl tasted like uncooked flour. Not sure if the roux wasn't fully finished or they tried to thicken it at the end. Either way, not pleasant.

I'll go back and try the BBQ, but you are not giving me much hope.

Is there a name for that BBQ that comes pre-soaked in sauce? If not, there should be.

I think J'Anita's is the kind of friendly, funky place that gets a lot of affection in this city regardless of the food quality. The funky vibe, I've come to realize, is the New Orleans equivalent of the big city hipster vibe.

[saturnbar]

The funky vibe, I've come to realize, is the New Orleans equivalent of the big city hipster vibe.

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That's because of places like F&M's, the Mayfair, Miss Mae's, not to mention the one and only, Saturnbar, along with so many other legendary hangouts, are simply part of our collective psychie. We can't help ourselves, like moths to a flame, we just love that funky vibe. And what's not to like. People talk about our food, but I'd put our funky hangouts up against any other place in the world. ch

[HungryC]

While I can appreciate "vibe" as a reason to be a faithful patron, nobody goes to Ms. Mae's, Saturn Bar, F&M, the Mayfair, etc for the FOOD. J'Anitas is first and foremost a restaurant---not a hangout, a bar (it doesn't even have a bar), or a happening. It's a standard restaurant: tables, chairs, food. No couches, no barstools...and on my one and only visit, I was the only person in the place (so much for people watching). I don't wish the proprietors ill--I just think the food isn't very good. Isn't that the most important part of a restaurant?