Drago's (Metairie)

[Jason Perlow]

NOTE: This topic is part of the Eating New Orleans series.

Drago's Seafood and Oyster Bar

3232 N Arnoult Rd. (at 17th)

Metairie, LA

504-888-9254

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/index2.htm

I will state emphatically that under no circumstances, do you leave New Orleans without first having some char broiled oysters at Drago's. They are by far the single best cooked Oyster preparation that I have ever had in my life.

Drago's takes big, juicy, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters, throws them on huge fiery charcoal grill, and after cooking them for a bit in their own juices, they ladle a pecorino romano/butter/parsley/garlic sauce on top of them, which becomes sort of like a crust after it cooks. The oysters are juicy, charcoal smoky, garlicky, cheesy, herbal, all at the same time, and the "sauce" that they render on the plate which you sop up with Louisiana french bread is simply mind blowingly good.

Sure, Drago's is a full service seafood restaurant, and it has an incredible bar scene. The place is hopping with locals, packing the bar and every avaliable table. But we came for the Oysters. I really wish we had stayed and ordered a few more plates of these and made a meal out of them, as opposed to going to our next destination, Sid Mars, which ended up being very disappointing. There were times during the week I really wanted to go back to Drago's, but there were too many restaurants and oh so little time. Next time, definitely.

[Rachel Perlow]

Actually, that's not the standard po-boy french bread you are served at so many places. They were very good rolls that weren't so crumbly. I loved this oyster preparation as well, but it's not number one on my list of oysters (that would be the fried at Crabby Jack's, but I digress), but they were really really good. The bar was packed and while Jason looked around I managed to snag a bar table. The smokiest thing in the bar were these oysters, which I saw pass by going to nearly every table. I think I disappointed the waiter when I placed our order of only two iced teas and a dozen of your famous charbroiled oysters. I did look over the full menu, but Jason had already determined our dinner destination (that Shrimp & Eggplant Stack sounds good).

Also, I appreciated the way they serve the iced tea here, the full glasses of unsweet iced tea with a carafe for refills. Of course everyplace serves unsweet iced tea with refills, and I know it's more convenient for the server to bring the caraffe so he doesn't have to do refill trips, but I still like it because it's convenient for the diner as well.

[pterostyrax]

NOTE: This topic is part of the Eating New Orleans series.

Drago's Seafood and Oyster Bar

3232 N Arnoult Rd. (at 17th)

Metairie, LA

504-888-9254

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/index2.htm

I will state emphatically that under no circumstances, do you leave New Orleans without first having some char broiled oysters at Drago's. They are by far the single best cooked Oyster preparation that I have ever had in my life.

Drago's takes big, juicy, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters, throws them on huge fiery charcoal grill, and after cooking them for a bit in their own juices, they ladle a pecorino romano/butter/parsley/garlic sauce on top of them, which becomes sort of like a crust after it cooks. The oysters are juicy, charcoal smoky, garlicky, cheesy, herbal, all at the same time, and the "sauce" that they render on the plate which you sop up with Louisiana french bread is simply mind blowingly good.

Sure, Drago's is a full service seafood restaurant, and it has an incredible bar scene.  The place is hopping with locals, packing the bar and every avaliable table. But we came for the Oysters. I really wish we had stayed and ordered a few more plates of these and made a meal out of them, as opposed to going to our next destination, Sid Mars, which ended up being very disappointing. There were times during the week I really wanted to go back to Drago's, but there were too many restaurants and oh so little time. Next time, definitely.

Truer words have NEVER been spoken! I will go even further in my praise - they are the single best food I have ever put in my mouth - everything else is a distant second.

I had tried in vain to get my wife to eat oysters for 15 years. We were heading towards NOLA on a trip to Ochsner's and my wife read a glowing review on Drago's in Southern Living. We went in (this was before the recently completed remodeling), I ordered a dozen of those delectable denizens of the deep, told my wife she had to at least try one (never figured she would, but I had to try), she tried one, and promptly told me it was one of the best things she had ever eaten. Again, this was after 15 years of telling me that that there oyster I was trying to get her to eat was never gonna pass between those two lips of hers that I had come to love.

She now tries other oyster recipes including the gumbo at Drago's that we had this past weekend. She ordered a half dozen of the charbroiled oysters as well. We both raised a glass to her mother, who had to be smiling down on her daughter. Her mother was an oyster lover.

One's first taste of them is, to put it succinctly, a religious experience.

For others information, they also serve a 1.5 lb Maine lobster for $15.95. Yep. That's right - $15.95. Their stuffed half lobster is also an amazing deal.

[Varmint]

Man oh man. I get violently ill when I eat oysters, but I might be willing to suffer the 14 hours of misery just to enjoy the 10 minutes of bliss by eating a few of these. We'll likely be spending Christmas week on Dauphin Island, AL, and Mrs. Varmint has informed me that she and the eldest L'il Varmint will likely be making the 2-1/2 hour drive to Metairie to eat a couple dozen of these suckers. Damn, they look awesome.

[Mayhaw Man]

She can save the drive. You will be not far from Bayou La Batre. You can go buy some oysters and do a reasonable facsimile of them yourself. You'll be there at the peak of Oyster time (the holiday season is the biggest month of the year for oyster sales, thanks to all of that oyster dressing that has to be made) They might not be exactly the same, but they'll be close enough for government work.

[pterostyrax]

In a similar vein, I have made them at home with both parmigiano-reggiano and Stilton Bleu cheese. I can't decide which is better. Currently I am favoring the Stilton.

[sara]

Another shot of the charbroiled oysters. Good stuff, but Drago's also has the best raws I had this past trip.

[Danno]

My homemade version of the Drago's Erstas from Sunday. They were damned good:

The recipe:

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/03/19/drag...-oyster-recipe/

NOTE: This topic is part of the Eating New Orleans series.

Drago's Seafood and Oyster Bar

3232 N Arnoult Rd. (at 17th)

Metairie, LA

504-888-9254

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/index2.htm

I will state emphatically that under no circumstances, do you leave New Orleans without first having some char broiled oysters at Drago's. They are by far the single best cooked Oyster preparation that I have ever had in my life.

Drago's takes big, juicy, freshly shucked Louisiana oysters, throws them on huge fiery charcoal grill, and after cooking them for a bit in their own juices, they ladle a pecorino romano/butter/parsley/garlic sauce on top of them, which becomes sort of like a crust after it cooks. The oysters are juicy, charcoal smoky, garlicky, cheesy, herbal, all at the same time, and the "sauce" that they render on the plate which you sop up with Louisiana french bread is simply mind blowingly good.

Sure, Drago's is a full service seafood restaurant, and it has an incredible bar scene.  The place is hopping with locals, packing the bar and every avaliable table. But we came for the Oysters. I really wish we had stayed and ordered a few more plates of these and made a meal out of them, as opposed to going to our next destination, Sid Mars, which ended up being very disappointing. There were times during the week I really wanted to go back to Drago's, but there were too many restaurants and oh so little time. Next time, definitely.

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