Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Head-on Gulf shrimp simmered in a peppery butter-Worcestershire-lemon sauce, served bubbling with French bread to mop the sauce. No barbecue involved, despite the name.
BBQ shrimp was invented at Pascal's Manale on Napoleon Avenue around 1954 by Jake Radosta, who wanted a dish for the bar that needed only a saute pan. The sauce is the dish: a lot of butter, a lot of black pepper, Worcestershire, lemon, garlic. The shrimp stay in their shells and the diner peels them at the table, then mops the sauce with French bread. Liuzza's by the Track later took the sauce and put it in a po-boy in the 1990s, inventing the BBQ shrimp po-boy. Both versions are the same sauce. Pascal's Manale still serves the original at 1838 Napoleon Avenue.
3 editor picks for BBQ shrimp in New Orleans, ranked by editorial score. All New Orleans signature dishes · BBQ shrimp across every city.
Liuzza's by the Track in New Orleans is the Bayou St John lunch counter near the Fair Grounds that invented the BBQ shrimp po-boy, still the room's anchor.
OrderThe BBQ shrimp po-boy, invented on this very counter.
TipCash only at peak; check the Jazz Fest schedule, the room turns into a circus on festival weekends.
Cochon in New Orleans is Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski's James Beard winning Cajun room on Tchoupitoulas, an ode to whole-hog cookery in a converted.
OrderThe cochon with turnips and cracklins. Then the rabbit and dumplings.
TipCochon Butcher around the corner sells the same charcuterie at a counter; cheaper and equally good for lunch.
Mother's in New Orleans is the 1938 CBD lunch counter at Poydras and Tchoupitoulas, home of the Ferdi Special po-boy with ham, roast beef and debris served.
OrderThe Ferdi Special po-boy with debris. Add a side of red beans.
TipLines are real; arrive at 11:00 or after 14:00 for the shortest wait.
BBQ shrimp makes more sense with someone from New Orleans explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Join a guided walking tour of the French Quarter of New Orleans and visit 5 distinct eateries to discover its diverse cuisine. Taste up to 9 different food samples and...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Join this tour through New Orleans’ historic and fascinating history of cocktails, and sample them along the way.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Experience the flavors of New Orleans on this 3-hour walking food tour in the French Quarter. Savor local delicacies, explore historic eateries, and immerse yourself i...
