"Lil’ Easy’s large courtyard is the kind that’s common in New Orleans, with lots of steel patio tables, leafy tropical plants, and giant fans shuffling humid air from one side to the other to imitate a Louisiana breeze. The menu reads like a greatest hits list of Cajun classics. The gumbo and po’boys are solid, but the stars of the show are the frozen cocktails and limeades that arrive in cute yellow take-home cups to help you remember the boozy brunch or dinner you had the day before. Besides, you’re not here for delicately prepared fried-fish fingers—you’re here to show up with a group, drink painkillers, eat three dozen oysters, and wonder why you don’t feel 100% the next morning. " - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs