The High Hat Cafe

"While catfish is the star at the casual neighborhood spot on Freret Street, High Hat’s gumbo is worth a shoutout. The chicken and andouille gumbo “Ya-Ya” is thick and dark, loaded up with the good stuff, all for a super-reasonable $8 cup. Try the sweet potato salad on the side." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell, Eater Staff

"A rotating array of hot plates sparks the menu at High Hat, a classic Southern cafe along the Freret dining corridor. Daily specials are posted on Instagram, platters piled with the likes of fried chicken, red beans, and shrimp Creole. The sides are extra special, like pimento cheese grits and braised greens." - Beth D'Addono

"Relaxed, bright, and friendly, High Hat offers a taste of Louisiana cuisine in a relaxed Uptown setting. Daily lunch specials, po’ boys, and favorites like rich, dark gumbo; fried catfish with cornbread and greens; and pimento mac and cheese rule the day, but the menu also holds some surprises and the bar serves excellent cocktails." - Eater Staff

"It’s no wonder that so many spots on Freret Street are kid-friendly (see also: Company Burger, Val’s, and Origami) given its placement in a family-heavy area of Uptown. High Hat is among them,  a relaxed spot that showcases the best of Louisiana cuisine. Kids will enjoy the fried catfish with cornbread and greens or smoked and roasted chicken with black-eyed peas or pimento mac and cheese." - Clair Lorell, Eater Staff

"Louisiana cuisine may be the heartbeat of the High Hat Cafe, but the burgers here are famous — particularly the house special, topped with the cafe’s famed pimiento cheese, melted. All four varieties are cooked on a flat top grill, crisp and juicy but sizzling, or build your own. The fries are delicious." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell