Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe

The legendary Baquet family, whose roots in New Orleans Creole cuisine go deep, have presided over this Treme-based institution for generations. Since the 1940s, the Baquets have run 10 different restaurants in the city. Li’l Dizzy’s is the last one left and, despite a devoted local following, the pandemic nearly shut its doors forever.

Luckily, after an outpouring of community support, Wayne Baquet Jr. and his wife Arkesha stepped in and purchased the restaurant from his father, Wayne Baquet Sr., ensuring the legacy of this Black family run restaurant would continue on, and this Treme mainstay would continue serving neighborhood locals, weekly regulars, and in-the-know tourists.

Lunches here are a joyful encounter, despite lines often reaching out the door and around the block. The menu is classic soul food, with some of the city’s best fried chicken; perfectly seasoned gumbo; and sides like candied yams, Southern greens, and classic dirty rice. Daily specials also include stuffed peppers, creamy white beans over rice, smothered okra, and fried catfish topped with buttery shrimp and crab meat.

There are no trendy flourishes or fancy platings here. Everything is served in to-go containers, even if you’re only making it as far as the tables out front. And with food like this, you won’t want to go much further before tucking in.