12 Retro Louisiana Restaurants That Haven’t Changed Since The ’80s
Louisiana restaurants are like time machines with menus. Some places refuse to swap out their paneling, update their booths, or mess with recipes that have been working just fine for decades.
These spots hold onto the past with pride, serving the same dishes in the same rooms under the same neon signs. Stepping inside feels like walking into your parents’ high school yearbook, but with better food.
Here are twelve Louisiana restaurants that still look, taste, and feel like the 1980s never ended. Ah, the pure nostalgia…
1. Casamento’s (New Orleans) – the tiled time capsule
Walk through the door and you’re surrounded by white tile that climbs the walls like a vintage bathroom, except this one smells like fresh Gulf oysters and hot oil.
Casamento’s has been shucking on Magazine Street since 1919, but the vibe feels frozen somewhere between Eisenhower and Reagan.
They close for the summer because oysters taste better in cold months, which makes every bite feel seasonal and special.
Order the fried-oyster loaf on pan bread. It arrives crunchy, golden, and simple in the best way possible. No fancy sauces or Instagram garnishes, just oysters done right.
2. Parkway Bakery & Tavern (New Orleans) – po-boys like granddad’s
Parkway looks like someone’s rec room that accidentally became famous. Wood paneling hugs the walls, the bar has absorbed decades of stories, and the po-boys taste exactly like they did when your parents were dating.
They’ve been slinging poor boys here since 1911, surviving floods, trends, and the temptation to modernize.
Stick with the roast beef or fried shrimp po-boy and grab a cold drink. I once watched a guy finish two roast beefs in one sitting and leave grinning.
The gravy-soaked debris is that good, and the bread is always fresh.
3. Port of Call (New Orleans) – burgers, baked potatoes, and a pirate vibe
Dim lighting and wood paneling make Port of Call feel like a ship’s cabin that serves burgers instead of grog.
Your burger still comes with a loaded baked potato instead of fries, a quirky New Orleans tradition that hasn’t budged since the 1960s. The menu is short, the vibe is long, and the place glows like a secret hideout.
Order the cheeseburger and let the room’s atmosphere do the rest. The patty is thick, juicy, and cooked just right.
That baked potato arrives piled with butter, sour cream, and cheese like a side dish from another era.
4. Central Grocery & Deli (New Orleans) – the muffuletta mothership
A century-old grocery that smells like olive salad and cured meats, Central Grocery is the birthplace of the muffuletta sandwich.
Narrow aisles squeeze between stacked cans of imported tomatoes and jars of peppers, and the deli counter churns out giant sesame-topped sandwiches wrapped to go. It recently reopened after Hurricane Ida and feels exactly like it always did.
Order the original muffuletta with no tweaks needed. Layers of salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and that tangy olive salad make every bite a salty, oily, perfect mess. Grab extra napkins and find a spot to sit outside.
5. Mandina’s (New Orleans) – Canal Street’s Creole-Italian living room
Four generations in, Mandina’s still glows pink like a neighborhood living room that serves turtle soup.
Red-sauce Italian meets fried seafood under ceiling fans that have been spinning since your grandparents were regulars. The menu is a love letter to old New Orleans: rich, comforting, and unapologetically traditional.
Order turtle soup, paneed veal, or shrimp remoulade for comfort in capital letters. I tried the paneed veal on a friend’s recommendation and understood why people have been ordering it for decades.
It’s thin, crispy, and buttery, with a squeeze of lemon that ties everything together perfectly.
6. Mosca’s (Westwego) – family-style, no frills, all garlic
On a dark stretch of Highway 90 sits a wood-paneled throwback where the menu reads like a time capsule. Oysters Mosca, Chicken a la Grande, spaghetti bordelaise – all served family-style, unchanged on purpose.
The building looks like a roadhouse that forgot to update since the Eisenhower administration, but the food tastes like a secret your Italian grandmother whispered to you.
Share everything because that’s the point. Garlic perfumes every dish, and portions are generous enough to feed a small army. Reservations are tough to snag, so plan ahead and bring your appetite.
7. Olde Tyme Grocery (Lafayette) – po-boy counter with a campus heartbeat
Since 1982, this St. Mary Boulevard staple has stuck to the script: order at the counter, eat a po-boy under decades of memorabilia, and feel like it’s game day forever.
The walls are plastered with Ragin’ Cajuns gear, faded photos, and license plates that tell stories without saying a word. It’s the kind of place where regulars know the menu by heart.
Order fried shrimp or the Lenten fried crawfish when in season. The bread is fresh, the shrimp are crispy, and the dressing ties it all together. This is Lafayette comfort food at its finest.
8. Judice Inn (Lafayette) – still no fries since 1947
A classic burger joint where the menu barely blinks: burgers, chips, cold drinks, and a proud sign that announces what it’s always announced.
Judice Inn opened in 1947 and decided fries were unnecessary, so you get chips instead. The booths are worn in all the right places, and the jukebox still plays hits that your parents slow-danced to.
Order a cheeseburger with the house sauce and onions, plus a shake. The patty is thin, the bun is soft, and the sauce is tangy-sweet in a way that makes you want another bite. Chips come in a basket, salty and perfect.
9. Darrell’s (Lake Charles) – ’80s po-boy royalty
Opened in 1985 and stubborn about it, Darrell’s serves po-boys wrapped in paper like little presents of roast beef and gravy.
Wood booths line the walls, and the house special drips with roast-beef gravy and jalapeño mayo that makes your taste buds wake up. This place knows what it does well and refuses to mess with the formula.
Order the Darrell’s Special with napkins by the stack. I made the mistake of wearing a white shirt once and learned my lesson. The roast beef is tender, the bread soaks up every drop of gravy, and that jalapeño mayo adds just enough kick.
10. Strawn’s Eat Shop (Shreveport) – neon diner & icebox pies
Breakfast all day, griddle burgers, and strawberry icebox pie in a vintage diner that looks like your grandmother’s favorite booth never moved an inch.
Neon signs glow in the windows, and the pie case sits like a trophy near the counter, displaying slices that could win beauty contests. The menu is simple, the portions are generous, and the vibe is pure Shreveport nostalgia.
Order pie first, then a patty melt. The strawberry icebox pie is creamy, sweet, and cold enough to make you forget the Louisiana heat. The patty melt is buttery, cheesy, and griddled to crispy perfection.
11. Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant (Natchitoches) – the original meat-pie stop
Wood-paneled walls, cafe cups, and golden fried meat pies that put this town on the snack map – served the same way since 1967.
Lasyone’s is the reason people drive to Natchitoches hungry and leave planning their next visit. The meat pies are crispy on the outside, savory on the inside, and served hot with a side of nostalgia.
Order the classic beef-and-pork meat pie with red beans on the side. The crust shatters when you bite into it, and the filling is seasoned just right.
Red beans add creaminess and balance, making this a meal you’ll crave long after leaving town.
12. A-Bear’s Café (Houma) – plate lunches & Friday-night two-steps
A Cajun cafe since 1963, with plate specials chalked up for the regulars and live music on Fridays. It’s the definition of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The tables fill up fast with locals who know the best days to show up, and the menu rotates based on what’s fresh and what grandma would approve of.
Order fried catfish on Friday and save room for homemade pie. The catfish is crispy and flaky, and the sides are cooked low and slow. Pie flavors change, but they’re always worth the wait.
This is Cajun comfort at its finest.