Toups Meatery

One of the best bites of any dish i have had anywhere is the Rillons. Texture was firm but not crispy fried and far from soft version i tried once and hated. The sauce was amazing, very thin roasty and sweet. I generally dont go for real sweet sauces but it really cut fat well. I also had some cold spicy crab claws that were tasty but i would probably opt for something else next time just to tey out more of the menu. Went there with friends after visiting St Louis No 3 Cemetery. Our buddy wasnt excited by menu or pricing but said the shrimp annd grits were the best she has ever had and she considers herself a shrimp and grit aficionado. She also loved the charity work the restaurant puts in feeding kids. At end she said it was totally worth it and she wants to go back for shrimp and grits! We didnt have cocktails because it was early and were warm from the walk in cemetery. Waitstaff was super friendly and helpful.

Having heard such good things about Toups, we arrived excited but ultimately left disappointed. While the ambiance was nice for a casual restaurant, the food and service could have been better.Meatery Board (4/5) - We started off on a high note with their signature dish. The board comes with cracklings, a boudin ball, daily sausage, hog's head cheese, chicken liver mousse, cured meat, duck rillettes, house-made pickles, and focaccia.Of note were 1) the crispy and juicy pork belly cracklings nicely dusted with Cajun seasoning and 2) the house-made pickles that brought balance to the richness of the meats with their nice acidity and sweetness.Minus 1 star for the overly buttery crostini that overpowered the flavor of the duck rillettes served overtop and for the missing focaccia that would have paired perfectly with the rich and smooth chicken liver mousse. Overall, a fun and varied eating experience.Double Cut Pork Chop (1/5) - A 22 oz pork chop glazed with a cane syrup gastrique and served overtop a bed of dirty rice.The pork chop was WAY too salty, to the point of being inedible. It was also cured to the point of tasting akin to ham. To give credit where credit is due, it was cooked well as it was tender and juicy. But the flavor of the cane syrup gastrique was nowhere to be found, and the dirty rice was undercooked and bland. Never in my life have I been that close to sending a dish back to the kitchen, but I honestly should have as it ruined the entire meal.

Crab salad with pickled quail eggs was just what I needed after rich-eating all weekend. Beautiful lettuces, plenty of crab meat, little quail eggs like pickled spicy jewels So flavorful!My husband loved the BBQ shrimp sandwich and we enjoyed sharing the crab claw appetizer.My cocktail was light, delicious and easy-drinking. Love that the glasses are chilled- it's a nice touch. The place seems kind of casual, not the most appealing dining room, but the level of food that comes out of that kitchen is *top notch*. And the food is what it's all about. I'd eat here weekly if I lived in NOLA. My third time here, and I've never been disappointed, only impressed.Our server was excellent and didn't miss a step, though we were seated outside. He knowledgeably answered all questions, and gave good advice. Chef Toups is a responsible community member who I'm delighted to support, especially when his food is so flavorful and delicious.

We were celebrating a birthday and had heard so much about the restaurant so decided to make a reservation to try it out. Overall food was decent, a bit pricey for the casual atmosphere, but the service was not good.We ordered the cheese board, the shrimp and grits, the burger and the fish and egg. The burger was good with a good portion size and flavor. It was served with chips which were so salty that were inedible. We ordered a side of fingerling potatoes which were better. The shrimp and grits was also a good portion size and had a good sauce but everything kind of blended together so you couldn't really tell where everything was. The cheese board was average, smaller pieces and there are better selections at other locations. The fish dish was good.Overall the food and portion size plus flavor was good but the prices were high and the service was not good.

Toups' was good, but not as good as I expected. The service was friendly and fast, and the ambience was relaxing in a rustic kind of way. The night of our reservation there were only a few other tables occupied, so we sat early. The food was good overall, with some small complaints here and there. Turkey necks: I ordered these because I'd never thought of using one for anything but stock or gravy. They were pretty good. Nicely battered and fried, with more meat than you would think. 4/5Candied pork belly: These cubes had a reduction of white sugar and red wine. While the flavor was really good, the meaty side of the belly cubes was pretty hard. My wife couldn't chew that part, so only ate the fatty section, which was melt in your mouth. 3.5/5 for the toughness. Dirty rice: This was pretty mild and tame for a dirty rice, but we all agreed that it was delicious. 5/5Lamb neck: We knew we would be ordering this. If you choose to, you might want to hold back on the appetizers, as this is a huge portion of food. The neck with the vertebrae still inside is a testament to what a nice braise can do. The meat was fall off the bone tender and very tasty. Not surprisingly that taste was of lamb. Just like a slow cooked leg, but with the stickiness on the teeth like a braised cheek. Pasta and diced vegetables sat in its cooking broth, and was a very nice sauce on its own. 5/5Venison tenderloin: It was to be served medium rare, but arrived far beyond that. I didn't taste it, but sent it back. The next iteration was nicely cooked, but that outer section was dry and gamey. I'm not sure how they cooked it, but it didn't do the cut justice. I had one piece and ended up tossing the rest. The potato gratin that came with it was too salty to eat. The venison might have been better with an accompanying sauce.Drinks: Pretty basic. The wine selection was very limited, as were the pours. Toups' has been on my list for a while. I'm glad I checked that box off, but likely won't return.

I have been waiting to go to Toups, and I'm glad that I recently had the chance. Two friends and I had the chance to visit last week, and overall, it was a good visit. First we ordered drinks. The Sally Fields Forever was amazing! It's a relatively small but mighty drink. It's not too sweet, but it was a great mix of sweet and tart. It was alsoPretty strong. I would definitely order again. As someone with a gluten allergy and dairy intolerance, I had to be careful with my order. The turkey necks are roasted, then fried with flour, but my friend loved them. The shrimp appetizer was also good, even though it was light on the shrimp. The highlight of that dish was the sauce. I ordered the pork chop, which was good, not amazing but good. The pork chop was well cooked and not dry, which is impressive since it's such a thick cut of meat. The chop definitely needed a sauce- I used pepper jelly on my leftovers, and it was fantastic. The collards were also pretty good. Not too salty. My friend who ordered the steak also enjoyed her food. Our server was great and worked as a cook for a few year, so he was able to answer all of our questions. The restaurant seemed pretty clean and the restrooms were also relatively clean. I enjoyed my food and would come back, but I would try another dish. I recommend at least trying this spot out once.

Decisions come in groups here cause you can't choose just one item. A brick wall of seasoning & smokey meat wrestles your nostrils comfortingly upon arrival. Cornbread with a sweetness rivaling an airplane runway made of honeycomb. Soft fish peeling apart effortlessly battered with a gladiator shell protecting it before dissolving on your first bite. Perfectly seasoned Cuban sandwiches. Pull up & stay Eatin!

All the meat was so tender and the portions were really big. I went with 6 people and we ordered 4 entrees and 2 appetizers to share and we could not finish. I really enjoyed the turkey neck and the roast duck. I thought the crispy turkey neck was especially tender and seasoned well. I thought everything was pretty salty though, especially the crispy pork belly. I don't think we could eat half of it between the six of us because it was so salty. Our waitress was really nice and recommended great dishes. The inside was a bit small and dim but great for going out.

Who didn't fall in love with Isaac's personality and approach to flavor on Top Chef? His namesake restaurant lives up to the public persona we were introduced to.The portions are massive, the flavors are meat forward, in-your-face, and incorporate the right balance of southern influence and cajun flavor. The meat portions here are, by far, the largest I've ever had. I think my pork chop was 2lbs on its own. Everyone else at our table had similar mountains of meat. The team is friendly and kind. They fit us in last minute on a busy night. It's a small inside dining room but when the weather is good you can sit outside or on the roof.

Service was 3 stars at best this evening. As guests tonight we felt like we were an after thought an imposition at best. The food was a one star. Too much heat in the dirty rice and greens. The chicken was dry over done. The dirty rice was so spicy and lacked the flavor that won me over in the beginning,I am from Florida, and visited this Resturant 3 years ago and I loved everything about this Resturant and it was on the top of the list for a revisit to experience. I am so disappointed all around. Basically for me the food was spicy hot it was inedible and when I advised our server she gave no acknowledgement . We will not be returning. It's off our food tour for our NOLA visits . This place has fell off in a big way. Their dirty rice was the best I had ever tasted. I'm sad. It's hard to say what could improve when from service to serving the food an investment in how you represent yourself to each guest has to matter and pride must be taken in each step of the process. I am speaking form my experience on this visit. You're only as good as your last plate, to night 1 star.