DiMartino’s Famous

Go for: A neighborhood New Orleans vibe, good po-boys and famous muffulettas

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This one’s for Hank: DiMartino’s Famous New Orleans Muffulettas is a Bestbank staple, and it’s West Bank proud.

Born from a family tradition of Italian food service vendors in New Orleans, Peter DiMartino opened his first restaurant in 1975. Today, the family chain of neighborhood eateries has three west bank locations + one in Covington. What you get when dining at DiMartino’s is a consistency across locations, and a measure of quality that sets it one notch above many local po-boy shops.

That’s because it’s po-boys AND more … at DiMartino’s come for the friendly neighbohood atmosphere, come back time and again for mouth watering po-boys, muffulettas, Nola-Italian style plate lunches and dinners, and more.

DiMartino’s does egg plant sticks, fried green tomatoes, chicken parm, meatballs and spaghetti, and they do all of these quite well. For me, it’s the roast beef po-boy almost every time, but I sometimes add a cup of gumbo, too. Admittedly, it’s hard to not order up one of their over-stuffed muffs to take home … it can feed ya for a few meals.

Of DiMartino’s three west bank locations, I suppose the Carol Sue location is my favorite, but they each have their own charm. Carol Sue is cozy, and nostalgic for me since it’s the first one I ever went to, General DeGaulle is nice because it’s easy to get to from downtown New Orleans, and the building has a quirky charm. The Marrero location seems to be quickest on the draw — service is always super fast, and the dining room, though sparse is comfy.

Our friend Hank says, “they make the best roast beef po-boy in the city, no contest,” and I know plenty of folks who say DiMartino’s fries their oysters, just perfect — every time.

Next time you’re on the west bank in Algiers, Terrytown, or Marrero — stop in at DiMartino’s, you won’t be disappointed. – Scott McCrossen