Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

The story

Dooky Chase’s opened at its present Tremé address in 1941 and grew from a sandwich shop into one of America’s most important Black-owned fine-dining restaurants. Under Leah Chase, its Creole cooking, red dining rooms and landmark collection of African American art created a rare gathering place where civil-rights leaders could meet across racial lines during segregation.

Why Dooky Chase’s Restaurant is iconic

The beauty here is cultural as much as decorative: chandeliers, white linen and vivid art frame a dining room whose hospitality helped shape American history, while the Chase family still serves gumbo, shrimp Creole and fried chicken.

Selected by Ernst Aben · Information reviewed July 2026