R&O's Restaurant

The roast beef po-boy at R&O's consistently ranks among the area's best, which in a city built on the back of port trade — New Orleans was the largest port in the Southern United States throughout the 19th century, exporting cotton and farm products to Western Europe — means the stakes are real. Bucktown's Lake Avenue restaurant row still mixes commercial fishermen with Metairie office workers at lunch, and R&O's holds its own steps from Deanie's, serving the kind of food that survives on repeat business, not novelty. The thin-crust pizza is a local cult favorite — not what you came for, but what you order the second time. The lemon icebox pie is the signature dessert. The atmosphere is casual and family-style. No reservations are taken. Expect a wait. The restaurant is BYOB-friendly for wine; check current policy before you bring a bottle. Go for the roast beef. Stay because the room feels like what it is: a fixture of the lakefront, no performance required.