Willie Mae's Scotch House

Willie Mae Seaton opened this Tremé restaurant in 1957—originally as a bar, beauty shop, and restaurant—then moved it a year later to 2401 St. Ann Street, where it still stands. The fried chicken is brined, battered, and fried in a cast-iron skillet. Served with butter beans and bread. No substitutions, no complications. The technique hasn't changed in nearly seventy years. In 2005, the James Beard Foundation named it an America's Classic. The Food Network and Travel Channel called it America's Best Fried Chicken. That same year, Katrina flooded the restaurant. Volunteers from across the country helped rebuild it; Willie Mae's reopened in 2007. Willie Mae Seaton, born in 1916 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, died in 2015. Her great-granddaughter Kerry Seaton Stewart took over. The line starts before they open. Waits of forty-five minutes or more are common at peak hours. Open Wednesday through Monday. Cash and cards accepted.