Best Of New Orleans #17

Every day during the month of August, we're highlighting one restaurant from our recent ranking of theĀ 31 Best Restaurants in New Orleans. Today's restaurant, Dargo's, is #17 on our list.

It's rare that one food item puts a restaurant on the map, but at Drago's, which has one location in Metairie and another in the Hilton Riverside, it's all about the Charbroiled Oysters. The menu claims that this is "the single best bite of food in New Orleans," and that's actually not too far from the truth. Freshly-shucked Gulf oysters hit a ripping hot grill before being topped with a thick butter-based sauce kicked up with garlic, Pecorino, cayenne, white pepper, lemon juice, and parsley, and it all combines into a buttery flavorbomb for the ages. You might as well order your second dozen as soon as your first one arrives, and ask for some extra bread to mop up the sauce while you're at it.

Here's our complete ranking:
#31. Maurepas Fine Foods
#30. Boucherie
#29. Mother's
#28. Luke
#27. The Joint
#26. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse
#25. Mahony's
#24. MiLa
#23. La Petite Grocery
#22. Gautreau's
#21. Coquette
#20. Parkway Bakery
#19. Clancy's
#18. Dooky Chase
#17. Drago's
#16. Emeril's
#15. Redfish Grill
#14. Jacques-Imo's
#13. Bayona
#12. Camellia Grill
#11. Domilese's
#10. Willie Mae's Scotch House
#9. SoBou
#8. Root
#7. Herbsaint
#6. Domenica
#5. Cochon
#4. Peche
#3. August
#2. Galatoire's
#1. Commander's Palace