Serving Since

New Orleans

Serving since

1938

88 years in New Orleans

Mother's Restaurant

Central Business District · Creole

Go here for
Ferdi Special po-boy · Debris po-boy · Baked ham
Why go
Baked ham, roast beef and debris po-boys on Poydras Street since 1938.
Local character
Locals + visitors. Louisiana's tourism office describes locals in line alongside visitors, veterans and politicians.
Good to know
Doesn't take reservations.Expect a line; locals and visitors queue together.
Directions Official website

Why it matters

Simon and Mary "Mother" Landry opened the restaurant on Poydras Street in 1938, cooking po-boys for longshoremen, laborers, newspapermen and attorneys. Five of the Landrys' seven children joined the Marine Corps, and the restaurant became a gathering place for Marines.

In 1986 Jerry and John Amato bought Mother's from the Landrys' sons. Jerry Amato expanded the menu. It is known for the Ferdi Special, a po-boy of baked ham, roast beef and debris, the roast beef that falls into the gravy while roasting.

The story

  1. 1938Simon and Mary Landry open Mother's on Poydras Street1
  2. 1986Jerry and John Amato buy the restaurant from the Landry sons1
  3. TodayStill serving New Orleans

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Details

Address
401 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Neighborhood
Central Business District
Ownership
Not verified
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.

Age25/ 35
Continuity—/ 20
Local significance10/ 20
Local food culture10/ 15
Independence—/ 10
OldScoreNot yet scored

"—" means unknown. We don't publish a total until every part is verified.

Local character: Locals + visitors. Louisiana's tourism office describes locals in line alongside visitors, veterans and politicians. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Mother's Restaurant (official site, home and History) Founding year, Ownership, History, What to order, Current status
  2. Louisiana Office of Tourism (Explore Louisiana), "Mother's Restaurant" Founding year, Address, What to order
  3. New Orleans & Company, "Mother's Restaurant/Mother's Next Door" What to order