Hotels near Gumbo Season at Dooky Chase's Restaurant

New Orleans in October means gumbo season, when the first cool evenings make a steaming bowl feel right again, and 12 October is National Gumbo Day. The city has two main styles: Creole gumbo, often made with tomatoes, shrimp and crab, and Cajun gumbo built on a darker roux with chicken and andouille sausage.

Dooky Chase's Restaurant in Tremé is one of the most famous places to eat it. Opened in 1941, it was run for decades by chef Leah Chase, known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, and served as a meeting place for civil rights organisers in the 1960s. Her family continues the menu of Creole gumbo, fried chicken and red beans, and the dining room walls display a large collection of African American art. If you prefer a festival, the National Fried Chicken Festival returns to the Lakefront each October.

Pro Tip: Dooky Chase's focuses on lunch service, so check current opening days before you go and arrive close to opening to avoid a wait. Order the gumbo alongside the fried chicken.