Rivershack Tavern Serves Big Plates and Good Times in New Orleans

A half-pound burger that spills a little beyond its bun tells you plenty about the mood at Rivershack Tavern. This is a down-home New Orleans stop where a casual meal can mean a loaded plate of fried seafood, a bowl of gumbo, or a burger with a serious side of tots.

The place has the useful flexibility of a neighborhood tavern: it can be a quick lunch, a family supper, a gathering spot for a group with wildly different appetites, or a pre-show meal and drink before an evening at nearby Southport Hall. The barroom is relaxed rather than fussy, but it has plenty of personality to look around at once you are settled in.

Rivershack's menu covers a lot of ground without straying far from comfort-food territory. Burgers, po-boys, sandwiches, wraps, salads, baskets, gumbo and seafood dishes make it easy for a table to order in several directions at once.

That range is handy when one person wants fried oysters and shrimp while another is eyeing a chef salad or a pastrami sandwich. Chicken baskets, chicken tenders with fries, catfish baskets and shrimp wraps give the menu plenty of dependable casual-meal options.

The chef salad deserves mention because it is not treated as a token lighter choice. It is fresh, generously built and substantial enough to hold its own beside the fried fare.

For a more distinctly Louisiana-tinged meal, look to shrimp and grits, chicken sausage gumbo, seafood-oriented gumbo, boudin egg rolls and the alligator sausage appetizer. Shrimp and grits has been a standout, with the sort of rich, filling character that can turn a tavern visit into a proper sit-down dinner.

The burgers are a major reason to come hungry. A half-pound patty is designed to sit snugly on the bun, though a little beef still peeks out around the edges—a small but welcome sign that nobody is counting ounces too carefully here.

The Shank U burger is one of the menu's more playful names, and it can include a sausage patty for an especially substantial stack. A bleu cheese crumble burger offers a tangier route for diners who want something a little sharper than the standard cheeseburger.

The names throughout the menu add to the tavern's easygoing character. You do not need a theme-restaurant script to appreciate a place that gives its food a little wink.

A plate of crisp tater tots is one of the recurring pleasures here. They are the sort of side that disappears while everyone is still deciding what to share next.

Onion rings arrive notably large, and sweet potato fries give the table another good excuse to order one more basket. Cheese curds and boudin egg rolls work well for picking at over drinks or while waiting for late arrivals.

Then there are the memorably named trash, or garbage, fries: a loaded-fry option with the right kind of tavern-menu bravado. This is not a place where side dishes need to stay politely in the background.

Seafood has a broad enough presence to support a meal built around it. Fried oysters and shrimp can arrive together, while catfish baskets offer a straightforward fried-fish route. Grilled shrimp salad and Rusty's Shrimp Wrap provide alternatives when a full basket sounds like more than you need.

Gumbo comes in more than one direction, including chicken sausage and seafood-focused versions. It is a good choice for a diner who wants the meal to linger a little longer than a sandwich stop, especially alongside an appetizer for the table.

At the bar, beers on tap and cocktails cover the grown-up side of the tavern equation, while sweet tea keeps the table friendly for anyone bypassing alcohol. The combination suits mixed-age groups without making the place feel like it has to choose between restaurant and bar.

Rivershack has a real bar setting, yet the atmosphere stays welcoming for families and groups. Coloring books for young children are a thoughtful small touch, particularly at a table where adults may be lingering over drinks and dessert is not the main event.

Inside, there is dining space along with bar and counter seating. The decor is worth taking in rather than treating as background; the room has the collected, personality-filled look that gives a neighborhood tavern some of its staying power.

An outdoor patio adds another way to spend an afternoon or evening. It broadens the choices when the bar area is active, and the outdoor area has also been noted as welcoming to dogs.

On quieter visits, the tavern can be a conversational place to settle in over a burger or gumbo. At busier times, particularly around lunch or when entertainment is on, the energy rises and the room can get loud without losing its social, approachable character.

Live music and other live entertainment appear on some visits, giving the place another gear beyond the ordinary meal. Its proximity to Southport Hall also makes it a natural stop for dining and drinks before a show.

Service is friendly, prompt and organized, with an attentive style that does not hover. In a place with a large menu and a mix of bar seats, family tables and groups, that steady hand matters.

Seating includes indoor tables, bar and counter seats, plus the patio or terrace. Lunch can bring a crowd and occasional waits, while other periods are more relaxed.

Parking has varied from easy to somewhat hard to locate, so it is best treated as a variable rather than a sure thing. The tavern has also offered rotating specials, including a Tuesday ribeye meal and a Thursday tacos, beers and margaritas promotion; current schedules, prices and terms can change.