BBQ wings.

Combo plate. 

Blue Oak BBQ has got to be one of the top BBQ joints in NOLA at the moment! I’ve tried them at a few festivals such as the Blues & BBQ Festival and a few others. I’ve even ordered takeout through Postmates and it was excellent each time! The brisket, ribs, and sausage were perfectly smoked. My favorite side was the potato salad. Unfortunately, dining at the actual brick and mortar location in Uptown New Orleans fell short of my expectations. The BBQ was all lukewarm and mediocre, although it had a good smoke. We ordered potatoes au gratin, which is usually the best comfort food, but left us wanting more…in a not-so-good way. Perhaps it was an “off” night or maybe the BBQ is freshest at live festival events. I’ll definitely give it another try, but I know they have great BBQ potential.

Loves: Great BBQ when it’s fresh! LOVE the potato salad. Excellent BBQ at festivals and events!

What NOT to love: Inconsistency with BBQ quality at the brick and mortar location.

Rating: 3.5/5 spoons

Bacos: Coconut Curry Chicken w/ Basil Aioli & Sweet Potato.

Curry Beef Stew w/ Roti Bread. 

Roti Quesadillas. Pulled Pork. Kim Chi Guac. Thai Chili tomatilla.

Special: Lemongrass & Basil Pork Lettuce Wrap. 

Garlic Butter Chicken Wings. 

So the Chef and I love to order and create our own little tasting menus, but little did we know that the portion sizes were quite large. My favorite was the Roti Quesadillas, which was a special but should be a permanent item on the menu! What makes this different from a typical quesadilla is the buttery and flaky roti in place of the normally grilled tortilla. Buttery. Savory. Crispy! I’m drooling just thinking about it! My next favorite was the Curry Stew with Roti. Clearly, I have a thing for roti!

I was very surprised that Tan Dinh, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, would consider branching off with a modernized asian fusion restaurant, but they did it and they did it well!

If you’re looking for great asian flavors and want to try something new, I definitely recommend Ba Chi Canteen.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Sausage and Seafood Jambalaya. Tasso. Sausage. Shrimp. 

Deep Fried Frog Legs. Excellent when paired with Remoulade sauce. 

Thick Seasoned Onion Rings.  

Caesar Wrap with a touch of Hotboy Sauce. 

1/2 lb Burger with Hotboy Sauce. Steak fries. 

Last but not least…WINGS: (left to right) Hotboy, Chipotle BBQ, Sweet, Lemon Pepper

I’ve basically tried the whole menu and I have to say it deserves more than the “best fast food” title…Every menu item comes out fully garnished, steaming hot, and packed with authentic chef-made flavors. I LOVE that their specialty is wings, but even the burgers are delicious…probably one of the best burgers I’ve had! 

My favorites: Chipotle BBQ wings, Hotboy wings, onion rings, coleslaw, and ALL of the burgers

Local favorites: Jambalaya, Fried Gator Bites, and Fried Frog Legs w/ Remoulade sauce

If you haven’t tried them yet, I HIGHLY recommend this local wing joint. Not into wings? No worries, because I enjoy their non-wing items just as much..if not more! Tell them chefsgirl sent you ^_^ 

Amuse Bouche. Asian-inspired dish w/ Salmon Sashimi. Fresh Herbs.

Smoked Cornmeal Encrusted Louisiana Oysters. Andouille Spoon Bread. Manchego Foam.

“KFC” Korean Fried Chicken Wings. Pepper Jelly glaze. Kimchi.

Black Lacquered Duck Tortellini. Indian Orange Mascarpone. Toasted Pine Nuts. Vanilla Tapioca. Black Duck Tea.

Nice presentation! The scallops come in this vintage looking cigar box…it helps to hold the smoke in the box so the scallops absorb every bit of smokey flavor. Let’s just say..it does the job! The scallops were delicious!

Cohiba Smoked Scallops. Chorizo Dust. Carmelized Cauliflower. Fennel Choucroute.

Hanger Steak. Crispy Sweetbreads. Sweet Kumquat Bordelaise. Pommes Frites.

Sweet Corn Caramel Flan. Salted Corn and Caramel Ice Cream. Vanilla Milk Foam. “Cracker Jacks”

Strawberry Delight. Toasted Almond Cake. Smoked Black Tea Honey Crunch. Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream. Strawberry Gel. Fizzy Rock.

Root’s menu is extremely creative and the presentation is just superb. I love the way Chef Phillip Lopez throws together such diverse elements and combines them to build flavors that work together so well like the duck tortellini (pictured above). Vanilla tapioca and Black duck tea?? Who woulda thought? And it tastes so good! I will say that because of the design and flair in each plate, it doesn’t stuff you so order accordingly.  The other downside was the desserts…Lots of elements and full of different and interesting flavors, but I felt it was a bit “deconstructed”.

Overall, innovative dishes. Great atmosphere. So if you’re feeling like refreshing your palate with molecular gastronomy-type dishes, check out Root!

Rating: 2.5/5 spoons