The collective New Orleans memory may sometimes leapfrog back to the best of times. And so, the Lakeview address where Byblos now has its new location is still remembered by many as the former home of Mondo, rather than the three short-lived restaurants that followed it.
A large bar was always the center of the action for drinks and bites at Mondo during its earlier 10-year run as a top neighborhood spot. And so it’s primed to be again as Byblos, a local brand that has the distinction of being the booziest Middle Eastern restaurant around, certainly anywhere around here.
The new Byblos is a family-friendly restaurant that just opened in the large space at 900 Harrison Ave., with a dining room lined with booths and tables, a private dining room for team dinners and group outings, and outdoor patios.
And then there’s the bar, a long, low, pleasingly dark den of bar stools and side tables.
Happy hours galore
In addition to its menu of Middle Eastern standards, Byblos has brought the same weekly lineup of happy hour deals that have made its other locations feel like neighborhood taverns at times…