Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, one of New Orleans’ most beloved and legendary places to eat, added a new chapter to its history this week. On January 6, the Chase family debuted the long-awaited revamp of the restaurant’s upstairs dining room, a space that played an important role in the Civil Rights movement.
A New Orleans Icon
Opened in 1941 by Edgar “Dooky” Chase in the Treme neighborhood, the restaurant gained national attention after Edgar married Leah Chase, a talented Creole chef who elevated the food and atmosphere into an award-winning dining destination that was as welcoming to its neighbors as it was to the celebrities, artists, and politicians who sat down for a bowl of her famous gumbo over the years.
In the 1950s and 60s, activists (like the Freedom Riders, who challenged segregation laws) and national and local leaders met in this small room to discuss civil and economic rights for Black Americans. Separated from the main dining area by a flight of stairs, it was one of the only gathering places for activists of all races to gather, which was against the law at the time. At the reopening event, Tracie Haydel Griffin, a granddaughter of Leah Chase, told the Times-Picayune, “It’s the smallest footprint with the largest legacy.”
Remembering The Past
Over time, the second floor was closed to the public. Edgar and Leah’s son Edgar Chase III led the push to turn it into a space that would honor the restaurant’s history. Although he passed away in February 2024, his vision is now complete…