For about a dozen years, one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in New Orleans has been a street food find, first at a pop-up and later from a food truck. Now Bonafried finally has its own permanent home, with the new restaurant at 3101 Grand Route St. John.
The restaurant debuts in “public soft open” mode, with a limited menu, beginning on Saturday, Jan. 10.
It’s in a nearly-century-old building that had long been home to the Splish Splash Washateria just off Esplanade Avenue. After the laundry closed in 2024, Bonafried founders Stephen Maher and Rebecca Elizabeth Hollingsworth were offered a chance to lease the space.
They leapt at the opportunity, though the build-out to create a restaurant took much longer than expected…