Elizabeth's Restaurant

I had heard it said that Elizabeth's was one of the jewels of Bywater. I had never been to Bywater, so I didn't really know what to expect when my husband and I wandered over there with our daughter for brunch one Saturday morning. While I can't say much about Bywater, as I have now only been there once and just to this one establishment, I would say that Elizabeth's is not only one of Bywater's hidden jewels, it may be one of the best kept secrets in New Orleans. Located in a hundred year old white framed house (very New Orleans), Elizabeth's offers "real food, done real good," just as their website claims. When you enter the house, you are greeted not only by the comforting smell of a home cooked meal, but also the comforting sounds of people enjoying a great experience with their friends and family. The decor is not fancy, very simple, and there is an atmosphere of an old time diner with the plastic covered chairs and brightly colored plastic table clothes. The wait staff is friendly and very casual both in dress and urgency of service. Along with a great brunch menu that includes appetizers such as praline bacon and entrees such as the Eggs Elizabeth (think Eggs Benedict on French Bread rather than an English muffin), Elizabeth's offers some intriguing brunch specials. On our visit my husband and I split the biscuits and gravy appetizer. Two huge home made biscuit covered in delicious sausage gravy that was amazing and perfectly seasoned. Large pieces of sausage throughout made it a hearty appetizer that I was glad we split; it would have been enough for a meal had I eaten the whole thing myself. For our main course, we split one of the daily specials, the Crabby Eggs: two mini crab cakes each topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, and hash browns on the side (grits were available as well). The crab cakes were great and paired nicely with the egg and hollandaise sauce; I was impressed especially with their hollandaise sauce, very tasty with just the right amount of lemon. The hash browns were surprisingly good, perfectly seasoned both inside and out. The portion was perfect to split, especially after the hearty appetizer. I would say that Elizabeth's is kid friendly; while there was not specific kids menu there are options for little diners and they did have a high chair. The prices were not bad and for the quality of food, service and atmosphere, I would say the bill was just about right. My husband and I both left Elizabeth's feeling satisfied; it was defiantly worth the trek from Uptown, and I would love to go again. I give Elizabeth's Restaurant 3 and a half stars.

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