People love the Capitol-area Gumbo’s, which makes the most of the historic Brown Building it’s in; the décor is ornate, yet the dark, clubby feeling is relaxed—like a faux-century-old bastion of luxury dining for New Orleans’ aristocracy. That’s not to say the food’s terribly convincing—it helps if you’ve never eaten in the Big Easy. If you have, you might find that the eponymous gumbo (and the étouffée), while deeply flavored, lacks that authentic muddy roux. It’s still better than the oysters Rockefeller, despite their popularity. They do feature the unusual twist of placing a fried oyster on top of each baked one, but it doesn’t compensate for the scant creaminess, dissociated spinach, and little detectable Pernod. Blackened fish is terrific, and crawfish tails are plentiful (and, of course, best when in season). A rich sweet potato and tasso purée is nice, with just a little smokiness. Steak comes cooked expertly to order, and you must leave room for an impeccable bread pudding with Bourbon butter sauce.

Some locations have nice patios and feature live music; for food, the happy hour specials are grand, but a Sazerac, the signature drink of New Orleans, is a poor rendition, and the wine list is even worse. Whatever isn’t found at a gas station has a pandering wine magazine score beneath it, perhaps to justify the rather high mark-up.