Dr. Jones, a new hot spot in Metairie, is serving up seafood favorites and more at 1325 Veterans Memorial Blvd. The restaurant opened in January and has quickly become a local favorite for lunch and dinner. Dr. Jones is run by David Rouse, who has honed a long career in the restaurant industry in Chicago and New Orleans, including a stint as the Chef de Cuisine at Herbsaint, and Billy Jones, a Mandeville native whose twenty-year culinary career includes time at Cochon and his own restaurant, Chinese-American eatery Blue Giant, which closed shortly after the pandemic.
At Dr. Jones, Rouse and Jones are blending their distinct culinary skills to craft a unique menu of specialties in a cozy restaurant that accommodates around twenty-five. After a hiatus from the restaurant business, Jones approached Rouse with the idea of starting a catering business and ran the company in the space on Veterans, which now houses Dr. Jones. The shift from catering to a restaurant felt like a natural progression, even though Jones’ original plan didn’t involve opening a restaurant in Metairie.
Jones explains, “We didn’t set out to open a restaurant in Metairie, but we’ve been well-received, and we have a great local crowd and we’re very happy here. The neighborhood crowds have been awesome.”
Jones describes the eclectic modern-American menu as what he and Rouse have always wanted: to serve comfort food with a Louisiana spin, which the pair has always loved. The ingredient-driven menu offers local seafood and produce that features seasonality and familiarity.
One of Jones’ favorite dishes on the menu is the Jumbo Lump Crab, served with spaghetti, corn, and miso beurre blanc, and Chicken a la Plancha, accompanied by Jimmy Nardello’s Brabant potatoes and garlic aioli. Chicken a la Plancha is made with a deboned half chicken seared on a cast-iron plancha until the skin is crispy. Other highlights include Shrimp Scampi with Lemongrass, lime leaf, and griddled bread; Mixed Mushrooms with Potato Gnocchi and truffle dashi; Steak Au Poivre with Singapore pepper sauce and spinach; and Crispy Oysters with Yuzu Kosho, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.
Dr. Jones is a BYOB spot, which means you can bring your own alcoholic beverages to pair with your meal. Reservations are recommended for both lunch and dinner because the restaurant is small and tends to fill up quickly.
Dr. Jones is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
