The Galley is aptly known as a no frills seafood joint. If you are looking for white linens and other fancy amenities, this is not your place, but if you want great seafood, cold beer, and a home-y atmosphere, this is the place.
Due to the somewhat small dining area, waiting for a table can be very common. This is especially so during the Lenten season as locals flock to the Metairie Road establishment to chow down on great seafood.
The Galley serves up the typical appetizers of a seafood restaurant. The crawfish hushpuppies, their twist on the traditional variety, comes with a great crawfish sauce that adds a great layer of flavor to an otherwise normal hushpuppy.
When in season, the boiled seafood is usually the go-to option. They serve up boiled shrimp, crawfish and crabs. I generally don’t order boiled seafood from a restaurant because they never seem to be seasoned correctly…either too bland or over salty. The Galley is the exception…
The crawfish and crabs are always seasoned to perfection with just the right amount of spice and salt to compliment. Besides the great flavors, the boiled shrimp peel easily signaling that they have been cooked well. There is nothing worse than getting a bunch of boiled shrimp that are over cooked and a struggle to peel. No worries at the Galley.
Seafood baskets consisting of fried shrimp, catfish, oysters, softshell crabs, and stuffed crabs are always a good bet too. These dishes are served with french fries but can be substituted for any side item. Some of the choices are sweet potato fries, baked macaroni, and corn grits. I am a sucker for corn grits and they have a pretty good version that is quite creamy with ample amounts of corn.
In the mood for a poboy? They are whipping out several of the great New Orleans sandwiches…..catfish, oyster, and shrimp. But the poboy that they are known for is their softshell crab poboy. If you have ever been to JazzFest and tried the softshell crab poboy, then you know what I am talking about. This has been a crowd favorite at JazzFest since 1977. The first thing I do as soon as I enter the Fair Grounds for JazzFest is to head over to the Galley’s food booth to get one. No matter how long the line is (and it always the longest of all the food booths), I will always hit it up first. I can promise you that the end result is worth the wait and it seems to make the music that much better.
While waiting for your food to be cooked and served, order yourself an Abita Amber on draft. Not that the Galley has some special version of this delicious Louisiana brew, it’s just that they serve it in a huge, ice cold frosty goblet that makes the beer taste so much better.
Next time you are in the mood for good seafood and a relaxed child friendly atmosphere, do yourself and your taste buds a favor and head out to Metairie to dine on all the tasty dishes the Galley has to offer.
Come enjoy great 
Jacques-Imo’s
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