Cuisine: Soul
Neighborhood: Central City
Website: Café Reconcile
Address:
1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.,
New Orleans, LA
Phone: (504) 568-1157
Café Reconcile serves more than New Orleans favorites and soul food. It serves as a second chance training school for the people who work here. Located in the rough but resilient neighborhood of Central City, just off St. Charles Ave., the weekday lunch spot is an outreach ministry of a local church and works in conjunction with area hotels to find internships and future employment for its people once they learn the ropes in the café. None of this will matter, however, when you smell the steaming gumbo they serve, which is among the best in a city of thousands of gumbo variations. Po-boys and often elaborate seafood specials, like Friday’s excellent redfish, are prepared by people who are working hard to please, all under the guidance of dedicated and talented professionals. Virtually nothing on the menu is priced over $5.
