Inside: Chappy's Louisina Kitchen

(Credit: Elizabeth Atkins)

Photos:

If you’re looking for an authentic Creole meal in downtown St. Petersburg, look no further than on Central Avenue. Chappy’s Louisiana Kitchen is your New Orleans away from home. Located in the hub of Central Ave., Chappy’s is a lively restaurant that encompasses various dishes of French/Creole cuisine. Open for lunch and dinner, this New Orleans-themed restaurant offers a cozy yet classy environment, including an attractive bar and rack of wine on the wall; there’s also a couple of TV’s seen overhead so you don’t have to miss the game. Eat and drink merrily in New Orleans-style Monday through Saturday.

Décor: The place is sleek and romantic by the faint lighting and marble-top tables, yet inviting and comfortable by the wooden chairs and framed windows. On the surrounding walls, you’ll notice pictures of different places in New Orleans like Bourbon Street. The restaurant is generally low-key by the sports playing on the TV and it’s pub like nature of high-rise tables and chairs. Toward the rear of the restaurant is an intimate corner with tables dressed in elegant white tablecloths for a more private occasion.

Food: The menu consists of a variety of tasty Creole-inspired dishes, which include chicken, fish and seafood, beef and pork. For a scrumptious chicken dish, there’s the Creole Chicken, which consists of a grilled chicken breast topped with a tomato-based Creole sauce, including onions, garlic, peppers and of course, tomato. The flavor of the sauce is rather mild, yet the meal is delicious, as it comes with dirty rice mixed with pieces of sausage and seasonings and succulent green beans on the side. For the best zesty Creole dish, taste the ever-so-spicy Mardi Gras Jambalaya (a specialty menu item) that includes crawfish and sausage, and add shrimp or chicken for an extra appetite.

For a milder plate of seafood, there’s the pompano fish in a bag, or the pecan trout. If you’re craving seafood with a little grease, don’t miss out on the crawfish eggroll appetizer. There are also plenty of French-influenced creations found on the menu from soups and salads to burgers and Po’ Boys.

Location: Chappy’s is located in a centralized spot on Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg amidst several other accepted restaurants in the city. In what used to fashion itself as a small white tablecloth restaurant known as Redwoods, the space of the restaurant has been transformed into a small welcoming dive from New Orleans. Chappy’s is also only a few blocks away from the water. 

Service: Excellent service—very knowledgeable of the menu and general Creole flare.

Dress code: Definitely a business casual wardrobe here, but it’s never a bad idea to look your classic best.

Crowd: A predominant adult crowd visible, but children welcome.

Damage: Drinks/cocktails are an average price $7-9 (they also provide a happy hour from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday); salads $7-9; sandwiches $8-9; appetizers $7-13; entrees approximately $11-25; desserts $6-8. 

Bottom line: A great casual Creole place to dine for lunch or dinner in downtown St. Petersburg. Their hours are 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. – midnight on Saturdays.

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Chappy’s Louisiana Kitchen

247 Central Ave.

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

727-896-5118

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