Acme Oyster House

This oyster palace in the upper French Quarter, a mainstay of briny bivalves since 1910, is a favorite seafood eatery for both visitors and locals. Acme regularly shucks more than three million oysters per year, best appreciated from a seat at the scarred marble oyster bar. Slurp down as many as you are able, but save room for an order or two of the chargrilled oysters, smoky and hot off the fire. An expanded dining area post-Katrina keeps the line moving outside, but you can usually expect to wait for the chance to tuck into specialties like oyster Rockefeller soup, jambalaya and fried softshell crab.