Mandeville Louisiana Lakefront Food: Where to Eat

Mandeville Louisiana lakefront food means seafood and sunsets on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. A lakefront tavern, a breakfast diner and a porch seafood house are each named by Louisiana's tourism office, and the first two by a second source. Go for lunch to see the lake, or time dinner for the evening light.

What is Mandeville Louisiana lakefront food?

Mandeville sits on the Northshore, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, and its old town runs along the lakefront. The restaurants worth a trip are the ones that make the water part of the meal: a porch, a patio or a balcony facing the lake, and a kitchen built around Gulf seafood. Louisiana's tourism office and the St. Tammany tourism commission both name Pat's Rest Awhile, and Louisiana's tourism office pairs it with an old seafood house in a two-story building on Lakeshore Drive.

The places below are not rankings. They are three that two sources agree on, with a note on what each is known for.

Where can you have a Mandeville lakefront dinner?

Two restaurants are the usual answer.

• Pat's Rest Awhile is a restaurant and tavern on a two-acre lakefront site, with a patio overlooking Lake Pontchartrain, according to Louisiana's tourism office. The St. Tammany tourism commission describes casual dinner with lake views, an oyster bar and fresh Gulf seafood, and adds that it is housed in historic buildings.
• A seafood restaurant in a two-story house across the street from the lake has a covered front porch with a view of the water, according to Louisiana's tourism office. Because the only recent listing is the tourism page, treat this one as a place to phone before you drive.

If you want a lakefront dinner, arrive before sunset and ask for a table outside. Reservations are a good idea on weekends, and the weather can change an outdoor plan, so ask whether there is a covered option.

What is the best Mandeville seafood to order?

Mandeville seafood is Gulf seafood, cooked the Louisiana way: fried, broiled or sauced. Raw and chargrilled oysters, trout and shrimp are the staples. Trout almondine is a classic order on the lakefront, and the tavern has an oyster bar. The right order depends on the season, so ask the server what came in that day.

If you are not sure, order a platter for the table and share, then rate the dish you would order again. The West End seafood guide covers the same food on the opposite shore of the lake.

Where do you eat a Lake Pontchartrain Northshore lunch?

Lunch is the easiest meal for the lake view, because the light is good and the crowds are smaller. For a lunch with a view, the same two restaurants are your best bet, though you should check their lunch days, as some lakefront kitchens open on a shorter schedule than a downtown cafe. The porch seafood house, for example, lists brunch, lunch and dinner on Explore Louisiana's page, but the page gives no opening days, so call first.

For a casual breakfast or brunch, the next place is a diner.

• Liz's Where Y'at Diner serves breakfast all day, including New Orleans-style shrimp and grits and a Bananas Foster French toast, per Louisiana's tourism office. The St. Tammany tourism commission lists pancakes, several versions of eggs Benedict, fried green tomatoes and biscuits with debris.

How do you plan for Old Mandeville restaurants?

Old Mandeville is the historic part of town by the lake, and it suits a walk. The tourism commission lists a few places on Girod Street, in the middle of the shopping area, and a lakefront biergarten with a balcony, but this page keeps to the food.

• Park once near the lakefront and walk.
• Eat lunch first, then stroll the shops.
• Look at the lakefront in the evening, when the light is best.
• Add a trail ride on the Tammany Trace, which has a Mandeville trailhead.

For another town on the same shore, read the Covington restaurants guide, and for a day with a trail and a brewpub, the Abita Springs guide.

How do you rate and list a lakefront meal?

Rate the plate, not just the view. In the Mosey app only the place and stars are needed, and "Rate each dish too" lets you name the trout, the shrimp and grits or the oysters. Tags such as Sea View, Date Night and Group Dining describe a visit, so add the ones the visit earned and no more. Use "Who were you with?" to tag your companions, who can add their own rating of the same meal.

Make a list called Lakefront Mandeville with a note on each place, such as "ask for the porch". Share it by invite link and let a friend add the place they found. Open the map and try Friends' picks to see where people you follow have rated or saved places. The ratings page and the lists page explain the steps.

Where next on the Northshore?

The Louisiana hub lists every page for the state, and the US food guides cover other towns.

Get the Mosey app, rate your Mandeville meals by the dish and keep the lakefront tables worth a return trip on a list.