Camellia Grill

The Camellia Grill is a landmark diner in the Carrollton section of New Orleans. It is on Carrollton Avenue near its intersection with St. Charles Avenue on the St. Charles Streetcar line.

Camellia Grill
A line out the door at Camellia Grill
Restaurant information
EstablishedDecember 13, 1946
Owner(s)Hicham Khodr
Food typeNorth American cuisine
Dress codeCasual
Street address626 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118
CityCarrollton section of New Orleans
StateLouisiana
Postal/ZIP Code70118
CountryUnited States
Coordinates29.943695°N 90.133704°W / 29.943695; -90.133704
Seating capacityCounter Service (29 Stools)
ReservationsNone
Websitehttp://www.camelliagrillnola.com/

History

The Camellia Grill first opened its doors on December 19, 1946.[1] Despite suffering little physical damage, the restaurant was closed after Hurricane Katrina until April 2007, when it reopened under new ownership.[2][3] During this period of closure, the Camellia Grill's front door was festooned with hundreds of notes from locals and tourists who missed it.[4]

The restaurant only offers counter service and its staff is usually gregarious. It is well known for its long-serving waiters, the most famous of whom was probably Harry Tervalon, Sr., who was the first waiter hired in 1946, and who even after his 1996 retirement remained associated with the restaurant (including cutting the ribbon when the Grill finally reopened after Katrina), until his death in August 2007.[5]

The restaurant was purchased in 2006 by local restaurateur Hicham Khodr, who later opened two now-closed branches in the French Quarter and Destin, Florida. In May 2012, a state court ruled that Khodr was in breach of his licensing agreement with the former owner, and this ruling was upheld on appeal in May 2013, meaning that Khodr could be required to change the name of the restaurants.[6][7] However, in July 2015 he won the right to continue using the restaurant's trademark, name and logo.[8]

Dishes

The establishment is noted for such casual cuisine as giant omelettes, cheeseburgers, "freezes," and pecan pie heated on the grill.

References
  1. Kerri McCaffety, Peggy Scott Laborde, Etouffée, Mon Amour: The Great Restaurants of New Orleans (Pelican Publishing Company, 2002), ISBN 978-1565549265, pp. 128-129. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  2. "Camellia Grill to open this week", Times-Picayune, April 16, 2007.
  3. "Happy day for New Orleans diners reopening", Associated Press in The Charleston Gazette, April 21, 2007  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  4. Craig LaBan, "New Orleans restaurants on the rebound", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 28, 2006  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  5. James O'Byrne, "Legendary Camellia Grill Waiter Dies", Times-Picayune, August 23, 2007.
  6. Richard A. Webster, "Camellia Grill may have to change its name after court ruling", Times-Picayune, May 8, 2013.
  7. Grunfeld, David (May 10, 2013). "Court rules Camellia Grill must change its name, but the restaurant's owner vows to appeal". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  8. Webster, Richard A. (July 10, 2015). "Camellia Grill owner can keep its name, court rules". Times-Picayune.
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