There are so many great things about New Orleans, but top among them is the city's amazing cultural cuisine. Lucky for San Franciscans, a new cajun restaurant in the spirit of the Big Easy is headed to the Mission District.
Alba Ray's opened just this week in the former Hapa Ramen space at 2293 Mission Street. The menu is full of Southern classics like shrimp and grits, charbroiled Gulf oysters and chicken and Andouille sausage topped with (wait for it) fried okra. The hot spot even offers a sharing-sized old-fashioned shrimp boil, complete with "head-on" shrimp, corn, potatoes, garlic and sausage. Not even a week in and Alba Ray's has garnered its first 5-star Yelp review, which offered a gushing recap of the food and revealed that the mac-and-cheese is deliciously legit. Noted.
Named after the owners' kids, Alba Ray's comes to San Francisco from Alvin Garcia and chef-partner Adam Rosenblum, the team who brought us Popson's and Causewell's. The New Orleans-style ambiance is almost as authentic as the food, featuring wrought-iron arches and hanging ferns. Sleek wooden booths look particularly cozy for devouring frogs legs and boozy Hurricanes.
Food industry folks, take note. Alba Ray's is hiring. The restaurant is looking for, "passionate, genuine and knowledgeable people who want to bring positive energy to our opening."
Alba Ray's will be serving dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:30pm until 11pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5:30pm until midnight. On weekends, you'll still be able to grab bar food (and a lot of alcohol) until 2am. Follow their journey on Instagram here.
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