On opening weekend, Tru Orleans succeeded in bringing a tiny bit of the French Quarter in New Orleans to DC’s H Street Corridor. In fact, if you ignored the rundown buildings across the street, you might think you had been briefly transported to Bourbon Street. The exciting atmosphere and promising food at Tru Orleans (400 H Street, NE) should excite anyone who has ever visited the Big Easy.
Tru Orleans from Across H Street
Only months ago, what is now Tru Orleans was a rundown former radio station on the western end of H Street. The western end until recently had not experienced the same level of investment as the eastern end. The Tru Orleans owners completely gutted the building and built a second level as well as a small patio on the street that rings the building. The second floor looks like it came straight from the French Quarter: an open air bar complete with an iron balcony around the entire bar and several lazy fans that help cool it off. Patrons can sit at the bar, eat dinner at the few tables upstairs, or lean over the balcony and people watch on H Street below. The downstairs (first floor) level features more tables and art work imported directly from New Orleans. Jazz adds the final authentic element to the overall atmosphere. For opening weekend they were handing out Mardi Gras beads and goodie bags featuring Mardi Gras masks to each table. One of the servers even wore a mask for part of the night. Continue reading
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