How to Get Your Mardi Gras On in Philly
Celebrate with crawdads, gumbo, king cake, and other Fat Tuesday fare at these Philadelphia spots.
Chris’s Jazz Cafe/Facebook
Philly may have just come down from a weeklong Super Bowl celebration — but that doesn’t mean we should forget that Mardi Gras, a.k.a. Fat Tuesday, is today. It’s traditionally a time to go all out before hunkering down for Lent and several weeks of self-denial. But here in Philly, it’s a great excuse to crush a po’ boy or some crawfish, listen to New Orleans-style jazz, and sip an Abita or two.
Take a look at our list of New Orleans-inspired menus and specials offered today and tonight, and don’t forget to pick up your Fat Tuesday fastnachts and paczkis for dessert.
Acadia, Bella Vista
The New Orleans-inspired restaurant opened in the old James and Coeur space on South 8th Street earlier this year. Tonight, they’ve got Mardi Gras happy hour specials going from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., plus drink and food specials throughout the evening.
Interstate Drafthouse, Fishtown
Get $5 Hurricanes, $4 Abita beers, and $5 house made beignets all night at Interstate. They’ll have Cajun and Creole specials on the menu, complimentary beads and feather masks, and jazz, zydeco, and Dixieland on the stereo. And they’re still serving up their regular Tuesday $1 tacos, too.
Catahoula, Queen Village
The Creole spot is opening early at 11 a.m. today with their full menu, plus additional Fat Tuesday specials.
Beck’s Cajun Cafe, Market East
Reading Terminal Market’s Cajun destination is serving up classics from the Big Easy, like gumbo, muffaletta sandwiches, and king cake till the market closes at 6 p.m.
Crabby Cafe & Sports Bar, Northern Liberties
The unique seafood-heavy menu — featuring Vietnamese, Creole, and Cajun dishes — at the Schmidt’s Commons spot is a perfect way to celebrate tonight. In addition to New Orleans classics like po’ boy sandwiches and gumbo, they specialize in Houston-style Viet-Cajun crawfish, which you can get by the bucketful.
Cantina Los Caballitos, East Passyunk
They’re serving up specials on frozen hurricanes, anejo mint juleps, Abita beers tonight. And from chef Bertin Lopez, a menu of Cajun-inspired specials like shrimp etouffee, a carnitas po’ boy, shrimp and okra hushpuppies, and beignets.
Chris’s Jazz Cafe, Center City
The Hoppin’ John Orchestra, Philly’s only live southern jazz ensemble, will play live between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., while the kitchen will offer a special Mardi Gras menu: think crawfish everything, including a crawfish cheesesteak, crawfish buckets, and an all-you-can-eat crawfish option for $50.
Khyber Pass Pub, Old City
They’re serving up their daily New Orleans brunch — with mimosas, shrimp and grits, boudin and eggs, beignets, and more — until 4 p.m., when happy hour hits and you can grab $2 off drafts or a $5 frozen mint julep.
Philly’s Best Mardi Gras Eats, Mapped
