From the moment you walk through the door of Liz’s Where Y’at Diner you know that you have left the ordinary suburban world of Mandeville and have entered the colorful and happy universe where Liz Munson resides. You will be greeted with a big “How are ya baby” or “Where y’at” with a voice that I have personally known since my early days back in da east! (Her sister was our next-door neighbor and her brother in law is our distant cousin – typical New Orleans genealogy!) I can also remember that distinct voice echoing down the green halls of Mt. Carmel Academy. She was always the one laughing, smiling and making everyone else feel good. For all those years I lived away and I came home to visit, I would make sure that one of my stops would be to see Liz at whichever place she was waiting tables. She simply has that something special about her, which endears her to customers and keeps them coming back.
When I started to hear rumors about her opening up her own place I knew that she already had an edge over other places with her sunny personality, but how would she be at running an entire restaurant? Silly me, I should have known that within the eight months of opening the doors of her bright yellow diner, business would be booming. She has a great staff that has been with her since the day she opened which includes two of her sisters Jan and Claudia, who are not really staff, but doing what sisters do for one another. Her mother has even helped with a few recipes, including the popular Wednesday special shrimp creole and the grillades and grits.
Liz’s breakfast menu is comprised of your typical diner fare with a few exceptions, including the St. Charles scramble, Momma’s grillades and grits and the crabby Benedict. The St. Charles scramble is scrambled eggs flavored with green onions and mushrooms topped with a pile of jumbo lump crabmeat then finished off with a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. The crabby Benedict is exactly what you think it is - eggs benedict with a crab cake. The exception here is that Liz does an excellent job with the crab cake. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a flavorful and meaty crab cake in a diner. They are not huge appetizer size cakes, but are the perfect size to complement a poached egg.
During the week, I love to go there during breakfast and order just a couple of over easy “dip” eggs (fried eggs to those of you who do not have parents from Gentilly!) and a big, fluffy homemade biscuit, all while nestled in a booth with the newspaper. Liz’s place has a very comfortable and upbeat atmosphere; it is somewhere you do not mind hanging out for a while with a friend or lingering over another cup of coffee.
The still-evolving lunch menu has some wonderful new items on it including the stuffed BBQ shrimp po-boy and the shrimp salad stuffed tomato. The last time we were there I ordered one of my favorites, the Cobb salad with the homemade cilantro ranch dressing (enough salad for two meals!) and my husband ordered the stuffed BBQ shrimp po-boy and I have to admit – I wanted his po-boy. It was full of spicy, lemony shrimp all encased in flakey fresh French bread and the best part is that you didn’t have to do any peeling to enjoy all of the scrumptious flavors!
Liz also offers other salads, 100% Angus beef burgers and daily specials that include items such as red beans, crawfish etouffee and meatballs and spaghetti. On a side note, I loved her meatballs! I hope she decides to make them a permanent menu item as a meatball po-boy (I learned to love these in Jersey – but the bread is so much better here!)
Liz’s Where Y’at Diner is definitely here to stay. It is not the place you go to for your white linen meals, but that is not who Liz is or why her place is loved so much. The diner is all about really good home style meals, a friendly atmosphere and not being too much of a strain on your wallet. This is where you want to come to get a good meal, good service and a sincere “good morning baby where y’at” from none other than the smiling owner herself!
Liz’s Where Y’at Diner
2500 Florida Street
Mandeville, LA 70448
985-626-8477
7 days a week
6am – 2pm M-F
7am – 2pm S-S
Breakfast served all day
Lunch at 10:30
$
3 ½ pinecones