A locally and family-owned bar and grille in Chalmette, LA, offering a casual yet fine dining experience with a menu that has recently shifted to include traditional Italian dishes alongside seafood and American favorites.
Philip Buccieri is a seasoned culinary professional known for his roles in prominent kitchens, including a significant tenure at Emeril Lagasse's NOLA Restaurant and as Executive Chef at Meme's Bar & Grille,...
Insights
ItalianSteakhouseBbqAmericanSeafoodModerateLunchDinnerCasualCocktail Bar
Last updated: 7/27/2026, 5:51:31 AM
Key Information
MeMe's Bar & Grille is a locally and family-owned establishment in Chalmette, LA, known for its hospitality and a casual yet fine dining atmosphere. The restaurant has recently undergone a significant menu and chef change, shifting towards traditional Italian fare while still offering some of its established seafood and American favorites.
Customer feedback is generally positive regarding the service, ambiance, and wine selection. Historically, the restaurant was highly praised for its food quality, particularly oysters. However, recent reviews indicate a mixed reception following a menu and chef change. While some still enjoy the experience, a notable recent review expressed severe disappointment with the new menu's execution, describing new Italian dishes like Chicken Parmesan as poorly prepared and lacking flavor, suggesting a decline in culinary skill.
Additional Details
Located in St. Bernard Parish, MeMe's Bar & Grille aims to provide a premier dining experience in the area.
MeMe's Bar & Grille is suitable for lunch, dinner, business outings, date nights, or family meals. Happy Hour, typically from 4-6 p.m., offers deals on selected beer, wine, and oysters.
5
First time here, definitely not the last. The food was great and the service was perfect.
What. Happened?!
Meme’s used to be one of my favorite restaurants when I wanted very good food, in a nice setting, without pretension. I hadn’t been in a minute so we went and wow were we severely disappointed. The menu has entirely changed. No more crawfish Lafitte sauce, no scallops, no fried green tomatoes, no coconut ice box dessert. So clearly there’s been a chef change. Ok. Problem is, the new chef has no creativity or skill.
The only interesting item, the osso bucco, was out of stock. At 7pm on a Monday? Instead we got chicken parm and let me tell you. The driest chicken while also being soggy beyond measure AND stringy. The pasta was just mush. The sauce had never been whispered at by garlic, basil, oregano, it could have been straight out of a can. That’s not a red gravy. That’s someone who doesn’t give a single damn.
The menu now resembles that of a wanna be mobster hang out in the stinkiest part of Jersey. If they were going to go traditional Italian and do the standards, you need to execute it beautifully.
Put it another way, if I’d have gotten that chicken parm in a Piccadilly in the most bland part of North Dakota- I’d still have bee aggravated to have paid money for it. That’s was middle school cafeteria food.
I hope that the owners see what’s happening to their once outstanding restaurant and go back to doing beautiful food. And I hope someone tells me that they have. Because I’m in absolutely no rush to spend money there again.
Wonderful dining experience. Good ambiance, not too loud to carry conversations. Garlic bread was on point, and the Martinis were strong. Food was packed with flavor, brought at the right temperature, and spaced out in a timely manner. The entire staff was friendly and stayed on top of the service. Visited during Valentines Day, and even as busy as they were, there were no mistakes with the orders, drinks kept flowing and check was accurate, only thing is that they were running out of items in the special menu earlier than expected. Will definitely be back.
I’ve been to Meme’s about ten times. This time I ordered the trout almondine was not a good choice. The cubed potatoes and peas had a good taste, but were really oily. The trout on the other hand tasted not so good. It tasted way too fishy for fresh fish and had more of a microwave flavor flavor to the finish. The one thing I noticed there was no almonds used in this dish, not one. Even though the name implies it should.
