What Ray Charles Always Ordered At Dooky Chase's In New Orleans

As one of the most iconic restaurants in New Orleans to find tasty dishes, Dooky Chase's has fed a fair share of celebrities. Famous patrons have included Martin Luther King, Jr., Beyoncé, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. It was also a favorite spot for none other than Ray Charles. According to a 2005 New York Times article, the music legend's preferred order at this legendary spot was red beans and rice with fried chicken. 

This comforting dish is a staple of both Creole and Cajun food. It's made by adding pre-soaked red kidney beans to a pot with bay leaves, smoked sausage, spices, onions, celery, and green bell peppers. It's then served over white rice and complemented with fried chicken. As per the NYT's article, Charles had this very dish delivered from Dooky Chase's to his room while visiting New Orleans in 2003, a year before his death.

The singer even mentioned Dooky Chase's in the lyrics of his melancholic 1961 song, "Early in the Morning." He sang, "I went to Dooky Chase's to get something to eat / The waitress looked at me and said, 'Ray, you sure look beat'" (via YouTube). The song illustrates the warmth with which Dooky Chase's Restaurant has welcomed its customers since opening in 1941.

While Dooky Chase's delicious food would've been enough to cement its fame, there is much more to its story. If people like Ray Charles have patronized it for decades, it's also because of Leah Chase, known as "the Queen of Creole Cooking." While she was running the restaurant, she created a welcoming atmosphere in deeply segregated Louisiana. When civil rights activists planned boycotts and protests, they often met in the establishment. Chase and her team fed both Black and white activists in the same space, which was illegal at the time. Today, the restaurant is one of the 15 stops along the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail.

Beyond her activism, Chase played an important part in helping Creole food gain recognition. She is such a legendary figure in New Orleans that her portrait is in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Even Disney paid its respects to her, making her the inspiration for Tiana Rogers from "The Princess and the Frog."

Dooky Chase's is a must-visit landmark for anyone interested in history with a side of great Creole food. Besides Ray Charles' favored dish, diners can expect classics like po' boys, Creole gumbo, and fried catfish. Desserts include praline bread pudding and peach cobbler, the southern dessert Aretha Franklin loved. The restaurant's unfailing quality has earned it a spot on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list, which highlights delicious eats at affordable prices.