Bubba’s Bistro: A Taste of New Orleans in Queens

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans you’ve probably been under its spell since. There is a magic about New Orleans that never leaves your soul. The music, the atmosphere, the endless amounts of delicious food, and of course the open container laws that allow you to freely roam the streets with your favorite beverage in hand. New Orleans is one of my favorite places to visit, so you can imagine my excitement when I was wandering down Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens and saw Bubba’s Bistro. Queens is known as one of the most culturally-diverse places on the Earth, so it should come as no surprise that you can find all of this delicious food around! Bubba’s advertised itself as ‘Southern Food’, which caught my attention, so I took a peek at the menu to see what they had to offer. My eyes immediately hit ‘Bubba’s Jambalaya’ and I almost wandered right into the place then and there just to taste some. Unfortunately, I was at the end of my lunch break and needed to head back to work so I couldn’t stop in for a bite. I knew I had to come back to try all this delicious sounding food, so I made it a point to mention Bubbas to my roommate, who also loves New Orleans, and we made plans for that very week to go for dinner. 

The Experience

We walked in and were immediately greeted by friendly staff and a fun aesthetic. The décor of the restaurant is colorful, jazzy, and all around random with pictures, masks, etc. hanging all over the walls. It was a fun way to reminisce about the magical city in the south through the miscellaneous items and photos hanging on the wall. If you’re in the mood for outdoor seating, Bubba’s has a covered outdoor area that is on the sidewalk right out front. It gives you enough privacy and you don’t feel like you’re sitting directly on the sidewalk. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this place without just rambling, so let me just tell you what we ordered to get your mouth watering! 

Food & Beverages

Drinks: Bubba’s offers a selection of cocktails, beer, and wine. We decided it was a cocktail kind of night, and indulged in a vodka cocktail (or five) because I cannot remember for the life of me what the name is… whoops. But trust me here, their drinks are fantastic, or we wouldn’t have had so many!Appetizers: We like to pretend we’re healthy every once in a while so we ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower. They were a perfect start. The cauliflower was cooked really well, so it wasn’t mushy but also wasn’t raw. The buffalo sauce they were tossed in was spicy but definitely manageable. We also ordered some cornbread because who goes to a southern food restaurant and DOESN’T order cornbread? Serial killers -- that’s who. Dinner: You bet I ordered Bubba's Jambalaya. I was in absolute Heaven when it got to the table. The jambalaya is spicy, full of flavor, and doesn’t have any seafood in it, which is a huge plus for me personally. Although most places that serve jambalaya  will customize your order to exclude the seafood portion, usually prawns, it’s nice to have to order some delicious jambalaya without needing to ask for any modifications.

Dessert: Do not skip dessert here!! Bubba’s offers adorable mason jar pies and cakes that are to die for. I personally recommend the Mud Pie to all of my chocolate lovers out there. It was rich in taste, yet light in texture. Just perfect to end the meal with.

A Personal Touch

While enjoying our meal, the owner, Nick, came out to say hello and ensure we were enjoying our meal that he cooked himself. This made the meal even more special. He was so pleasant to talk to and the love of his small family-owned business really shined through his energy in the conversation.This is something else that screams “NOLA”. When you dine at a restaurant in New Orleans, you always get a personal touch with your experience, and meeting Nick was definitely a personal touch to our dinner!

 Bubba’s Bistro has been blessing Astoria with delicious southern/creole style food since 2012 and it is a spot you definitely do not want to skip when in the area. Lucky for you, Bubba’s is open 7 days a week! You can find them at 31-13A Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105. Don't forget to subscribe to our email list to stay updated on all the things TAWK offers! I promise you won't be disappointed. Let us know what you think! Your feedback is so important to us!