Jack Dempsey's takes its name from Richard "Jack" Dempsey, a boisterous New Orleans police reporter for the States-Item whose straw hat, cigar, and larger-than-life personality earned him a restaurant named in his honor. The building on Poland Avenue in the Bywater changed hands a few times before Andrew and Diane Marino bought it in 1980, setting the restaurant on the family course it has followed since.
Today it's owned and run by Diane's son, Sammy Baiamonte, who has kept the family recipes going through renovations and menu changes over the years. The kitchen is known for its fried seafood platters and po-boys, alongside sides that have built their own following — most notably the macaroni and cheese and potato salad.
It carries a hole-in-the-wall appeal, the kind of place locals treat as a neighborhood fixture rather than a special-occasion stop.
Today it's owned and run by Diane's son, Sammy Baiamonte, who has kept the family recipes going through renovations and menu changes over the years. The kitchen is known for its fried seafood platters and po-boys, alongside sides that have built their own following — most notably the macaroni and cheese and potato salad.
It carries a hole-in-the-wall appeal, the kind of place locals treat as a neighborhood fixture rather than a special-occasion stop.