Barracuda, the popular taco and margarita spot on Tchoupitoulas Street, will also have a second location in Algiers Point. The new location will be at 446 Pelican Avenue, right across the street from Confetti Park, and will serve up the thin, Sonoran-style flour tortillas and fresh draft margaritas that customers have come to love. The new location is set to open in June.
Owner Brett Jones is originally from Washington Parish and began working in restaurants while pursuing a music career. After putting his entertainment dreams aside, he decided to turn his focus on another passion: food.
“I first started cooking because I wanted to learn how to make tacos,” Jones explained. “My brother dated a woman from Mexico City and that gave me the opportunity to taste food that wasn’t from a Chinese buffet or a Waffle House. That’s what inspired me to start cooking.
“My family always had really big meals and I always had my hands in that, at an early age. From there, I managed a lot of places and had the opportunity to help some companies get off the ground, as a project manager. Then I felt like I was ready to start my own restaurant, and I knew I wanted it to be more casual.”
Jones’ vision for Barracuda was a neighborhood restaurant where anyone could drop in and eat, and where staff could have equal earning potential. As for the Algiers location, Jones thought that the quiet neighborhood was the perfect spot for his cozy taco stand.
Barracuda is located inside a former Gulf gas station in Algiers Point. The original sign has been preserved. Photo by Marielle Songy.
“Algiers is a quintessential New Orleans neighborhood,” he said. “It often gets treated like it’s ‘over there’, but whenever I’m there I feel at home and welcomed. I think it’s a good moment to be there, as the area develops.”
Jones wanted to find a small spot where he could position a lot of outdoor seating, a casual gathering place where neighbors could hang out. When he saw an old Gulf gas station, replete with its iconic sign, he knew that it would be the perfect spot for his venture.
“As we’ve gone along, we’ve learned that it’s a landmark that has a distinct place in the neighborhood,” he said. “A few people have asked us what is going to happen to the Gulf sign and it’s staying. I don’t think we’re allowed to touch it!”
Jones says he became obsessed with making good tacos and knows that the root of every good taco is a good tortilla.
“We make fresh flour and corn tortillas in-house,” he said. “We wouldn’t have opened if we weren’t able to get them right. Most tortillas in New Orleans are Tex-Mex style, while ours are thinner. Our tortillas won’t make you feel heavy and they can still hold a ton of fillings and sauce.”
Barracuda offers a variety of tacos including chicken, pork, beef and crispy fish. The restaurant also has gluten-free and vegan options on the menu.
Barracuda serve a variety of tacos. Photo by Emily Ferretti.
“Two of the tacos on our menu are always vegan,” Jones said. “We like to do a farmer’s taco, a charred broccoli taco, a sweet potato taco and grilled oyster-mushroom taco—they rotate. Also, our corn-tortillas are gluten-free for anyone who can’t have the flour tortillas.”
Another highlight at Barracuda is the house-made margaritas. The popular cocktail is made from scratch and in batches with fresh juice, 100-percent agave, and high-quality tequila.
“We serve the margaritas from a keg, so that we can serve people quickly and at a good value,” Jones said. “We need to offer things at the best possible price, without cutting corners on the quality.
“Our goal is to always make food and drinks that are easy and accessible to everyone. Someone shouldn’t have to hack the menu in order to get a good meal. It’s gotta work for everybody, or it isn’t a true neighborhood spot.”
Barracuda: 3984 Tchoupitoulas St., 504·266-2961. Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Monday
