Under the I-10

Coming out of Kermit Ruffin’s Mother-In-Law Lounge (no live music that night), we stumbled into a full-blown sidewalk revival under the I-10. Gas burners roaring, steam billowing out of cauldrons the size of bathtubs, and Dr. Round 2—decked in scrubs, stethoscope dangling—shouting his signature holler while ladling his “Shakeback Sauce” like a man on fire.

We came to Louisiana to hear stories of resilience, recovery, and survival. And here it was, alive in Tremé: part food service, part performance art, part spiritual salve. A crowd of neighbors gathered in a parking lot, laughing, sweating, waiting for a styrofoam cup of magic.

In African American vernacular, a shakeback is a comeback. A resurrection. A second wind after loss, heartbreak, hustle, or hangover. And this whole scene? A masterclass in shakeback energy.

And the food? “Like gumbo on steroids,” someone said—and they weren’t wrong. Chicken, sausage, beef, pork, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and more in a broth so spicy it sings harmony in your bones.

5/5 stars. Get the bowl. Stay for the sermon. This is what a recovery looks like.