| Camellia Grill | |
|---|---|
A line out the door at Camellia Grill |
|
| Restaurant information | |
| Food type | North American cuisine |
| Street address | Carrollton Avenue |
| City | Carrollton section of New Orleans |
| State | Louisiana |
| Country | United States |
| Seating Capacity | Counter Service |
The Camellia Grill is a landmark diner in the Carrollton section of New Orleans. It is on Carrollton Avenue near its intersection with St. Charles Avenue on the St. Charles Streetcar line.
The Camellia Grill opened in 1946. Despite suffering little physical damage, the restaurant was closed after Hurricane Katrina until April 2007, when it reopened under new ownership. During this period of closure, the Camellia Grill's front door was festooned with hundreds of notes from locals and tourists who missed it.
The restaurant only offers counter service and its staff is usually gregarious. It is well known for its long-serving waiters, the most famous of whom was probably Harry Tervalon, Sr., who was the first waiter hired in 1946, and who even after his 1996 retirement remained associated with the restaurant (including cutting the ribbon when the Grill finally reopened after Katrina), until his death in August 2007. The establishment is noted for such casual cuisine as giant omelettes, cheeseburgers, "freezes", and pecan pie heated on the grill.