20 September 2023
How to dine around in Covington on the Northshore
Cross the 24-mile Causeway over Lake Pontchartrain, and be ready to be quietly dazzled. Just 45 minutes but a world away from New Orleans, the towns in St. Tammany Parish — Abita Springs, Covington, Folsom, Lacombe, Madisonville, Mandeville, and Slidell — are bedroom communities for the Big Easy. All have good food (shout out to Pat’s Rest Awhile in Mandeville and Tchefuncte’s In Madisonville) but Covington is the most varied dining destination.
With some 30 restaurants dishing everything from crispy spear-caught pompano to homemade pasta, Covington is worth the trip. Anchored by Del Porto, with chef Pat Gallagher at Gallagher’s Grill just up the road, there are also more casual spots serving Thai, Israeli, Cuban, and Japanese eats, and mom-and-pop po’ boy spots within easy strolling distance.