"It's a crazy corner, so we tried to set things up to accommodate as many people as possible," she says.

A bit farther down the St. Charles route is Superior Seafood's sister-restaurant Superior Grill, a Mexican-style restaurant. To accommodate more patrons on Mardi Gras, stools are removed to make room at the long bar inside, and a walk-up bar is set up outside. The restaurant hires a disc jockey to entertain between parades, and grandstands are available for rent outside.

But the big draw is the food. The menu includes full meals of enchiladas and fajitas or easy-go options like burgers and nachos. A favorite is brisket, marinated in a seasoned dry-rub for 24 hours before being cooked and served in quesadillas, flautas and nachos. On busy parade days, they tend to run out, said McKinley Eastman, managing partner at the restaurant since its opening in 1997.

"We can't make our brisket as fast as we sell it," Eastman says.

"But we'd rather run out than cut corners and make a less quality product, even for Mardi Gras."

Associated Press