Tremé just got one of its old souls back.
Two Sisters, the long-running New Orleans soul food kitchen run by the Finister family, has quietly returned to the neighborhood with a new Basin Street outpost. The family-style restaurant is back to serving classic home-cooked plates, heavy on gravy and rich with roux, including smothered turkey wings and slow-braised oxtails.
The new location at 1610 Basin Street opened earlier this month and is currently operating 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday–Friday and Sunday, with plans to roll out breakfast hours in July. The restaurant’s number is (504) 302-2400. The menu leans into old-school recipes and generous portions, with house specialties such as turkey necks, stewed hen, chitterlings and smothered turkey wings. As reported by NOLA.com, the smothered okra here is roughly one-third okra, one-third shrimp and one-third smoked sausage.
The Two Sisters name has deep roots in Tremé. Dorothy and Ledell Finister bought a restaurant on North Derbigny Street in 1972, and family members later opened Two Sisters 'N Da East on Chef Menteur Highway to serve New Orleans East. That outpost helped carry the family’s recipes beyond Tremé and kept the operation visible across neighborhoods. NewOrleans.com lists the East location and offers a snapshot of the family’s broader footprint in the city.
The relaunch drew some notable community support. Veteran singer Irma Thomas and music entrepreneur Emile Jackson helped finance the restart, giving the project both cultural punch and early financial backing. The restaurant remains firmly family-run, with Colette Finister in the kitchen and Dreka Anderson on the floor, keeping the focus on family recipes and a no-frills dining room, according to NOLA.com.
What to order
If you are easing back into the menu, start with a plate of smothered turkey wings or a bowl of stewed oxtails and let the gravy do the talking. The smothered okra, thickened with roux and loaded with okra, shrimp and smoked sausage, makes a briny, hearty side that plays well with rice and cornbread. Portions are serious and meant to be shared, in keeping with the kitchen’s old-school, communal style.
Why it matters
Two Sisters’ return is a reminder of how small, family-run kitchens help preserve neighborhood foodways as New Orleans’ dining scene keeps shifting. With local artists and longtime cooks behind the reopening, the Basin Street address adds another living chapter to Tremé’s ongoing culinary story.
