Mother's Restaurant opened its doors, on Restaurant Row at 401 Poydras Street,
in 1938 by Simon and Mary (Mother) Landry and his large family. During and after
World War II, Mother's became a local hangout for the Marine Corps, earning the
nickname TUN Tavern of New Orleans. Five of the six Landry children joined the Corp--
Francis Landry became the first woman in Louisiana to be accepted. In 1986, the Jerry
and John Amato bought Mother's from the Landry's sons Jacques and Eddie, and promptly
doubled the menu adding traditional dishes like
jambalaya and gumbo next to the po'boys
that made Mother's famous, like the Ferdi Special.
The Famous Ferdi Special Po-Boy consists of Mother's Best Ham, roast beef, debris and
gravy. Debris is the roast beef that falls into the gravy while baking in the oven. The
sandwich is named after Mr. Ferdi, a local merchant and regular Mother's patron, who
supposedly did nothing more than ask for ham to be added to his roast beef po'boy. The
Ralph special, named after Ferdi's nephew, adds cheese.