Peter DiMartino opened a five-table restaurant in an out-of-the-way spot on the Westbank in 1975, and the muffuletta is still the reason people drive across the river.
The family came up in New Orleans Italian food service, and DiMartino built the original menu around two sandwiches, muffulettas and po-boys. The place worked from the day it opened. Five decades later the operation runs three quick-casual locations plus one full-service restaurant, and it stays family owned by people who grew up on the Westbank.
The sandwich itself gets built with more precision than the casual setting suggests. Ham, soppressata, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss go on by weight rather than by feel, which keeps the meat-to-bread ratio consistent from one order to the next. The assembled sandwich then runs through a toaster oven. Only after it comes out warm does the garlicky olive salad go on top, cold, in a heap. That temperature split is what separates a DiMartino’s muffuletta from most versions in town. The bread stays crusty, the interior turns soft and melty, and the olive salad hits cool against all of it.
Sizing works differently here too. Most muffuletta counters sell one sandwich by the whole, half, or quarter. DiMartino’s offers a small and a large. Regulars will tell you the small feeds two adults without much effort, which puts the large in territory most people should approach with a plan. Recent listings have the small in the ten to eleven dollar range, though prices move, so treat that as a ballpark.
Olive oil is part of the experience. Enough of it seeps out through the wrapping paper that visitors notice, and it soaks into the loaf rather than making the sandwich greasy. Anyone who has found the Central Grocery version dry will understand the appeal immediately.
The rest of the menu earns its own following. The roast beef po-boy has partisans who will argue it beats the muffuletta. Fried shrimp and oysters come out clean rather than heavy. There’s gumbo with okra, red beans and rice, lasagna served with warm buttered bread, and eggplant parmigiana. Plate lunches and dinners fill out the Italian side.
Service is counter style at the quick-casual stores. Customers order from a large display board, find a table, and staff bring the food out. Beer sits in a cooler in the dining room, and someone behind the counter will open it. The rooms are clean and plain, and nobody is pretending otherwise.
The three Westbank locations sit in Terrytown at 1788 Carol Sue Avenue, in Marrero at 1673 Barataria Boulevard, and in Algiers at 3900 General De Gaulle Drive. A fourth operates in Covington on the Northshore. Anyone coming from downtown New Orleans will find the General De Gaulle store easiest to reach, since it sits just over the bridge.
Hours vary by store and closures are staggered, so call before driving. Terrytown reaches (504) 392-7589 and closes Sundays. Marrero reaches (504) 635-1600 and closes Tuesdays. Algiers reaches (504) 367-0227 and generally runs from 11 a.m. into the evening.
Order the small, split it with somebody, and put the leftover half in the fridge for tomorrow when the oil has finished doing its work.
