Harbor Drive dead-ends at the water in Slidell, and Phil’s is out there at 1194, past the point where the road stops looking like it is going anywhere. That is the appeal. This is casual Louisiana seafood at the edge of the marina, close enough to the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain that the boat traffic is local rather than commercial. Slidell gets skipped by people driving between New Orleans and the Mississippi coast, which keeps the waterfront honest. There is no boardwalk, no tour bus, and no line. What there is: a plate of fried shrimp, a cold one, and water outside the window. If you are staying on the Northshore and want the version of this that has not been polished up, Phil’s is it.
