Donald Link is a highly acclaimed, James Beard Award-winning chef and co-founder of the Link Restaurant Group. He is known for his innovative approach to Southern and New American cuisine, deeply rooted in the...
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SteakhouseBbqAmericanLatin AmericanSeafoodModerateLunchDinnerCasualFarm To Table
Last updated: 7/7/2026, 5:04:30 AM
Key Information
Cochon is a New Orleans restaurant celebrated for its authentic Cajun cuisine, focusing on locally sourced pork, fresh produce, and seafood. It's part of the Link Restaurant Group and offers a unique dining experience that pays tribute to traditional Southern flavors, with a strong emphasis on house-made meats and charcuterie.
Customer Perception
Customers consistently praise Cochon for its exceptional food, often describing meals as 'tremendous' and 'unforgettable.' The service is frequently highlighted as prompt, friendly, attentive, and passionate. Many recommend making reservations, especially for dinner and on weekends. While not explicitly vegetarian, the kitchen is noted for accommodating dietary requests by creating dishes on the fly.
Additional Details
Cochon is part of the Link Restaurant Group, which also includes Cochon Butcher, a neighboring establishment specializing in cured meats and charcuterie. The restaurant emphasizes a 'food bar' experience for true food lovers.
Exceptional food, can totally see how they held a Michelin star. They had a lot of local dishes available and although there weren't any vegetarian options, the chef created a vegetarian dish on the fly for our meat-free group members. The servers were incredibly enthusiastic and interesting. You can also see that they are very passionate about the things that the restaurant, the dishes the restaurant offers.
We were very lucky to grab a reservation for the size of our group during a conference weekend. You definitely should make a reservation here if you're coming for dinner and even more so on the weekends. We were a group of six and so reservation was definitely required
Had high expectations due to James Beard recognition and they delivered. They were extremely busy due to convention crowds but service didn’t falter, they were courteous, friendly, and we didn’t feel rushed. The oysters in chili garlic sauce were some of the best I’ve ever had, could almost spoon the sauce by itself. While everything was good, the brisket was the winner. Good cocktails too… they had a nice touch of bringing champagne for the table since we were celebrating my son’s birthday.
5
We came here on our first night In New Orleans. I’ve always wanted to try a Michelin star restaurant, and this one was close to our hotel. We got lucky and got there before the crowd and we were able to get in without reservations.
The staff was super friendly and got us to a table. We took our waiters recommendation and ordered the grill fired oysters, and the Cochon special of the night which was a shredded pork dish. Both of these were amazing and a delight to the Taste buds.
This was a great experience that my first Michelin star restaurant. The prices were good. The food was outstanding. The atmosphere was great and the service was fantastic as well.
This is definitely on my List of places to eat again when I come to New Orleans.
4
title: Professional service, but be mindful of the heavy, traditional Cajun flavor profile
I recently visited to experience their signature dishes, including the smoked beef brisket and the gumbo.
For those unfamiliar with traditional Cajun cuisine, I would like to offer a fair warning: the flavor profile here is very "hardcore" and heavily leans into traditional Southern characteristics. The gumbo features a very dark, deeply toasted roux that results in a distinct, robust, and slightly bitter charred aroma, while the spices are used quite heavily throughout the meal. The brisket follows a classic long-slow-braise style, focusing on achieving a very soft texture.
To be candid, if you prefer lighter, more delicate flavors, or dishes that highlight the natural sweetness of fresh ingredients, you might find these preparations to be somewhat one-dimensional and overly heavy.
That said, the service deserves high praise. I was not personally accustomed to the intensity of the gumbo, and the staff was incredibly professional. Upon noticing my feedback, they immediately offered to remove the dish from my bill, handling the situation with great care and integrity.
Summary: If you are specifically looking to explore authentic, bold Cajun/Creole culinary traditions, this place is quite genuine. However, if you are looking for a meal with balanced, nuanced flavors, I would recommend ordering with caution or asking the staff about the intensity of the dishes before you commit.
5
Is it possible to have too much great food? We’ve been trying places new to us on this trip, but we had to come back here.
The best of many excellent choices starts with the crawfish pie; I would eat that every day if I could.
The house made charcuterie board was incredible. The headcheese could have set more solidly, but it was a great base for the mustard & relish. The other salumi would almost certainly please our Italian family & friends (purists might raise their eyebrows at the slightly smoky salami, but I loved it).
My ribeye was awesome. I shared it with my husband, who could cut it with a butter knife. Our server recommended the pineapple upside down cake over the bread pudding & she was right; that might be the best dessert I’ve had all week. And my old fashioned was perfect.
I’ve recommended this to all my friends who said they were going to the Crescent City. I still will. Maybe someday we’ll get to their Butcher restaurant next door…. This was all-around the best meal we had on our trip.