Isaac Toups

Coming Up

Working for Emeril Lagasse at Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans kitchens in New Orleans, Louisiana put Isaac Toups in a larger professional room early on, under one of the city’s most storied names. That experience fed into the restaurant work that followed. Since 2012, he has been chef/owner of Toups' Meatery, a role that defines his career and keeps him tied to Louisiana cooking in a hands-on way. From 2016, he was also co-owner at Toups South in Southern Food and Beverage Museum, adding another New Orleans address to his footprint. Today, Isaac continues in his role as chef/owner of Toups' Meatery.

Where They Are Now

At Toups' Meatery in New Orleans, Louisiana, Isaac Toups keeps Cajun cooking at the center of the work. The line from his upbringing to his restaurants is direct: regional food knowledge, practical kitchen habits, and ownership that stays close to the stove. His cooking reflects that background in method and point of view, with place and repetition doing as much work as invention.

Signature

The signature dishes associated with Isaac Toups show a kitchen built around Cajun markers, rich textures, and direct flavor combinations. Toups Toasted Muffuletta, house made hot sausage, French onion bone marrow table side, braised lamb neck with spring pea risotto, horseradish and orange, and boudin croissants dusted with cracklin' point to a cook working across familiar forms while keeping the plates grounded in the register of Louisiana food. The emphasis is on substance, contrast, and the kind of food that reads clearly at the table.

In Their Words “In Cajun cooking, the kitchen was a communal area.” “I’m one of those ‘in the field’ type of guys.”