Crabby Jack’s History

Raised on a farm in upstate New York by a French mother and an Italian father, Jacques Leonardi was exposed early to the cuisine of both nationalities and the use of fresh seasonal ingredients.

Crabby Jack Himself

A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Jacques fell in love with New Orleans and all it had to offer while stationed in the city. In 1990, he started working at minimum wage for Chef Paul Prudhomme of K-Paul?s Lousiana Kitchen while continuing his tenure as a Coast Guard officer. It was at K-Paul?s where he learned the basics of ?Nawlins? style cooking and laid the groundwork for his own dream: his first restaurant, Jacques-Imo?s Cafe, which he opened in 1996.

In 2002, the itch to expand his culinary and?entrepreneurial?horizons proved too much to withstand, and Jacques opened up the now local favorite po’ boy shop Crabby Jack’s on Jefferson Ave. Since then, Jacques and his dedicated staff have been delighting patrons for lunch at Crabby Jack’s and dinner at Jacques-Imo’s.