Inside Mother’s Restaurant: How a New Orleans icon became the ‘Tun Tavern of the South’

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - One of New Orleans’ most famous comfort food spots served more than po-boys and debris sandwiches this Veterans Day (Nov. 11).

For generations, Mother’s restaurant on Poydras Street has been a gathering place for military veterans — and a living piece of Marine Corps history.

On one of the coldest Veterans Days in recent memory Tuesday, the restaurant was ready for a crowd.

“Yes. We all packed. It’s cold. People want to eat,” said General Manager Joe Balderas.

While most people know Mother’s for its signature comfort food, Balderas said veterans from across the country come for something deeper — the camaraderie and the restaurant’s military roots.

“Usually (we grow) by word of mouth,” Balderas said. “We don’t really advertise. Word of mouth.”

Balderas has been with Mother’s since 1986 and can share the story behind nearly every photograph hanging on the restaurant’s walls.

Among the many famous visitors is former Secretary of State Colin Powell. “The reason why the picture’s up there (is) because of the historical fact that they visited the restaurant,” Balderas said.

He also recalls when the “Kissin’ Sailor” — the man claiming to be captured in the iconic photo on V-J Day in Times Square — stopped in for a sandwich.

“Especially now, on a Veterans Day, a lot of military people come through here, and they’re just amazed at all the different pictures,” Balderas said. “They see some of their friends. Some people say, ‘I’ve yelled at him in boot camp,’ you know.”

But the most important story, Balderas said, is that of “Mother” herself — Mary Landry.

Landry had five of her seven children serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, including her daughter, Francis, who became Louisiana’s first female Marine.

During World War II, the family restaurant became a beloved hangout for Marines, earning it the nickname “Tun Tavern of the South,” in honor of the original Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Marine Corps in 1775.

“This is when they made this a Tun Tavern,” Balderas said, pointing to a 1950s photo. “See how nice it looks now? That’s Jack and Eddie — the two guys that gave them a certificate.”

The image shows the owners of the original Tun Tavern visiting Mother’s to present a now-tattered flag, officially recognizing the restaurant as the “Tun Tavern of the South.” Balderas calls it his favorite picture.

While the history is something he’s proud to share, Balderas said the real purpose is to create moments like the one shared with Army National Guard veteran Howard Wolf and his wife Cheryl, who visited from Wisconsin.

“Mother’s on the wall has all this for first responders and military,” Howard Wolf said. “And that just makes you feel good, that you didn’t waste your life, that people do recognize that. And that’s wonderful.”

“It’s tremendously important,” added Cheryl Wolf. “The camaraderie — anytime he goes anywhere, we are always approached by people (who say) thank you. And that’s so important. Here you can see that everybody is here. It’s about the military and the importance of it.”

Balderas said that pride runs deep.

“How proud are you? How proud? Oh, my chest is way out there,” he said, laughing.

He tells everyone who walks through the door that when they enter, they become family.

The Historic New Orleans Collection said it does not have a record of many of the military artifacts hanging on the restaurant’s walls but is interested in helping to preserve them.

On this Veterans Day, Mother’s restaurant wasn’t just serving its famous debris sandwiches — it was honoring decades of service, pride and sacrifice that earned it the title “Tun Tavern of the South.”

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