Mandeville Lakefront · Since the 1880s
Rest awhile.
Fresh seafood, hand-shucked oysters and cold drinks inside one of Louisiana's oldest resort buildings.
Eat
The menu, short version
The plates people drive across the Causeway for. Fresh Gulf fish is market priced, and the full menu shifts with the seasons.
Reservations
Dinner on the lake tonight?
Grab a table in the Frapart dining room, up on the deck, or out in the courtyard.
Powered by OpenTable · Larger party or the Hadden Cottage? Call(985) 951-2173
Find us
2129 Lakeshore Drive
Mandeville, LA 70448 — right on Lake Pontchartrain.
(985) 951-2173
Get directions ↗
Hours
- MondayClosed
- TuesdayClosed
- Wednesday5:00 – 9:00
- Thursday5:00 – 9:00
- Friday11:00 – 2:30 & 5:00 – 9:30Bars open straight through
- Saturday11:00 – 2:30 & 4:30 – 9:30Bars open straight through
- Sunday11:00 – 5:30
Six spaces, one property
Find your spot
A dining room in an 1880s hotel, a raw bar by the water, a sunset deck, a cocktail cottage, a private-event hideaway and a dog-friendly courtyard.
The 1880s hotel
Frapart Dining Room
Casual, family-friendly dining inside the last surviving hotel from Mandeville’s resort era — original floors, vintage postcards on the walls.
Shucked to order
The Oyster Bar
Raw or grilled, always fresh and shucked by hand. Belly up to the bar for frozen daiquiris and a lake view.
Front row to the lake
The Deck
A second-story deck tying the whole property together — breeze, sunset, and direct access to the oyster bar.
The 1916 cottage
Sophie Tavern
Wine and craft cocktails in a restored cottage — Sazeracs, Old Fashioneds, and festival posters on beadboard walls. 21+.
Private events, circa 1850s
Hadden Cottage
Our oldest building hosts your most private gatherings — seating up to 35 with the lake all to yourselves.
Ground level, dog friendly
The Courtyard
Brick patio under the buildings with a pet watering station, native landscaping, and full food and drink service.
Word of mouth
What people are saying
You have turned a dilapidated building into a restaurant and then into a great local museum.
— A guest, on the restoration
Pat Gallagher · Louisiana Restaurateur of the Year
Specials & updates
Welcome
A landmark, restored
The Rest Awhile property has welcomed lakefront guests since the 1880s. After Katrina, it was raised, restored and paired with a Northshore restaurant legend.
Just as Rest Awhile is an iconic historic property, Pat Gallagher is an icon in the restaurant industry — and the marriage of the property and the proprietor has made for a great place to eat, drink and relax.
Read our story ↗Come as you are
Good to know before you pull up
We are
- Extremely casual — come as you are, straight off the lake
- Service-oriented — a casual place with upscale service
- Affordable — quality food without lakefront pricing
- A little loud — the tradeoff for 140-year-old wood floors
- Fun — the table next to you may become your new best friends
- Family friendly & local — walking in feels like a reunion
- Dog friendly — on the downstairs patio, with a watering station
We are not
- A quiet, intimate dinner — but we know the perfect place:527,Gallagher's Grill orFront Street
- White-tablecloth dining — our sister restaurants do that beautifully; we're the sandy-feet sibling
Pat Gallagher's Restaurant Group
The family of restaurants
Rest Awhile is your neighborhood spot on the lake — and part of a Northshore family that's been feeding Louisiana since 1978.
Covington
Gallagher's Grill
The original neighborhood steakhouse, a Covington tradition since 2007
Visit Gallagher's Grill ↗Mandeville
Pat Gallagher's 527
Steaks and seafood at the foot of the Causeway
Visit Pat Gallagher's 527 ↗Slidell
Gallagher's on Front Street
A quieter white-tablecloth room on Front Street
Visit Gallagher's on Front Street ↗