Tooloulou

Delicious gumbo, marguerite pizza, with excellent service. Love the variety, and if you don’t see something appealing, you can meander to another place

I think I’m qualified to make a Cajun judgement in this situation. I have been there done that in NOLA, gained 30 pounds, married a dame from the city, and had a drivers license in Louisiana; I’m qualified. Po boy was good. Bread was fresh (that’s bad, should be day old). The shrimp was lightly breaded and pleasant. My complaint was that the fried oysters were soggy. If they were trying to be Cajun fusion, then great– I’m all for it! In that case I’d give it a ⁵⁄₅. If the owners are from LA and are using their grandmas cast iron pan, then perhaps they need some more tony chachere’s. I went twice in one weekend… I think that says a lot about the place. Their fries are crisp and well salted a fat boys dream! Belvedere market is a perfect location, please don’t leave.

I was born and raised in Southern Louisiana and moved to Baltimore five years ago. This place is authentic Louisiana cuisine. It is most certainly the best Louisiana-​styled restaurant I have found since moving up to the DC area. Shawn’s po-​boys are fantastic and his pizzas, especially his market pizzas, are great. Check out the desserts, also. Great stuff.

My sister and I were invited to a Unilocal event that took place at Jinji’s Chocolate which is behind TooLouLou. When we arrived to the event we were about thirty minutes early and starving. When we walked into Belvedere’s we were overwhelmed by all the people and the amount of artisan boutique stores and cashiers there were – we were so very confused. Once we saw two open seats available anywhere we ran and sat down not even knowing what the menu looked like or what the place was called. Luckily, we sat down at TooLouLou’s «bar» and ordered a pizza to split between the two of us. Typically I do not eat pizza, however, my sister only survives off of a few food items in general so I played it safe and just gave-​in since her food choices are slim and I didn’t want her to starve. We agreed on a «Build Your Own Pizza» which started at $ 11.50 and you could add additional toppings for a small fee. Surprisingly, we only ordered a CHEESE PIZZA (mind blowing, right?). To my surprise this pizza was actually good and I am not just saying that to be nice. I really really do not like pizza or bread in general so for me to like a pizza, it truly says a lot. It was thin and crisp with no weird crust or burnt bottom. I would order it again!

Not particularly Creole/​Cajun to me.
Lots and lots of sauce on everything.
I will give them another shot however, b/​c I’m at the square all the time.

Still a «one» star, but giving honorable mention to the café’s management, who has not only reached out to me in apology for those collards served the other day, but to also acknowledge that they were indeed horrible.
Seriously, not too many managers would EVER confess to that. I would very much like to elevate my review. If I happen to wander over to the Belvedere Square again, I’ll gladly check out this café’s greens and report back to y’all.

A friend and I met at Belvedere Square last night early enough that it wasn’t too crowded and we had our pick of readily available dinner options. We chose Touloulou; it was the first time there for both of us. It was really a strikingly great meal.
We each got one of the dinner entrée specials, and they were both fabulous. The crab cake over greens with beets was flavorful, perfectly broiled, and delicious — we both thought so, and we’re both native Baltimoreans who are particular about our crab cakes. The gnocchi with oyster mushrooms and vegs in a creamy sauce was also delicious, and the sides of slices of bread smothered in basil pesto were a great bonus. We brought two glasses of wine over from Grand Cru and sat at the Touloulou counter, where they tended to us with friendly, unobtrusive efficiency.
Great meal in the pleasant, casual atmosphere of Belvedere Square Run, do not walk, to Touloulou.

Visit belvedere square at least every other weekend with my family. Love this place for my young kids and for myself when I choose not to get ramen. Tonight we had a bad experience that left me baffled. My husband got a kale Cesar salad with rockfish on top. It was a crazy night so we waited about 30 minutes for it. He started eating it and it Was raw. He brought it back and they re cooked it. He ate about half and went to give it to our two year old when I realized the second half was still raw on the inside.
He brought it back and they said to him he ate too much of it and there was nothing they were going to do. He was annoyed to say the least. As were sitting there for 20 more minutes our group was all discussing how ridiculous that was.
I went and talked to them and said I didn’t want anything but wanted to share my frustration. The manager was beyond rude to me. Argued with me while I stood there and then got the owner. I again shared frustration. His response. «I cooked it. I know it wasn’t raw» he walked away and said just give her her money back.
My husband went and got a refund and the manager continued to tell him how disrespectful I was. My friend who was with me while I talked to them explained how rude they were and not us. The food is good but customer service is part of the experience and it was bad. I will not be visiting this establishment again. Beyond disappointed.

Oops! Thought I had written a review already for here! I’m already a regular. Soooo to be honest I come here for the kids. The menu is fair and their food is so good I end up sneaking bites from one of the little bells’ plate. The kids pizza is soooooooo good. Along with the French fries. Hubby does the fried oysters over a salad. We also got the Mac and cheese over the summer which was good… just dash a bit of your own salt on there ! Love it here. Owner is delightful as is the staff!!! I’ve heard the catfish is amazing so that’s next on my list to try!

This review is with a caveat on a couple of observations more so. Its been a couple of months or close to a yr since they moved from Harford to the square. Its a bigger space and more than likely more revenue. However, that personal feel that i once had when i entered has been replaced with an assembly line approach, which means food quality will suffer from time to time since the chef himself doesnt do the cooking all the time as he used to do most of the time. The food is still good, but i also feel that the bread is now smaller. Oh well. Its the best po-​boy in town in IMO, it is what it is.

This place was a total miss.
I ordered the blackened shrimp po’boy and a side of the mustard coleslaw. The shrimp smelled surprisingly fishy, which was a bit off putting, and was completely swallowed by the bread. The remoulade was the sandwich’s only positive note. Steer clear of the mustard coleslaw. It was gross and soupy.
My boyfriend had the smoked duck pizza, and it was only ok. The sought /​crust was great, but the pizza was otherwise bland.
We won’t be back.

I already view the Belvedere Square Market in a positive light. Tooloulou just adds flavor to the market.
The po’ boys here are crave-​worthy. The brunch specials are excellent, especially the chicken, chicken, and biscuits. I’ve never had the pizza before, but may need to give that a shot next time if I don’t veer towards the po’ boys.

I absolutely loved this place!
The shrimp po’boy is amazing and im addicted to the spicy pickles they put in their sandwiches. I haven’t tried the pizza yet, but the menu on its own has a lot of variety and creativity. I think even if i do become a regular its gonna be a great tasting po’boy every time. I’m still dreaming of that extra crunchy, well seasoned shrimp.
Bonus points. Extra friendly staff, fast, attentive service.
a few small complaints, unfortunately great tasting ingredients come at a steep price so you’ll be paying a pretty penny for what seems like a small sandwich and is considered the large size.
was not a fan of the potato salad, seemed over mixed with a mealy texture to it. I will have to try the fries next time.
note for newbiies, this place is a lunch counter, very small in the middle of a busy market, so don’t expect a sit down place.

I fuggin love po’boys. The first time I went here I was with my best gal (when they were located on Bel Air Rd.) and I had the worst cold ever. A fried shrimp po’boy + a bag of fries made me feel so much better. Seriously, I saw the bag of fries and did a little dance (I LOVE fries and these fries are sprinkled with Old Bay and are crispy and perfect). The shrimp was fried perfectly, not greasy and a really fair amount for the price. The bread is so good, the spicy pickles are so good, the Tabasco remoulade is so good, IT’S SO GOOD. I have also had the oyster po’boy and have been just as happy. I haven’t been since it relocated, but am trying to make it back soon so I can get my hands on that roast beef po’boy.

We stopped by just before heading to a movie at The Senator and the food so completely hit the spot.
We started with the Kale Caesar Salad. It unfortunately only comes in the massive entrée size, and it wasn’t the typical curly kale I’m used to, but it was tasty nonetheless. I opted for a ½ oyster po’boy while my better half had the steak sandwich and we split an order of fries, less the Old Bay. Both sandwiches were delicious; the bread was really incredible. The fries were great too, especially with their malt vinegar.
The staff were super warm and friendly and it made the whole experience that much better. Good food by good people, it doesn’t get much better than that.

I had been meaning to go to Tooloulou since they were on Bel Air Rd. My parents lived in Louisiana for years and would regale me with tales of K-Paul’s, would cook up gumbo and jambalaya that have as yet been unmatched, and would make a Po’Boy that would knock your socks off.
So I was really excited for real Louisiana cuisine (as I won’t go back to the other Cajun restaurant where the chef claims to have been taught by Paul Prudhomme but was not.)
I wanted to go back to try the brunch (which Teresa A. raved about), and the Po Boy, but I was not thrilled by the titular pizza.
Positives: The crust is delicious, the crab is plentiful, the banana peppers offer a lovely juxtaposition to the cheese and crab, and the part I wasn’t thrilled about — the confit.
Negative: As a sauce for pizza it turned me off as it relies on the spice of the banana pepper to bring it to life, and the confit’s texture is nearly as thick as the cheese. We wound up tasting the confit on its own, as we scraped it off the pizza, and though I’m not familiar with what a confit should taste like, this lacked any discernible flavor other than the subtle garlic.

In the two times I have eaten at Tooloulou I had one 5 star dish and one 1 star dish.
***** 5 Stars — Goes to the their brunch dish Chicken, Chicken, & Biscuits (Fried Chicken on Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuit topped with sausage gravy and two fried eggs. Served with home fries) — oh ma gerd! it was amazing… AMAZING. My boyfriend was debating on this and something simple, but he knew he made the right decision on the first bite, it totally this blew his socks off! I wanted to steal it from him, it was a big plate of awesome in every bite! If you are in the market for brunch THIS IS THE ENTREE to get!
** 1 Stars — the Tooloulou pizza (white sauce, crab, Andouille sausage, banana peppers, mozzarella and a sprinkle of Old Bay). I thought the banana peppers sounded odd, and when it came out it my thoughts were confirmed. The banana peppers taste overwhelmed my palate, I had to take them all off. The «white sauce» was more of a tasteless gravy with a weird consistency. They didn’t hold back on the crab which was nice to see, but the flavors didn’t have any punch so it was not worth the holiness of all that crab! My coworker, and fellow Elite Unilocaler (Jill B.) shared this pizza with me and shared the same look of being unsatisfied.
Like I said, I am interested in trying again! The brunch was so delicious, it seems like you just have to know what to order here.

I’ve been wanting to take my boyfriend here for lunch for a while and we finally decided to stop by on a late Wednesday afternoon around 4. Because it was in between lunch and dinner, there was no wait and we were able to order immediately.
FOOD–
1. Oyster po boy– The bread is soft and chewy and they really pack in the oysters. I thought it was delicious, but my boyfriend thought the oysters weren’t crispy enough on the outside. Some of the oysters were on the softer side, which led to a chewy slimier texture than my boyfriend wanted, which is understandable. I think if they had fried the oysters just a tad longer, it would have been more enjoyable. ($ 13)
2. Steak sandwich– Pretty delicious. I ordered the steak medium-​rare and it was incredibly chewy so if I ever go back, I’ll try to order it medium. The steak had some crispy burnt edges, but this added to the flavor. The steak sandwich also has this creamy goat cheese spread that pairs nicely with the steak. ($ 12)
3. Collard greens– This might have been my favorite item. Lots of shredded pork and the greens were pretty salty. We got the smaller side and it was more than enough.
4. Fries– Crispy, salty, pretty good. We left the old bay off but sprinkled with salt and pepper, they were still pretty satisfying.
SERVICE–
They brought our food to us and gave us water in adorable mason jars. They were also really nice by checking in to see that we were enjoying our food.
OVERALL–
Belvedere square is a fun place and Tooloulou was pretty good. It was on the expensive side for lunch (two sandwiches, and two sides for $ 32 + $ 6 tip) — At almost $ 40, that is just too much to spend for lunch. The portions are huge, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the drive out here.

Huge fan of the original location. Being from California, I had to wait 9 months to get back into town to get to my po’boy sandwich, and they absolutely made it worth the wait. New location in Belvedere market is lovely and good for their business. Food was literal perfection. Nothing about anything I ordered was disappointing. Split my po’boy between oyster and shrimp. Was instantly reborn. Also tried their Cole slaw. Authentic Louisiana style down to the seasonings. The staff was so sweet and excited that Cal Ripkin had just stopped in for a pizza. I love this place, it’s food and the people running it, and I’m not even from Baltimore. Well done.

Tooloulou’s was one of my favorite places in Baltimore. After I went there for the first time, I went back again and again… often with lot of other people who would become converts too: P
When I heard that they were closing down, I had a mini-​panic attack. Where would I go for my po’boy fix? Fortunately, they said they would reopen in Belvedere Square so my fears were calmed down :)
The new location pretty much serves the same, good quality food as the old Harford Rd location. I also found out the other day you can have a ½ shrimp ½ oyster po’boy. OMG. That is a game-​changer.
My only complaint would be that in moving to the bougie-​er Belvedere Square location, it lost a little bit of the charm that the original restaurant had. But the food is still great! If you’ve never been there before, you really ought to go!