12.29.14 / GAMBIT / BESTOFNEWORLEANS.COM

Junction now open on St. Claude Avenue

POSTED BY SARAH BAIRD @SCBAIRD ON MON, DEC 29, 2014 AT 9:11 AM

The facade of Junction, which opened Dec. 26.  Photo Credit: SARAH BAIRD

The Bywater's hotly anticipated burger and beer joint, Junction, is now officially open in its new home at 3021 St. Claude Avenue.

The restaurant, which opened quietly Friday, has a streamlined, appropriately railroad car-style feel, with wooden booths and a classically crafted art deco bar that give the spot a sense of laid back timelessness.

photo credit: SARAH BAIRD

The menu features railroad-themed burgers, including several that were previewed this summer at Molly's at the Market. The "Iowa Interstate" burger features a thick, medium-cooked beef patty topped with bacon, blue cheese and a finely minced corn relish. The supremely heat-packed New Mexico Rail Runner burger is topped with green chiles, cheddar and a four-alarm chipotle aioli.

Pub food classics also are featured, among them chicken wings in various styles (buffalo, Memphis, "crescent") and a throwback tavern stalwart: the pickled egg. The pickled egg (cured in-house) also makes a cameo on the pickled Cobb salad, which doubles the pickled pleasure with the addition of a tangy red wine vinaigrette.

photo credit: SARAH BAIRD

Beer lovers will rejoice about the 40 draft beers on tap, which span Louisiana, Mississippi and the four corners of the United States. (The international draft beers on tap are primarily Irish.) In addition, an impressive number of craft bottles and cans position Junction as one of the finest up-and-coming beer hubs in the city.

Junction is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until late. For more information and a full menu, visit their website.