New Orleans never misses the opportunity to throw a party — and neither does Sugah Please. Born in Detroit, the New Orleans-inspired breakfast and brunch bar soft-opened its Grand Rapids location in January. In July, it made things official with a grand opening celebration that introduced new menu items and a colorful cocktail menu.
When owner Wendy Ringo started her Detroit location, she’d already set her sights on a New Orleans vibe. (She’s a Michigan native with family in North Florida.) “You know what? I didn’t even do it intentionally when I created the menu!” Ringo said. “Then I looked and said, ‘Well, you know what? New Orleans has more of the kind of feel and flavor I’m looking for.”
Specifically, Ringo was attracted to the French cultural influences shared by New Orleans and Detroit. (She proudly notes that her Detroit restaurant is next door to the Fort Pontchartain Hotel, built on the site of the 18th-century French fort of the same name.) “It’s not just the food,” she said. “It’s the music, it’s the history, it’s the culture.”
All of those ingredients mix deliciously at Sugah Please’s GR outfit, located at 1 Carlton Ave. SE (at Fulton Street). Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the kitchen’s turning out decadent delights inspired by The Big Easy, while resident mixologist Nicole Brewer creates drinks “with a focus on bubbles.” Check out the Bayou cocktail (Midori, spiced rum, Malibu coconut rum and pineapple juice served on the rocks and topped with an orchid), or treat your party to a flight of colorful Mimosas!
Picking a few high notes from the parade of menu items…
Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, you’d best try the fried green tomatoes. Cornmeal-crusted and fried to a golden crunch, they’re finished with a tangy remoulade that brings just the right amount of sass to the plate — proof that in the Crescent City canon, even a vegetable can headline the second line.
No trip to Sugah Please is complete without a stop at the beignets. Pillowy squares of fried dough are buried under a snowdrift of powdered sugar, Café du Monde–style, and come ready for dunking — because at this bar, “getting a little messy” isn’t a bug, it’s the whole point.
For something heartier, the newly added Sugah Daddy burger piles on the classic fixings between a soft bun, built for two hands and zero regrets. It’s comfort food with a little Bourbon Street swagger — the kind of burger that doesn’t ask permission before it drips down your wrist.
Speaking of new arrivals to the lineup: the po’boy just joined the menu, dressed and ready to represent the sandwich that put Louisiana lunch counters on the map. Consider it Sugah Please’s latest parade float — freshly rolled out and already turning heads.
Then there’s a choice of shrimp, catfish or blackened salmon, each served on a bed of creamy, stone-ground grits. The seafood’s seasoned and seared to bring the heat without stealing the whole show. It’s a lineup that lets diners pick their own krewe — shrimp for the traditionalists, catfish for the purists, blackened salmon for anyone chasing a little smoky char with their brunch. (For those who like their eggs in the mix, Sugah Please also plates a blackened salmon Benedict, because apparently one form of decadence per fish just wasn’t enough.)
Rounding out the menu are the dishes built for a slower morning: a build-your-own omelette lineup for the savory crowd, sweet cream pancakes for anyone chasing a sugar high before noon, and a cinnamon roll French toast that basically dares you to order a second cup of coffee. And keep an eye on the menu board — Sugah Please has gumbo simmering in the wings, set to join the lineup soon, because no self-respecting Louisiana kitchen leaves the roux behind for long.
Ringo said she’s excited by the welcome Sugah Please has received here in Grand Rapids. “We’re proud to bring our authenticity, care and love to West Michigan!” Come for the beignets, stay for the Southern hospitality!
