Iconic Uptown Restaurant for Sale

NEW ORLEANS — Corporate Realty announced that it is representing owners JoAnn Clevenger and Alan Greenacre as they sell Upperline Restaurant, located at 1413 Upperline and 4836 Pitt streets.

The 4,293-square-foot property currently has a liquor license and is outfitted with fixtures, furniture and kitchen equipment. There are three dining rooms, a small bar area, the kitchen, restrooms and storage. On the second floor, there’s a large office, prep kitchen, wine storage room, and another room that can be used for storage or has the potential for expansion as a private event room.

“For over three decades, Upperline was one of the best, and most iconic, restaurants in New Orleans,” said Mike Siegel, president of Corporate Realty and one of the two agents representing this restaurant. “Led by the legendary JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline combined an unmatched combination of exceptional food, warm atmosphere and great location. While we are not offering the food, Corporate Realty is pleased to offer this one-of-a-kind building and location to the market.”

The restaurant sits one block off St. Charles Avenue and just steps away from a busy commercial stretch near Prytania that’s home to Creole Creamery, La Crepe Nanou, Costera and St. James Cheese Company.

The property has been a restaurant under different owners for almost nine decades, but it began as a single-family home at 4836 Pitt Street in the 1890s. In 1936, Salvaggio’s Restaurant opened there. It was also home to Martin’s and Kershenstine’s Barbecue before Clevenger came across the building. Initially looking for a second location for her vintage clothing store, she instead hung colorful art by New Orleans artists and opened Upperline Restaurant in 1983 with her son, Jason Clevenger, as the first chef. For almost 40 years, it was a fixture in the New Orleans culinary landscape.

Scott Graf, the other agent representing this restaurant, is a former professional chef who’s also an Upperline fan.

“I was always a big fan of the restaurant and have great respect for JoAnn and what she has accomplished,” he said. “It is bittersweet, to be honest. I am sad to see it go, but excited to see what happens next in this winning location.”