Empire State Jazz Cafe

Despite its name, there isn’t much jazz playing at Empire Jazz Cafe in Briar Forest. But the Cajun-Creole restaurant does have its fair share of ‘90s R&B and a few Quiet Storm nods. On Fridays and Saturdays, the stage fills with performances by a live band covering Erykah Badu songs. Meanwhile, plates of blackened salmon and bowls of gumbo get delivered to your table, where sound levels are closer to a full-blown concert than a small jazz cafe. So come solo or with someone you can practice telepathic communication with.