It is the 55th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a co-story credit.
The series follows Louie, a fictionalized version of C.K., a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.47 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
At the Comic Strip, Louie is asked by a friend to host an open mic night, and he accepts after negotiating for $500.
The show goes relatively well, but a young comedian, Bart (Nate Fernald), is poorly received for his unfunny, creepy routine.
In March 2015, FX confirmed that the second episode of the season would be titled "A La Carte", and that it would be written and directed by series creator and lead actor Louis C.K., with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a co-story credit.
"[4] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "So far, this has been a back-to-basics season for Louie, and it's hard to imagine a more vintage-feeling episode of the show than 'A La Carte,' with its three vignettes – one wholly separate, the other two tying together at the very end – and mix of balls-out comedy, awkwardness, and pathos.
"[7] Joe Matar of Den of Geek gave the episode a perfect 5 rating out of 5 and wrote, "Altogether, 'A la Carte' reinforces that Louie is going to continue to tackle whatever it fancies and will still chuck the occasional absurdist non-sequitur at you, but it's also not forgotten the sense of continuity that defined season four.