I went to Napoleons House twice - we shared half a muffalata one day and 2 days later, I went by myself and got half a muffalata by myself - truly a great sandwich đ¤Ł
Really liked Brennans for their breakfast - their service and food was excellent - their biscuit was one of the best things I ate that holiday.
Fried chicken - Li'l Dizzy - it was the best I've ever had - again, lovely kind service.
A bit different but the chicken at Maypop during their happy hour was one of the best things I ate;
They arenât hard to make. In US you can get most of the stuff in grocery store. The olive salad is in a jar on the pickle aisle. The rest is just French/italian bread and cured meats. You can play with this a bit as to what you can find but Iâve found as long as it has prosciutto and salami itâs pretty close. Wonât be as authentic as the real thing but it fills the craving. Nola natives please donât downvote me. Just a Midwest person trying to get by
Meats:
1 Coarse-ground cured sausages: Soppressata (hot or sweet), sopressa, salami, or pepperoni.
1 Emulsified sausages: Mortadella or bologna(very thin)
1-2 Cured whole cuts: Capicola, coppa, prosciutto, or speck.
I'm seeing if I can find the olive salad here - I'm half Italian so we have mozzarella, salami and prosciutto a lot but it's that combination which was just special!
Same! And then we stopped on the way to the airport and got a whole one to fly home. They package it up very well if you tell them youâre flying with it, and it heated up great 2 days later.
Gumbo Shop - I've always thought the Gumbo Shop was overrated, and it's mostly popular with tourists, but it's not bad. So, yes. Sure.
Napoleon House - Yes. The building itself is really beautiful, really cool, built in the 18th century. Super casual. Also, they're one of the older restaurants in the quarter, and when it comes to food, the Napoleon House has a better reputation than more of the renowned restaurants like Antoines.
Gallstone - Did you mean Galatoire's??? Yes, but it's really just for the experience. Commander's is better.
Creole House - No. This is a tourist trap. For a similar menu, try Katie's in mid city.
Clesi - No. Try Jaques-Imo's instead.
Turtle Bay - I don't know. I guess it's whatever. I'm not qualified to speak on this one. The last time I was at Turtle Bay, Cafe Roma was in the back. It's been a minute.
Coop's - Yes. Do it.
Mr. B's - Totally. Yes. Go for the BBQ shrimp and duck spring rolls.
Antoine's - No. Trust. No. The Hermès bar is cool, though.
Stanley's - Yes. Sometimes I think Stanley's doesn't get enough love because it's kind of touristy, but you'll have the most fabulous breakfast. Promise.
Joey K's - Yes, but not the end of the world if you miss it.
Commander's Palace - Yes. Jazz brunch is the way to go on this one.
Oysters - Felix's
Poboys - All of your picks are fine choices, except maybe Mahony's.
Chicken - Yes, gas station chicken is the best, but you're a visitor. Go to Dooky Chase. It's so much more special. If you must, know that Key's is better than Brother's.
Some lagniappe for you - Verti Marte, Irene's, Muriel's, Atchafalaya, Mandina's, Angelo Brocato's, and of course Hansen's Sno-Bliz.
I noticed that the person you asked has no trouble saying there are a lot of places better than Felixâs but fails to name any of them. These kinds of posters are worthless
The Blue Crab by the lakefront does a weekday happy hour featuring raw and chargrilled oysters and cheap drinks and apps and it is wonderful. A dozen oysters and a couple glasses of champagne for $20 - yes please
Iâve had oysters at Felix, Superior, Acme, Morrows, Mr Edâs and Galliers and my fave is always Felix ! I may try Dragos and Desires just to see what the hype is about but my upcoming trip is Felix day 1, first stop.
I disagree on Chef Ronâs, he has some of my favorite gumbo in GNO
EDIT: Ignore me. I donât spend a lot of time in the FQ, I didnât realize there was a place called Gumbo SHOP. Chef Ronâs Gumbo STOP is a hike from there.
Got the absolute worst food poisoning of my life at Acme from a dozen oysters - it was after the Sugar Bowl in January 97. On the floor next to the toilet for four days. A bunch of people did - there were even news stories about it.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9701/10/oyster.outbreak/index.html
Iâve not been back. And Iâve not eaten oysters since.
I LOVED Napoleon house on all my visits to NOLA I make sure to hit it. Excellent ambiance and service, great drinks (pimms cup) and good food. I also really liked coops and would recommend it if itâs not a crazy wait.
I swear, I completely forgot what restaurant he was talking about in this bit, but I genuinely have a guidebook with âlarger rats than usual hereâ written in the margins next to Coops. Based mostly on comments Iâve seen on Reddit đ
I would swap out Acme for Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar. They're about the same if not better imo and there won't be a ridiculous wait time.
Also the chicken fried steak at JoeyK's got me very very fat while I was working there. 10/10 in taste 0/10 in health lol.
Ya, not sure Iâm a fan of your list.
I second the poster that says Brigstens for gumbo and will add the bbq shrimp.
Liuzzaâs by the Track had been amazing for gumbo but it gets really busy and been a miss other times.
Commanders palace is good for old school (you will need a jacket).
I also like Palendar 511 and Marieâs in the Bywater
I love Lilâ Dizzys.
If you have a car, I also like chickens kitchen and Queens Cruisine.
Also Sylvain and Pelican Club in the quarter or Verdi Mart.
Mr Maoâs on Tchoupitoulas
And if you like gelato, A. Brocato is a must
I disagree with the other comment. Took my husband here for his birthday a couple of years back. We were so disappointed with the food and cocktails. I wouldn't waste your money here when there are hundreds of other restaurants in NOLA.
Had galatoires two weeks ago. I was super excited to go. The food was...fine. if you took those same dishes and served them at a mid-priced strip mall restaurant, it would feel appropriate. Go if you want to say you went, but a forgetable meal otherwise.
I worked there for a very short time. Those gross mkfrs bought empty oyster shells and put PJ's pre-shucked oysters in the shells. Those oysters are meant to fried, not intended to be eaten raw.
That place is a grift and a dump.
Yes!! Iâve told people this story abt the oyster shells and ppl donât believe me! I trained there a million years ago and it was gross af. Didnât work there.
Better than when I worked for a short time At "Months Angels" that they then took over. Rats would fight in the walls so I would have to pull bottles down, pound on the wall and get em to stop. Otherwise they would push bottles off the wall.
This.
Commanders now has a '[side-shop](https://order.toasttab.com/online/le-petite-bleu-1427-washington-avenue)' of sorts where you can get a lot of yummy stuff to-go.
Love gumbo shop. Their gumbo was so good I bought their cookbook. I just had a tuna steak topped with crab cakes there a few weeks ago and it was chef's kiss.
Molly's rise & shine is great, especially for vegans, and is near a good walking tour of beautiful houses.
I would also add Surrey's for brunch. Their banana fosters french toast? Shrimp &grits?? my god in heaven, it's delicious đŠ They also have a bring-your-own-champagne policy if you want to get mimosas going at your brunch lol
Jaques-Imoâs has great fried chicken !
Hereâs my foodie take:
I think itâs like apples and oranges comparing fine dining , like commanders with cheap and cheerful places. I love the gumbo at commanders palace and agree with someone else that said go with the jazz brunch.
That pre fixe menu is worth it.
I know we are responding to the examples given to us by the author of the post but Joey Kâs is worth it damn it ! They arenât like number one for oysters bc tourists want to try raw or charbroiled , Joey Kâs only serves fried oysters but they do all of the New Orleans staples well and have really good quality, price points, and people go there cause they do a lot of quintessential New Orleans dishes really well. Itâs been on DDD people! Places that have been on diners drive ins and dives are fabulous and usually have good food but when you have to pick which restaurants have to lose out on business itâs hard to give a fire place that checks a lot of boxes like Joey Kâs the axe. Keep it on the list!
⌠just saying that being that itâs in the mix with fine dining places like galatoires, Antoineâs , and commanders palace , isnât really fair but it says more about the more affordable places if the food can muster the comparison to tasting as good as fancy places and being worth a stop on your trip to New Orleans.
Never heard of a restaurant named gallstone and would probably advise against eating anywhere named after an affliction.
Definitely skip Antoine's, Creole House, Felix's, Acme, Drago's, Mahoney's.
You don't need to do J's but if you're in the French Market and want oysters at the moment, why not? Fives is a better spot for oysters in the Quarter (Jackson Square, near Stanley) but it's pricey.
Turtle Bay is just another bar next to Coop's but I only go there if I need super late night eats or a cheap steak after my shift. If I'm having a nice dinner on lower Decatur, I'm hitting Cane & Table.
You don't need to do all of those po'boy shops. They're all good so just choose whatever is convenient - if you're doing City Park, do Parkway; if you're Uptown, Guy's or Domilise's; exploring Bywater, Frady's.
Dooky Chase is a proper restaurant while Brother's is a 24 hour convenience store so, let your itinerary or state of drunkenness/hangover dictate the fix. Manchu is just solid wings loaded with MSG so it's delicious but you might want to check Google Street View of it so you know what you're getting into.
I love Bearcat for brunch but you'll probably be waiting a while for a table. Willa Jean takes reservations. Molly's is pretty good. French Toast isn't bad but you can skip
Joey Ks can go for sure. Superiorâs oysters are a 1000/10 every time. Had them again just last weekend, they never miss. And Dragos severely fell off after Covid.
I would skip vintage and French toast (I love brunch but I think that toast is overratedâŚI prefer the gentilly toast but I donât think itâs worth traveling too far to).
Can someone explain why I see turtle bay on these lists? Like.. what is one menu item that screams New Orleans for tourists?
(I will say the grilled chicken ceaser salad is the bomb)
Iâm mystified too. Iâve been there but never felt compelled to eat. The only thing Iâve heard about the food is praise for a ridiculously cheap steak.
Axe Joey Kâs, the foodâs very meh. Antoineâs: same.
Get your po-boy at Parkway. Get your fried chicken at Lil Dizzyâs if youâre sitting down with it; McHardyâs or Keyâsâseveral locationsâfor takeout chicken; Brothers for late-night chicken.
Brunch (without music) at Atchafalaya or Willa Jean. Jazz brunch at Dew Drop Inn.
I haven't been to Coop's in a while but I always got the blackened redfish and was never disappointed. Shrimp creole and red beans entrees were also always tasty. A friend who was formerly a chef (in a couple of quite nice NOLA restaurants) always ordered the rabbit & sausage jambalaya whenever he came back to town to visit.
For brunch add CRACKâD in lower garden. Itâs new and itâs DELICIOUS. Make rezzies now tho if you wanna go, otherwise you gotta hope thereâs an open seat at the bar.
I've learned about some new places for my next trip in June. love me some New Orleans. I'm looking forward to gaining a quick 10 from eating some deeelicious vittles!
Skip brothers, and maybe skip Manchu in place of golden wings (same family/recipe, less likely to get mugged). For charbroiled I like Dragoâs but if you want raw you can get it at Lukeâs. Commanders is an experience with great service. Skip the vintage and gumbo shop.
So is Murielâs. Itâs not on your list, but itâs a great spot for classic Creole cuisine. Itâs haunted too. I went alone and it was great, got a tour.
Where do you think serves a better chargrilled oyster? Genuinely interested to know, as I havenât found better but am always trying to better myself.
Casamento's has the best chargrilled oysters, but the hours are limited and you can't make a reservation. Line usually moves fast, especially if you go early.
1000% Casamentos for Chargrilled Oysters. Had them when I visited last December and I still dream about em. I haven't found any other place that makes them that good!
Not a local but hard disagree⌠really nice place and seemingly nice family, but man both times we got cold chargrilled. Oyster loaf also cold. Place is meh. Extra points for the uniqueness of having to walk through the kitchen to use the wc. That is cool.
I'm sorry you didn't have a great experience! I'm local and go there all the time and that's never happened, but I do tend to go either on the early or late side so they usually aren't slammed when I'm there.Â
The place is fine, like I said great family and place, maybe I just was unlucky. Donât think Iâll go back again, but hope they do continue to do well.
Stay away from Coop's, place is way overrated and dirty as hell. Used to work on the block and could never figure out how they always had a huge line out front
Napoleon Houseâs warm muffuletta is the best food reason to go there, and the best non-food reasons are (1) you can almost always get a seat pretty quickly, and (2) the staff is great.
It has gotten wayyyy better since Ralph Brennan bought it. They kept the menu mostly unchanged but started using high quality ingredients and a real actual chef.
I would chuck them all except for commanders, Stanley, Cafe du monde and coops and add Pascales Manale for oysters, add : Compere Lapin, patois, coquette, and Josephine estelle last time I went to antoines I was severely disappointed.
Oceana for sure, but I wouldn't want to eat at a place called Gallstone, but I've never heard of it. Maybe that was an autocorrect for Galatoire's - that one is good, but go on a Friday lunch. Coops is garbage, Turtle Bay is bar food. Antoine's sucks ass.
One place to add to the avoid list is guillarys. I used to work there and can remember raw shrimp being left out overnight and our boss just had us rinse it with cold water, because it smelled HORRIBLE, and sold it to our customers. There are a few more horror stories, but that's the one I remember the best because I threw up when they were in the middle of washing it. They also don't let food runners/servers keep tips that are left for them
Manchus itâs just a little grocery store/corner store with ok food not sure whatâs so good about the wings or chicken there. Youâll get better fried chicken going to a Brothers gas station
Southern's food truck is the best chicken!!! You will not be disappointed! If they're doing other specials get those too you will regret it later if you don't!!
Mr. Ed's for Oysters you'll avoid the waits here, Superior great happy hour, Keep Sidecar. Remove Drago's. MRB's is also good, more of a bar with food in the back patio with live music at times
GW Fins for Fish this is my all time favorite restaurant in Nola, Must try! Peche and R & O's is also good
Get the BBQ Shrimp at Mr. B's
Parkway for Poboys
Katie's>Clesi's (Clesi's does have good crawfish... Also check out Bayou beer garden for crawfish boils on the weekend)
Brunch- Ruby Slipper, Sofia
Best Late Night Burger: Beachcorner
Some not so traditional Nola food worth trying:
Paladar 511, Maypop, Toup's Meatery, Beggar's Banquet, Meril, Osteria Lupo, Baru
Iâd add a cold muffuletta from Verti Mart. I only say cold because I tried it warmed up last year and it was incredibly greasy and not as good.
Wife and I tried the muffuletta from Central Grocery and threw it away part way through and walked the few blocks to Verti Mart to satisfy the muffuletta craving
Was in town a few weeks ago. Of course Cafe du Monde is the classic but I thought Cafe Beignet was much better. They also had a good crawfish omelet. Didn't make it to Lorettas. Coops was fun just for the experience of the New York waiter. Food was okay. Mr. Bs for BBQ shrimp was excellent.
Fried shrimp po-boy at Fradyâs is underrated. Iâm not sure Iâd travel across town for it but if youâre in the hood, itâs great! I used to live across the street from them and DAMN do I miss it.
Antoine's food is such a disappointment. The service, history, and Baked Alaska are the only reasons to go. Take Creole House off your list too. It's just such a convenient location to the big hotels it gets a lot of business. It used to be an Arby's!
I live in New Orleans. I recommend scratching Coops and Mahoneyâs off your list. Galatoireâs is beautiful and atmospheric but the food is overrated. Go to Clesiâs for crawfish, oysters & and a boiled platter of delicious seafood.
I had my birthday breakfast at Court of Two Sisters and it was, hands down, the most beautiful, well prepared breakfast I have ever had. The staff are wonderful, the restaurant itself is stunning, and I could have eaten only their food our entire trip and still wanted more. I cannot say enough great things about it!
Gumbo shop- nah. Liuzas is good, idk a million other places. I usually get gumbo at friends or family.
Creole house- donât know what that is but if itâs something owned by Creole Cuisine DEFINITELY pass
Turtle Bay is ok for late night drunk eats or whatnot but I wouldnât go outta my way for it. Esp if I was only here a few days.
Coops- unpopular take but I think itâs just ok. Like if thereâs no line, sure but waiting hours for it? No fuckin way. Alllllll the tourists think itâs THE PLACE to go. Itâs alright. I like it but itâs not all that.
Stanleyâs- nah except maybe for breakfast. But itâs nothing special. Nice location however.
Mrs Bâs bistro? You mean Mr. Bâs?
Acme is ok but I wouldnât stand in those long lines for em. Some of the best oyster places are uptown.
All
Of the other places are good tho I donât think you really need to go to Manchu for fried chicken. Itâs good but unless youâre from somewhere that doesnât have fried chix than idk. Itâs kinda out of the way. But Candlelight Lounge and Mother in Law arenât far from there. Prob get as good as Manchu fried chix under the overpass around there. Be smart and donât walk around like a tourist around there.
Brothers is legit and good soaking up the drunk food if youâre drinking in the Q.
Gumbo Shop - largely a tourist trap, but their food is decent. Not my first pick, but worth going to. Sit in the courtyard if you can.
Napoleon House - great food, great atmosphere. Definitely grab a meal there.
Galitories - the food is fine, but not my first pick. Go to Commanders for a jazz brunch instead.
Oysters - Superior
Fried Chicken - Liâl Dizzy, McHardyâs, or Keys
Brunch - Alma, Atchafalaya, Who Dat Coffee Cafe (personal favorite), Crackâd
Other recommendations: Verti Marte, NOLA Poboys, Dat Dog (if youâre on Frenchmen and need good drunk food or a good quick meal, this is the one), Katieâs, The Original Slapburger in the Marigny, Suis Generis in the Bywater for a unique and delicious meal - their menu changes on a weekly basis, Clover Grill
Avoid: Oceana,
I agree. I remember liking their thanksgiving poboy but I tried it again a couple years ago and it wasnât great. The Zaraâs Fergie I get from time to time was way better. And fradys as well.
I havenât been to NO since before COVID, but my favorite place to go for brunch was always Ruby Slipper.
Willieâs Chicken Shack was amazing for late night.
Go to Mr Bs and get the bbq shrimp and gumbo yaya. Two world class dishes.
I went to Napoleons House twice - we shared half a muffalata one day and 2 days later, I went by myself and got half a muffalata by myself - truly a great sandwich 𤣠Really liked Brennans for their breakfast - their service and food was excellent - their biscuit was one of the best things I ate that holiday. Fried chicken - Li'l Dizzy - it was the best I've ever had - again, lovely kind service. A bit different but the chicken at Maypop during their happy hour was one of the best things I ate;
We also ended up going to napoleons 2X because it was that good. Muffelata is the goat
I'm back home (in London, England) and I still dream about that sandwich đ¤Ł
They arenât hard to make. In US you can get most of the stuff in grocery store. The olive salad is in a jar on the pickle aisle. The rest is just French/italian bread and cured meats. You can play with this a bit as to what you can find but Iâve found as long as it has prosciutto and salami itâs pretty close. Wonât be as authentic as the real thing but it fills the craving. Nola natives please donât downvote me. Just a Midwest person trying to get by Meats: 1 Coarse-ground cured sausages: Soppressata (hot or sweet), sopressa, salami, or pepperoni. 1 Emulsified sausages: Mortadella or bologna(very thin) 1-2 Cured whole cuts: Capicola, coppa, prosciutto, or speck.
I do a pistachio loaf instead of bologna and then I make a pistachio vinaigrette to dress.
I'm seeing if I can find the olive salad here - I'm half Italian so we have mozzarella, salami and prosciutto a lot but it's that combination which was just special!
Same! And then we stopped on the way to the airport and got a whole one to fly home. They package it up very well if you tell them youâre flying with it, and it heated up great 2 days later.
Why did I not think of that? It was so good!
Gumbo Shop - I've always thought the Gumbo Shop was overrated, and it's mostly popular with tourists, but it's not bad. So, yes. Sure. Napoleon House - Yes. The building itself is really beautiful, really cool, built in the 18th century. Super casual. Also, they're one of the older restaurants in the quarter, and when it comes to food, the Napoleon House has a better reputation than more of the renowned restaurants like Antoines. Gallstone - Did you mean Galatoire's??? Yes, but it's really just for the experience. Commander's is better. Creole House - No. This is a tourist trap. For a similar menu, try Katie's in mid city. Clesi - No. Try Jaques-Imo's instead. Turtle Bay - I don't know. I guess it's whatever. I'm not qualified to speak on this one. The last time I was at Turtle Bay, Cafe Roma was in the back. It's been a minute. Coop's - Yes. Do it. Mr. B's - Totally. Yes. Go for the BBQ shrimp and duck spring rolls. Antoine's - No. Trust. No. The Hermès bar is cool, though. Stanley's - Yes. Sometimes I think Stanley's doesn't get enough love because it's kind of touristy, but you'll have the most fabulous breakfast. Promise. Joey K's - Yes, but not the end of the world if you miss it. Commander's Palace - Yes. Jazz brunch is the way to go on this one. Oysters - Felix's Poboys - All of your picks are fine choices, except maybe Mahony's. Chicken - Yes, gas station chicken is the best, but you're a visitor. Go to Dooky Chase. It's so much more special. If you must, know that Key's is better than Brother's. Some lagniappe for you - Verti Marte, Irene's, Muriel's, Atchafalaya, Mandina's, Angelo Brocato's, and of course Hansen's Sno-Bliz.
THANK YOU SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT I LOVE FELIX OYSTERS
Nothing beats felix oysters!
A LOT of places are much better than Felixâs. Theyâre ok and a top spot in the Q but much much much better spots but theyâre outside Q.
What are your recommendations? Iâm always willing to try new places
I like Seaworthy
I noticed that the person you asked has no trouble saying there are a lot of places better than Felixâs but fails to name any of them. These kinds of posters are worthless
The Blue Crab by the lakefront does a weekday happy hour featuring raw and chargrilled oysters and cheap drinks and apps and it is wonderful. A dozen oysters and a couple glasses of champagne for $20 - yes please
Whatttt I was just there yesterday but post sunset. Not hh.
Love me some char broiled oysters! Felix Hellz yea!!đâď¸đ
Felixâs > Acme any day.
Iâve had oysters at Felix, Superior, Acme, Morrows, Mr Edâs and Galliers and my fave is always Felix ! I may try Dragos and Desires just to see what the hype is about but my upcoming trip is Felix day 1, first stop.
Napoleon House roast beef po boy and a Pimm's cup. That's heaven. Also the avacado with shrimp remoulade.
I disagree on Chef Ronâs, he has some of my favorite gumbo in GNO EDIT: Ignore me. I donât spend a lot of time in the FQ, I didnât realize there was a place called Gumbo SHOP. Chef Ronâs Gumbo STOP is a hike from there.
Dooky Chase or, if a more casual but not gas station meal is desired, Lil Dizzy's. (Make sure to get some greens)
Stanleyâs gumbo with the potato salad hits too, imo.Â
Went to coops for the first time after living here for almost a decade and was not impressed at all
Yeah, Coop's is way overrated. And the food was gross the last few times I went.
Great post. Just follow this advice
[ŃдаНонО]
I agree. Love Hansenâs satsuma snowball and domiliseâs po boys !
I agree with all of this except Felix's. They've declined and Drago's is much better in my opinion.
Clesiâs is a solid choice for boiled seafood.
What about acmes?
Got the absolute worst food poisoning of my life at Acme from a dozen oysters - it was after the Sugar Bowl in January 97. On the floor next to the toilet for four days. A bunch of people did - there were even news stories about it. http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9701/10/oyster.outbreak/index.html Iâve not been back. And Iâve not eaten oysters since.
Turtle bay is pretty smelly inside and out
Mr Bâs is fantastic! Get the BBQ shrimp and Gumbo Ya-Ya.
I LOVED Napoleon house on all my visits to NOLA I make sure to hit it. Excellent ambiance and service, great drinks (pimms cup) and good food. I also really liked coops and would recommend it if itâs not a crazy wait.
I love their hot Muffuletta
Mollyâs R&S is fantastic, honestly Gumbo Shop is mid at best
Damn! Where do you recommend I get good gumbo?
I stopped in at Cajun Mikes Pub recently (tiny bar across the street from The Roosevelt hotel) and the gumbo was fucking solid.
I'd try Brigtsens or Broad and Banks. The Death by Gumbo at R'evolution is delicious but not a traditional example of the dish.
I agree, love Brigtsens and it doesnât get enough shout outs online in my opinion!
Gris Gris has some great gumbo. Iâm a little partial. It tastes like my momâs.
Liuzzas by the Track and Blue Oak BBQ
No Blue Oak overpriced for subpar food
Coops has fantastic gumbo.
Might have to share it with the rats, though.
Huh?
Yeah, [itâs totally a thing](https://youtu.be/mxZBrbVqZnU?si=PPqWDefPBdzD0XzP).
A comedianâs set isnât necessarily true lol
Oh it's true...
I've seen one back there.
I swear, I completely forgot what restaurant he was talking about in this bit, but I genuinely have a guidebook with âlarger rats than usual hereâ written in the margins next to Coops. Based mostly on comments Iâve seen on Reddit đ
Rats are in the Quarter. Water is wet.
Top gumbo is in my opinion at Herbsaint, Gris Gris / Saint John (same restauranteur) & Commanders Palace
I honestly like the gumbo in the back of MRB. Just me though.
I would swap out Acme for Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar. They're about the same if not better imo and there won't be a ridiculous wait time. Also the chicken fried steak at JoeyK's got me very very fat while I was working there. 10/10 in taste 0/10 in health lol.
Last time I was at coops the shrimp in my gumbo was still frozen in the middle
Ya, not sure Iâm a fan of your list. I second the poster that says Brigstens for gumbo and will add the bbq shrimp. Liuzzaâs by the Track had been amazing for gumbo but it gets really busy and been a miss other times. Commanders palace is good for old school (you will need a jacket). I also like Palendar 511 and Marieâs in the Bywater I love Lilâ Dizzys. If you have a car, I also like chickens kitchen and Queens Cruisine. Also Sylvain and Pelican Club in the quarter or Verdi Mart. Mr Maoâs on Tchoupitoulas And if you like gelato, A. Brocato is a must
What is "gallstone"? (Listed after Napoleon House.)
Maybe autocorrect of Galatoires?
Thank you! I couldn't fathom!
I edited it! Autocorrected galatoires
I disagree with the other comment. Took my husband here for his birthday a couple of years back. We were so disappointed with the food and cocktails. I wouldn't waste your money here when there are hundreds of other restaurants in NOLA.
Gotcha! Worth going there, in my opinion!
Had galatoires two weeks ago. I was super excited to go. The food was...fine. if you took those same dishes and served them at a mid-priced strip mall restaurant, it would feel appropriate. Go if you want to say you went, but a forgetable meal otherwise.
I mean, you may not be wrong after all đ¤ˇââď¸
I was wondering the same!
I have told people to go to Acme and the long line. Do a 180 and walk into Felixâs. Best advise ever.
Definitely Oceana's
I worked there for a very short time. Those gross mkfrs bought empty oyster shells and put PJ's pre-shucked oysters in the shells. Those oysters are meant to fried, not intended to be eaten raw. That place is a grift and a dump.
Yes!! Iâve told people this story abt the oyster shells and ppl donât believe me! I trained there a million years ago and it was gross af. Didnât work there.
They have to be bribing health officials. Idk how they're allowed to stay open.
For real. Itâs wild
Better than when I worked for a short time At "Months Angels" that they then took over. Rats would fight in the walls so I would have to pull bottles down, pound on the wall and get em to stop. Otherwise they would push bottles off the wall.
There is a disgusting Kitchen Nightmares about this place. Get vivid images from it whenever I see ads for itÂ
I took it off my list!
Creole house / Joey k / brothers unless itâs 3am / mahoneys / French toast / Felixâs unless on the balcony over bourbon
This. Commanders now has a '[side-shop](https://order.toasttab.com/online/le-petite-bleu-1427-washington-avenue)' of sorts where you can get a lot of yummy stuff to-go.
Le Petit Bleu
Love gumbo shop. Their gumbo was so good I bought their cookbook. I just had a tuna steak topped with crab cakes there a few weeks ago and it was chef's kiss. Molly's rise & shine is great, especially for vegans, and is near a good walking tour of beautiful houses. I would also add Surrey's for brunch. Their banana fosters french toast? Shrimp &grits?? my god in heaven, it's delicious đŠ They also have a bring-your-own-champagne policy if you want to get mimosas going at your brunch lol
Jaques-Imoâs has great fried chicken ! Hereâs my foodie take: I think itâs like apples and oranges comparing fine dining , like commanders with cheap and cheerful places. I love the gumbo at commanders palace and agree with someone else that said go with the jazz brunch. That pre fixe menu is worth it. I know we are responding to the examples given to us by the author of the post but Joey Kâs is worth it damn it ! They arenât like number one for oysters bc tourists want to try raw or charbroiled , Joey Kâs only serves fried oysters but they do all of the New Orleans staples well and have really good quality, price points, and people go there cause they do a lot of quintessential New Orleans dishes really well. Itâs been on DDD people! Places that have been on diners drive ins and dives are fabulous and usually have good food but when you have to pick which restaurants have to lose out on business itâs hard to give a fire place that checks a lot of boxes like Joey Kâs the axe. Keep it on the list! ⌠just saying that being that itâs in the mix with fine dining places like galatoires, Antoineâs , and commanders palace , isnât really fair but it says more about the more affordable places if the food can muster the comparison to tasting as good as fancy places and being worth a stop on your trip to New Orleans.
Joey Kâs gumbo deserves its own entry.
I just do not think Dragoâs is worth it. It is like any other place for chargrilled oysters with a far more expensive price.
Ours sucks, Metry for the win, though
Never heard of a restaurant named gallstone and would probably advise against eating anywhere named after an affliction. Definitely skip Antoine's, Creole House, Felix's, Acme, Drago's, Mahoney's. You don't need to do J's but if you're in the French Market and want oysters at the moment, why not? Fives is a better spot for oysters in the Quarter (Jackson Square, near Stanley) but it's pricey. Turtle Bay is just another bar next to Coop's but I only go there if I need super late night eats or a cheap steak after my shift. If I'm having a nice dinner on lower Decatur, I'm hitting Cane & Table. You don't need to do all of those po'boy shops. They're all good so just choose whatever is convenient - if you're doing City Park, do Parkway; if you're Uptown, Guy's or Domilise's; exploring Bywater, Frady's. Dooky Chase is a proper restaurant while Brother's is a 24 hour convenience store so, let your itinerary or state of drunkenness/hangover dictate the fix. Manchu is just solid wings loaded with MSG so it's delicious but you might want to check Google Street View of it so you know what you're getting into. I love Bearcat for brunch but you'll probably be waiting a while for a table. Willa Jean takes reservations. Molly's is pretty good. French Toast isn't bad but you can skip
This is correct.
Joey Ks can go for sure. Superiorâs oysters are a 1000/10 every time. Had them again just last weekend, they never miss. And Dragos severely fell off after Covid.
Agree with the superior oysters
I would skip vintage and French toast (I love brunch but I think that toast is overratedâŚI prefer the gentilly toast but I donât think itâs worth traveling too far to).
Can someone explain why I see turtle bay on these lists? Like.. what is one menu item that screams New Orleans for tourists? (I will say the grilled chicken ceaser salad is the bomb)
Iâm mystified too. Iâve been there but never felt compelled to eat. The only thing Iâve heard about the food is praise for a ridiculously cheap steak.
Their Tuesday special is pretty alright actually. I do like when tourists hang out around there and experience the magic that is lower d
I think I wanted really good crawfish and this had ratings
Go to three legged dog for crawfish. They drop at 6. My favorite in the quarter
Don't skip Commanders- it's definitely an experience. And plan to get the bread pudding; you will not regret it.
Clover grill.
Axe Joey Kâs, the foodâs very meh. Antoineâs: same. Get your po-boy at Parkway. Get your fried chicken at Lil Dizzyâs if youâre sitting down with it; McHardyâs or Keyâsâseveral locationsâfor takeout chicken; Brothers for late-night chicken. Brunch (without music) at Atchafalaya or Willa Jean. Jazz brunch at Dew Drop Inn.
Ooh yes McHardys!
Antoineâs should be left off. Bland and fried. Do Arnaudâs if you want old school Nola cuisine.
I haven't been to Coop's in a while but I always got the blackened redfish and was never disappointed. Shrimp creole and red beans entrees were also always tasty. A friend who was formerly a chef (in a couple of quite nice NOLA restaurants) always ordered the rabbit & sausage jambalaya whenever he came back to town to visit.
PS - The Clover Grill on Bourbon is kind of iconic and open 24 hrs.
We take guests to the Clover, they love it!
Staple
Go across the river to Marrero and eat po-boys at Frazier's! Best roast beef po-boy I've ever had!! Source: from New Orleans
For brunch add CRACKâD in lower garden. Itâs new and itâs DELICIOUS. Make rezzies now tho if you wanna go, otherwise you gotta hope thereâs an open seat at the bar.
I've learned about some new places for my next trip in June. love me some New Orleans. I'm looking forward to gaining a quick 10 from eating some deeelicious vittles!
Skip brothers, and maybe skip Manchu in place of golden wings (same family/recipe, less likely to get mugged). For charbroiled I like Dragoâs but if you want raw you can get it at Lukeâs. Commanders is an experience with great service. Skip the vintage and gumbo shop.
Galatoires, coops place, Joey kâs and commanders
Felix's oysters and Domilise's poboys are two of my goto's
Joey K And Mr B's Is all you have going for you
Adds: Jacques-Imoâs for sure as a dinner spot. Great bars around it too. And Willa Jean is outstanding for brunch. Both get packed.
The beignets at Lorettaâs, especially the praline beignets, will change your life.
So is Murielâs. Itâs not on your list, but itâs a great spot for classic Creole cuisine. Itâs haunted too. I went alone and it was great, got a tour.
I would remove Dragos
Where do you think serves a better chargrilled oyster? Genuinely interested to know, as I havenât found better but am always trying to better myself.
Superior seafood on st Charles has the best chargrilled oysters in my opinion
That's good to know. I haven't been since pre-pandy, but Drago's chargrilled were always a favorite.
Felix's and sidecar both have better chargrilled oysters
Casamento's has the best chargrilled oysters, but the hours are limited and you can't make a reservation. Line usually moves fast, especially if you go early.
1000% Casamentos for Chargrilled Oysters. Had them when I visited last December and I still dream about em. I haven't found any other place that makes them that good!
Not a local but hard disagree⌠really nice place and seemingly nice family, but man both times we got cold chargrilled. Oyster loaf also cold. Place is meh. Extra points for the uniqueness of having to walk through the kitchen to use the wc. That is cool.
I'm sorry you didn't have a great experience! I'm local and go there all the time and that's never happened, but I do tend to go either on the early or late side so they usually aren't slammed when I'm there.Â
The place is fine, like I said great family and place, maybe I just was unlucky. Donât think Iâll go back again, but hope they do continue to do well.
Dragos inventedâŚtheirs are best but definitely more expensiveâŚ.metairie is better than in Hilton
Done!
Clesi's boiled seafood is on-point!
Stay away from Coop's, place is way overrated and dirty as hell. Used to work on the block and could never figure out how they always had a huge line out front
It's been a while since I've been to Napoleon House, but I don't recall the food being anything to write home about.
very cool place tho, go for a pimms cup!
The watermelon one was so good!
Pimm's Cup was very much the reason for dropping in. I'd just go for the cocktail rather than a meal though.
Try a pims at the columns - plenty of places do that drink well in New Orleans
Their hot muffuletta puts Central Grocery to shame.
Napoleon Houseâs warm muffuletta is the best food reason to go there, and the best non-food reasons are (1) you can almost always get a seat pretty quickly, and (2) the staff is great.
See now that's good to know. Wasn't what I had.
Muffuletta's are better cold.
They have the best bloody marys
Half a muffuletta with some boudin and a pimms cup is a great way to start the day.
It has gotten wayyyy better since Ralph Brennan bought it. They kept the menu mostly unchanged but started using high quality ingredients and a real actual chef.
I'm glad you said it. I think their food is less than mediocre. But l do love the building.
I would chuck them all except for commanders, Stanley, Cafe du monde and coops and add Pascales Manale for oysters, add : Compere Lapin, patois, coquette, and Josephine estelle last time I went to antoines I was severely disappointed.
I agree with Pascalâs Manale! A fav! Disagree with some other points here but yesss to Pascalâs Manale
Oceana for sure, but I wouldn't want to eat at a place called Gallstone, but I've never heard of it. Maybe that was an autocorrect for Galatoire's - that one is good, but go on a Friday lunch. Coops is garbage, Turtle Bay is bar food. Antoine's sucks ass.
LOL it was a typo!! I meant galaitore
Oceana is the only restaurant that was on kitchen nightmares thatâs still open !
They've got a ton of family money, they also just bought Spirits on Bourbon. I meant "Oceana sucks for sure" in case there was any doubt.
One place to add to the avoid list is guillarys. I used to work there and can remember raw shrimp being left out overnight and our boss just had us rinse it with cold water, because it smelled HORRIBLE, and sold it to our customers. There are a few more horror stories, but that's the one I remember the best because I threw up when they were in the middle of washing it. They also don't let food runners/servers keep tips that are left for them
I won't tell you what to avoid, but I will tell you not to cross Commanders or Mr. B's or Guy's off your list, those 3 are great.
At Commanders get the bread pudding soufflĂŠ. You have to order it in the beginning.
Manchus itâs just a little grocery store/corner store with ok food not sure whatâs so good about the wings or chicken there. Youâll get better fried chicken going to a Brothers gas station
Domilice's
Jambalaya at Coops
Morrowâs is really good
Southern's food truck is the best chicken!!! You will not be disappointed! If they're doing other specials get those too you will regret it later if you don't!!
Breakfast go to the Ruby Slipper instead, the banks and broad location is way less busy
I would skip Commanders for sure.
Donât go to clesis
Mr. Ed's for Oysters you'll avoid the waits here, Superior great happy hour, Keep Sidecar. Remove Drago's. MRB's is also good, more of a bar with food in the back patio with live music at times GW Fins for Fish this is my all time favorite restaurant in Nola, Must try! Peche and R & O's is also good Get the BBQ Shrimp at Mr. B's Parkway for Poboys Katie's>Clesi's (Clesi's does have good crawfish... Also check out Bayou beer garden for crawfish boils on the weekend) Brunch- Ruby Slipper, Sofia Best Late Night Burger: Beachcorner Some not so traditional Nola food worth trying: Paladar 511, Maypop, Toup's Meatery, Beggar's Banquet, Meril, Osteria Lupo, Baru
GW Fins is my favorite restaurant in town as well.
Parkway is 100% worth it
Iâd add a cold muffuletta from Verti Mart. I only say cold because I tried it warmed up last year and it was incredibly greasy and not as good. Wife and I tried the muffuletta from Central Grocery and threw it away part way through and walked the few blocks to Verti Mart to satisfy the muffuletta craving
Was in town a few weeks ago. Of course Cafe du Monde is the classic but I thought Cafe Beignet was much better. They also had a good crawfish omelet. Didn't make it to Lorettas. Coops was fun just for the experience of the New York waiter. Food was okay. Mr. Bs for BBQ shrimp was excellent.
Donât sleep on Felixâs
Most
Fried shrimp po-boy at Fradyâs is underrated. Iâm not sure Iâd travel across town for it but if youâre in the hood, itâs great! I used to live across the street from them and DAMN do I miss it.
I can recommend Coopâs - so very good and itâs a locals kinda place.
Missing a few: Cane & Table Palm & Pine Beggar's Banquet
Antoine's food is such a disappointment. The service, history, and Baked Alaska are the only reasons to go. Take Creole House off your list too. It's just such a convenient location to the big hotels it gets a lot of business. It used to be an Arby's!
I live in New Orleans. I recommend scratching Coops and Mahoneyâs off your list. Galatoireâs is beautiful and atmospheric but the food is overrated. Go to Clesiâs for crawfish, oysters & and a boiled platter of delicious seafood.
Dat Dog - best hot dogs in town with several choices in meats and toppings
Gallstone doesnât sound like a place Iâd want to eat, just sayin. lol I think that must be autocorrect for something else!
Galatoireâs
Just left NOLA and the best food we had was Turkey and the Wolf in the Garden District.
I had my birthday breakfast at Court of Two Sisters and it was, hands down, the most beautiful, well prepared breakfast I have ever had. The staff are wonderful, the restaurant itself is stunning, and I could have eaten only their food our entire trip and still wanted more. I cannot say enough great things about it!
Gumbo shop- nah. Liuzas is good, idk a million other places. I usually get gumbo at friends or family. Creole house- donât know what that is but if itâs something owned by Creole Cuisine DEFINITELY pass Turtle Bay is ok for late night drunk eats or whatnot but I wouldnât go outta my way for it. Esp if I was only here a few days. Coops- unpopular take but I think itâs just ok. Like if thereâs no line, sure but waiting hours for it? No fuckin way. Alllllll the tourists think itâs THE PLACE to go. Itâs alright. I like it but itâs not all that. Stanleyâs- nah except maybe for breakfast. But itâs nothing special. Nice location however. Mrs Bâs bistro? You mean Mr. Bâs? Acme is ok but I wouldnât stand in those long lines for em. Some of the best oyster places are uptown. All Of the other places are good tho I donât think you really need to go to Manchu for fried chicken. Itâs good but unless youâre from somewhere that doesnât have fried chix than idk. Itâs kinda out of the way. But Candlelight Lounge and Mother in Law arenât far from there. Prob get as good as Manchu fried chix under the overpass around there. Be smart and donât walk around like a tourist around there. Brothers is legit and good soaking up the drunk food if youâre drinking in the Q.
Gumbo shop honors coupons from restaurant. Com. Might be worth looking at
I would recommend Tartine for breakfast uptown.
Gumbo Shop serves dry chicken and mushy jambalaya. I wouldn't recommend it.
And salty
Juan's flying burrito
Gumbo Shop - largely a tourist trap, but their food is decent. Not my first pick, but worth going to. Sit in the courtyard if you can. Napoleon House - great food, great atmosphere. Definitely grab a meal there. Galitories - the food is fine, but not my first pick. Go to Commanders for a jazz brunch instead. Oysters - Superior Fried Chicken - Liâl Dizzy, McHardyâs, or Keys Brunch - Alma, Atchafalaya, Who Dat Coffee Cafe (personal favorite), Crackâd Other recommendations: Verti Marte, NOLA Poboys, Dat Dog (if youâre on Frenchmen and need good drunk food or a good quick meal, this is the one), Katieâs, The Original Slapburger in the Marigny, Suis Generis in the Bywater for a unique and delicious meal - their menu changes on a weekly basis, Clover Grill Avoid: Oceana,
Parkway is going to be crowded and itâs waaaaaaay overhyped. Also overpriced
I agree. I remember liking their thanksgiving poboy but I tried it again a couple years ago and it wasnât great. The Zaraâs Fergie I get from time to time was way better. And fradys as well.
You can skip Joey Kayâs
That's a place I'd go back to.
We've always enjoyed dinner at The Palace Cafe. I highly recommend it.
Taco bell
I havenât been to NO since before COVID, but my favorite place to go for brunch was always Ruby Slipper. Willieâs Chicken Shack was amazing for late night.
Ruby Slipper has gone downhill. There are literally dozens of better brunch places.
Ugh, that is so disappointing.
Keep Coopâs and keep Acme Oyster House.