Fantastic. A rare 5-star! If you find yourself looking for excellent food while in NOLA, this is the place. If You don't know what to look for, you will likely miss it. The red front door is the marker. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but we were so focused on the incredible food, we forgot to take food pics. Sorry. Look on Google. We go here every time we are in NOLA. The food is consistently excellent and it does not matter what you order. We have at least half the menu plus some specials and each time so happy. What makes the meal even more incredible is the servers. We seem to get a different one each time, so the show is different each time. When I say show, I mean the entertaining interaction you have with the staff. It's awesome. Not only do they know their menu, but also let their personalities run wild. The last guy actually served us dinner and grabbed a chair and told about his travels....like while we eating. Haha. So fun. The place isn't much and it doesn't need to be. It's a mush mash of art and paint and other stuff. AND IT ALL WORKS. it is comforting and interesting. All in all a great time and a great meal. A must go.....if you can find it. The red door!!!! read more

Adolfo's - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The tiny restaurant is located next to the spotted cat club and local art fare. We were hungry for good local food, and this hit the spot. You go up a steep staircase to tell the guy you want a table and he says he'll call/text when it's available. The food was delicious... especially the entrees. We started with an appetizer of mussels. These were small so there wasn't really enough for us each to be satisfied. Someone thought they were slightly overcooked. We ordered the flounder special with ocean sauce. The double flounder was topped with shrimp and wow, the special cajun ocean sauce was delicious! They said they are known for it and it's understandable why. My kiddo ordered the veal (with ocean sauce) and it was perfectly tender and also delicious. We also ordered the chicken parmesan which was very good as well. It took a while for the food to get to us but given the level of expertise by the chefs, it totally made up for any delay. All of the entrees come with either salad or pasta which hits the spot and is coursed very well. There is a bar downstairs where they had live music which was nice but not exactly what we wanted to listen to. Glad we went to dinner there because of all the amazing flavors. Had a great first night in the French Quarter of New Orleans due in large part to Adolfo's . read more

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Don't. Ocean sauce is so watery, our medium steak was well done and when we sent it back nothing was done to make amends. One entree came out a good 5 minutes before the others (and they were wrong), we had to remind our waitress that we wanted our salads while waiting for the entree replacements. And while wine markup is expected, a 100% markup and no bottle offered to apologize for this many mistakes is insane. This shit was wild. Truly wild. read more

Last night was my second trip To Adolfo's and it did not disappoint. Rather than go off the menu as last time, I opted for the special. Rack of lamb with ocean sauce. It was amazing. Service was great and as a reminder, the place is SMALL-about 10 tables. They do not take reservations but there's a bar downstairs to wait it out. One small side note-if they opt to offer this or similar specials more frequently they need to invest in better steak knives. Yes. The lamb was as tender as could possibly be but the knife was slightly stronger than a plastic spork. read more

Adolfo's - Rack of lamb with ocean sauce. - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Adolfo's was an amazing little Italian spot tucked away on Frenchmen Street above the Apple Barrel. If you're not paying attention, you might miss the iconic red door entrance. It's first come, first serve with limited seating and hours, but absolutely worth the wait. The food had a nice kick to it without being overpowering, and the staff -- especially our waitress Sara-- were fantastic. Be prepared to slow down, be patient, and enjoy the atmosphere. Jazz music drifts up the stairs from the Apple Barrel below while cool artwork lines the walls, making the whole place feel like you're eating dinner at your Italian grandma's house. Definitely a memorable New Orleans experience. read more

The place is tiny and perfect!! Got seated just before 9:30, the last seating is at 9:30. We needed to get food in our stomach before continuing to enjoy Frenchman St. ordered Steak Scotty and a side salad. DELICIOUS! Perfect cook. Seasoning was spot on. Was so happy with this place read more

Adolfo's - Ambiance - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This may very well be my NEW FAVORITE NOLA restaurant. In the 25 years I have been coming to NOLA...I finally pulled the trigger and ate at what I heard was a legendary restaurant! What I thought was myth and legend was entirely true. An amazing small local joint with ridiculous food with service to match. Fresh clams with a garlic sauce for starters, pasta with homemade marinara and the special...crab stuffed blackened grouper with the ocean sauce with a little spice and shrimp & crawfish sauce!!! AMAZING. The ambiance was amazing, incredible service, the staff didn't rush us and 1 1/2 hours later... it was one of the most enjoyable dinner services I've ever had in New Orleans. read more

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I had an unexpectedly authentic Italian dining experience at Adolfo's on Frenchmen. I honestly didn't even know this place existed and stumbled upon it by accident. It's a small restaurant with limited seating, and you'll need to climb a narrow staircase to get inside. Still, it's absolutely worth the visit--especially if you're planning a romantic night out and want to impress. I loved the Pasta with Italian Sausage, and the Chicken Parmigiana was perfect. read more

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This place was mid. The ocean sauce was good but my cut of veal was not. Cute story but the food wasn't anything memorable. I judge Italian spots by their marinara sauce & cheese & their's was just not it for me. Rao's is better, actually. I'd suggest the ocean sauce with a different protein. The service was excellent, but the dining room was pretty tight and loud (again, it's NoLa) so that's expected. The desert was fine but again nothing memorable. I probably wouldn't return or recommend given the trillions of options nearby. read more

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This is a repeat for me. When ever I am in NOLA I try my best to dine at Adolfo's. This last time, we stopped by a little after 6 on a Wednesday in March. We were seated right away and had a lovely meal. The plates are huge and delicious. Be prepared for a memorable meal in the tiniest restaurant! read more

Adolfo's - Inside - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Restaurant was supposed to open at 5:30, instead of opening on time two workers stepped outside for a smoke. Upon entering the restaurant I was overcome with a bad odor, it smelled as if the restaurant hadn't been cleaned in a while. I sat by the window, I was feeling optimistic until I looked down at the window seal and spotted a cockroach with its legs still moving. Ive never walked out of a restaurant but sadly I had to find my way out shortly after entering. I suggest that they add a warning sign near the exit because I almost broke my ankle on the way out but thats more my fault for not paying attention. besides the unhygienic part, the waiter was calm and polite read more

We stopped in for supper and was pleasantly surprised. The upstairs is a small restaurant with the bar and music downstairs. Sara was our server and we was fantastic. Super friendly and great with recommendations. We had the special which was a crab stuffed flounder. It was amazing. Drinks were excellent. I highly recommend this little place if you are down on Frenchman St to have dinner and listen to some music. read more

Doesn't get any more NOLA authentic than this! Very cool, old space and building. This is a must stop place, if not for the restaurant, then for the bar downstairs. Live music was great! Waitress was awesome. Gave us suggestions on different dishes. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I chose a special that was a flounder with shrimp and crawfish with their house sauce. Huge portion and it was excellent. read more

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The most amazing food I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing! Sitting above the Apple Barrel Bar, this quaint little joint is easy to miss but hard to forget if you're in the know. First seating is the best, you're almost greeted as one whole table. Hearing the specials as one, meeting the staff as one, it's a really nice moment you share together that encapsulates the NOLA vibe. For dinner we enjoyed the infamous ocean sauce over the stuffed flounder and it did not disappoint. The creamy, spicy sauce had chunks of crab and shrimp, atop the flaky flounder; it was so delicious! The linguine was so fresh, the red sauce had so much depth, everything was just divine! Cannot wait to come back!! read more

Adolfo's - Stuffed Flounder with Ocean Sauce. Linguine with Red Sauce. NY Strip Steak with Mushrooms and Onions. - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Wonderful little spot for rich and flavorful dishes. Go for the ocean sauce! Those who are into wine will want to bring their own to go with these super tasty menu offerings. Always a wait and worth it! Grab a beverage at the lower bar until your table is ready. read more

Service was great and a nice off the beaten path restaurant. We got there approx 10ish min early. Shortly after a line formed. We got the special appetizer steak bruschetta, it was amazing. My husband got the fish with ocean sauce, it was great. I got the Rachel's pasta. Both entrees were good but the sauce on the pasta was watery. You had to use the spoon to gather the sauce. For the price of the food I don't think I will return but the atmosphere was good. I recommend to try and see if you like it. read more

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Warning to others, the marinara is spicy! It's our own fault because we didn't realize it was creole style Italian. Service was slow probably because there wasn't an empty table in the house. Due to the limited seating, it's very crowded and loud inside hard to hear the person sitting right across from you. High priced read more

Adolfo's - Chicken Parmesan - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The best things in life are unplanned, and that's exactly how we stumbled upon this hidden gem. We were walking around Frenchmen Street and stopped at the bar downstairs. I noticed a staircase and decided to go up not realizing there was an entirely separate restaurant waiting for us. We had no dinner plans so we decided to put our name on the list. This place is tiny - probably no more than 10 tables and you can see the small kitchen with just two or three cooks working. Here's some of what we ordered: - Chicken Brenda A lemony spinach sauce that paired beautifully with the side pasta. Might sound like a simple dish, but the flavors were next-level. Definitely worth trying! - Ocean Pasta- this was recommended by the waitress and 100% my favorite dish here. MUST TRY! - Escargot - My first time trying escargot, and I am officially obsessed. I don't even remember exactly how it was prepared but WOW. - Mussels - Another absolute flavor explosion. This dish was incredible. Everyone at the table loved their meals and the atmosphere made the night even more special. I celebrated my birthday here surrounded by my family, enjoying amazing food, wine, and great service. A dinner filled with laughter, great conversation, and unforgettable food. Thank you Adolfo's! read more

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The restaurant is upstairs. There's a unisex bathroom in the corner past the door and the cash register area. There are 11 tables in the restaurant, so arrive early or accept your fate. Don't say nobody told you. When we arrived, it was dark and hot inside. I thought it was unusual mood lighting, but Gary explained the electricity was out and recommended we come back after a bit. Apparently a transformer had gone out, so it was lights out all along Frenchmen. We moseyed a few blocks to a brewery, and the lights flickered on about an hour later. Perfect timing--we were the last of 6 tables to be seated, and then they had to start turning away customers, as Gary was the only waiter on staff. Adolfo's doesn't take reservations, so if your timing isn't right, or you're due for a dose of karma, you'll be out of luck with an unimpressed date. Don't make a scene and just come back another time. It's worth it. Gary masterfully waltzed from table to table, giving us all the rundown of evening specials and apologizing for the earlier electricity snafu--a very gracious and polite host. We started with the sausage and spinach cannelloni, a perfectly-balanced palate pleaser with strong notes of fennel in the sausage and something that might be too spicy for certain people. There was a beautifully light lingering sensation of either crushed red pepper or perhaps cayenne. 10/10 My entree was the Fish Missy. Half was sauced with creamy, lemony spinach, and the other half was generously embellished with crabmeat and capers. Divine. Sent by the gods. 10/10 My handsome date devoured his stuffed flounder in ocean sauce. While the sauce had a wonderful flavor of its own, it also let the taste of the crawfish and shrimp shine. Although il sure some people prefer it, I did see a vein in one of the shrimp, so I say 9/10 Everything about Adolfo's is exactly what we love about dining out: intimate setting, superb service (even under pressure!), unique dishes with flavorful consideration, and located in a spot with opportunities for many interesting side quests. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Adolfo's - Cannelloni Filled with Spinach and Italian Sausage - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

AMAZING! On Frenchman street in New Orleans, upstairs about 40 seat restaurant. Love the smallness cute cozy atmosphere and great food! Have to have the famous Ocean sauce! Had the tack of lamb and no words can explain the fest taste! Service was awesome! Felt like a locale on vacation!!! read more

Adolfo's - Rack of lamb with ocean sauce - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Quirky restaurant and waiter. There is no big sign letting you know where it is. There is no light on in the doorway. If you are like us and other guests you cold hear talking you will miss it. After walking past it we came back looking for the address. The address is located on the mailbox. The name is located on the door. It's on the 2nd story. The first story had a bar and band playing. When you walk in it's nothing special. The walls are decorated gallery style with many different types of paintings. It's old. This was highly recommended on my Facebook group so we stayed and ventured to try it out. The menu is extensive. Labeled pasta, chicken, veil, and fish. And under each listing there is a number of options of how you want it cooked. The waiter for the whole restaurant gave us the specials. One of the specials we got was the stuffed flounder. Stuffed and piled high with fresh crab meat, shrimp and crawled. It was so big we couldn't finish it.We also got the veal with artichoke sauce. Both were delicious. The veal was pounded thin and thus very tender. I recommend both dishes. Don't shy away due to the decor. The food is delicious. This was our first stop in New Orleans after checking into our hotel. Our next stop was next door to the artist mart then the spotted cat. So if you can't find the place. If you are in the street facing the artist mart it's the first building to the right. Look for the address and name on the door. There is no door man, just open the door and walk up the stairs. Then open the door at the top of the stairs and you've arrived. There was plenty of seating at 7pm on a Wednesday in December. December 4th was the exact date. read more

Adolfo's - Menu - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

A local friend of mine recommended Apollos. This place is on Frenchmen Street right next to The Spotted Cat, so perfect place to eat dinner right before going to listen to jazz music. I must say the atmosphere is a little dingy, and it smelled weird as soon as we went upstairs to the restaurant, but what made up for all that was the really great food and excellent service. Wine was weird, but great food. We had chicken Parmesan and cannelloni. We would definitely go again! read more

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This was our second or third visit here and we love it. Most people love the Ocean (crab/shrimp/crawfish/capers) cream sauce dishes; in my opinion it's good, but a little thin (they use milk instead of cream). The rack of lamb is excellent. Entrees come with a side of fettuccine with red sauce, or a salad with Creole mustard vinaigrette. Very dark and intimate space. Definitely a hidden gem! read more

Adolfo's - Veal Ana - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Food was delicious, I got the rack of lamb as the entree special with ocean sauce and it did not disappoint. Came here for dinner on vacation and the food was read more

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I love the atmosphere. Service is good. I always orser seafood, and have never been disappointed!!!

Adolfo's is a tiny, long time favorite set in a homey, upstairs apartment. The worn wooden tables and floors are a testament to the age of the place and the number of happy diners that have eaten here over the years. The pace is snappy, with the waiter quickly taking our orders and bringing out rolls and green salads with honey mustard dressing. We all thought our entrees were delicious: cannelloni with spinach and mozzarella, Chicken Brenda with lemon sauce, and a fish special with flounder. It was a bit difficult to have a conversation due to the noise of about 40 diners, but we did enjoy our dinner. read more

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Amazing...I can't even express how amazing! The lamb special is to die for. The founder was flawless. Love love read more

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This is an exceptional spot. A must in NOLA. DJ was an amazing server...our food was so tasty and he took great care of us. Kim the owner chatted with us ant it was she was fantastic. We came on a recommendation of a local and it was fabulous!! read more

As the menu indicates, this is a hole in the wall 100-yr old 1-bedroom apartment converted to a 40-person 11 table restaurant with uneven floors and all. It was very close to my hotel and a fellow yelp friend from Houston recommended it, so I had to visit. My table was facing the bar area and wall with a ton of liquor bottles, unfortunately they really only make simple call drinks and there really isn't a separate bar area to sit at. So if you're hankering for a hurricane or some New Orleans drink, you are probably out of luck here. I had to look at the menu quickly since customers came pouring in right after me and the servers were extremely busy and just decided on the special app of the night, the mussels, and their Fish Nicky which is grouper. I chose a house salad with my meal. Mussels - these come on a large plate but they don't give you a bowl for your shells. The mussels themselves were ok, but I've had a lot better. I probably wouldn't order them again and I love mussels, if they're done right. Fish Nicky - the fish is lightly breaded and pan fried and was very good and flaky, even though it is not a local fish and probably previously frozen. The side salad I chose has a yummy dressing that tastes like a light deli mustard with some horseradish. Overall I enjoyed my experience here since it is a very unique restaurant which is situated above a bar. read more

Yeah needs help. Not what it used to be years ago. Hope they can get the food consistent again.

If you like your food swimming in thin sauce, this is your place. Went there on a recommendation from a bartender in Algiers, as we were looking to eat near what is really the last bastion of jazz/blues in NOLA, Frenchman Street. Sadly, it was our last night in NOLA and looked forward to going out with a decent meal, as the other places we went to were very good to excellent. Maybe it was an off night as someone else intimated, but the place was just off. It's a small place above a jazz joint (11 tables, one reserved for their recently deceased namesake), with 2 servers and a small bar (mixed drinks are done downstairs). We arrived around 6:30 on a Friday and were seated right away...good start. First, the smell of the place was just off, almost foul (maybe their Ocean Sauce...). As there really are few places around here to eat, we stuck it out. Ordered drinks and our meals. Our server started off attentive and it headed south from there. Meals came out and we all just looked at them in disbelief. Yeah, the portions were large but the quality was sorely lacking. I had the flounder with Ocean Sauce, Wife had the cannelloni and son had the chicken parm. All dishes were literally swimming in their respective 'sauces'. The flounder was cooked well, just buried in the Ocean Sauce. It might have been tasting if it wasn't so watery. The chicken parm did not look breaded and was also drowned in watery sauce, rendering the chicken limp and rather tasteless. The cannelloni was decent, once you threw it a life preserver, nice chunks of sausage and sauteed spinach. Had to ask multiple times for grated parm for the accompanying pasta (oddly, not enough sauce, which in itself was thin). Saved that with ground pepper and red pepper flakes. The server continued to ignore us, had to constantly flag him down in this tiny space. If you don't like what you do, do something else and spare us. His service level was reflected in the lack of tip...something we never do...it was that bad of an experience. Luckily the evening was saved by great music and late night fried chicken! read more

Food was tasty, ambiance was nice and cozy. Felt transported thru time. Service was good also. read more

Adolfo's - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I found this place when we visited for a friend's bday dinner and I've been hooked since. Everything we ordered was fantastic. The space really gives that old school New Orleans feel. Bonus if there is a live band playing below in the club you can hear it very well. The service is always great. They have plenty of things to choose from including their rotating daily specials. read more

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We've been coming to New Orleans for over 20 years and have had so many amazing meals in NOLA, but NOT HERE.... We were waved over to two tables- where we sat, and sat, and sat some more- no menus, water, cutlery, not a thing. Finally a waiter noticed, and gave us menus and another waiter approached us... I will say my vodka martini was good. And the server, when I flagged him down , was kind, but other than that? Yuck. I ordered the Veal parmigiana and it was awful. Tough, salty, inedible. I sent it back- I never do this, and am not hard to please. I promise!! My husband's side of pasta was just as god awful,he called it ,"ketchup water". True enough, it was watery, tasteless and cold. His dish, the,"Chicken Ocean" (cream sauce with shrimp/crawfish- ) was salty and the chicken was tough, but he was able to eat it, and it was pretty unremarkable. We'd seen this place while visiting Frenchmen's St. for years, and have wanted to visit, (& frankly have read good reviews!) we're SUPER DISAPPOINTED CUZ IT WAS SO BAD!! My advice to you- JUST SAY NO, AND MOVE ON!You won't be sorry you did!! I wish we had!! read more

Adolfo's - Veal parmigiana- Beware...! - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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All dishes were under seasoned and under salted. The house sauce seemed like it had potential, but there was no flavor at all. Skimming around the room there wasn't a single patriot not reaching for the salt. The amount of excess water on the pasta and sauces was unappetizing. Everything that was suppose to be hot/warm was cold and the Chardonnay was hot. Service was scattered and unorganized, although the servers were polite the attention was scarce. There was a metal shaving in the pasta dishes. Although it can happen it was treated like it was a common occurrence and there was nothing done to correct it not even a new dish. read more

Get there early because tables fill up fast! We went at 6pm on a Tuesday and it was an hour wait. We came back early and got in line on Thursday and got speedy and friendly service. The food is excellent and very inexpensive for what you get! Downstairs is a great time, check it out for live music. read more

The exceptional cuisine and warm hospitality left a lasting impression on me, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the memorable experience. The relaxed ambiance contributed to the overall enjoyment. read more

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If you eat dinner in one place while in New Orleans, make it Adolfo's Creole-Italian Cuisine. One thousand percent it is so worth it. I loved everything about Adolfo's. It used to be a single bedroom apartment that is 100 years old and is above the Apple Barrel bar. It now has 11 tables nestled in amongst the art covered walls. We arrived right before 5:30pm because we really wanted to eat here. Another couple showed up and waited with us for the doors to open. They had already dined here the night before and said that they will eat here 3-4 times during their week long stay. Promptly at 5:30, the nondescript door was opened and we followed our server up the stairs. Being that we were the first ones there, we sat at a great table with a window view of the street happenings below. Our sever was Scotty and he was super. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. We ordered a bottle of wine and a sazerac. We had the mussels as an appetizer which also came with soft rolls for dredging in the sauce. Absolutely delicious. Two of us had the steak with ocean sauce and I opted the for grouper with ocean sauce. We all had the side salad which has their house dressing. My grouper was fantastic. So nice and flaky and wow, that ocean sauce is perfect. The steak lovers felt the same was bout their meal. The infusion of Creole with the Italian cuisine is on point. You can't go wrong. We ended our meal with a slice of chocolate mousse shared with 3 forks. It was a perfect end to the dinner. The restaurant quickly filled in as we were dining and by the time we were leaving about an hour and a half later, all the tables were filled. I would definitely return here in a heartbeat. Maybe even tonight! It is truly an experience and how every dining experience should be... read more

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Frenchman ST. NOLA Hidden treasure! This place is like a secret hideaway in the jazzy Frenchman District. A local recommended this place. As we are trying to find it, a doorman at a local jazz club said it's the best place in New Orleans. We weren't sure we were in the right place because there is no brightly lit sign. More so a name on the door. In fact, the lights were completely out and it looks like it may have been someone's house above a bar. They do not take reservations. So arrive early if you expect to get a seat at this restaurant. You enter and head upstairs. The place is small with no more than 15 tables? It is a very old building and the smell hits you immediately. It is not pleasant. However, it quickly dissipate. Part of its charm. We were the first to get a table when the doors opened at 5:30. No sooner had we sat when more people came in and within less than 10 minutes more than half of the tables were filled. I overheard two different tables, telling the waiter that they have tried to come here before and weren't able to get a seat as it is always busy. They consider themselves lucky this evening. The menu offers everything from pasta to seafood to steak. We were told to order the stuffed flounder. So we did. We were offered a side salad or a side of pasta to begin our meal. We chose the linguine pasta with a tomato sauce. Lots of fresh Parmesan. For me it was almost a meal in itself. The flounder is covered in an ocean sauce. The sauce has a wonderful creamy flavor and includes stuffing, fresh crab, crawfish, and shrimp. It truly is a party in your mouth. Every bite was a new taste. It is not on the menu, however so many locals requested that they always have it available. You also get fresh French bread that has a bit of garlic salt and butter. As mentioned before, the restaurant is very small. You can see the kitchen and the bar from your table. The bathroom is just one bath for both men and women. We enjoyed a nice glass of red wine to accompany our dinner. The house wine is Liberty Creek. Not bad for a house wine. This place is a must of all the wonderful places I died in New Orleans really was my favorite. Put it on your list as a Must go. read more

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Food was very underwhelming, and staff was surprisingly rude (thought the South was nicer). Try your luck somewhere else. read more