Entree is good, ocean sauce with veal was tasty and lemon chicken as well - but you should see if you can order entree only to go and listen to Jazz off the street. Service was a complete disaster, bare minimum had to ask for everything from a napkin to menu. Side pasta was minimal effort and tasteless, wine was 85 degrees, dining area was hotter than outside at 90 degrees. It took a hour to get our entree the only salvageable part of the experience. read more

Ate there for the second time tonight. Entrees were okay, not amazing. Bread is really plain and just cut up bread, no real garlic, cheese or anything. Salad also just okay. Service was great and our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and attentive. Here's the thing everyone....there really is no air. It's so f Ing hot in there in the summer, it's really impossible to enjoy anything. We came, we saw, we ate but unfortunately we won't be back, at least in the summer and probably not at all. read more

You cannot beat the Ocean Sauce! It's a tiny little restaurant so plan ahead with a reservation or be prepared to wait a while on walk in nights. Worth the wait if you ask me! read more

Great tasting food in a romantic spot. It's a bit rundown inside, but that just makes it more charming. The Chicken Brenda with spinach is one of my favorites. Also can't go wrong with the cannelloni and the Veal Ocean. Servers are always professional and pleasant. We love this place. read more

I can't say it was the "perfect" experience, because there were a few hiccups to the evening... But overall, this place has such a romantic & intimate vibe and in the end was one of the best meals I've ever had! In the heart of Frenchmen Street, the restaurant sits atop the Apple Barrel, a little bar & lounge that has live music. There is a very, VERY long wait, partly due to the allure & popularity but also because there are only about 10 tables. We didn't make a reservation prior to arrival, but we asked to be out on their list and were scheduled for 8:30pm dining. It wasn't a huge inconvenience, because we went back downstairs to enjoy the music. Apple Barrel had a great singer/guitarist (Jack Sledge) crooning covers to popular retro rock and a few of his own original songs. We checked on our table often, but the time kept pushing back. So, we wandered the street, popping in and out of the bars & meandering the small art markets. We were finally seated around 10pm (an hour & a half later)... Lucky for us, since their last call for dining is 10:30! *There are a couple of house rules we didn't know about, but at least we came prepared: The restaurant is CASH ONLY, and each person has to order an entree (no appetizer only or sharing plates). So, some pointers: There is an ATM downstairs, and come hungry! There were some letdowns: I had my heart set on the lamb and was incredibly disappointed when I was told that they were out. The bread basket was just cold French bread rubbed in garlic. The pasta sides were bland & boring... The high-points: The server recommended a few specials, so I settled for the stuffed flounder with "ocean sauce." It was rich, filling, and absolutely delicious. Our mussels appetizer was phenomenal too, perfectly cooked and elegant. We also tried one of the grouper plates, and enjoyed it very much. The appetizer & entree portions are generous. We ordered house wines by the glass, and each one we tried was lovely (and a bargain at $6 each). With our tastebuds dancing & our tummies full at the end of our meal, we can say it was worth it in the end. We would definitely come back (and I hope there will be lamb)! read more

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Holyyyyy this place is SPECIAL. We waited an hour for a table at 6pm on a Saturday night but it is more than worth the wait. Bar downstairs has someone playing live music while ya wait. Cash only but they have an ATM Spinach ricotta cannelloni app was amazing, super creamy yummy deliciousness. As per reading the million mentions of ocean sauce- I had the Veal Ocean.. so so so delicious. Veal was cooked perfectly and sauce was creamy but not super heavy. Definitely one of my top 10 favorite meals!! read more

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

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We had another great experience last night. Scott was amazing! Great food and excellent service. It was definitely worth the wait.

I think this might be the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The food was amazing, so good I would go back to New Orleans and just eat here. read more

This was our favorite place we ate in New Orleans!! It's really impressive the quality of food they can serve in such a small space. Our waiter was great and everything we had was incredible, even the side of pasta. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area! read more

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This place is off the hook. Thankfully, a friend of mine recommended this place, otherwise it wasn't on my radar. First of all, this place is on the second floor, above the Apple Barrel bar. They don't take reservations. Walk upstairs, go inside, and they will give you an estimate of wait time and write your name on a legal pad. You wait at the bar downstairs and they come down and call your name. If you're not there, they cross out your name and move on. It's CASH ONLY. So is the bar downstairs. Both have an ATM. There are only 11 tables. The floor moves when you walk on it, the ceiling is OSB and plywood. The kitchen is tiny. The bathroom is even smaller. It all adds to the charm of the place. Next: Service. My waitress Brie (like the cheese, she said) was the most enthusiastic waitress I've ever encountered. She was animated and talked about the specials with a passion. Last, the star of the show: the food. My first night I had the mussels, the appetizer special. Big portion and delicious. The stuffed founder was incredible. It has their famous 'ocean sauce' on it. It was amazing. Plus you get a choice of pasta or salad with your entree. I had be pasta, a thick spaghetti with marinara sauce. And some garlic bread. The second night I had the rack of lamb. Also very delicious. Bar is soda, bottled beer, wine by the glass or bottle, and some mixed drinks. Your bill is hand written. Music is a radio station playing at a low volume. Low tech place. Enjoy! Can't wait to go back. read more

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Get there early. The pasta starter is simple and amazing. After that feel confident ordering the rack of lamb with ocean sauce. Best lamb I've ever had. Truly amazing. read more

If I were on death row, Adolfo's would be my requested last meal. Specifically, the beef tip bruschetta (was on special) and the Steak Ocean with a nice red wine. The atmosphere is quaint and unassuming, but the food is delicious beyond compare. The beef tip bruschetta was TO DIE FOR. I think about it at least once a week, even three months later. The ocean sauce is creamy and sinful and delicious. Rich flavors are abundant. By dessert, I somehow made room for a chocolate something that was equally fantastic. Can't wait to go back! read more

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

Food is prepared fresh per order and the sauces are amazing! The atmosphere makes you feel like you're in the old south!

The best mussels I've ever had. The best escargot. Their ocean sauce is amazing! I love this place

Had dinner with my brother and it was the most expensively disappointing meal of my life. We first ate at Adolfo's in 2015 and it was great. Went back for old times sake and it was so bad that I was embarrassed to tell the waitress, who shared that she was a daughter of the owner, how bad the food was. The steak was inedible and the pasta was overcooked spaghetti with ketchup sauce. I ordered a $50 bottle of wine and it must have been $15 swill from CVS. The server noticed that we barely ate our food and didn't even act surprised when she offered to box our "meal" and we said, no thanks. I take no pleasure in this review. This wasn't the only disappointing meal we had in New Orleans. The city survived Katrina but COVID killed it. read more

This was my first ever proper Italian seafood experience and I am so happy my friend suggested Adolfo's. From the long wait, I already knew this place was going to be fantastic and worth it. Everyone who left was giving it two thumbs up and saying "Trust me, it's worth the wait", which raised our expectations up even higher. The restaurant and it's amazing menu truly met them. We ordered mussels marinara for the appetizer and my friend and I split Shrimp with Marinara and Chicken Tyler. Both were excellent choices. Our server helped us pick out a great Pinot Grigio to go along with our meal. I don't remember exactly what my other friends ordered but it's been over a month and every few days they bring up the amazing ocean sauce in our group chat, which is definitely worth mentioning. It was such a wonderful restaurant with great service and the best food and I definitely will be back! read more

Adolfo's - Chicken Tyler Piccata, Shrimp with Marinara Sauce - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The most amazing meal I had in NOLA Get there before they open and they're so smart about logistics for servers and kitchen. Just get the flounder in ocean sauce and oysters. Seriously. read more

Being a local, this is the restaurant of all New Orleans restaurants that we ( husband & myself) decided was" OUR lil Gem". First visit was in 2008-09, and the impression it left on me is crazy ridiculous. This lil place was so full of life. We moved off and then tried to go again , no luck. There was an LSU- Bama game and had been crazy busy , so they closed early. Then we moved even further, but when we went , they were closed . You won't regret it. Hopefully, it will be your Lil gem as well. Seriously guys, food is AMAZING!!! read more

This is a hidden gem. Every time I go to New Orleans I have to eat here. The Ocean sauce is ridiculously good. Get there right at opening or you will have to wait for a table. read more

My husband and I were told about this place about this place from a local. Once we found our way upstairs we were pleasantly surprised to hear there was no wait time--we were seated immediately (it was about 9:40pm on a Wednesday)! Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and provided the professional experience one could only hope for at a 5-star restaurant. We recommend going with their suggestions if you visit! Our drinks and our main courses were great! However, I'm giving Adolfo's a 4-star rating based on their subpar side dishes (salad & pasta) and appetizer bread. read more

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My wife and I visited here for dinner on July 9, 2019. Let me get a couple of things out of the way real quickly: first, they are CASH ONLY (an ATM is conveniently provided) and second the air conditioner was out on a sultry July evening making the dining room quite uncomfortable. Now let's get past these two hiccups . . . . We started with an shrimp & oyster bruschetta ($14.00). You can see in the photo that is was nicely displayed and the sauce had a wonderful full bodies flavor. However the bread was not toasted so the bread was soggy to the point of being a mushy contrivance that was not appetizing and the oysters were semi-warm with a cool center (not cold). I am not really sure what the chef was trying do with these but for my mind when I bit into an under cooked oyster all I could think of was this going to make me sick tonight? Either the chef didn't care or this dish should be re-invented. So next comes the main courses. I was a little taken aback that for the price there was no vegetable served with the main course and you had your choice of a house green salad or pasta. My wife and I both had the green salad. What can you say about a green house salad that looks as if it came out of a bag of greens from the food supplier? Bland? Uninspired? Plain Jane? How about all of the above? Finally our main course dishes arrived. I ordered the special rack of lamb ($33.00) and my wife had the stuffed flounder (29.00). My lamb was cooked medium rare as I had ordered and was underwhelming. The glaze was a liquid concoction with some rosemary that did almost nothing to enhance the flavor profile. The meat was tender and the portion was generous but those attributes could not overcome the lackadaisical flavor profile. Now without a doubt the highlight of the evening was the stuffed flounder. It was served piping hot, properly seasoned and a delight to the taste buds. The stuffing was a spicy shrimp & crayfish that was marvelous. I made a mistake with the lamb and would have quickly traded that mess in for the stuffed flounder. The portion was more than generous as my wife filled up and passed some on to me which is why I can write how good it was. Just so you know a coke was $2.50 and a beer was $4.00. I cannot speak specifically to the pasta but from what I saw on neighboring tables, stick to the flounder and call to make sure that the air conditioner is working. So, dinner with tax and tip came out to be $113.43. I can honestly tell you that anytime I spend over $100 on dinner for two I better be impressed and as you can probably guess by now that I was not impressed for the price. Think long and hard before opening your wallet in here. read more

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Don't go in the summer. The ac does not work well at all. We are local and have attempted to go many years during the summer and ac is horrible. They shove tables together so much that your legs are literally touching the persons next to you. Which just makes it that much hotter. The food is good but not worth the hassle. read more

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

The best rack of lamb I've ever tasted. , I've had rack of in some very expensive restaurants. A rack is eight ribs. I haven't had a whole rack in 40 years sinceLes Pleiades in New York closed.Usually, you often get only two. Not so often but some four. Other items on the menu are very good as well. Good service and good value. NRM read more

First of all. Thanks to James for the amazing service. This was one of our favorite meals of our week in NOLA. Just first class everything. We started with mussels and they were plentiful and had great flavor and broth. I had the lamb and my wife had fish with ocean sauce. Both were out Of this world. We always try to hit different places when we visit but this one will be stuck on repeat for some time. Thank you!! read more

Adolfo's - Mussels were amazing. And a large portion - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The best seafood hands down in New Orleans or anywhere for that matter. The Ocean sauce is luscious and their snails are the best I've ever tasted. It's a small secret to get in. Make reservations. read more

What a big disappointment. Adolfo's used to be the cool, scrappy restaurant that only takes cash, doesn't accept reservations and had a very French Quarter vibe. But the owner/head chef passed away a few years ago and the quality took a huge dive. The place is still a dump (let's be honest, the place hasn't been updated in decades, every stair creaks and you fear your foot is going to go through the floor) but the food is just not good. Our pasta was watery and my main dish was (chicken parmesan) smashed so flat that it almost was disintegrating under some lumpy, flavorless cheese. The chicken had zero flavor. My wife's seafood dish was full of shells, which she had to pick through and spit out. I ordered a screwdriver (vodka and OJ) at the downstairs bar while we waited in line. Once upstairs, I tried to order another cocktail and was told I could not. Why, you ask? Well I did too and was told I could not order anything from the bar downstairs and was only offered beer/wine from the small "bar" upstairs. Makes no sense. Bottom line, it's not expensive but neither is Waffle House and I like their food better. read more

Wow! We came down to Frenchman Street in the recommendation of our AirBnB host. Completely different feel from Bourbon St. Much more relaxed with great music and dining. Our Lyft driver said this is where locals come. We had the eggplant crab with capers app. So good. Eggplant was cooked perfectly. On the advice of our waiter we had the lamb rack and the NY strip with the ocean sauce. The rack was outstanding. I don't want to discount out at all. The strip was incredible. This place is worth the wait and then some. Please go... I want them to be here forever. read more

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

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I went here last week for spring break in NOLA and it's so so yummy. We were eating so much Cajun this was such a nice adjustment in our trip... because I mean pasta is good everyday tbh. I got crawfish (sub. It with chicken) Alfredo. It was literally the creamiest pasta and the crawfish were perfectly cooked. The mussel pasta was super yummy as well and they give you a huge portion of mussel. This is easily the best pasta ever! Price was decent - it wasn't cheap nor expensive. They have pretty good selection and offer garlic bread while waiting for your food. I loved how they shared the restaurant with a bar in Apple Barrel that hosts a live band (the band was amazing and honestly they deserve a record deal I mean c'mon!!) They were quite busy on a Tuesday night (April 11) and had customer waiting downstairs in the bar which was cool. I'll def come back!! Great service and environment! :)) read more

Adolfo's - Crawfish Pasta!! super creamy!!! :) - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This is a cash only establishment. It is upstairs above the Apple Barrel bar. We went in and were asked for our name to go on the list to be seated. We were told to go back downstairs to the bar or outside and wait to be called. I used the restroom in the bar and it was disgusting. It smelled like the inside of a urinal. No paper towels. Once seated, our waitress was very nice and pleasant. We agreed to get the specials of steamed mussels and stuffed flounder. The salad that CE with our meal was horrible. It was a warm bag of the spring mix lettuce from the grocery store. The ice burg white parts were browned. It was not fresh or cool. The only dressing is a weird honey mustard vinaigrette. The mussels were very good and plentiful. They were served over a bed of noodles with no sauce. The flounder was delicious. The fish flaky, the ocean sauce has a little extra zest to it. It was a decent place to stop to have a bite to eat without loud music. read more

Earlier reviews still stand. Great place. Get the grouper with missy or ocean sauce. Lamb was good if you like lamb. Clams okay. But get the fish with the sauce. Wine list improving (but that's not saying much). James was a great waiter. It was hot in NOLA and am not sure the a/c could handle it because it was humid and stuffy. But The fish with either sauce made it all worth it. read more

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I'm going to get straight to the point. The ambiance was great, the service was good and everything I ate there in terms of flavor was off. The lollipop lamb chop appetizer did not have enough flavor and way too much thyme. The fettuccine marinara was watery with chunks of tomato; It lacked sauce and flavor. Finally, my entrée, the stuffed flounder with their signature sauce was flavorless and mushy. In terms of texture, I could not tell the difference between what the flounder was stuffed with and the flounder itself. There were a lot of reviews that praised the food. Maybe they were having a bad night. read more

Excellent food, casual atmosphere. Staff really hustle to tend to customers needs. It's a small apartment converted to a restaurant and they've done an amazing job utilizing space. read more

I've been here many times on visits, and it never disappoints. Small, and tough to get in because there are no reservations. But great meal in the heart of Frenchman. read more

Food was good but AIr Conditioner was not working! I would go back when the AC is working again.

Amazing food! Seriously, we ate out every night and Adolfo's was the most delicious. We were early for our reservation but were accommodated and seated very quickly. Our server (Chelsea I believe) was super sweet and suggested we buy the bottle of wine because with covid the opened wine isn't as fresh. We were happy to support the small business and the wine tasted great. She also suggested to order the ocean sauce on top of our fish. That was uh-mazing! I had Mahi Mahi with the sauce on top which I believe was crab, shrimp, capers, and crawfish? I wanted to lick the plate! Definitely try it out! read more

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Great place in a "locals" preferred part of town! Located in a jazz filled corridor (and directly above a live music club), this Italian restaurant delivers flavorful seafood and pasta dishes in a rustic atmosphere. We had mussels in a garlic and butter sauce, then a surf and turf of steak and ocean sauce of crab meat. So good! Staff was a treat, too! read more

I ordered escargot appetizer and crab stuffed baked flounder with ocean sauce. The escargot was so tender it melts in your mouth and it's drenched in decedent garlic butter. The flounder was rich and delicious and a huge portion reasonably priced. Service was friendly and efficient. This is a New Orleans hidden gem and very quirky but great food. It almost seems like a speak easy and you have found a hidden spot of which others aren't aware. You have to be willing to come at 5pm and wait outside to get seated when they open at 5:30. Otherwise, wait times can go up to two hours. They don't take reservations and scoring a table is part of the charm. This is not the place for big groups. Most tables are 2 tops and 4 tops. Maybe 10 to 12 tables total in a small 2nd story room. You have to walk up a steep stair way to get to it, so take that into consideration. Knowing what to expect, it is a great experience you will not soon forget! read more

Don't be deterred by the exterior or interior once you're seated. But do get there early before they open at 5:30 and the line forms. First out: salads and a basket of garlic bread. House dressing has horseradish in it --you'll either love it or hate it. Definitely not kid friendly even though everything else is. Then our main courses came out...We had the Flounder house special and Cannelloni combo, then the limoncello cake and a cannoli. Ate. Every. Bite. OMG delicious. Caroline, our server, was outstanding. We will definitely go back next time we're in town! read more

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Loved Adolphos. Food was fresh and authentic but also different, creative dishes. Big portions. Great atmosphere. upstairs above a music place read more

The server was very nice. The food is great. It's a bit warm up here but it's hot as hell in Louisiana right now so expect a little heat. read more