The great location along Fulton Alley combined with good food, quick and friendly service, and inexpensive prices earn five stars for this little cafe. We stopped in after the snowfall during Miracle on Fulton. The restaurant has a huge bar area, a small corridor with tables, and patio dining. The menu is simple-- burgers, sandwiches, and New Orleans staples like gumbo and red beans. The food is good. Prices are in the $8-$12 range. The service is quick and the staff is friendly. Even on a hectic Saturday night we did not have a wait for a table, and our orders were delivered correct in about ten minutes. read more

Hard to beat these beer prices and it's in a really good location right next to our hotel, the casino, and a little comedy club! This place has a laid back, divey sports bar atmosphere complete with peculiar swastikas decorating part of the floor near the bar. That is literally my only complaint. Never tried the food because we got so full off beer every time we went but I'm sure it's nothing spectacular otherwise the drinks wouldn't be so cheap lol. Anyways, highly recommended! read more

Not recommended. We showed up one hour before closing and the staff was rushing to close up. The sign said seat yourself, so we sat at the only available table, one which hadn't been cleaned yet. The waitress appeared cranky about that. She ignored us until her colleague (manager) asked how we were, and we told him we hadn't been served yet. read more

I like this place. It's a nice little restaurant in the Fulton area. Now, to be totally honest, I have never actually eaten here. I usually find myself here hanging out with friends and having a good time. I really like that (because it's a restaurant) it's completely smoke free. I find myself more and more drawn to smoke free places as of late. I have really begun hating reeking of cigarette smoke at the end of the night. Anyway, this is a nice alternative to some of the other places in this area like Lucy's or Red Eye. I have never seen it overly crowded and the staff is nice. read more

Our waitress,Tabitha was so nice and friendly and very helpful with suggestions on what to order. I got the shrimp po'boy with Buffalo sauce. It was 2 meals!! The slaw was incredible and of course $1 bottle of beers anytime ,all day long and ICE COLD is amazing. It's in a great location and I'm so happy to of found this place. Thank you Tabitha!! read more

This is a super solid spot in the Fulton street area of town. The bar is very attentive and good at their job of keeping a drink in your hand. The service is always friendly and efficient. The big shocker to me about this place is the food. It's really pretty good! I recommend the fried shrimp po-boy. They have a great batter that is crispy with a touch of spice. Ernst is a friendly, well lit, smoke-free bar, with decent food in an area of the city that is not really known for any of those things. A great place to stop in for a drink or hang out for hours with your friends. Highly recommended. read more

We stopped here in between harrah's casino and before a stop to cafe du monde. Great stop to make. It's an old brick building on brick pavement so you get this old world vibe. I had the jambalaya which was pretty good. Portions were good and prices were more than reasonable. The service was spot on and the food came out pretty quick. Overall I was satisfied. I can't give it 5 stars because it's New Orleans and the standards for food quality are just higher. read more

Ernst Cafe - Sitting outside to enjoy the scenery - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

No this is not a fancy place with exquisite drink concoctions. This is a down-to-earth local establishment that gets it all right. So even before I'd landed in NOLA, I'd already set my sights on Ernst Cafe as the place I would drop by for a first welcoming beverage. Hey, it's only steps away from the W Hotel I was staying at. Anyway, this place is so low-key on the regular that you'll almost never find any tourists in here because it's opposite from the French Quarter. This is a good thing. I sat at the bar, and the bartender was laid back and friendly. He gave me the scoop on what to check out at Mardi Gras and some local suggestions. Also chatted up a couple of locals who gave their insight into food to eat. Liked this place so much, that my group decided to follow my lead to come back for some food and drinks the next day. Sit at the bar, have a drink, make some friends. read more

This place is awesome! It doesn't close til 6 AM. Bartender is nice and friendly, regardless of the time of night you are there. They serve both beer and mixed drinks. Kitchen closes at 11 on weekdays, but I'm not sure about weekends. I also came here for a private party upstairs with FREE FOOD AND UNLIMITED BEER!!! How can a girl pass that up?! A few things on the menu were: 1) COCONUT BATTERED LOBSTERS (I'm not sure I saw these go by) 2) CRAWFISH EGGROLLS (they were delicious) 3) BEEF HIBACHI SKEWERS 4) BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP PUFFS (my friend ate a ton of these! and the waitress was so nice to just keep coming back to him to clear her tray!) 5) SEAFOOD STUFFED MUSHROOMS (it tasted a tad weird to me) 6) ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE PUFFS (really, really yummy) SHRIMP REMOULADE DIP PEARL PASTA CRAWFISH It was an awesome party and I am hoping they serve this kind of food on their menu as well!! read more

Cute little spot away from the madness! $7 12 0z Absolute Bloody Mary's! Perfect pre lunch appetizer! The boyfriend said the Crawfish Nachos were good... But he's no foodie! Lol. Menu looks yummy & so does food coming out of the kitchen!! read more

Ernst Cafe - Bloody Mary Morning!! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Enjoyed her another stop at Ernst Cafe in New Orleans. $1.00 beers "all-the-time" is a big draw, but the food is excellent too! The grilled chicken tenders are the best we've had. The seasoning is delicious, and they are grilled to be crispy on the outside yet still juicy on the inside! And the jalapeño coleslaw is The best thing about our most recent visit was having Tabitha as our server. She was very attentive, and she has a great personality. She is a true asset for Ernst Cafe! read more

Brought the wife and kids to eat on the patio and they told us the kids were not to come inside. Okay, I can get that, but he said it AGAIN "kids are not to be inside and then told us we have no high chairs and acted like we were an annoyance. We simple wanted to have a meal on the patio like everyone else but were outcasted because we had children. It was 4pm and it was slow. We were nice to you Ernst Cafe and you spit of us for having kids, pathetic! We never ate because we were not given the chance. Service and attitude delivers this place 1 lousy star. read more

My coworker and I came here and had a great time! Great beer selection and happy hour till 7:00. Our server, Gracie, was very charismatic and fun, we pretty much tried everything she recommended. Started with the Fried Green Tomatoes, these were very crispy, nice big tomato pieces, could have used more shrimp, but what was there was very well seasoned and tasty! I had the Crawfish Etouffee, it was very good! The spices and flavors were great, nice and thick, lots of crawfish, ate every drop. My coworker had the shrimp poyboy, and a side of Crawfish Monica. he enjoyed it. Recommend it with tarter sauce and smokey hot sauce. The bread was great, not too crusty, a little chew to it. The Crawfish Monika had great flavor and was a great hearty dish for a cold day, For dessert we had the bread pudding, with ice cream. Again we ate every drop! Great bread pudding Overall a very nice place for dinner or lunch, especially if on a budget! read more

By far the best po-boy sandwiches we had our entire time in NOLA. The decor is casual and could use a little updating, but the food is awesome and the 70's and 80's soundtrack playing in the background was fun for reminiscing. I had the Chicory Chicken Sandwich which was very generous portion of pulled chicken in BBQ sauce, covered in cole slaw and sauce, it was more than a meal, could easily feed two. I ordered sweet potato fries (which came with for $11), a delicious treat and something different than the standard french fries. They have a wide variety of beers, I think the waiter said 72 to choose from, including the Abita, I had the seasonal, very good. My husband ordered the Ernster Sandwich - fired oysters over roast beef on a po-boy, again excellent and huge. We ended up eating there again the next day and were again very pleased with the meal and the service. It's very casual, great place for lunch and they have a concise menu which I appreciate. Both times we were there, we had no wait and the locals seemed to like the place and were hanging out at the bar socializing. read more

What a difference a change in staffing makes! Ate here a few days ago and had good food and excellent service! Gumbo, Boudin Balls and a Hurricane made for a wonderful experience. Gave it 4 stars. Thought I'd try it again tonight and was sorely disappointed. Gumbo tasted burned. The most disappointing thing was the service. A large bearded guy with a shaved head could have cared less about my dining experience. Seemed annoyed he needed to serve me! Very surly, responded "no problem" when I thanked him for delivering my food. If I had anticipated it would be a "problem", I'd have gone elsewhere. Wanted to recommend, but can't with the inconsistent service! read more

Still in New Orleans for that wedding and looked for somewhere to have lunch. Our concierge suggested Ernst Cafe and so off we went. A simple place with outside seating, we chose a seat and sat down. A waitress came and was matter of fact, no nonsense and if I were in a bad mood I would have called her a bit grumpy. I chose gumbo and chicken ( when in Rome, right ) and by the time the food came the waitress and I were best friends. The gumbo arrived with two good size pieces of chicken and I dug in. The Gumbo was outstanding, the chicken very tasty but a tad dry but it didn't matter cause the gumbo was SO good. I just wish they had put more in the bowl. Can you ask for seconds? My wife ordered the grilled chicken salad and it looked amazing and she liked it very much. Today we would have gone back there but come on in a town dirty with great places to eat we had to try something different. More on that soon Hope your day is as good as mine has been. Go out and make it so. read more

Great server! Beautiful evening to sit outside Perfect for a casual evening out with family.

Great little spot in the warehouse district if you're looking for a quick bite. Friendly staff & quick service. Bloody Mary was awesome...ask for it spicy! Ordered the Ernest and a side of Etouffe. It's enough for two people to share! read more

Ernst Cafe - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This place is perfect. Great service, good beer selection, good food and inexpensive. I saw customer after customer come in for take-out, so I guess the food is pretty popular. This is in the warehouse district and has a cool historic feel to it. Very open-air with lots of seating along the bar, spread-out tables inside, or outside along the sidewalk. Bartender Tracey seemed to run the place when I was in town. Not only great service but an excellent resource of where to go and how to get there . read more

The experience overall was not horrible but the food was mediocre at best. The Chicory BBQ Chicken was bland and served luke warm. The crab cakes my friend ordered had a vague flavor of freezer burn. The Cobb Steak Salad my other friend had was decent. Service was attentive but the food didn't have enough flavor for me. It might have been a bad day for Ernst...or maybe I should have had one of the burgers or a po boy. but unless you are a tourist looking to grab a non-memorable meal or just meet for drinks, Ernst would be okay. On another note it is worth noting the age of the bar/restaurant (106 yrs old) and the amazing floor tile/accents. Overall I would suggest just have drinks here. read more

Overpriced bar food. Service was very rocky. It seemed like it was opening night with a cast who had never worked a restaurant-bar before. Could have been an off-night. New Orleans offers so much better and for less money. I know the building has a historical vibe to it, with the tiles on the floor--but found it odd that the pride in the tile is so great considering the historically offensive design at the front door. read more

I had the Ernster sandwich which has fried oyster, roast beef debris with gravy, and mayo on French bread. I can honestly say it was the best po-boy I've ever had, definitely better than Parkway. If you eat here you almost have to get it, although I've heard the rest of the menu is quite good. read more

Ernst Cafe - The Ernst sandwich. Fried oysters and roast beef po boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This little cafe is tucked in a cute little quiet spot. Service was great--waitress checked on me often but not annoyingly so. I had a small red beans and rice with fried chicken tenders on top. Tasty! Portion was just right for lunch. read more

Ernst Cafe - Red beans and rice with chicken. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I met a fellow Yelper here while I was in town, I walked a short distance from where I was and we sat at the bar. It was in the afternoon, not many people. Quiet, laid-back, chill. We drank and chatted about what people chat about and had a nice time. The bartender was knowledgeable and y'all have Sam Adams here, woohoo. Although I don't drink the Sammies, that was cool to see I didn't know they had them down here. read more

Great sit down spot at Fulton square. I wouldnt say this place is good for kids though. It's a bar afterall

Went there for a break between parades. Amazing red beans + rice, delicious, creamy and heavy!!! Food came out on time, nice and hot... However our waitress took almost 20min to bring us our check, a bit ridiculous... Either way, I would def go back. read more

First day in NoLA, stopes here due to proximity. Service was top notch. Quick, friendly and accommodating. Red beans and rice was hearty and flavorful. The Ernster pop boy was awesome! And I don't know what the fries are cooked in, but damn, bring us more! read more

This was my last meal in NOLA after a 6 day stay and it was extremely disappointing. I sat at a high-top table near the bar in clear view of the bartender/server so I would have thought I would have gotten good service, but it didn't turn out that way. I ordered the Grilled Shrimp Po'Boy with Sweet Potato Fries. The sandwich had about 8 shrimp on it plus shredded lettuce and pickles. There was no sauce on it and the shrimp didn't even have much flavor by themselves. The server didn't return until I had eaten almost all of my fries before I could ask for a sauce. I asked for a remoulade or cocktail sauce and the server returned with cocktail sauce. Unfortunately, it didn't help the sandwich much as the bread was super dry. My drink sat empty for several minutes and I finally had to take my cup up to the bar to ask for a refill. The place has a lot of character, which I love in a restaurant, but for $12, there are better Po'Boys to be had at other places and with much better service. read more

Good beer choices with inexpensive price. Food excellent. Dirty fries surprising excellent. Excellent jambalaya and so was the Ted beans and rice. Will definitely return read more

Sarah is awesome! She knows everything about the city and gave us great suggestions. First stop in New Orleans and we found this fantastic place! Food and drink outstanding! read more

This was a great place for...one of the most welcoming bartenders (Collin) we have had on New Orleans. The bar was very laid back and the food was good. read more

Stopped in for a cocktail and gumbo in the afternoon. Had not been to Ernst in a few years. Easy bar to hang out in. Staff is good and they have a mix of a couple locals and warehouse district/convention center people. Had the Gumbo. Good Roux flavor, a bit thin but nicely done. I would preferred it have a touch more spice so I did not need to use the Tabasco. Also had the Boudin Balls. Pretty yummy. Nice appetizer that I would get again with beer. Worth stopping in if you are looking for less commercial and more neighborhood feel. read more

I walked in and was not greeted. I asked a waitress do we seat ourselves and she said yes. I sat down and it took my waitress 15 mins to bring me a menu, which was strange because it didn't seem that crowded. It took forever for her to finally take my order. She wasn't rude but I was annoyed at how slow my service was. The chicken egg rolls were pretty good but I've had better gumbo. I won't be going back. read more

It's a struggle to give this place three stars...again I wish you could give half stars, because two is unjust but that's what they get. We showed up around 8pm on a Friday in Nov., not too crowded, immediately got a table. Then 1 waitress walked by avoiding eye contact. We went to the bar to get a menu. One of the bartenders actually became our waitress. We ordered the Red beans and Rice...and the Crawfish étouffée. The Red beans and rice was fantastic, although way too much meat..it was difficult to get a spoonful of just beans. The étouffée just sucked....like a spicy brown bowl of soup with some crawfish in it. Each came with a tiny slice of French bread and were way overpriced at 12.95 each. Some good looking shrimp went by, some big burgers went by, but my meal sucked. read more

Drinks were small for the price. Nice outside seating. Long and narrow seating down from the bar. We sat inside because I hate cigarette smoke. We still got some smoke smell inside for several minutes where we were. Service was fine. Portions were on the small side. We both ordered the Ernst sandwich. There could have been more meat and fried oysters. We wanted something close to our hotel room. This was close to the Plaza Suites! read more

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DO NOT EAT HERE. This place had the audacity to change my tip to reflect more than I actually left. They then refused to show us our receipts stating they are in a safe and they are unable to retrieve them because they don't have a key. They told us our waitress left and then all of a sudden she was at the establishment again and would try to find them. They told us our bank adds a 20% charge then it was about 20 then it was their merchant who does it for people who are "establishing credit. I was on the phone with my bank who told me they have NEVER heard of such a thing. The waitress/bartender Julia proceeded to THROW cash at us telling us she doesn't need our FUCKING money and another waitress Jamie jumped in as well to tell us how stupid we were. The male "manager" Jax was just as rude. WATCH OUT FOR THESE PEOPLE. read more

Food was decent. Crawford nachos were fantastic! I had the gumbo and I wasn't bad. My friend's Crawfish Etouffee looked tasty, she said it was good. Small menu though. read more

While staying at the Marriot on convention center in New Orleans this restaurant was right around the corner from our hotel. We wanted some good food but it was 11pm a night, so I turned to yelp to find this place. I was very excited about visiting my first restaurant in New Orleans and I was really pleased. I got a shrimp po boy and a beer and paid about 15 dollars in total which in my opinion was a great deal for dinner. The portions were huge, and the only thing was that the bread was a little hard but I still ate it. The bartender was extremely nice especially since he told me that the beer prices were going to go down after 12am by over half off. All in all I would definitely visit this place again. The atmosphere is super chill and an a middle aged crowd! read more

Ernst Cafe - $10 shrimp po boy! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Once again Yelp made the night. I love it on my iphone!! We were looking for a salad after having eatin' numerous po boys the day and days before. I checked out the menu online and I new this place had to be good. We had the steak salad and let me tell you it did not disappoint at all. This place is cozy and has some serious history including the "interesting" floor symbols. I later read the plackard on the wall which told the tale on the floor. The vibe is low key and most in there are locals or frequent visitors. It is so close to the crazy huge establishments across the street which catch most visitors eyes. You could easily miss this place too. Crab cakes-crisp, thick and delish with a nice sauce :) Steak Salad- large, fresh greens, tons of bleu cheese, Tender steak, fresh and tasty :) We ventured back 3 times, I also tried the Crawfish Etoufee DELISH!!! The chicken gumbo, also delish and a side salad which was tasty and fresh too. I love this place! I will be back when I come again in May to NOLA! Everything I saw brought to other tables looked so good too :) lots of options to try here. Service was friendly and pretty fast. If you are looking for lunch near convention center then try this place. short walk away from all that convention center food :) read more

I know the pandemic has caused staffing issues, but we arrived when it opened at 11 a.m. and we sat there for 15 minutes and no one took even a drink order (we ended up leaving and going to Lucy's, which provided great, prompt service even though they had lots of people dining there as well). A guy who I guess was the manager just came by and told us to be patient. Personally, I think even if the server was slammed (there did appear to be only one waitress for everyone who showed up), the manager could've taken at least a drink order to the kitchen instead of just telling us to "Be patient." And like I said, I know lots of places have staffing issues now (Dec 2021) but if you're going to Ernst be warned you might end up waiting a LOOOONG time before anyone helps you. read more