BEST ITALIAN FOOD. PERIOD. FIVE STARS NEXT LEVEL If you haven't been to Gendusa's Italian Market & Restaurant, you are missing out! Everything we ordered was absolutely incredible: 5 Stars - Crab Dip 5 Stars - Stuffed Artichoke 5 Stars - Artichoke Spinach Dip 5 Stars- Spaghetti & Meatballs - These meatballs are HUGE (1 lb each!) and taste just like Nonna's homemade Sicilian meatballs. Ted never orders meatballs at restaurants, but these were AMAZING. 5 Stars - Shrimp & Crab Ravioli - Next level delicious. 5 Stars - Chicken Parmesan - Perfect with angel hair pasta and homemade red sauce. 5 Stars - Lasagna - Rich, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. And the cannolis... WOW. Fresh, homemade, and the BEST we've ever had. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and on point all night. Service was top notch from start to finish. The atmosphere has a cool speakeasy vibe, and they even have a beautiful upstairs space for weddings, parties, and events. 5 We've eaten a lot of the menu here and have NEVER had a bad meal. GENDUSA'S is our GO-TO for the best Italian food around! If you love Italian food... GO. You'll thank me later. read more

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New location has a fly infestation! First time visiting the new location yesterday. We had a large party and were sat in the back room which happened to be infested with flies topped off with flouresent lighting and no music. The flies were so bad that the container of red peper flakes had about 50 flies swarming inside to point where my 2yr old pointed it out and said "Ewwww bugs!!" We told the waiter of the problem and he said they knew about it and spray once a week but essentially it is what it is. No visit from the manager or anything to make the situation right. I was probably one of the only people who truly enjoyed my meal. Everyone else mentioned the food quality or taste not being the same... or they had flies in their food. The new bathrooms only have 1 stall which is quite a downgrade from the last location. Our server was very nice overall though. Wont be back. read more

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Good food and good service. Nice menu with lots of options. Dining on the patio on this night was very loud. I had the Italian Sausage with peppers and onions in red gravy served over angle hair pasta. I thought it was excellent. Dinner also includes a salad and I had the Italian salad. This place is popular, and they offer different specials every night of the week. read more

Gendusa's Italian Market - Italian Sausage Pasta - Italian Near Me - Kenner, Louisiana

We finally made it here. The dining room feels very homey. The frozen margaritas were quite good. The food portions are huge and the service was impeccable. We had the meatballs and spaghetti, the redfish with cream sauce, the steak, the fettuccine Alfredo with paneed chicken and the chicken parmesan. The Alfredo and parmesan sauce were very thick and not as delicious as the red gravy that came with the meatballs. read more

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Great food and service. This is old school Italian at its best! The pizzas are some of the best I've ever had. Sit at the bar and enjoy a cold one with the bartender. Very friendly place. Can't wait to go back soon! read more

Great service!! Fast! Was a little tight but it was a great atmosphere. The food was delicious!!! Definitely going back

Iv been to Gendusa's new location a few times now. Very nice same great food. Always great service Nice atmosphere . Steak night and Sunday breakfast are my favorite. But he definitely has the best pizza in town. read more

An authentic Italian restaurant tucked away in the heart of Kenner! Gendusa's provides a variety of Italian dishes from pizzas to gelato. Our server Shane was excellent! He was very helpful and friendly to our party. The restaurant does not have much seating, so I'd recommend making a reservation. The prices were fair as well. I got the Veal and it was pretty good! Everyone enjoyed their meals besides the two pizzas. The Sicilian has an interesting taste, not in the best way. Our waiter said people either love it or hate it. The John Gotti was ok, just greasy. The ambiance was nice, it's more of a nicer casual spot. Very family friendly! read more

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Great Italian food but not so great pizza. Gendusa's is pretty solidly dependable (very) local Italian restaurant in downtown Kenner. It's right on Williams in Rivertown, so there's plenty of parking. It's a popular place, so expect to wait 15-30 minutes most nights. Inside it's a gaudy mess that takes its theming from mafia movies. Hokey and tacky but you're not there for the interior design, so it's fine. It's very family friendly but sometimes too much so in that there are often kids running around playing next to your table, doing splits on the floor, or just banging on stuff and acting up, and since there don't seem to be managers around ever, no one tells the bad kids' bad parents to act right or leave. Food wise it's typical southern Italian food. Good flavor and well cooked. Portions are decent and not out of line with the pricing. A better value than most Italian restaurants for sure. Where Gendusa's repeatedly falls flat though is with their pizza. They try. You can tell they do because they're using high quality ingredients and they don't skimp on toppings. The crust could be better but it's not bad. The sauce has a good flavor but they barely put any of it on the pizza. Even if you ask for heavy sauce the only place you can see any of it is right near the perimeter. Without enough sauce and with a not so flavorful crust, the taste of the pizza is pretty much just that of the toppings. The toppings, though, is where their pizzas really fail. As mentioned above, they do use high quality toppings and they give you lots of them. But, the toppings are never cooked right! They're either all basically raw / uncooked, or if you're lucky, the toppings at the very top will be nicely cooked on the very top surface, but nothing below that very top surface bit of oven exposure is ever done. In fact, every time I've gotten a pizza there, most every topping has been still room temperature even when the rest of the pizza is too hot to eat. Gendusa's clearly know how to cook, but they don't seem to know how to cook pizza. They know how to make a pizza. They just don't know to cook that pizza. My guess is they need to cook their pizzas at a lower temperature for a much longer time...long enough so that every single topping at every level gets fully cooked all the way through...and only then maybe move the pizza over to higher heat to give the crust and such a good finish. Check out the photos below. You can see how the sausage on the very top got nice and done as did the edges of the ham, but the pepperoni and such below is cool to the touch and entirely uncooked. If Gendusa's can fix this, they'll have some solid pizza to go with their great Italian food. I hope they troubleshoot and make improvements. read more

Gendusa's Italian Market - Pizza that could be good if cooked all the way through. - Italian Near Me - Kenner, Louisiana

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To start, make reservations, which you can only call to make. The new location is very nice, it's bigger than the old one but more modern. Nothing has been lost in the food however it is still as delicious as always, full of flavor and a lot of it. Try the Muff Bread as an appetizer, you won't be disappointed. read more

This small restaurant had amazing service and recently moved to this location. The lasagne was sooooo good. The service was amazing and the food portions were huge. Highly recommend this place for homemade Italian food. read more

A Cuban Sandwich at an Italian restaurant? I found myself in Kenner recently for work. During the lunch break a local told me that Gendusa's special on Tuesday was a Cuban Sandwich and that it was excellent. Being a huge fan of Cuban Sandwiches, I decided that was where I would go. I was skeptical but he was right. Holy hell man! This sandwich is massive and delicious. Picture a traditional Cuban but double the meat and you will have a fairly accurate representation of the sandwich. I cannot comment on their Italian fare but I can say the place was packed with people who were all smiles. If you are looking for a good Cuban, get here on a Tuesday. read more

I've been here a few times and it's always amazing. The food is large portions and super reasonably priced. The ambience is cozy and old school which goes with the Italian vibe. And the service is always top notch. We got the meatball appetizer which the taste was decent (5/10), but you get two large meatballs for $8.50. Can't beat that. Then we got the Italian Sausage ($18) and Chicken Parm as Entrees. Both were absolutely delicious and we each took half of it home as leftovers. Highly recommend coming here. My favorite spot in Rivertown. read more

Good drinks, good food, and the meatballs were the size of a softball! Definitely should check them out.

The food is the same, very good. But the ambiance is nothing special. The restaurant in Rivertown had a great feel to it. This place in the old Messina's is very generic. Nothing sets it apart from any other restaurant. Very disappointed. read more

We went last night and the food was ok. A couple of my family got the chicken parmesan and the chicken was overcooked.

We went the other night and was sat very quickly ..The service was horrible... out of sight 3 things we wanted , didn't know till we ordered them .. ordered a second round of drinks and after 21mins of waiting still didn't receive them .. mind you the bartender and server we just talking away... I got up and told her to cancel my order and bring my check and a to go box ... not rude at all .. but the server never apologized once ... Not to mention it was so hot in there and the gnats and flys are horrible.. I'm so sad to see where the his has gone.. read more

Coworkers and I enjoyed a very good lunch today. It was my first time to eat here. The service from Santiago was excellent. The cup of tomato soup was tasty with the eggplant stick appetizer. My meatball sub was huge. I didn't eat the bread and even then couldn't get all the meatball down. You should not leave hungry. read more

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Had a gift card that we purchased before Christmas because we enjoyed our meal tremendously! Tonight, not so much. I ordered the filet special with crabmeat pasta and my husband got the veal Parmesan with the red sauce on the side. The entrée came with soup or salad so we ended up with one of each. The tomato basil soup was very good and the Italian salad was nothing special. When the filet came out it looked like it had been cooked in a microwave. Absolutely no color to it at all. The temperature was fine but it really didn't look appetizing. The crabmeat pasta was so so. The crabmeat had very little flavor at all. The most flavorful item on my plate was the spinach under the steak. My husband's veal came out covered in red sauce. Had to send it back and by the time it came out, I was finished eating. As for atmosphere, we were seated outside on the patio which was actually cooler than inside. However, the patio railing and visqueen were covered in mold and mildew. Not a very appealing site. The service was very slow as well. Waited quite a while to get drink refills. I doubt that we will be back. read more

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We were starving and crunched for time to pickup our daughter from airport. We shared the 2 Meatballs & Spaghetti - they were super quick, and it was super delicious! read more

Ordered the Steve Centanni calzones for dinner take-out and it was smothered in ricotta cheese. Not sure why because it's not listed as an ingredient on the menu nor is ricotta cheese seen anywhere on the menu. Huge disappointment compared to the last time we ate here. read more

Very disappointed. After 20 minutes of no server, we flagged someone down. Not a good start . House salad was limp as it had been sitting in dressing. Veal cutlets were overcooked, tough and dry. Would like to give another chance since previous visits at original location had better food. read more

Why anyone would come here is BEYOND me. After everything we experienced, we spoke with a manager who did comp our meal, however, none of it should have happened in the first place... My family & I came here over the holidays...we were told the wait would be 45-minutes to an hour...we waited over an hour and a half & that was after my husband went to check with the hostess, so it was clear we were forgotten. The room we were seated in was like an actual ice box. We ordered our food & didn't receive our appetizers until 45-minutes later. My salad was half brown - yum. We received our entrees over an hour & 15-minutes after ordering. When we finally got our food: My daughter's pasta Alfredo was inedible. My other daughter's pizza was cold. My brother's chicken was undercooked. My shrimp were supposed to be grilled - they were fried. My nephew's food NEVER CAME. Y'all. No, just no. read more

After Chas and Val had been to Gendusa's quite a few times, they told me it was imperative I tried it out. Typically that means I'm in for a treat. Gendusa's is a classic Italian spot in Kenner serving large, and I mean large, portions. I ordered a meatball upon Chas' suggestion (yes you only need one) and I also ordered one of the specials of the night which was the "Daube". Started out with an old fashioned as I typically do anywhere with a decent quality bar. Solid drink, not the best in the area but solid. With my entrée came a house salad and that was delicious. It was more like a mini antipasto than a house salad and I enjoyed that a lot. From there we got into this giant meatball. This wasn't something that people order simply because it's large. The flavor of the meatball itself was quite good. I do personally believe the sauce could have been seasoned up a bit more, but that's a personal preference. The Daube was a slow cooked and shredded beef dish over pasta. The sauce to the daube was interesting, like a mix of the red sauce from the meatball with a red wine reduction of some sort. I could have just been tasting the wine that the daube was stewed in, but it was definitely a different taste than the other red sauce. Another huge portion, and the dish had good flavor. Nothing here blew me away as far as flavor goes, but I was also not expecting Italian food in New Orleans to be this good (I'm from an Italian family and from Brooklyn) so it was a nice surprise. Gendusa's in Kenner, LA - Didn't Suck! For the video from this location as well as hundreds more spots that I have eaten and reviewed, please check my social media pages here - https://linktr.ee/Didnt_Suck read more

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This is a fabulous authentic Italian restaurant hidden away by the river. We were randomly in this area, dropped in and positively loved this place. Walking in it felt like we have arrived at a restaurant in Italy. Parking was easy to find, and were quickly seated on arrival. We died inside, although they had a few tables on a side porch. I think every day they have specials and we enjoyed and absolutely wonderful chicken Parmesan, along with a seafood pasta. Both of these were absolutely delightful and when we left, we were able to buy some gelatino to take home Yum. read more

I am not sure what was going on in the back house tonight. This was my 2nd experience at Gendusa's. The 1st was dine in and it was okay. I order eggplant, calamari and Sicilian Pizza to go. My ride home is only 7 minutes. after having to wait and extra 20 minutes for my pizza it should not have been cold with only a 7 minute drive. I was assured by the order taker that my fries food would come out fresh with the pizza. She lied because when i arrived she told me they were just waiting for the Pizza. When i questioned the fried food she said it was coming out with the pizza. Well when the pizza came out, she reached behind her for the 2 fried food container. I will definitely not order take out again. read more

2 words: not good. More words: trouble started when hostess dramatically underestimated the wait time--she said 45 min it was close to double that. Food was mediocre. We got the Muff Bread appetizer and it came out cold. Tasted okay. I got the sausage pasta, which was supposed to be like a cacciatore but the red gravy had less flavor than Campbell's tomato soup. Wife got eggplant parm and just ate the eggplant as the pasta was gross. Son got shrimp parm but they just dumped some shrimp on pasta then cover with apparently Alfredo sauce, he didn't finish. Other son got a pepperoni pizza that was ok but the crust had zero flavor. Salads had either too little dressing or not enough. Service was bad, too. Waitress ignored our party of 4 to focus on the table of 8 next door. That was when we saw her, which was pretty rarely. Typically we waited 20+ minutes when we needed refills, 30+ to receive every order. But when the check came, she was all over us, buzzing back by seconds after she dropped it off and bringing it back seconds after that for signature. The 8% tip she got was because it was Christmas and I felt generous. We won't be going back. read more

This is a really great Italian joint in Rivertown that offers a lot of bang for your buck. There was another Italian restaurant right next door to this one several years ago that wasn't such a hit so if you are recalling hearing about less than good Italian in Rivertown it will be that now closed establishment and not this great spot. The space is pleasing with classic Italian themed music and attentive service. The huge meatballs here with their very affordable and amazing "Meatball Gendusa" appetizer being one of the stars of the show will certainly please the largest of appetites. The po boys are very nice here and priced at a great value. The pizza is done very well and they have really nice roasted garlic as one of their toppings that will cure what craving you might need in the hunger and flavor department along with a more than fair price. Overall this is fantastic food at a fantastic price in a nice restaurant in the cool area of Rivertown. My Gendusa's Italian Market video review is here: https://youtu.be/GtYuyOxm_YE read more

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Every dish was smothered in cheese. Usually, this is a good thing, but it was overkill, to the point where it masked the taste of the food. The large meatball appetizer was lacking in taste and finesse. The pizza was difficult to eat due to the cheese factor and zero sauce. The outside leading up the walkway and into the main desk of the restaurant smelt like open sewage. There appeared to be some issues with the pipes outside, but this is not a good environment to walk through before dining. At the end of our meal, the waiter did not bus our table and left us sitting among all of our dishes while we thought about if we wanted dessert (we didn't). It was too long of a time with too many interactions for him not to leave the table with something or have a busser come by. read more

Enjoyed this at this place. The restaurant is ruined down. However, it's busy with regulars. If you're planning to eat at 7 pm. Leave at 6 pm. Or, leave an hour early. The food, I had sausage and peppers. It was delicious. My salad and entree was spectacular. I recommend this place. But go early. read more

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We held a birthday party for our 4 year old on the patio today following our visit to the planetarium. The staff could not have been nicer!!! They were so accommodating and attentive. Truly appreciate them. The pizza was wonderful! Something about the sauce is . We were not frequent visitors before, but we sure will be now! read more

I hadn't been here for 12 years, and a co-worker was speaking about it, so I decided I had to go. The girlfriend and I went early to beat the food rush. We sat outside in an enclosed, air conditioned patio seating area. We were seated almost immediately. The server, shane, was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the menu. He recommended the weekend special, the fried redfish filet. It was very excellent: a large redfish fillet, perfectly breaded and fried, served over perfect angel hair pasta, topped with a delectable cream sauce. As I was jonesing for some lasagna, I resisted this weekend special dish and ordered the eggplant lasagna. It was very good, several stacks of eggplant and cheese, swimming in a bowl of delectable red sauce. Even though my eggplant was one of the best I've had, I was still having food at me from my girlfriend's redfish dish. I will certainly not wait 12 more years to return to this wonderful little restaurant, as I've added it to my restaurant rotation. read more

Ordered through door dash and paid only to show up and they not be open. Still charged card.

Delicious food! Specials of the day! Red Fish and stuffed cannoli. Service was good ( very busy too) Carla did an amazing job with our service and specialty drinks! We enjoyed our meal thoroughly. read more

Eggplant sticks and muff bread were good. Meatball poboy, veal Oscar, and shrimp/crabmeat Alfredo? Not appetizing at all. Service was great, but won't be returning. read more

Ate here yesterday for the second time. I ordered the meatballs and spaghetti this time. The salad is still chopped so small that it would be easier to eat it with a spoon. The Caesar dressing is way too garlicky for my taste. I know angel hair is quick to cook, so many restaurants use it. But pasta should be al dente. Mine was overcooked, almost mush. The meatballs are huge. It seems like they are made mainly of sausage, which I don't like. The meat is firm, almost rubbery, like sausage. They are baked and not cooked in the gravy at all. They do spoon gravy atop the meatballs, but it's not much. I never heard of meatballs not actually being cooked IN the gravy. My mom's parents were both first generation Italian immigrants to the US. My grandmother would be appalled at this meal. Her meatballs were soft and tender and full of fresh seasoning, not just relying on the taste from sausage. I kind of think I'm done with Gendusa's! read more

With a name like Gendusa's how could you go wrong!? I give this little Italian restaurant an A for atmosphere. It was nice and quaint , but that's where it all ends. The waitress was lovely and the service was good, but my God, the food has no flavor. The Italian salad's only taste came from the black olives. The dressing was tasteless! To me, any Italian restaurant is judged by the taste and quality of its red sauce or gravy if you're from New Orleans. I never had brownish red gravy before and its only flavor was one overpowering spice like oregano. I couldn't figure it out. We split the chicken Parmesan and the chicken was good, but in addition to the sauce the pasta was mushy. Why can't Italian restaurants serve al dente pasta? I can chew! I expected a lot out of this place! But without a decent red sauce, you don't have a good restaurant. It wasn't even mediocre. It was just B-A-D! read more

This was my 1st time here. We had spinach and artichoke dip and stuffed artichoke for apps. I got the spaghetti and meatballs as my dinner and the drink special of the night which was a strawberry lemon drop martini. Everything was amazing. Service was great. Atmosphere was great. Food and drinks were excellent. I will be back soon! read more

Gendusa's Italian Market - Italian Near Me - Kenner, Louisiana

Very good pizzas and great pastas . Steak is very good also.People are usually very nice .Really nice to sit out front when weather is good.

After going the last time I figured it was the sewer smell while dining that turned me and my family off. My husband and I went today hoping we would have the great food and service we had in the past. Not even close. Today if the food was even close to good for the price I would have thought it was just bad luck last time. I hate to say this but...this place has gon down hill. A bit of history with this place and my family; my best friend had her rehearsal bridal party diner here. If was unspeakably phenomenal! My family supported this "mom and pop," because it was "mom n pop." But it has unfortunately taken a dove. Never has the sauce been so bland! Never has the meatballs been so mushy and bland. They taste frozen. Which I can appreciate in this day and age of short staff, but c'mon...the sauce lacking is a whole new level. Have the family who benefits from it bring it back to what it was stugots! read more