Melba's has always been a personal favorite of ours since we visited NOLA and now that we live here. The red beans and rice are the best that we have had in the entire city, and the Mac n cheese will take you on a roller coaster of delight!! YUM!! get here and get your grub on NOLA! read more

This is another place you should never go to if you are in a hurry. They forget about your order due to the amount of orders they receive. I assume conversing with guest isn't their expertise because they seem to avoid interaction with customers. The food is okay but it isn't what you would expect being that your friends, co workers, etc... always brag on the food. I think if they had a better ordering system, things would flow better. read more

Not bad, has as lil bit of everything, and its open 24hrs, food already made on a hot line, or made to order. Some of the staff xan be a bit unprofessional, but otherwise a nice lil gem read more

I had the baked chicken, meat fell of the bone. And the cabbage and baked macaroni was also something I would order again. However the red beans and the stuff pepper was on the too salty side for someone who doesn't need/do much salt read more

It was our first time coming here because we are on vacation. We were pleasantly pleased by the service and the food. Everything was served hot and the customer service was excellent. Once we are back in town, we will be back #melbaspoboys #buzzybooth read more

Lawd have mercy, this California girl just walked into the pearly gates of soul food heaven. Chicken, shrimp, fish, crawfish, corn bread, jambalaya, you name it. AND to top it off they got daiquiris on the other side! The service was great, everyone was super friendly and helpful. This is just what I need after traveling all night. I will definitely be back before I go home. read more

The good: really big menu. I mean huge. They have just about any soul food you can think of and then some. They have really friendly staff and they're always helpful. The corn grits are awesome. The bad: the menu is too big. If you dont know what you want or haven't been there before you can almost get lost trying to figure out what you want. The huge menu also leads to another problem the food itself. Because the menu is so big it seems like a lot of the items are just ok most of the time depending on who's cooking. The gumbo is always over seasoned. Overall there ok at 3:00 in the morning with a hangover but not so much when you have options. read more

I am visiting from the west coast. My best friend says you must try Melbas. I am in love with the corn grits I never had em made like that you must try Melbas if you are a tourist it's a gem hidden away from the quarter. I wish there was one in California. read more

I was such a glutton at this place....from the 9th ward gumbo..to the ribs..the red beans and rice....the food was amazingly great! They seasoned everything very well....it was the right temperature...well cooked. SO good u must go! I called ahead of time and did a phone order and it was ready when I got there. Not to mention their daiquiris...omg you must try the Xtasy....it was just so good I will definitely be back...and great customer service ! read more

Good food, but takes them like an hour to make a sandwich (poboy). Worst attitude ever from the cashier when i asked how long it would take. I wouldnt come here again, too many good places to get better food in new orleans. read more

The atmosphere was great, the portions are really big and the food is delicious. I love how it's a multi purposed place to get your laundry and food in one stop. The gumbo, wings, corn grits and stuffed bell peppers are all worth trying. read more

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Openly refuses to require masks indoors on the laundromat side, in violation of law. Manager was confrontational. Incredible lack of consideration for its paying customers and the community. UPDATE: After a visit from the city and a citation, mask requirements and city regulation signage are posted on both entrances. As for the neighbor Who sent me a message on Yelp and who decided that my review was "racist" because I was running down a local hangout, too bad. That person should think long and hard about what communities are suffering the most from infection and death during the pandemic. I am. read more

So, my girlfriend and I recently stumbled upon this place. I cannot begin to tell you how glad we did. We live just down the road from here and it's perfect. The food is amazing, the daiquiris are great and what's even better is it's connected to a laundromat. So now we have decided that this is our new spot to do laundry. It's great for locals and people just visiting the city. Anyone would love Melba's read more

Waited for our food over 30 minutes, listened to one of the cashiers give other customers attitude about what the menu said and what it actually meant. Then had another "waitress" decide she was just gonna cancel our order because I was complaining!!!! Such bullshit! How about you make my meal and make it right! read more

this is a great place first off cause its open 24 hours. then there is the fact that there are so many choices to eat you might have a hard time choosing. the staff is courteous, and they look like they are having a good time, and the sense of community is why I give this five stars. they invest in each other. and it shows. local artists line the walls, and you can do your laundry. this is some old skool new orleans right here. I highly recommend this affordable home cooking joint to anyone visiting here, or any time your out partying all night and need to eat something.... AND you can get yaself a killer daquiri while doin it. cheers. read more

I have been going here for about a year and I've never had a bad meal. I love grabbing food and coffee while I wait for my clothes to be cleaned in the attached laundromat. I recommend... everything! And the staff are absolutely wonderful and the place is always clean! My only true gripes are that they don't have tap water available in the soda machines. You have to buy a bottle which really sucks as its hot and humid and their food is (delightfully) salty. I'm also kinda disturbed by the computers in front of the service bar. This is an area that doesn't have a lot of opportunity and I'd be really upset to hear if Melba's was replacing jobs for their very awesome staff members with soulless machines. Part of the joy of going to melbas is talking to the staff! read more

This a great place to eat the food is always good and hot the employees are always friendly.

Ok my husband and I absolutely love melbas. But we visited last night after the Boyou Classic, and the service was horrible, which in turn made the food horrible. It was very busy which we expected no biggie. But the cashier taking the orders young woman with bright red braids, wasn't using her listening skills at all. We ordered a fish poboy, 9th ward gumbo,cabbage & rice, French fries, and a few sausage. We get our order,no French fries no sausage. At that point the mistake was minor. We wait again for the missing items from the first order 25 minutes, I watched my wrist watch, to record time. Order comes up we get French fries no sausage. When I am craving something in particular from a particular restaurant and I order it and you have the product I expect to receive it. We just ended up leaving by that point my appetite was ruined. Something else I noticed is I see more than a few complaints about the same type of bad service I experienced, and the response from the restaurant is a generic response with no what can they do make your next experience better. Maybe they don't care about good customer service after all! read more

Mushy, overcooked crawfish and really really small. I should have asked for a taste before I bought 10 lbs! Also ordered a shrimp plate but when I got home it was fish. Too late to go back. Very disappointing. read more

Summary: do NOT eat here if you are a traveler looking for legitimately good New Orleans food. _______ I really wanted to like this place, truly. It had great reviews and seemed popular with the locals. It's got that casual charm to it, y'know. BUT the food wasn't even mediocre. It was worse. GUMBO: Greasy and filled with unidentifiable meat. I felt like i was drinking pork fat. The accompanying white rice was also sh*t. CORN GRITS: nausea-inducing, excessively creamy, and just overall unpleasant to the stomach. Looked like barf. RIBS: This was the only thing I ordered that tasted ok. At best, it was medicore. I liked it enough. HOT SAUSAGE PO-BOY: Oh, boy. Two of my friends ordered this, and both threw away at least half. Drowning in mayo, the Po-boy meat tasted cheap with the stale bread. I could have bought this at a sad elementary school cafeteria for three dollars, but no. ________ This was a completely underwhelming experience, but the people there were a show of their own. People-watching was incredibly entertaining despite the horrible food. read more

So the food is pretty good here but it's not the best ever and there are plenty of other places in the New Orleans area that serve better food, however those places aren't open 24 hours! The staff could definitely use a little training on customer service and how to speak to customers but the food is consistent and at 3 am, it's probably the best you can get! read more

I really love the place there food and service is amazing , their daquari are the bomb , I really love them you guys should try them , they seafood read more

The shrimp po boy (po girl according to Melba) was so delicious! I could've used more shrimp but then again I'm a greedy ass lol. The bread was the perfect mix of soft and crunchy and the space is extremely clean. There is a landry's connected to it and the rear seating area holds the daiquiri bar. The daiquiri prices are extremely affordable and I will definitely be back. My coworker had a salad that was delicious and the chicken wings were seasoned to perfection. Hit up this spot it's a jewel! read more

I find this place very impressive. I heard the owner on a podcast (midnight menu +1) some months back. Local guy who really loves the area, which is evident in the way he conducts business in a seedier part of Elysian Fields. Melba's takes great pride in its food and employees. The po-boys are terrific, and the signage describing the lives of the employees is heartening. I would make a point of trying this place out, as I believe that it could stand up to the more prominent po-boy establishments (eg domilisi's, parkway, etc). read more

Melba's is the best food we had in NOLA. We had a large group of 16 and they handled us with ease. The food was fabulous and the real New Orleans cuisine were looking for. It is just a four block walk from the end of the Rampart line. The price for five pounds of crawfish was $13. At the French Market, crawfish was $12 per pound! read more

Well I kissed and made up with Melba's and Scott Wolfe .... Another fine meal and I hope we have many more together !

I must make this known first ... I never had a shrimp Po-boy before. This was my first time in New Orleans and I know Po-boys is a kinda thing here in NOLA. I had the the fried shrimp with all the fixings. From the first bite I know I was in for something good, the bread, the lettuce, tomatoes, and the fried shrimp were all very good. I will say this going into the spot I was a little skeptical because the restaurant is adjacent and/or connected to a laundromat. But I'm like "hey I'm up for it" and boy was I right. They had other stuff like macaroni and cheese, and ribs. But I my focus was that Po-boy. The sandwich was pack full of shrimp and to the suggestion of the cashier I added ketchup which was a nice addition to the taste of it. The people working were fine, I kinda of love that laid back feeling some will call it "hometown" vibe to restaurants. This place definitely has that vibe to it. The overall experience was really kool, especially for it being my first time there. I'll also say this I enjoyed myself so much I came back the next day, I had the grilled shrimp that day. That was also packed full of shrimp. read more

while i waited for a taxi at MSY i was given a pamphlet of suggested nola attractions. my cab driver offered me his daughter for new year's because she was fighting with her fiancee, but instead of listening i flipped through the pamphlet and was gripped by a hi-res image of a fried shrimp on the page dedicated to 'melba's'. by coincidence melba's was a short distance from lindsey's, so we walked over after everyone else finally went home. i couldn't eat an entire 30 shrimp po-boy, so i got a bun instead and looked over the shoulder of a man playing video poker while it was dressed. lindsey's neighbor amira ordered spicy corn cobs and a large gumbo, and lindsey decided not to get anything bc she prefers boiled shrimp, and melba's only serves it fried. makes sense for a place that has a 24 hour laundromat attached to it. amira was aghast when i counted 30 shrimps on my bun saying, "i'm going to get the buns from now on." (she bought a po-boy a few days later and texted lindsey that she counted 30 shrimps on it.) i was drunk when i left the strange bar, and stumbled through the deteriorated streets before observing the landmark glow of melba's. unlike a fly, i was attracted to the light of its sign and walked straight inside instead of circling around it. after i ordered the chicken basket i was told, "you're going to have to wait for your chicken to be ready, sir." i bought sepia tone vial shot for a dollar at the counter, and looked over the shoulder of a man playing video poker with my eyes closed as i waited for my chicken to be fried. i burned my lips on the chicken as i hastily ate it on lindsey's porch, for the first time wishing there wasn't so much chicken for such an affordable price. amira appeared from next door, herself en route to melba's. she was titillated for the variety that awaited her, and though she claimed that she wanted to cook more, it was clear that once infected by the fare of melba's the pull could not be resisted. i could feel my metabolism slowing as i watched her walk towards that glow. i never saw her again. my last time at melba's was the day my fever surfaced. after walking all day on an empty stomach i reluctantly went to melba's for something "light." the woman at the counter loudly greeted me, saying "How are you today, sir?" i replied, "oh...ugh...i'm not quite ready to order yet." in a bold voice similar to a basic training private she replied, "I only asked you how you were doing today, sir." (why so invasively polite?) i didn't respond. i ordered a small gumbo and the woman behind the counter asked, "Would you like anything else to eat today, sir?" (why so invasive?) listen, i don't need to be reminded in front of a room full of people that i am eating at melba's yet again, ok?! a pint of gumbo is more than any human ever needs to consume, so why would i need to eat anything else today?! you can't POSSibly prove that i'm ACTually going to eat this slop anyWAY and you shouldn't ASSume that i am SIMply going to roll over to yOUR passive aggressive demands and eat this slop gleefully, without deep, personal, regretful reflection!! I AM NOT YOUR PAWN ..! i have to cook more, this place is too convenient. read more

Great place to do laundry late at night clean and quiet and play great music and it's safe good food here to

Food is fairly decent, and 24 hours is a huge plus. Last time we were there they lost our order, but made up for it by giving us huge portions and a discount along with many apologies. Not the worst if you're hungry at 2am. Still better than the McDonald's up the street. read more

Nothing else like this place! You can order a delicious meal, have a few drinks, wash your clothes while dinning, and enjoy its sports bar like section for socializing. All of the flamboyant decor that embodies Nawlins culture; boy this place is a winner. The staff is delightful, with Piara being a drooling specimen of eye candy and Melba's own John Cena look alike that was serving my wife her drink. Gosh! He made me want to hit the gym. But the food had to have been marinated in MSG, LUV, or RESPECT. Because it was freaking beautiful. And along with the unbelievable prices. I'd be a victim of obesity and alcoholism within a week. This spot is a must when I return to NOLA; bar none. read more

The reason I'm helping is cause this place is so over $ to do ur wash. $2.39 a load. Crazy. Will not be back. The reason for the 5 Star is cause the place is very clean and the staff r great. read more

Today I came here around 11 am for the first time. The light skinned lady at the register was so nice and welcoming I forgot her name .she asked my son was he making A in school he told her yes mam she told him keep up the work and he can get a free poboy when he bring his report card .I really love this it pushes kids to work even harder kids like to eat.then she offers good food sugestings about the food menu.I love this place I also got a chance to meet Mrs bertha who had the book signing read a few pages so for very interesting .the staff was friendly and welcoming the guy was walking around lord I wish I new names .but let me say the food was off the charts .I had the fish plate with mac n cheese my son had red beans which taste better than Popeyes I thought ill never taste nothing not even close to that. Flavorful and he had chicken wings .boyfriend had shrimp poboy he said .only in new orleans you gone find food this good I said I'm not from here but he is I've gained at least 10 pounds since I been here in 5 months .messing with Mrs melba I'm going to have to go on a diet lol love all of you that works here and keep putting smiles on people face great job read more

Worst food I ever had. Fried fish was bland no taste at all. Red beans was like paste, Mac roni made me want to vomit.

Food was good. Minus the fight that almost broke out because our order got confused; but the cashier was super cool. Expected them to comp our meals but nope. Food wasn't that great but good. read more

Hot Sausage!! Food and atmosphere cannot be beat. Best food in the area.

We don't have food like this in Seattle so when we decided to give Melba's a try we fell in love instantly. So much so that we indulged ourselves at least 3 more times during our trip. Daily specials. Daiquiris (XTC flavor FTW). Cheesy corn grits. Red beans with sausage. Mac N' Cheese. Ribs. Free wings when the Saints win (made the Seahawks loss feel less painful). I could go on and on but I'm starting to slobber on my desk. Pure heaven. Service could be better but I suppose it's part of the experience. Sigh..... Back to the land of tofu and quinoa. read more

In-house daiquiri was cheap, convenient, and delicious. My overstuffed shrimp po boy on the other hand was not so great. While there were a lot of shrimp, they were overcooked and chewy. The bread was also chewy, so the texture left a lot t be desired overall. I'll stick with Gene's for my late night sandwich cravings. read more

I love the food and the people there, not to mention it's open 24 hours a day. The food is alway hot and they pretty much have the best selection for soul food with the New Orleans traditional flavor. read more

Who would have thought a little restaurant connected to a laundry mat would have such good food. We ordered ribs, fried shrimp and fish and grilled shrimp and grits. Lots of food and it was all good! Definitely recommend the shrimp and grits and don't forget your buttermilk drop! read more