Mother's is top of my list whenever I visit New Orleans. I love that's it's consistent and authentic, with no frills, bells or whistles-just plain good food! I do recommend to pack your patience if you're going (especially during peak) because the line can be brutal. Also, the staff can be a little blunt but it's literally because they are busting their butt their whole shift and let's face it-people don't typically follow instructions well! That said, once you get your food, it's always worth it. My go to is the shrimp creole omelette and a ham and cheese biscuit (for the road)! read more

Mother's Restaurant - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

First night I got in I went to Mothers. Someone online had told me about it. I immediately wanted to get started on eating some traditional southern dishes. I ordered the gumbo and greens. Soooooo good! No complaints. I went back another day because I figured if dinner is that good breakfast must be as well. There was one thing on my plate I just couldn't eat. The look of it was so unappealing and unappetizing I took two bites and couldn't eat anymore. The breakfast sausage. I have lived down south and ordered breakfast sausage but have never seen anything like this. The service was good here as well. I was greeted both times at the door by super polite people who were very welcoming. I also loved the decor. All the pictures of past customers and military members gave it that mother's place feel. Like they love the community just as much as the community loves them. Very nice to see and feel in days where cold chain food places have taken over. read more

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Ain't no way this is the "world's best ham"! Can't be! I ordered fried ham to go, but was given baked ham. I ordered the ham plate with 3 sides; cabbage, red beans and rice, and turnip greens. Let's start with the ham, it was in fact not fried, but baked. They were out of the "black"/blackened? Ham, so that was a bummer. The guy at the register explained what the fried vs baked ham was, which I knew what baked ham was, fried ham I wasn't sure. It is a thick piece of ham ( like ham steak) and pan fried from the description provided. This is totally my fault for thinking they were serving "fried ham" prior to my arrival. It is basically the thick country ham you get at C. Barrel from the way it was described. So I figured I'd order it anyway, but I guess the ham gods had other plans for me and baked ham it was for me. The baked ham is just that...ham. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing amazing or world's best about this ham. My ham and my mom's ham we bake at Thanksgiving is better than this. It tastes like ham....thats it. Just ham! The sides were bland. Red beans and rice, no flavor, greens were ok, but nothing to give this review an extra star, the cabbage was tasteless. Louisiana hot sauce made an appearance for the sides and still was a let down. As I was eating I was wondering if I had the "C" word cause how in the Hades are ALL the sides bland, lacking a pinch of salt, pepper, onion powder or something?! They did put ham in the sides . Yall, I also ordered sausage, a brownie, crawfish etoufee and a biscuit. The brownie I ate a piece in the car and figured the rest of the meal would be top notch. Sadly I was tricked! I stopped to get ice for my lovely dinner, placed it gently in the cooler over ice and drove 7 hours back home, just knowing I had picked an amazing dinner to end my trip to New Orleans. The brownie is delicious, so that will up the star rating, the sausage has a nice snap, so another star. The biscuit is huge, a bit dry, but at this point my expectations are pretty low. Crawfish etoufee I put in the fridge and will try it later. Once again, no high hopes for that either. And no I don't think the food would have been better had I eaten there. The same bland sides and basic ham is what was being served in the restaurant. Ambience...none. It is in an old warehouse style building and it is set up cafeteria style. You order and pay at the register, your food is packed up and handed to you once they are done( on to go orders). I don't know how this place received such great reviews and THEY ARE SELLING ITEMS ON GOLD "STOMACH"! Some of you will catch that at the end of the day, if not just goggle Mother's delivery nationwide. If I am in New Orleans again I will stop by for a brownie and THAT'S IT! If you haven't tried this place out, go for yourself and you may just fall in love with the place. Give them a try if in the area.... read more

Mother's was only a short walk from my hotel, which was perfect in the New Orleans heat. I had heard great things from the locals, and it definitely lived up to the hype. I ordered the Mother's Breakfast $17 with grits, scrambled eggs, sausage, and a biscuit. The sausage was flavorful, the biscuit was fresh and buttery, and the portions were huge--I was completely stuffed by the end! Service was friendly, and I liked the simple order-at-the-counter, then find-a-seat setup. If I'm back in New Orleans, I'll definitely be stopping by again. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Mother's Breakfast - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Glad I stopped by Mother's restaurant, they have a great ambiance inside as you're greeted by their friendly staff and directed to where you can place an order. I ordered the shrimp and oyster po boy, which I thoroughly enjoyed; the shrimp and oysters were fresh and nicely fried, and they went well with the mayo and cabbage in the roll. Only negative is they took a while to get my order and that was only after I reminded the staff. read more

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My friend wanted to stop here for gumbo, I haven't been here in many years but I do remember that they had a good etouffee omelette. He insisted on gumbo. The people here are great, it's a very old restaurant with a lot of pictures and nostalgic memories. You place your order and find a seat, they bring the food to you. The gumbo was not the best, I would recommend trying other items on the menu. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I took a six day trip to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. On my first day, I stayed in New Orleans. I was staying in the Central Business District, and one of the hotel employees suggested that we walk down the street to Mother's. Best advice we could have gotten! Atmosphere was relaxed, busy, easy, friendly. Order at the cash register and pay. Food is brought to your table. Out of my entire week of traveling, Mother's won for best Po Boy. I had a fried oyster and shrimp Po Boy and it was perfect. Perfectly fried, perfectly seasoned, perfectly delicious. I am now forever spoiled by Mother's for all future Po Boys. Service was very friendly and extremely genuine. The woman seated by the door who gave us a little bit of an intro as we walked in said "God bless you," as we walked out. Her energy, and Mother's energy, was heartfelt and real. Fried oyster and shrimp Po Boy at Mother's. God bless. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Fried shrimp and oyster po' boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I went bright and early in the morning to grab a quick breakfast before heading over to a convention. There was a bit of line, but when they let us in at 7AM, there was just enough space inside to accommodate everyone. I found out there that the early bird special isn't offered on the weekends, but I ordered an egg biscuit and a cup of coffee at the counter. After sitting for a bit with the receipt on my table, a server came by to collect the receipt and bring me my plate. The biscuit was huge and served with a square of butter and some blueberry jelly. I ordered my egg scrambled, and while it wasn't the creamiest French scramble, the helping of eggs was generous and not too overcooked. The biscuit wasn't as fluffy or buttery as I thought it would be, but it was still hearty and a good vehicle for the butter and jelly. It wasn't super dry, but the coffee was good to add a little flavor and moisture to the whole thing. For an institution described as "a tourist trap" I felt this was a much better no-frills option compared to some fancy restaurants and boring fast food options around the area, especially for breakfast. The staff were really welcoming and I could see why there was no shortage of customers even in the early hours. read more

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Hole in the wall type of restaurant. Great vibes. Definitely worth trying for good local food. Service is good. Quick. People are friendly. Food is good. Tastes like home cooking. The crawfish etouffee is good. I think crawfish had a more seafood taste than shrimp and you can taste that in this dish. You get to choose your own sides. read more

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We come here every time we're in NOLA. The service could be better. Came in around 4pm on a Friday, it wasn't busy. The girls that work the register were sitting on the floor on their phones as we waited to place our order. They had 5 people behind the counter but only one person was making the plates. the jambalaya was sooooo salty. Like, unbearably salty. The crawfish etoufee was the best in the combination plate. The bread pudding was alright or Maybe I'm not a bread pudding person read more

Mother's Restaurant - Jerrys Jambalaya, Potato Salad and Turnip Greens Crawfish Crawfish Etouffee, green beans and tomato's, and Red Beans & Rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Lots of recommendations from tour guides and hotels! So went to try. Food was ok! Scrambled eggs were smooth. Ham was tasty. Fruit was sweet. The grits were mushy! Service was ok. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Paid cash to save vs paid by cards! Sales tax there was 10.25% - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Great, lively atmosphere and definitely a no-frills kind of spot, which honestly is how you know the food is going to be good. You usually stand in line to place your order first, then grab your food and find a table yourself. If you plan to dine in, just note there's a small difference in pricing since takeout has additional packaging fees, and paying cash is slightly cheaper than card. Something I noticed around NOLA is that many establishments add a credit card fee, and Mother's is no exception. I ordered the jambalaya and gumbo, and they did not disappoint. Both dishes were incredibly flavorful, comforting, and exactly what you hope for when coming to a classic New Orleans institution. Sadly, I didn't get to try one of their po' boys this time, which seems like a must for next visit. Still, Mother's is one of those places where the look and feel alone tells you you've made a solid choice. No gimmicks, just really good, dependable food in a bustling local setting. read more

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Lunch for one. Looked out my hotel window and saw it, Mother's, and decided to try it!! I did not like the gumbo at all. I am not from New Orleans, but my gumbo tastes better. The young lady at the register was very kind and helpful. I was the only one in line, and once I placed my order, I turned around to find the line out the door, so maybe I ordered the wrong thing. A laid-back, very casual spot. read more

Mother's Restaurant - mother's restaurant - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The portions are good and it's a great place to get a variety of local cuisine. Hubby had the half-and-half seafood +2 sides, which were included in the price. His food was pretty good. They make their own tartar sauce and cocktail sauce from scratch which were tasty and a nice addition. I had the Ferdi Po' Boy special and a side of turnip greens. It was just OK. I found that the debris on it was kind of dry and I could've done without it. The turnip greens were tasty but a little on the salty side. I was a little disappointed with the Ferdi and wish I had gotten something else. Service was friendly and the ambiance is an unpretentious very laid-back place. It can use some dusting and cleaning though, it's obvious that the pictures hung on the wall have been there for many many years and they looked kind of grease-laden and filmy. I really would give this place a 3.5 but rounded up to a 4 because although I didn't care for my food that much, hubby really liked his. read more

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Woooweee! This NOLA staple does not disappoint. Authentic southern food. Even better folks! read more

Mother's Restaurant - Shrimp and Grits with Shrimp Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I gotta give it up for Mother's! Recombined by a dear friend in Chicago and several locals here in Nola. This place is no joke. Old school Nola spot with the looks and authentic you can only find in Nola. Fortunately I came in the week after Marti gras and it was busy but not insane as I am sure it was during the big party. The host is an older man who I would believe is familiar and well and a women whom I believe is as well. They have a cash price discount which is cool as I use cards but generally cash all cash. When I paid the cashier refund me a few bucks for using cash. He didn't have to tell me but he did. this is huge. Yep, I'm that fell that has my spending cash wrapped upon rubber bands. Old habits die hard. First you order off the paper menu at the counter from a lot of incredible items an exactly what I came for. They have ice water glasses ready for you at the counter to help yourself too. I had a hard time even deciding it all looked sooo good. After much hemming and hawing ... ...I went with the Crawfish Étouffee Omelet and a side order of grits with cheese. Off the hook was his dish. Plump with crawfish and beautiful cheesy grits it was savory and cheesy and simply true Nola breakfast. I topped it off with some of Mother's HOMEMADE hot sauce which is on every table. YES they sell it by the bottle and I took two! The best. I finished off with a regular size bowl of Seafood Gumbo. A dark rue with rise and chock full of of oysters and shrimp and crawfish. I topped it with the same homemade hot sauce you cannot miss out on. The decor is, well, Nola style. Old building, original art, cool creative decor and big tables to accommodate any size party. The service is great! They are attentive and straightforward and BUSY!. You hand the server your receipt when ou sit at a table and they find you. I mean I'm going bak in the morning for more you can bet that. You gotta try this place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Mother's SCREAMS Nola!! read more

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What we ordered: The mother's breakfast with sausage and biscuit Egg and meat biscuit with smoke sausage and cheese Jambalaya and gumbo Debris grits with a side of biscuits Holy. Cow. The flavors hit every single bite in every single dish. These plates were absolutely amazing and tasted incredible. This is a local's spot for soul food that was recommended to us by our Uber driver. Prices are fantastic, the atmosphere reminds me of a classier Waffle House, and as I've already said- the food incredible! Highly recommend! The staff was very friendly too. Know to order before picking a seat. read more

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Mother's was on my bucket list for a long time so had to make a stop on our last day in Nola. Very crowded as expected but the line moves quickly. First rate biscuit but honestly, not as good as Popeyes. But the reason i came was for the Poboy. I had the Ralph's, which has ham and roast beef. It was spectacular! I will return! read more

Mother's Restaurant - Ralph's Poboy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Etouffee Crawfish, with Cheesy Grits. Mothers Breakfast. Biscuits are amazing, ham is the best. Bloody Mary's on point. I recommend, great staff and service. Excellent food. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Biscuit - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Oh my goodness this space is fun! I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetable omelette and the homemade biscuit with the raspberry jam. We had just arrived and we were very hungry and needed a quick place to eat. This place is very popular as it was very busy. Glad that we stopped by. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Vegetable omelette - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The food was ok, but we definitely enjoyed the biscuits. The service is cafeteria style. The ambiance could be a little loud because they seem to be always busy. No reservations, just walked in. We definitely waited in a very long line. I tried the shrimp po boy, the shrimp was good. I probably could've just enjoyed the friend shrimp by itself. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Gulf Shrimp Po' Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Second stop in. It's been about three months to be here again. WORTH every mile from Muskogee, OK. Take a gamble and eat in. If I could, I'd eat everything on the menu.. The family and I like to meet with friends for breakfast here. If you're a breakfast big eating family, eat big here. We're also in for the Mardi Gras parades, hope you all get to experience those too. I am taking a jar of their grape jelly!! read more

Mother's Restaurant - Big Breakfast.. got to have those grits. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Want a taste of NOLA with no frills? This is it. All the fan favorites are here and portions can be small or large. Order at the old fashioned counter and take a seat anywhere. A waiter will come to your table and make sure your food arrives. Service was prompt and the food was great! The crawfish etouffe is my favorite here--along with the red beans and rice. Easy to order. Price is right. read more

We stopped here by a friends referral ... noticed that it says worlds baked ham. My hubby loves ham . I had the debris sandwhich and it was absolutely delicious. That pickle in it gives it a ceunch and pop of different flavor. My hubby had the mother breakfast. The eggs were cooked perfect. He said the ham was just ok . He had toast but we were given a biscuit which was super soft warm and yummy. We liked the jam too. Coffee was nice and strong. The people were so nice and friendly. The place is big and it was popping with people... Definitely recommend at least a try while around there. read more

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Visited Mother's for lunch on the day I was flying home on a Monday around Noon. We were staying right across the street so it made sense. There was a line, but it went quick. We were placing our order after about 10 minutes.Placed my order of Roast Beef Po Boy, File Gumbo, and an Abita Amber. You sit at a table and a server comes by, grabs your receipt, and your food arrives shorty thereafter. My gumbo was absolutely delicious. Hit the spot. My Po Boy was very good but the bread was really soggy by the time I bit into it. The beer was ice cold and went great with my lunch. Great end to my time in New Orleans. I would definitely return next time I'm in town. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Roast Beef Po Boy. Gumbo. Abita Amber The Perfect Lunch - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Brunch at Mother's introduced us to yummy Po'boys! We also met the Jerry who not only welcomes all his patrons at the door but also stopped to chat with us about the history of his restaurant & the most interesting walls of photos. This was our 1st time to eat Po'boys & Jerry truly made it very memorable. Note: don't let the line outside intimidate you. It moves fast because of Jerry. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Famous Ferdi Special Po' Boy Ham, Roast Beef, the original debris (shredded beef) in au jus - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I had a shrimp Po' Boy and my honey had a Ferdi with cheese (the Ralph). We really enjoyed both!! Servers were attentive and nice. Had heard the line can get long so it of course made me want to try it. It wasn't bad at all. Walked in at a good time. Would definitely recommend. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Great Shrimp Po' Boy. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Delicious place to get po boys & fried chicken here. We came on a non busy day so we were lucky to come and get take out here. Our hotel was right across the restaurant which was nice and convenient. We ordered their signature ferdi special po boy, shrimp bo poy, fried chicken w 2 sides (mashed potatoes & rice w beans), Arnold Palmer & iced tea. Wow the bread they use for the po boy was very soft. Their signature Ferdi special po boy was very delicious, it reminded me of a good italian sandwich we eat in NYC. The shrimp po boy was also very delicious. I preferred the signature Ferdi special po boy more as it had so many flavors. The fried chicken was amazing- super crunchy on the outside & super moist and juicy on the inside. The batter they used was seasoned exceptionally well. The sides were good, I liked the rice and beans more than the mashed potatoes. The Arnold Palmer tasted so good & the iced tea was unsweetened so it was ok. Staff was nice. There is a lot of seating inside. read more

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It's been well over fifteen years since Jamie W and I ate at Mother's. While we weren't blown away (see my original review), we were looking for something quick after a long day in the French Quarter and the National WWII Museum. So why not give Mother's a second chance, right? No surprise that the place looked exactly the same as before with florescent lights, formica tables, framed vintage photos, and the veteran employee handing us the menus. I don't know whether time mellowed our persnickety appetites or our expectations were already lowered, but the food tasted better this time around. We both ordered Po' Boys but wisely not whole ones. Jamie got the $10.50 Famous Ferdi Special Half Sandwich, which placed ham, roast beef, and their signature debris (shredded beef drippings) unadorned in a soft French roll dipped in au jus (Photo 10). Pretty meaty and a half was more than enough. I went with the $10.50 Original Debris Half Sandwich and had them add the fixings (shredded cabbage, sliced pickles, mayo, and both Creole and yellow mustards) to the French roll (Photo 9). Not bad and the crunch of the cabbage and pickles provided a nice contrast. We decided to share a couple of single-size sides, the $6 cup of Red Beans & Rice (Photo 8) and the $3 Buttermilk Biscuit (Photo 7). Both were just right as po' boy accessories. Mother, we're home. FOOD - 4 stars...meaty sandwiches in soft rolls, better with the fixings AMBIANCE - 3 stars...still pretty basic in here SERVICE - 3.5 stars...solid folks here TOTAL - 4 stars...pretty traditional fare in NOLA RELATED - Exploring New Orleans? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/kqhd8zS441 read more

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Get there early. Order at the counter, find a table and they bring your food out. Early bird special is a great deal if you are hungry (eggs, meat, grits, biscuit and coffee or juice). The biscuits are some of the best I've had! Plenty of options for everyone. A NOLA institution with a lot of character! read more

Mother's Restaurant - Outside - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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We got the munchies after some R&R but was too lazy to walk far and found this great place about 3 blocks away with about 17k reviews on Google. It was delish! The red beans and turnip greens were great and not to salty! Same with my seafood gumbo. So light and yummy! The size of the soft shell crab! Wow! So so good! There house made hot sauce vinegar was so good! Service was excellent, the gentleman kept our drinks filled. Loved the simple family style low key ambiance of the place. Loved all the pics of famous people. read more

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The restaurant was busy but the line moved quickly and orderly. Service was good, no complaints. There is not a lot of variety on the menu. I chose the Etouffee omelet and the crawfish Etouffee was very good, the cheese grits on the side were good and made better by the addition of the Etouffee, the eggs were...eggy and the biscuit was very dense and gummy. I was traveling with other people and wouldn't normally go somewhere so touristy. This was a first, I may go back some time for lunch but I think it may certainly be the first and last time I have breakfast here. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Crawfish touffee Omelet - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I'm surprised this joint isn't rated higher, to be honest! I guess it depends on what you're expecting... I would expect a very casual, comforting, delicious meal in an eclectic and historic-feeling spot. They clearly have such a strong and long presence in the community. My colleagues and I got a spread of different foods (photos attached)- so flavorful!! I wish I had taken some back with me to my hotel. Food was the type you'd expect in NOLA (e.g., meat/seafood, red beans/rice, grits, etc.). We went in on a super rainy night, and the staff helped us to dry off with towels, got us a table quickly, and were generally fun and great. When I'm back in NOLA, I'll be returning 100%! read more

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My first real po boy! It looks dry in the picture but it had mayo and pickles and coleslaw, which helped break up the fried shrimp and bread. The extra mayo provided was also nice for dipping. I liked the flavor of the shrimp and it wasn't too heavy or salty! The half portion ($12) was filling enough for a light dinner but more expensive than I expected. My friends loved the crawfish etoufee so that seems to be a good option as well! The service was incredibly friendly and hospitable. They were kind enough to move us to a bigger table since we came with a big group, and we were served promptly after switching seats. read more

Mother's Restaurant - gulf shrimp po boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

My partner told me this was great place for breakfast. I didn't know the protocol but you place your order before sitting down. I ordered a waffle and orange juice. The ok was warm, not cold which was not pleasing. The waffle was just bland. Plus paying to park I wasn't impressed for $17 read more

Ordering is super chaotic here and the staff wasn't very keen to help us understand it. They also weren't really willing to offer up a recommendations, so l ended up getting the Famous Ferdi Special, which was honestly nothing special. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Famous Ferdi Special - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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This place is legit! The debris and seafood gumbo ! Mimosa ! No sweet tea ! Omg ! Pie bread pudding ! Etouffee and lots of love! There is no wrong just right ! read more

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We were seated immediately after ordering. The staff were extremely nice and went out of the way to make sure everything was good. My roast beef po boy was great! I would defiantly go back when in New Orleans for a quick bite to eat in a casual spot. read more

Mother's Restaurant - Roast Beef Po' Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Such a great local stop! Order at the counter, they deliver it to the table. Everything was lovely. It was the home stile meal I had been craving! The service is so kind. There's a reason everyone comes here. read more

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Mother's Café came highly recommended by our Lyft driver, and the location couldn't have been more ideal--right across from our hotel. Convenience alone earned it a visit... but the food brought me back for a second round. The ordering system is casual and efficient: place and pay at the counter, grab your number, find a seat, and your food is delivered to the table. It keeps things moving, which I appreciated--especially during a busy morning. Now let's talk about the star of the show: the crawfish étouffée omelet with cheese grits and a biscuit. Absolute standout. The étouffée was rich, flavorful, and generously portioned, pairing perfectly with the eggs. The cheese grits were creamy and comforting, and that biscuit? Buttery, soft, and exactly what you want on the side. It was so good I didn't even consider trying something new on my second visit--just reordered the same dish, this time adding a mimosa for good measure. That said, the ordering experience could use a little finesse. The cashier moved through the line quickly--almost too quickly--which made me feel a bit rushed while deciding. A little more patience or menu guidance would go a long way, especially for first-timers trying to take it all in. Overall, Mother's delivers where it counts: bold flavors, satisfying portions, and a no-fuss dining experience. Just be ready to order when you step up to the counter. read more

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