Solid happy hour at Nola on 5th. Def off the beaten path but our server/bartender did a great job pouring drinks, bussing and serving a decently full restaurant. Loved their bowl of gumbo, perfect amount of spice, heat, tempt and loaded with shrimp, okra, and sausage. Also loved their wings with the dry rub and sauces on the side. It keeps them nice and crispy and it's up to you how saucy you want to get. Loooooved the slider flight. The were all pretty good but the smash burger one was my favorite with the crispy edges and fried onions. Casual ambiance and a great outdoor seating area. Def a good spot for another wing Wednesday happy hour read more

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The food was disgusting it's not what it looks like in the photos. Plate #1 Rice was old and cold shrimp was grilled until it were burnt, my daughter was celebrating her birthday and we decided to check this place out after two bites she said I don't want this cold burnt food it's disgusting Plate #2 was Bayou Shrimp Dinner the shrimp was fried in old shrimp batter and old grease the French fries were ok that was the only thing that looked worth eating. Food totally different from the pictures the restaurant posted. Don't waste your money or your time we were so disappointed in this place. They are no where near New Orleans food not even close! read more

NOLA on 5th - Burnt shrimps cooked in old grease French fries are cold , Bayou Shrimp dinner looks nothing like the photos that are advertised. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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Absolutely amazing experience! From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, setting the tone for a great meal. Arlette went above and beyond with her service--she made fantastic recommendations based on my preferences and even paired my meal with the perfect beer, which complemented the flavors beautifully. From start to finish, she made sure I was well taken care of and had everything I needed without ever being intrusive. Her attention to detail, genuine friendliness, and knowledge of the menu truly elevated the entire dining experience and made it feel personalized. The food was incredibly flavorful and cooked to perfection--every bite was better than the last. You can tell there's real care put into both the ingredients and presentation. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back again and again! read more

I love the poboy, it was a catfish & shrimp poboy it was soooo good. The buffalo chicken sliders were also great. I wouldn't recommend the wings there too big, and have no flavor. The shrimp and grits is a waste of money, it's bland and the shrimp are so small, you only get about 5 pieces on top of that the shrimp were burnt. My friend ordered the loaded fries and found hair in it. The drinks are good. And the service was also good, with there only being one server he did the best he could. This was a nice spot despite the hiccups. read more

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We decided to check out NOLA on 5th for Happy Hour, and it was pretty good. NOLA is a bar-restaurant located on the 1st floor of an old house in Hillcrest with tables inside and out. In many ways, it reminds us of similar divey bar-restaurants in New Orleans. From the Happy Hour menu, we ordered a Cup of Gumbo (4/5 $8 HH), Cup of Jambalaya (4/5 $8 HH), and a Slider Flight (3/5 $14 HH for 4 sliders): Classic NOLA Hamburger Slider, Buffalo Chicken Slider, Roast Beef Slider, and Southwest Hamburger Slider. The draft beer selection is very good, and I enjoyed a Blonde Ale (5/5 16oz $5 HH). The bar tender (Danny) was great -- personable, attentive, and informative. There are two pay lots about a block away on 5th. I took a street space about two blocks away. All-in-all, we enjoyed ourselves ... and look forward to one of their Crawfish Boils. NOLA is definitely good Happy Hour value. read more

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Crawfish boil! NOLA held their second one today, and plans to have one every two weeks. Saturday. $35 per person. Includes a bottle of Abita beer(choice of their lager or brown ale),a potato, and a good sized sausage. 4 starts for this crawfish boil. My husband and I spilt an order. The crawfish were well spiced with a noticeable amount of heat from the Cajun spice blend, just how i like it. Husband enjoyed the sausage, and the brown ale hit the spot. Looking forward to another in the future. Tip: Reserve early. We dined at noon and the place was packed when we left. read more

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Decided to give this place a try.No parking in Hillcrest which I expected paid 17.00 for 2hrs.It was busy for Juneteenth.Found seating... waiting 15min for someone offer us a glass of water or a menu.Waited another 10/15 min to ask a question about how the operation works around here.His response was we're slammed downstairs and upstairs fyi only 3ppl upstairs and all these people are waiting for food which was approximately 30ppl with a wait time of at least 45 mins for food. There are two things that will keep me from returning to this establishment (1) how do you not greet customers (2) nobody eating read more

I had seen a few mixed reviews for this place but as it's down the street, we'd been meaning to check it out. We had a party of 7 and were seated quickly on a Monday night to watch football and get some din. It was not busy other than just a few people seated at the bar and some seated outside. I ordered the five chicken wings, and as you can see in the photo was given one tiny little wing. I didn't want to say anything but my fiancée asked our server if we could get another legitimate wing and she was happy to do so, and brought me two more to make up for it! That was really nice. The house made Carolina reaper hot sauce is AWESOME! I am going to come back to purchase a bottle. So spicy and it lingers, with a strong vinegar flavor (which I love). The wings themselves were good also. Great fries, too. The shrimp plate was 80% fries, but the shrimp had good flavor and the salad was good also. My fiancée ordered the blue cheese burger and gave it a 7.5/10- it had a thick patty and good flavor. Overall, we would come back to try more items and to watch the game. Love that our pup was welcomed inside :) read more

NOLA on 5th - Shrimp plate - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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I was looking for somewhere new to try and had my yearly craving for good Cajun soul food; I found NOLA on 5th which seemed to have mixed reviews, but also some items I was particularly excited to try. It was a beautiful day out and the open air table was really great to get the nice breezy Hillcrest weather with the sun not beaming down too much to make the experience uncomfortable. The restaurant and bar were nearly empty when we arrived, so service was incredibly fast; the time from ordering to getting our food was less than 15 minutes total, which was great! We ordered a variety of items from the menu, starting with the fried catfish, which was really tasty. It wasn't too overly fried or greasy, the fish was tender and juicy, and the sauce it came with was a really nice accompaniment. For the main courses, we split the New Orleans Trio and the Triple-D Special (Black & Gold Cowboy with Jambalya). The trio, which came with Shrimp Etouffee, Gumbo, and Jambalya, was great overall, although the Etouffee was incredibly salty and became too much to finish. The gumbo was really good and authentic and the jambalya was well cooked, not dry, and made a great side to the po'boy. The Po'Boy was also very good, and I really liked the pairing of slow-cooked beef and fried shrimp, though they beef was a bit tough in the middle of the sandwich. It was made even better with the Cajun hot sauce, which I ended up drowning nearly everyrhing with because of how much I liked it, but truly nothing needed it to be good. Overall, it was a great lunch experience and very friendly service, and while some items were much better than others, I left very content with what I had been given and would recommend this as a casual lunch spot for others. read more

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Awesome happy hour offerings on wings and a large beer selection, we were pleasantly surprised! Loved the dipping sauces for the wings, and that the wings are dry rubbed/spiced vs. super saucy. Good indoor and outdoor seating, and very friendly service. Would definitely come back! read more

Arrived shortly after opening, there's a very noticeable smell of urine outside the front door. The restaurant was out of roast beef and rice. This oversight left us unable to order half of the menu. Server ignored us and 2 tables came and left while we were waiting for our orders, which were also incorrect. read more

I was really looking forward to Nola on 5th opening, but after a few visits the food just isn't what I hoped for. The flavors don't remind me of New Orleans at all. The catfish was dry, and the roast beef po'boy tasted more like canned pot roast than a proper po'boy. Service could use some tightening up too and while the servers are moving, it still took quite a while just to get drink refills. I love the concept and wanted this to be a regular spot, but right now it feels more like a rough draft than the finished product. Hopefully with some adjustments it can live up to the name. Welp! Onto the next! read more

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I love me some good southern cooking. And Nola on 5th definitely has a lot to choose from. I ended up trying the Mac n cheese with roast beef strips on top, as per recommendation by an employee. It was good. Not great, not amazing, but good. The bread was amazing! I definitely want to come back and try something else off the menu to give them a second chance. read more

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Friday night. One server. Not good. She was really working, but when it takes 15 minutes to get a refill on your beverage and she was not able to check in with us at all during the meal - it's just not a good thing. The red beans and rice with sausage was excellent. The catfish feast would have been better with one large piece of fish rather than the over breaded nuggets, but it was tasty. Usually great. Tonight just good. And now the large issue I cannot get over. They added a 4% surcharge. Just pay your people right or raise prices and tell the truth. I'm afraid I will not be back as I do not believe surcharges are right or fair. Goodbye dear friend and I wish you well. P.s. they probably had this for a while but I just caught it. I am truly sad. read more

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1st time here (1/9/26 lunch time) and it did not disappoint. The food was perfectly seasoned and authentic. The ettoufee was so rich and delicious. Best po boy I've had in San Diego! Guy Fieri's Triple-D special is a must! Perfect for sharing! There were a few people there with one server/host who was also bartending, he was nice and friendly. Did a great job tending to everyone. read more

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We came as a party of 6 to enjoy our time together after not seeing each other for several weeks. We came for the bottomless mimosas but stayed for hours because we received the best service from SHAWN, she kept the vibes going and checked on us throughout our visit. Even Gustavo the chef came to check on us and the food was absolutely amazing! This was our first time here but definitely won't be our last! Hope to be served by Shawn again at our next visit! read more

NOLA on 5th - Bottomless mimosas - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here last night with my partner and it was a bit of a wait but so yummy! The place is charming with both inside and outside patio seating. We came later in the evening so it wasn't super busy. We were pretty hungry and it took a good 30 minutes to get greeted and given waters which was a bit disappointing-- especially given the low volume of people. Our server apologized for the wait and helped us get our order in. Now despite us being the only people ordering at this point, the food took another 20 minutes. :/ We got the New Orleans Trio and the Dirty fries which I'll admit were really good and really saved the night. Our server also became more attentive and she was actually really sweet and helped talk us through items and even helped get us some additional dressings and bread. We finished with desert and got the White Chocolate Bread Pudding and oh wow was this so so bussin'! Overall a rough start, but the service afterwards and food helped make for a strong finish. I would still recommend as it's such a unique and delicious menu! read more

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We ended up at NOLA after celebrating Juneteenth for a nice creole meal. The waiter.(Anthony ) was initially awesome and friendly. Our food was eventually brought out 45min+ later, My Son ordered mac & cheese with bacon, I ordered catfish platter, fries, and salad and my sister ordered Caesar salad with shrimp. When the order finally arrived, the waiter.(Anthony) said oh we didn't have any macaroni but we made you this. It tastes just as good. It turns out it was fettuccine with cheese and bacon., the proper thing would have been to come and let him know that they were out of macaroni. This would have given him the option to change his mind. My sister Caesar shrimp salad was nothing but iceberg lettuce a couple of croutons and hard fried shrimp totally disappointing. The catfish platter. The french fries were amazing. The salad was OK. It had balsamic dressing which was not tasty and the catfish was fried so hard and dry. I told the waiter that I didn't want that that it was not good. He asked me if I wanted another fried piece of catfish or blackened. I chose blackened. The black and came maybe 7 to 10 minutes later. It was extremely runny and when I broke a piece off to eat it, it had absolutely no taste at all no seasoning no nothing it was horrible.The waiter.(Anthony) said that they were not going to charge me for the catfish meal nor the fake macaroni and cheese meal however when I got the ticket, both charges were on there and the total was $80. I went to the bar to let him know that I was charged for that and he proceeded to tell me that he did not charge us for our drinks, and he cannot take one item off of the receipt, but if I look at it, how do you charge me for the drinks that would've been the charge for the horrible catfish dinner and the Mac & cheese and he seemed extremely upset that I complained about the food. Once I voiced my opinion on the food quality, Anthony, the waiter and another waiter. (I don't now his name) seem bothered and the energy was definitely different. I have eaten here before and it was amazing. This is the last time that I will come to the establishment to eat. The customer service sucked once negative comments were delivered. I asked Anthony who the manager was and he said he was. I was surprised because of the way he spoke to me and of the whole ordeal customer service was well below par. read more

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I have to say the food is fantastic!! I've never had a po'boy before and it's probably one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Unfortunately service was terrible it took almost an hour to get our food and it's so hot inside no AC no fans nothing just stale heat. I would recommend going after the sun goes down! Good food but not in this heat! read more

NOLA on 5th - Black and Gold Po'boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

We came here because of watching Guy Fieri's tv show and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!! Anna helped us a very nice experience we are very appreciative. The sandwiches and trio combo are unbeatable. There's plenty of nice sunlight and fresh air to enjoy the great food. Good music too. We're looking forward to coming back! read more

NOLA on 5th - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is a definitely "coming back" spot. I had high hopes and low expectations for a Cajun restaurant in San Diego but this place exceed everything I could be imagined. This was a great beginning to my food tour of SD once again. The service was great, and it wasn't a busy 4th of July Friday so I got a very nice seat on the patio. My homie got the Cajun Mac and cheese and it was elite fosho. My poboy was excellent, and the fries were exquisite...but to couple it with the bread pudding?????? Oh man, reminded me why that was my favorite desert, I will be back to try different items! And I can't wait!! read more

NOLA on 5th - Bread pudding! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is definitely a place to visit. The service from the minute we got in was phenomenal. I went there with three people and one got the omelet and the other and myself just got the eggs, sausage and toast. My food was so very delicious. The only reason I could not give the five was due to my friend thinking the sauce on the omelet was a little much and that it was undercooked. Unfortunate for my friend. But my food has no issues. And if you go here get the bottomless mimosas. Definitely worth it of course. Another thing I liked was the aroma of the restaurant. Not too noisy and tables were separated nicely. I will definitely love to go here again when I can. read more

NOLA on 5th - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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Before I really start this review, yes, this is another Triple D recommendation. Yes, I have been to New Orleans. If you have been following my reviews long enough, you will see I have plenty of experience trying po boys, jambalaya, the fare that makes New Orleans, New Orleans. If this restaurant were in New Orleans, it would fit right in with the others I visited while down in the Big Easy. When I first walked in, I immediately started having flashbacks to the fall of 2022, when I visited the Crescent City. It really did look right out of a New Orleans pub that serves up great food. I know I have already spoiled the review by saying the food is good, but why not talk about why that is? I had to try their Guy Fieri combo, which is a Black and Gold Po Boy (the po boy Guy Fieri tried on his show, along with the jambalaya and your choice of side). I ordered the fries (I know, I know...). The food takes a bit to come out, but when I took that first bite, I knew they had done something right. This is a restaurant that successful combines two Po Boys into one. A Roast Beef Po Boy and a Shrimp Po Boy. Parasols meets Parkway (okay, maybe not quite, as both of those po boys are some of the best in NOLA). Lots of flavor, and the Leidenheimer bread is really what makes the whole thing stand out. For those unfamiliar, Leidenheimer bread is the authentic bread used in New Orleans on po boys. It is the equivalent of an Amoroso roll on Philly cheesesteaks. Without it, it is not an authentic sandwich, just a wannabe. My only complaint is that the sandwich did not come with a lagniappe (I know, I am throwing out a bunch of foreign words). A lagniappe is the French word for little gift. It is the freebie that you get when the po boy spills out the side with the extra meat in the po boy. It does not cost any extra for you, and it does not cost much more for the owner. Everybody wins out because of it. The jambalaya has plenty of heat and has excellent flavor as well. The meats are terrific and the rice that goes with it has good stickiness. The portion is generous, so much so that I could not finish it. I ate enough of it that I would not need a to go box, but I know people who did, and without judgement (I never judge people who take home leftovers). The restaurant does get busy here, with good reason. It was fun to stop here and enjoy a late lunch, and would recommend this place for someone yearning a little bit of something from that little city along the Mississippi River. read more

NOLA on 5th - Guy Fieri Combo (Black and Gold Po'boy with Jambalaya) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

I honestly wasn't going to put in a review but my 4 year old daughter got sick from the mac and cheese from yesterday. I had the trio and the red beans and rice was good but it was very dry. The same with the jambalaya was the same my husband got the Catfish plate and it was heavily breaded but it tasted bland. The service was really good our poor waiter was alone and there was a couple of people in the establishment. read more

NOLA on 5th - Trio bland and dry - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

Bland food. Gumbo mediocre. Like most people that eat here... you want to give it a shot but it's not worth it.

My cousin was visiting for a couple of days, and I was craving creole food for a while now (random). I've been seeing this restaurant around and suggested this restaurant. It's located next to Breakfast Republic and across of Divo Diva Cafe on Fifth Ave in Hillcrest. There is paid street parking or free street parking off the main road. Parking could be very difficult especially for dinner hours and weekends. My group and I came on a Wednesday which was all day happy hour (score). We ordered their happy hour drinks including $5 draft beers. My cousin was looking forward to the $1 wings during their happy hour. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Crawfish & Andouille Sausage Eggrolls when we went - wasn't too sure if it was out for the day or just out in general because our server mentioned that the menu hasn't been updated for a while (interesting). My cousin ordered 20 wings and was able to demolish everything LOL. My group and I ordered the New Orleans Trio to share as an "appetizer" with four options to choose from: Jambalaya, Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo, Shrimp Etouffe, or Red Beans and Rice. We chose the first three and opted out the red beans (but honestly should have chose that to try because we got a TON of jambalaya afterwards, haha). Of the three, my favorite was the shrimp etouffe. It was very good, flavorful, and creamy. My cousin said it was just fully butter which probably made it so delicious. I felt this had a good kick and the best flavor of the three. Then it was the gumbo which also had good kick and flavor. In my opinion, the jambalaya was the least favorite of the three, and I also got that as an entree as well (regrets). This didn't have much andouille sausage and had the least amount of flavor. Probably also the easiest to make of the three? I wished I had gotten a different entree because my boyfriend also had a side of jambalaya with his Triple-D Special (whoops). So much jambalaya and the least eaten of all the dishes. But now we know for next time! The catfish that came with the jambalaya entree was very good. That was a huge perk to my dish, however, I'd probably get it on its own next time. My boyfriend's Triple-D Special was relatively good. The gravy with the fried shrimp mixed together with the brisket was soooo good. However, without the gravy and flavor of the fried shrimp, the brisket was kind of bland in my opinion. The fries that it came with were also seasoned quite well. Service was a bit lacking at the restaurant because there was only one server on the floor. She did really well to get our items and check up on us. However, she did miss some items which we were totally fine with. Overall, a great place for a taste of New Orleans in my opinion, although never been to New Orleans but it did satisfy my cravings LOL. My cousin's friend who was with us also said the flavors were quite similar to the actual meals at New Orleans so there's that. Definitely will be back for more as that etouffe was very good. P.S. Happy hour daily from 3-6pm and all day on Wednesday! $1 wings and $5 draft beers are such a deal! P.S.S. 4% service charge on your bill. Thankfully they state it on their menu. read more

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I came here for my birthday and was treated like a king! Brunch at Nola was nothing short of amazing. We over course got the bottomless mimosas. The food was SEASONED! And babyyy let me tell you how I put hot sauce on everything but not that day! More of a sports bar vibe but with that good creole comfort food. Thank you Nola ‍ read more

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I'm not quite sure why there are negative reviews, I have always had a great experience here. First time walking in, I was welcomed with open arms. Felt like cheers! Even when packed, they make sure to welcome everyone. Service is incredible. I do see them getting busy but they always make their way back to me. They remember my drink and always have great recommendations. The food is super yummy! Although, I wish they had a bigger brunch option. I have never been to Nola, but super yummy nonetheless. Flavors are always on point and again, they have great recommendations. This seems to have never changed, regardless of the staff. I never feel like I'm a bother, which is usually the case in bar/restaurant settings. They get packed at times, and I know why. Times like this, be patient. I simply grab a drink from the bar while waiting. I'm glad I stumbled upon this place. I will be back! read more

honestly overrated for overpriced soul food. their reputation proceeds them and they think they can ride that.. of the 5 dishes we tried, the gumbo was the best. i knew the dark roux would be bomb. but it was slightly too salty. was mad disappointed by how many items were simply out of stock. like how do u run out of mac and cheese as a soul food place??? anyway, i'm not rushing back anytime soon service was mid as well. not to mention the bathroom floor was worse than most bars i've been too??? like i don't get why you're so shortstaffed with a waitlist like that. i'd recommend other local soul food - this ranks second overall in town i guess but idk. i guess it was a novel experience. trying to be positive, the best part was the music selection. otherwise u ain't missing much. been to their happy hour in the past. that was cool. it had better options (more justifiable) and service and prices than their dinner read more

I was here with a friend on Super Bowl Sunday. The Crawfish were a tad bit salty but the corn and potatoes had no flavor at all. We also ordered appetizers prior to the crawfish being ready. The catfish had seasoning on the outside, but not much seasoning on the inside. The cheeseburger sliders were awesome. Those were actually my favorite out of everything we had that day. read more

That guy Cj introduced himself as a ginger that doesn't even work there and I respect that so much. Not only that, he gave us the best service we've ever had. Jambalaya needs to be less dry and more flavor in the gumbo and red beans, but he brought all the hot sauce, s and p, and stupid jokes we needed. We'll be back aright. Praise dat Cj read more

We were looking forward to some good Cajun, but I'm sorry to say we were not able to try the food. We arrived around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon and were seated right away by the only server. Her only greeting was to ask how many people. She sat us at a table and walked away not saying anything. Twenty minutes later, she still had not even offered us a drink let alone asked if we were ready to order. The last straw was her returning the bill and credit card to the table behind us and returning to talk to her friends/coworkers(?) at the bar. Her friends were more important than the customers, so we left very disappointed. read more

Had the shrimp which was salty and flavorful along with TWO types of fries(both are delicious). The sandwiches are a great alternative to Chic-Fil-A and just as good...if not better!!! Would highly recommend for lunch or catering at work. You won't be disappointed like you would be at Chic-Fil-A once you realize you're supporting a business that has donated to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations and over 90% of political donations went to Republican candidates. I don't believe NOLA on 5th is donating to the above since they are in Hillcrest. read more

Arlette was amazing!!! Friendly and helpful. Had the blackened shrimp Po boy and jambalaya and the French dip with Caesar salad. The French dip just melted in my mouth as did the po boy for hubby. Jambalaya had just the perfect amount of spice. Stop by the window with a cool breeze blowing through. Came in and out very steadily. I highly recommend. Offers a lunch punch card. Looking forward to my next trip to Nola on 5th. read more

NOLA on 5th - French dip and Caesar salad - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food has definitely improved since last time I came in! The servers are friendly and take care of you. The place is clean and always well decorated! read more

NOLA on 5th - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California

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They are not open till midnight. We walked in at 11 and was told their kitchen closed at 9pm. No stars read more

5 . Shoutout Nola great service . Super dope vibes, come check em out. 10/10 read more

A MUST stop to eat at. The spices and flavors are authentic to New Orleans cuisine. Owner/Chef is from the Bayou. The menu is not overpowering. It highlights New Orleans dishes very well. Manager Ollie, servers Anna and Josh, the whole team are fantastic! You're welcomed. Very comfortable. It's the California 3C's; Casual, Cool and Comfortable! You know Guy Fierri filmed Diners, Drives and Dives and loves the food at the establishment read more

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What a wonderful place! Food was just delicious. Great value. And the service was amazing. Our server was a doll & let us in with our pup Lucy in her stroller. We shall be back. Thanks! read more

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Stopped by Nola on 5th today and had a solid experience! I ordered the trio plate with a shrimp & roast beef po' boy, sweet potato fries, and jambalaya. The jambalaya was delicious--great spice and depth of flavor, but just a little too salty for my taste. The po' boy was good, but I think I would have enjoyed it more without the roast beef. The shrimp was definitely the highlight! The sweet potato fries were perfect--crispy, well-seasoned, and the ideal side. Beyond the food, the vibe is super chill, and the staff is really friendly. I appreciate a spot with good energy and great service. Overall, I'd definitely come back and try more of the menu! read more

NOLA on 5th - New Orleans Trio - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Diego, California