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Didn't go in. New to New Orleans, saw Willie Mae's on Food Network as I assume did every other tourist. Had to use GPS to find it, drove up to it, saw the line of tourists around the teeny tiny building, rolled up our windows, locked our doors and drove away. Since discussing this with locals, our understanding is that the chicken is in fact good but there is good fried chicken all over town and the neighborhood is so seedy that it's not worth it. I don't think I will ever find out for myself.…
Big Disappointment.
My wife and I have been trying to get there since Katrina and finally made it Saturday. Big Disappointment I am afraid. Although the chicken was cooked to the proper doneness, it was a bit greasy and
overdone on the outside (i.e. too dark and over crispy). My grandmother makes a much better fried chicken to be honest.
The red beans were mediocre. Service was slow, but cordial. Won;'t go back and won't recommend it. Sorry.…
Fried Chicken at its best. The chicken is rolling. It melts in ur mouth. The skin is seasoned to perfection and crispy.
ordinary. I was visiting N. O. and remembered the place from the food network. "The best fried chicken in N. O." is what they said. If this is great chicken, then you have not been around much. I am from the deep south, and this chicken is NOT it . The chicken is very ordinary and not even typical of "southern fried chicken". The chicken was not flavorful and not a good representation of what we southerners can whip up in the kitchen. The red beans and rice were mediocre at best.…
Everything you could want and more.
Living in N.O. for 3 years now I am so mad at myself that I did not go here sooner. I've heard so much about this place and wanted to visit for so long so trust me expectations were high. Well let's
say, Willie Mae's delivered and then some.
The fried chicken was every bit as good as billed. I have lived in the South for 23 years now and I can honestly say this is the best I've had.
An unexpected surprise was the cornbread muffins. Not a huge cornbread fan (I know I know and I call myself a Southerner) this cornbread blew me away. It was mildly sweet which was a PERFECT compliment to the hot, crunchy chicken.
The red beans and rice were admittedly not the best I've ever had but that's okay, I wouldn't have wanted them to steal the show from the chicken.
Another pro was the service. Our server could not have been friendlier and did everything he could to meet our needs. He was very attentive and would check on us each time he walked by.
For any of you bbq fans I would call Willie Mae's the Dreamland answer to fried chicken. The buildings are similar (small, "hole in the wall-esque") places. Both family run and both serving up the best in their game.
As far as the wait, we did have to wait around 15 mins. but there was also a party of no less than 30 taking up 5 tables in the restaurant ahead of us so that is to be expected.
On a last note, anyone wanting to complain about the price I would love to know where you regularly eat? We had in total 6 pieces of chicken (one being a breast so huge that we had to split it), two bowls of red beans and rice, two corn muffins, and two drinks for $24. A meal at Popeyes containing 2 pieces of chicken, a smaller serving of red beans and rice, a biscuit, and a drink can often run upwards of $8 to $9. And trust me Popeyes is NO Willie Mae's.
In conclusion, go eat this chicken! I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner!…
