08/25/09

Great Service

by JCM7

We had the gumbo of the day - braised pork, sausage with black eyed peas - and for dinner, the shrimp and grits. These dishes were by far the best I have ever tasted! The gumbo was unusual, but awesome. We also ordered fried oysters, and they were great as well; fried perfectly so you could still taste them.

Service was excellent. I noticed the reviews stated bad service, but my water was refilled without ever having to ask, our plates came out hot and even @ the same time, and the waiter was knowledgeable and helpful to a tourist like us!

Only con was the seating was a bit cramped in the section we were in. We could overhear the tables next to us perfectly, and the couple next to us even started talking to us. The restaurant is large, so just ask to sit at a good spot if other are available to avoid this...

• Pros: Extremely flavorful food
• Cons: nothing major

07/17/09

Favorite restaurant in New Orleans

by spotf15

Went for lunch on a Friday. Contrary to many reviews, the atmosphere to include the lack of excessive noise was perfect. Well attended to by three staffers. Stuffed deboned chicken wings to start were great. Jalapeno corn bread moist and nicely flavored. Wife had the boneless fried chicken and it was awesome. Breading crisp while chicken still moist. She didn't want the side dishes that accompanied her dish and they gladly brought her other sides to include the house "mac and cheese" and honey baked white beans both of which are must haves. I had the "shrimp and grits" and it was spectacular. 1/2 dozen large shrimp with a great flavor and the perfect level of doneness. Creamy grits with a nice texture and a delicious butter sauce. We lived in New Orleans for 8 years and have been to all the Brennan's family restaurants and the other Emeril's restaurants as well as the renowned Bayona and Brightsen's. This was the most enjoyable meal I've had at any of them. Comfortable atmosphere, great service, wonderful food and for a cheapskate I felt the meal was well worth every penny.

• Pros: Shrimp and grits rocks
• Cons: None

07/12/09

So, So

by soadnirvana

So we were looking for somewhere cheap to dine at for lunch today. After spending at least $100.00 everywhere else we went. We chose NOLA, because well.. Its Emeril's restaurant. We were seated by the manager. It took a while for a real waiter to come serve us. We ordered our drinks, and after 20 minutes or longer we were served a choice of bread. I ordered the brisket at lunch and my mom ordered the pulled pork sandwich. My meat was good, albeit the sauce on the barbecue was a bit sweet. I liked how the servers were synchronized at putting things down on your table at the same time. I thought the gumbo and crab cake were delicious. Our servers would disappear for long periods of time and we would be trying to flag them down. When NOLA went South was when we received our desserts. I had the banana pudding cake, which was great. And my mom had the ooey gooey cake. I tasted some of hers and immediately noticed I could not swallow the bite I took. I discovered a medium sized dark hair in the cake. After that my mom refused to eat it and when we told the server he didn't talk long enough when he asked if he could replace it, so she said no. She was angry b/c she felt he could have given her another cake instead of assuming she wanted it comped. I'd expect better from Emeril's.

• Pros: Read below
• Cons: Read below