31 Best Southern Restaurants in New Orleans

“I forgot to finish my review and post it. My husband and I were in NOLA for the first time, we were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, in August 2023. I have a gluten allergy and it was difficult to find authentic NOLA food that was gluten free. I am so glad I found Atchafalaya Restaurant!! The food was absolutely fantastic and they had several gluten free options! Our waitress was amazing. The restaurant was very cute inside and had a lot more seating than it looked like from the outside.“

“Amazing food! Hip vibe! Avacado toast was the best!!“

“Above all, you MUST order the seared scallops and artichoke appetizer. Fan-freaking-tactic! The Black Manhattan is excellent — except is was stirred long enough so it was nearly lukewarm when brought to the table. Great flavor, but disappointed at how warm it was. (An extra point for Luxardo cherries. Seriously. How can a restaurant claim they serve cocktails if they don’t use Luxardo cherries????)“

“I’m a local who has dined at many N.O. restaurants and Cafe Amelie is my favorite. Charming atmosphere and THE BEST food and drinks!“

“Great food, amazing menu and wine pairings, wonderful service, but not inexpensive. They added a 5% staff wellness fee that was not previously disclosed on the menu. I hated to do it, but I subtracted it from what I normally tip. Add on credit card and other fees are unethical.“

“Food was amazing. Service was top notch! Shaira was our server. She did an amazing job. Definitely would come back!“

“Stopped here for an early dinner. We got there about 3:30. Handfull of people in front of us to order and a handful came in after us, pretty normal flow. I grabbed a beer at the bar and went and sat down at our table.The 3 of us ordered a 2 meat combo plate and a full rack of ribs. The 2 meats were brisket burnt ends and pulled pork. We ordered the mac and cheese, cornbread muffins and green salad as sides. We were very excited to receive our food and knew we would have leftovers.One problem... our food never came. The handful of people in front of us and behind us, some with larger orders, were either gone or eating. Eventually I went up and the owner was at the register. I showed him my ticket and he went to check on it. He came back and apologized profusely, apparently the kitchen lost our ticket.It happens! I get it. The owner did the right thing, he went back into the kitchen, got the ship righted and got our food out there hot and fresh. He threw in a slice of each of their 3 different pies for our trouble!The food was fantastic and the 3 of us got 3 different meals out of it! Pulled pork was soft and full of flavor. The brisket had a little too much sauce on it for my taste but it was perfect brisket burnt ends. The ribs were fantastic and everything was just as good if not better over the next couple of meals.As far as the sides, spot on again. But those cornbread muffins?? I've never had a more buttery explosion than biting into on of those. Everyone agreed that those muffins are addictive!The Joint is well worth the trip into the Bywater! The bar is well stocked and the bartenders are very good at what they do and very inventive as well! Highly recommend it!“

“We were recommended to Elizabeth’s by a friend and thankfully we went early in our visit to New Orleans, because we ate breakfast here every day of our trip! From the incredible food, one of the best spicy margaritas, and their welcoming, friendly, staff. Thank you for the great meals and memories!“

“Great experience. Food was excellent. A couple of us got Steak Frites medium rare. It came out perfect temperature. Brisket with Brussels sprouts were delicious. Steak Caesar Salad came out perfect as well. We had bread pudding to finish off the meal. It was a perfect meal to celebrate a birthday. Service was excellent. Highly recommend.“

“Had an event here on Feb 27th for a group of about 70. The space was decorated wonderfully for Mardi Gras and the staff did everything they could to make the event a success. The food was great and there was plenty of it . We will be back ! Thank you Bamboulas!“

“I found Brigtsen's About 15 years ago. I have since been there 10 times over the years on vacation. I go to all the fine dining restaurants In NOLA. No matter where I go. Brigtsen's is consistently the best meal of my trip. I just had the pork chop last week in was so delicious. This is truly one of the best restaurants in America. One of my favorite visits is when Frank is there so that I get to say hello. There are not many restaurants were a famous chef is actually there . I try to save room for the pecan pie but I'm not always successful. The menu is so good with choices I get too full. The service is also excellent. So in ending, I could go on for days, I'll just say. When your in New Orleans check out Brigtsen's. It's ok to thank me with every bite.“

“The food was amazing. The portions were great. Myself along with my daughter and fiancé dinned in and my Watriess was amazing..“

“One of the coolest dining experiences I’ve had in New Orleans — and I’ve been coming to this city to eat for more than 10 years! We had a coursed chef’s tasting with wine pairings from 2014 to celebrate their 10th anniversary!Mosquito Supper Club is a truly unique restaurant. Visitors often leave saying they felt like they went to dinner at a friend’s house. Sitting inside a restored Victorian cottage in Uptown, New Orleans — Mosquito Supper club hosts chef’s tasting menus at 2 large communal tables, each set for 10 (and there are just a couple of 2-tops for a regular menu). Chef Melissa Martin, who started this place 10 years ago, was raised on home-cooked Cajun food — and 90% of her restaurant’s dishes were passed down to her from her mother. She gets nearly 100% of her ingredients from local fishermen and farmers, educates visitors on the history and flavors of Cajun cooking, and passionately advocates for the preservation of Louisiana wetlands and coastal communities. Her recent cookbook is titled, “Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou” — and that’s what she serves at her restaurant.Standout dish of the night: a crawfish bisque with stuffed heads: I’ve never had anything like it, but I want more! Honestly, everything from sweet potato biscuits, to the fresh salad, to the strawberry dessert was fantastic — I just didn’t have room to show it all!“

“So glad we came here, based on the recommendations of a local friend. Great start with friendly greeting from hostess Stacy and then every recommendation from our server Quinn was on point!! The High Hat Burger and the Pimento Mac and Cheese was ?... 5 star meal right there! The pork on the Cuban sandwich was so tender and delicious ?. We were only in town for 2 days and had to come back to High Hat for the brunch (also recommend by Quinn), before we left. We had the Chicken and Waffle and Cornmeal Pancakes. They did not disappoint. We are leaving NOLA fat and happy ?. Thank you High Hat!! We'll definitely be back.“

“AMAZING FOOD, AMAZING DRINKS, AMAZING ATMOSPHERE, AMAZING SERVICE !!!! TRY THEIR FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, SPRING ROLLS & PORK CABOBS. THANK ME LATER !!! ALSO BRAXTON AS A WAITER OR BARTENDER IS AMAZING !!! 10 STARS FOR SURE !!!“

“We were in on vacation and decided to stop in for breakfast. The food was amazing; huge portions, and the wait staff was great. Thank you Claudia for the wonderful service. Will definitely stop back if we are in NOLA again.“

“Great recommendation from a local friend and my sister who visited. Southern fare with an Asian twist. My husband and I enjoyed every single thing we had here. The brisket was delicious, the som tam , and the pork knuckles absolutely amazing. Can't wait for our visit again.“

“Great dinner. Drinks, apps and entree all delicious.“

“We were here on April 20th for brunch, from Toronto, Canada! We were so pleased with the hospitality, tasty brunch and professional service by the manager (distinguished gentleman) and waitstaff who accommodated us as a group of 10 for my bachelorette! We are so quickly we didn't get a chance to take pics, but the goblets (they were huge!) of bottomless mimosas made into the photo reel. Thank you for a great experience, we will be back!“

“Great food, delicious cocktails, great vibe!!“

“Chicken sandwiches are phenomenal“

“Great fried chicken, excellent poboys, love the Italian food.“

“Even after more years than I can count (before Katrina) I continue to eat and rate their fried chicken the BEST in NEW ORLEANS. My partner and I bought a house one block from Jazz Fest only to discover that an epicurean fried chicken feast was within walking distance. I proudly wear my purple McHardy's t-shirt BUT I lust after a PINK shirt...hint hint. Y'all know who I am. It goes without saying that I highly recommend McHardy's to EVERYONE. You will enjoy.“

“Such a fabulous restaurant with a phenomenal atmosphere. The staff is amazing! Sunday brunch out of this world! And lunch phenomenal as well. We definitely suggest going to miss River.“

“I visited the location on Ponchatrain in Nola last night _ I will NEVER dine in late at night - The host was outside playing with the managers dog in the parking lot - She walked in the side door and greeted me picked up the menu and NEVER sanitized or washed her hands. The server complained about it being slow- My food came out cold- The manager on duty last didn't care- They put my side dishes in the microwave They served me the same cold chicken I sent back and just put it on the grill for a few minutes. Horrible customer service experience and the quality of the food was worse.“

“Excellent meal. Excellent service.“

“Carol and I were excited to be visiting The Big Easy for the first time in our lives, since a business trip presented the ideal opportunity. Many friends and family listed the restaurants that we should visit. We started down the list, but one night we didn't want to walk far from the convention center. Google showed a highly rated restaurant close by, and after looking at the menu, we decided to visit Annunciation. Upon being seated, an observation of my surroundings revealed that Annunciation pays attention to detail. Our waiter, Sam, was the consummate steward, we always felt well-attended to. Now, ordinarily, complimentary bread would not be mentioned in a review... were it not for a few nights earlier, at THE celebrity restaurant in town, no bread was offered. So let me say that the bread and butter at Annunciation is premium and fresh, and if you eat it all, more is offered! I had the Roasted Duck, while Carol got the Chef's Choice Ravioli. We both enjoyed every bite! We spent 6 nights in the city. Annunciation is the only restaurant I'm taking the time to write a review for. That is how good they are.“

“We’ve been trying to eat at Boucherie forever, and finally the stars aligned in our busy schedules to pop in. Lucky for us they were having some happy hour specials! We couldn’t decide so we ordered everything! The rumors are true y’all, the food is AMAZING. Deceptively simple items like roasted Brussels & a burger were some of the best I’ve ever eaten! We sat at the bar, & everyone from hostess to waitstaff were so accommodating & fun! The bartender served us classic cocktails & more imaginative beverages that were more delicious than the last, in a town that had its share of ‘must try’ menus. We only intended to get a snack, & we left stuffed. My companion described the gumbo as “the best he’d ever had,” and that’s saying something! Cannot wait to go back!!“

“Today I stopped by for an oyster po'boy and gumbo. Unfortunately, they were out of oysters and po'boy bread, so I opted for the shrimp on toast with gumbo. I must say, the food was really good! It's always those corner store places that have some of the best food. The shrimp sandwich was full of perfectly fried and battered shrimp. I like that they do not over batter the shrimp. The gumbo was excellent for gumbo that's not "your mama's." Deep roux, full of meat, and flavorful. I really enjoyed both. Customer service was fine! Parking is a little weird.“

“Best Cochon De Lait poboy ever!!!“

“Great service! Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. Awesome music by the band (Traige). Great view of the Lakefront.“