Mardi Gras On Madison

I went in after seeing a post on Facebook for po boys. I went in and the staff was friendly. I ordered the shrimp po boy. There was a $2 upcharge for fries. Got the hot honey on the sandwich. It didn't take time to prepare my order. I would love for more items on the menu to choose from.

Got my food, it was great. Very tasty and the sauce really brought out the favor. The sandwich was full of of shrimp. Not a huge shrimp eater but it was definitely really good. The fries were seasoned and taste really good. Enjoyed the favor or the entire meal. It was hot and prepared to order.

I will definitely come back to try other menu items. The staff was nice, space welcoming, and food really good. I heard they have some homemade drinks that I want to try as well.

the food is amazing! I got the catfish po-boy and they give you a good amount of fish and chips are on the side. You can always add another side as well but for a pricey up-charge.

The ambiance is beautiful! The Mardi Gras feel is throughout the entire restaurant including NOLA style music. I love the artistic freedom they took with making it their own.

Now for the downside (3 stars). I understand how much it takes to keep a restaurant running however I wish they had a better system for their open schedule. Its way to hit or miss and honestly can deter people from their business. I asked our waitress and she said Wednesdays are a maybe and Thursday Friday are usually a yes. Saturdays are also a possibility but should check Facebook prior to coming out.

Love the food just dislike their system. But check em out and give them a try for your next party!

I'm happy to report they have improved the customer service aspect of the business. They came and checked on our table, interacted with us and made the experience much more enjoyable. Today, I had the shrimp po' boy and MAN WAS IT GOOD!. Like ... in a cracksauce kind of way!! Not sure what all goes into it but it was spilling all over with shrimp and there was enough shrimp for every bite. This place has the biggest most bestest po' boys in the city hands down. The seasoning was perfect and I was extremely satisfied with the meal. I'm so glad I came back...and that they were open. This is such a good destination for foodies looking for gastric satisfaction. It's a must-do in my opinion. I can't imagine anyone leaving and disliking the food.

Not so humbly submitted,
Michael C.

A couple of years back I was happy to write the first Yelp review for Mardi Gras on Madison. Yes, it was a rave.

I can no longer stand by that review.

It's not because of the food, which I've thought was delicious on the two or three occasions that I've tried it.

It's not because of the service.

It's not because of the decor, which apparently isn't sophisticated enough for some of Cincinnati's many, many cosmopolitan, chic, and refined Yelpers.

I wouldn't know about any of those things now, though, because Mardi Gras on Madison's absurd "homeraunt" business model means that I haven't been able to enjoy a meal there in probably two years.

It's not for lack of trying. When I've thought about visiting this restaurant, I've checked the Facebook page to see if they're serving, as they have suggested. I've checked the Twitter feed. We've randomly driven by without doing an online check, thinking we'd go if it were actually open and, of course, we end up somewhere else.

For 8 or 10 consecutive times that I've wanted to go there, it has been closed. That's too many times.

Maybe it's because I want to go there at really weird and unreasonable times, when apparently almost nobody else in town wants to go out to eat. Like Friday or Saturday evening.

At this point, I'm still not exactly sure what "homeraunt" means. But from this customer's standpoint, it apparently means that its owners would rather be at "home" when I want to be at their "restaurant."

I haven't written off Mardi Gras on Madison, but this unpredictability sure has become tedious.

UPDATE (10/17): We were in the neighborhood at 7pm last Friday evening and tried to go for dinner. Closed, of course. Crazy us: We're always trying to visit restaurants at off-times.

The food was Amazing. Let's start there. Like amazing is an understatement. I will be back. But this is a real review so outside of the food there were 2 issues. 1.service - I initially tried to call in. I was told, "we are not busy just come in. We don't do call ins." But I was busy. I wanted to walk-in pay, then walk out-

I show up and there were 2servers. The older woman was pleasant the younger woman who I now realized was the woman on the phone may not like her job or just didn't want to be there on that day .. no smile, no acknowledgement, mumbled her way through taking my order.

I also noticed the phone timing and order being taken over the phone...

When my food came out - again, it looked amazing. It wasn't what I ordered tho. I ordered the shrimp po-boy with spicy honey fries. A catfish po-boy is what I got. It looked so good that I contemplated not saying thing. This was a simple mistake. The Older waitresses was hospitable about it and fixed it.

2. The hours of operation- I asked, I got an answer and there was no real answer. This food is so good that it needs to be open 7 days a week as a restaurant. Since I couldn't call in and had to walk away from work, I figured I would work from there. But quickly found that after I took the time to order my food sit, plug in my computer and get my food - I heard someone say they are closing at 2. Super inconvenience to my working lunch. Cincinnati YOU need to support this place so it can have actual hours of operation - even if it's just a food truck somewhere

I have been stalking the New Orleans To Go food truck for years. We have just never been able to be at the same place at the same time. Now they have a brick and mortar restaurant in Walnut Hills, so I don't have to hunt any more!

I had dinner there tonight, and it was delicious. I got the Shrimp Po' Boy and Spicy Honey Fries. DAMN!! Super tasty batter on the shrimp, and the fries were really well seasoned and the spicy honey was a great add.

Let me tell you why this sandwich was especially amazing: I haven't actively eaten a shrimp since December 26, 1999, due to a food poisoning experience. It was so bad that I used to change the channel if a Red Lobster ad came on. As of recently, I've maybe had some ground shrimp in egg rolls or sushi, so I've been coming around. This Po' Boy is the first shrimp dish I've intentionally ordered in 15 years, and I would not hesitate to order it again! Really tasty!!

They have beer (Abita Varieties), wine, and liquor. The liquor was up on display behind the bar, but it was Well Liquor quality booze. Like really low-end stuff... With the Growler House next door, and Myrtle's Punch House basically across a parking lot, their patrons know their booze, so they might want to amp up their alcohol quality to attract carry-over business. The other gripe I had was their decor. Flair for food, aesthetics, not so-much. Sparce decor in the dining area, typical beads and Mardi Gras masks, etc. Overly lit with fluorescent bulbs. Bathroom literally decorated with spray paint (very odd/poorly done).

Now technically they are still in their "soft opening" phase, so they are still learning. Grand Opening is on Mardi Gras (as it should be). The food here rocks, service was really good too. Decor is the only missing component here. "Trendy" lighting, a bathroom repaint, oh, and better liquor on display, this place will rock!

This is a tough one for me and is somewhere between 3-4 stars. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the food here - it's absolutely amazing, spot on, New Orleans style food. The thing that lacks is the service, both for dining in and take out, and the hours.

There are not nearly enough people to attend to customers. The first time I went, it took almost an hour to get our take out order and they were absolutely packed and then some. I understand that this is a small time operation and the owner who makes all the food only has a few people that help her out, but it's a definite drawback for me.

The hours are not consistent. You have to check Facebook daily to see if they're open and what's being served. Once they run out of food, that's it, no more, don't even think about it. When I went the first time (for lunch take out), nearly half the menu was already sold out and by the time I got my take out order, only 2 things remained and they were quite close to closing for the day. It makes me wary to want to come back because I'm not sure if they'll be open or what might be on offer. I'm totally cool with a menu that changes day to day, but selling out and closing early, while great for the business (they're obviously in high demand), makes me hesitant to keep trying to go here.

On food alone, I would come back again and again because holy cow do they knock it straight out of the park! Based on the other factors, my review rating has to be lowered overall. I'll still return now and again when I'm able to catch them while they're open.

Not closed, just open by chance. They have a notice on Facebook that they were there this past Tuesday. Hubby and I stopped in last week and picked it up at lunchtime for dinner.

You have to follow them on Facebook or Twitter to know what's up, although they don't update Twitter as often as they update Facebook.

In any case, my shrimp po'boy and my husband's pasta were delicious as usual. Also had dessert-peach cobbler tart. Wow. Was that good!

I come here as often as I can because the service, good, and natural feel of the restaurant are all excellent.

This has to be the best kept secret in the City of Cincinnati. The food is imported directly from NOLA and the owner is a native of NOLA. It's clean with a jazzy ambience that makes you feel as if you're dining in the heart the Bayou!

I recommend everything! There is not an item that I have tried that was sub par. Get here and get here fast because when the food is gone, the doors close!

Hubby and I were celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary and were looking for something different. I saw the flier below and thought we'd give it a go on a Sunday afternoon. We're so glad we did!!

We were among the first to arrive at 1:50. We were offered mimosas shortly after we sat ourselves. Everyone had a warm smile, like they were genuinely glad we'd come. The band was still setting up, but soon blessed us with their mellow melodies. I bounced in my seat a little and waited for the food that we'd heard so much about.

The food was served just before 2:30.... Everything was HOT and delicious! The menu consisted of collard greens, gumbo, sweet potato casserole, fried catfish, cheesy grits, and the best cornbread I've ever had. The flavors were perfectly crafted for each dish and made my tastebuds dance a happy dance. The portion sizes were generous and there was even an option to have seconds.

The owner shared with the restaurant that we were celebrating our anniversary and everyone joined in our celebration. Everything was amazing from the food to the band to the atmosphere.

Follow them on Twitter @NewOrleanstoGo to ensure you don't miss the next one. You'll be glad you did!