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The line was long - but worth it.
Had the Famous Ferdi Special #1. It was delicious - the flavors of different meats are so rich and complex. The juices made for pretty messy eating. The bottom bread was completely soaked through - reminded me of Philippe's double-dipped sandwiches in LA. If only they had the spicy mustard.
Had the deep-fried shrimp po-boy. Awesome! Full of crunchy fat juicy fried shrimp with cole slaw in a giant sandwich.
This place is so busy that the kitchen is disheveled and pretty disgusting looking. That means something coming from me because I've seen some bad kitchens and this one was up there. There is a line out the door and down the block most of the time. Be warned.
I had the Ferdi Special po' boy which is half baked ham and half roast beef with some mustard and onions. It was delicious but the beef was under spiced for something that has supposedly been bathing in it's own juices for hours on end. The ham ain't got nothing on Virginia. It wasn't more flavorful then any other normal ham. It certainly wasn't the best baked ham (as they claim). The gumbo wasn't that spicy and wasn't very memorable. The jambalaya was good with big chunks of sausage and well cooked rice. I also got the crawfish etoufee. It was super creamy and not enough white wine in there to cut the creamy flavor.
Overall I was underwhelmed especially with a line wrapping around the building and the claim to best baked ham. That's a bold statement Mother. One day I'll come again and hopefully the kitchen will be cleaner and the food will be better.
I was in town and stayed at the Ambassador, which is right down the street from Mothers. I had been told, "Try the poboys at Mothers. They're the best." So I thought myself lucky that Mothers ended up being right down the street. Sadly, like the Cafe du Monde, Brennans, and the whole rest of my visit to New Orleans, Mothers was a serious let down.
It's fried seafood on bread. That's it. There's no magic to it. There's gravy. There's also coleslaw of some sort (at least I think it was a vegetable). But there's no magic. Poboys are fried seafood sandwiches without a single thing to recommend them beyond saying "I tried one". The poor, unsuspecting seafood is mercilessly fried into submission. There's no taste to it beyond "crunch" and "grease". The bread, which is supposed to be unique to the poboy, tasted like generic crusty baguette. I feel I've had McFish sandwiches that tasted better than these did.
Between the terrible food, the atrocious customer service, and the generally unappealing nature of the place, I can't find a single redeeming thing about the place. I know there are many people who rave about Mothers and the food in New Orleans. I guess it's just not to my taste.
Mother's is legendary. I've heard about it on every travel and food channel as well as read about it in magazines, but still wondered, "Okay, can it be that good?"
Well I went for breakfast last weekend and found out. I had the debris biscuit and a blood mary. I'm not a smoker but that debris biscuit was sooooo good I felt I might need a cigarette afterwards. The bloody mary was excellent too, but a bit spicy so if you don't like spice this might not be the place to order one.
There was a huge line outside the door but it moved fast so if you run into a line, it is still all good.
Can't wait to go back.
We stayed at the Staybridge, which is right across the street from Mother's. Each morning we had a great view of the lines of people waiting to get in.
This is how it works:
You walk in, they give you a menu.
You line up by the counters, deciding what you want to order.
You place you order with the cashier, and pay.
Drinks are picked up to the right of the cashier.
You find your seats, with your receipt in hand.
A waiter/waitress will come by, and take your receipt, listing your order.
You wait 20-30 minutes for your food.
So now that you are fully aware of the process, here is what we ordered (for four people):
Jambalaya, large
Gumbo, large
Oyster, soft shell crab and fried shrimp po boy
THE BAD: The reason for the 3 stars would have to go straight to the jambalaya. None of us liked it; in fact, we all had one bite and pushed it aside. It was sour (ketchupy) and that was the only taste you got from it. Oh, it had good sausage. That's ALL it had going for it. (Good thing we decided to give jambalaya another try at another place or else this would've ruined us forever). The oyster po boy was also ehhh... the oysters just didn't taste fresh and was very seafoody, which makes me gag.
THE GOOD: The shrimp po boy was really good. Really, really good. Shrimp was fresh and plentiful. Same goes for the soft shell crab po boy. I would definitely recommend these. The gumbo was also good, but seemed quite watered down. I had HEARD there was a shrimp... ONE SHRIMP in someone's bowl. Obviously not mine. No one else had a shrimp :(
Each day we'd see lines of 20-30 people outside of Mother's. I guess it's a good experience for NOLA, but definitely not the definition of NOLA food.
Go once just to try, so you can say "been there, done that". But don't base your opinions of NOLA food on Mother's.
When I think of Cajun I think of Mother's. Authentic and a hundred times better than the cajun I get back home.
The Crawfish Etoufee Omlette is a must try!
I can't believe I was going to leave town and not try Mother's. That would have been truly unfortunate. Thanks to my Nola crew, they were able to slap some sense into me and drag my behind there for breakfast this morning. I'm not really a big breakfast person, but that crawfish etoufee omlette, hot biscuits, and debris converted me. Sweet Jesus that was a good breakfast!
I highly recommend Mother's for breakfast.
Delicious though it may be, I couldn't bring myself to order anything involving "debris". Perhaps I have some subconscious aversion to eating something which is, in my mind, more or less synonymous with... well... shit.
I did, however, have a pretty excellent fried shrimp po' boy (2/3 size).
[Aside: "po' boy" must be one of the more hilarious things for someone with an English accent to say].
I went off-hours (4.30pm), and the absence of the large queue meant I wandered around the place for a few minutes looking like a moron, not sure how or where to order, or wait for my food (for the record: order at the register, sit nearby, and wait for your number to be called).
My sandwich was excellent -- seasoned, lightly breaded, lightly fried shrimp were golden, plump and tender. Dressing and cocktail sauce was subtle, and let the shrimp shine. The bread was just right: soft and yielding, moderately dense, with only a tiny bite to the crust.
i came here for breakfast and beat the morning rush.. thankfully there was not a long line that i've seen run out the door..
i got the crawfish etoufee omlette.. the crawfish was well seasoned... deeply flavored.. yet not super heavy.. the grits were a bit heavy.. and the omlette itself was tad overcooked.. the freshly baked biscuits were heavenly.. flaky buttery goodness..
oveall.. i'd come here if there's no line.. otherwise i'd just go somewhere else..
I've been to a New Orleans about half a dozen times, and I've never disliked any food until Mother's. I almost feel bad for saying it too. Mother's is one of those places that survived Katrina with stride. Mother's had quite the line of hungry customers when I got there. It moved quick enough and before I knew it we were through the door.
After checking out the menu, you order at the counter and have a seat. A waiter will find you and bring you your food. I ordered Shrimp Gumbo and salad. The salad was fine, I mean really how could you mess up a salad? The gumbo tasted terrible. I didn't have more than two bites! It tasted like pool water was used to cook it. Yuck. My roomie had the Jambalaya and practically licked her bowl clean. I was sad to leave a place with such notoriety hungry.
Mother's is a 4 star place - not just for the food, but for the experience.
Coming from Los Angeles, I wasn't sure what to expect from Mother's, but everyone said I had to try it while visiting NOLA. They were right. It was one of the top three highlights of my visit.
I arrived at 11:30am on a Thursday, and no one was waiting in line. I walked up to the counter and asked the girl what was on their Po' Boy (said I was visiting) and she recommended the Fried Shrimp version.
Note: Don't buy the 2/3 version, it's less than a $1 difference, and the leftovers still taste great later.
Not only was she right - the sandwich tasted amazing - but the atmosphere had such a homey feeling. The service was great and I just wanted to stay all afternoon.
By the time I sat down (11:40am or so) there was a line all down the counter - and when I left, it went out the door and halfway down the building, too.
The food here was average but the Ferdi was great and that's why I give it 4 stars. It wasn't as big as expected but it was still quite tasty with all the different flavors together and very well seasoned. The workers are also very nice as we joked with them while waiting in line. Seems to be another place in NOLA with all tourists again. Also, had the fried shrimp po boy and that was nowhere near the level of the Ferdi. Overall not too costly and really good if you stick with the thing that made them famous.
Let me start off by saying that Mother's is as close to good old fashioned New Orleans home cooking as you'll get. It's better than a bunch of those new fangle dangle places in the French Quarter.
The place is usually packed for lunch and it's hard to find a table, but that's okay... don't walk out the door... wait and have someone grab a table when one opens up.
The po-boys are great; that's all I eat there. If I want gumbo, I just go home to my dad's house and eat his. Mother's gumbo is pretty good though. Out of towners will love it.
I came here years ago b/c of all the great reviews. I remember it not being so good but decided to give it another try. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing?
Today I ordered the Fried Shrimp w/Grits & Collard greens w/ham. The best tasting piece of the dish was the creamy butter for the grits. The shrimp and veggies didn't have much flavor. The portion was huge. Not cheap - $15. I wish they just gave less of mediocre food for cheaper prices.
The service was horrible. I asked for tartar sauce 3x (twice to the waiter and once to the cook behind the counter). The waiter looked annoyed even though I was supposed to get it w/my dish.
I only ate 1/3 of the food. Frustrated that I couldn't get any eye contact or service - I didn't bother asking for a box to take the left overs home. Better to scrap the $15, get out of there, and never return.
WIsh I had gone to the Cuban place around the corner. C'est la vie.
I stopped by because my friends from Louisiana recommended the place. This restaurant was open since 1938. I think that's amazing. The place is small, but welcoming. Once you walk in, the smell is mouth watering. I got a 13 inch fried shrimp po boy. The bread is warn and soft. DELICIOUS! It gets busy during lunch. Go in the evening when it's less crowded.
Ferdi Special. Yum. They use root beer in the marinade!
Shoestring fries were the best.
Shrimp po' boy was 3/5 stars. Worth the long line!
I wanted to love Mothers. I just managed to like it. I had my first meal here after getting off the plane- a grilled catfish po'boy. I know, I should have gone with the fried but I had not fully gotten rid of the California leanings. The po'boy was okay. However, my friend's soft shell crab entree was much better. The crabs were huge - bigger than any roll I've even seen.
My dad is from Louisiana, so of course i've been there plenty of times. We hit this famous Cajun restaurant up Thursday, to satisfy our Po' Boy hunger. I ordered a 2/3 fried shrimp sandwich with fries. The sandwich didn't disappoint at all.
This restaurant is in the heart of tourist country, so beware. It's alittle pricey, but the service and the food is well worth it.
RIP Grandma................
This historic restaurant is well-known and usually crowded, often with a line to get in. We stopped in for an early lunch & it was rainy, so we easily got seats.
We had jambalaya and a sausage po' boy sandwich. Both were delicious, with an ample serving of jambalaya and the po' boy was large.
The service was fine. This is an enjoyable place to visit on an occasional basis.
The atmosphere is stark, busy, old-fashioned - I'm sure the interior hasn't changed in decades.
Not sure what the fuss is all about. We stayed at the W hotel across the street and saw the constant line of people out the door. (yeah, apparently, in New Orleans, you have to wait for food everywhere you go).
unfortunately, our experience is jaded, because they lost our order of friend chicken. We ended up with seafood gumbo and a sandwich.
the sandwich was top notch. (I can't recall what it was, because i was just mooching off of a buddy), but if came with some sort of meat sauce - and that is what stole the show.
the seafood gumbo was probably the best we had in new orleas (better than the Gumbo Shop). You can really taste the file (pronounced "'fee-lay") which apparently is the wood/bark stuff that is made into powder to give the gumbo a smoky taste.
Who goes to Mothers?
Everyone and their Mother! (yes, long lines...)
Who avoids mothers?
Folks who don't need to wait for pretty expensive food and really sh*tty service.
This was our first stop after getting off the plane in New Orleans. We ordered the fried chicken, famous Ferdi Po'Boy and the bread pudding. We started off with the Ferdi which is baked ham, roast beef and debris (the yummy drippings left in the pan after the meat is roasted) on a soft roll. It was tasty and my first experience having debris. Where have you been all my life? I am a fan! The fried chicken came 25 minutes later because it is made to order -- it's not sitting under a heat lamp (they tell you this before you order). The chicken was wonderful - cooked perfectly with a thin crispy, salty skin. We finished with the bread pudding which was good but not the best I've had. It was the perfect meal after a long day of traveling.
The setting and service is not the best... just remember you are there for the food.
I've passed by so many times, seen the lines of tourists, and said to myself, "Suckers." Sorry, Mother's, but I'm just against ridiculous lines on principle.
Some new friends from out of town came in for one day only, however, and we decided to head here around 9:30 PM. This was probably the only reason I enjoyed dinner. The restaurant was empty and the servers were pretty much waiting to close. However, they were still incredibly friendly to our medium-sized group (5 people), letting us know where to order, chatting it up about where we all were from, talking about Katrina and their business (we were reading the back of the menu aloud).
I ordered a plate of fried oysters and French fries. The serving size was huge; I had enough for lunch the next day. The fries were crisp and hot, and you can't really mess up oysters.
2 friends got a fried shrimp po-boy to share, and the others each got a fried chicken po-boy (I don't really know why). The chicken was just a bit dry but had a good breading on it. The fried shrimp was delicious, hot and flavorful.
Not bad but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
Perhaps my taste buds were inundated with awesomeness at Willie Mae's, making this an unfair review. Still, I was underwhelmed by Mother's.
The set-up is very informal with a long line that moves relatively fast. After some debate as to how much we could manage to eat after a fried-chicken lunch, we ordered Jerry's Jambalaya, the shrimp creole, the seafood gumbo, and the Famous Ferdi Special po' boy with Mother's best ham, roast beef, debris, and gravy. We also tried to order a side of ham, but they messed up our order and we weren't in the mood to complain. The only one of the dishes I would be excited to eat again was the Jerry's Jambalaya, which boasted bold seasonings and a just-melded-enough texture. The shrimp creole was entirely forgettable, and the gumbo was good, though very salty. The po' boy was a bit of a disappointment. It was really no more than the sum of its ingredients, tasty but resistible.
Mother's is an establishment, and I'm glad that we went. That said, I won't cry if it was a once-in-a-lifetime visit.
You know, sometimes the hype doesn't live up to the expectation, and this is one of those times. Standing outside for 20 minutes in the blazing sun only to get inside and stand in another line to then realize there are plenty of seats. The holdup is that there is only one cash register...doesn't make me happy.
The food? Meh. The service? They work their butts off. The sign? "No tipping! Our employees cannot accept tips". However, when the management is not around, "We accept tips you know" can frequently be heard. I would prefer the sign to be removed.
Filled with pictures of stars as ambiance, I saw a real one, Alexander Skarsgrd (Eric) from True Blood was there and yes, he's hotter in person.
It's been years since I braved the lines to get a mediocre sandwich from what used to ne a New Orleans institution but a friend wanted to go so we did. I got our order and waited, no sandwiches after a long while I asked and the "gentleman' told me to be more attentive as he called me but I did not show so he gave the sandwiches away. Well there were 3 of us and none heard him call. After looking at him a while I asked for my money back and he walked off. I asked then for the money back but they refused and offered to redo the order, so after over an hour with that stuff we had very poorly made sandwiches. I say never go there, and tell everyone they go at their own risk.
Bad food, terrible service after you wait in line 30 or more minutes. Go somewhere else and save yourself the grief.
This is a fun spot for a filling meal. We went for a late breakfast and the food was good, not great but this is a cafeteria style restaurant and the food is typical for that type of establishment.
I loved the service and I think that's what makes this place great. The folks working there are just the right amount of fun and sass. I noticed that one person asked what the deal is with the 'no tipping' signs. Well I asked about that and was told that those signs were put up there a million years ago and if they removed them the walls may come down! Tipping is at the discretion of the customer.
And hey Tony G, Ihave to mention the remark about a white guy behind the cash register handling the money and African Americans only performing the wait service and cooking. Lighten up buddy, does everything have to be about race? Your one experience at this place tells you that this restaurant is run in a racist manner? Give me a break, all the workers were people of color the day I was there. They were all fabulous. End of subject.
I'd go again, you may avoid the long lines late in the morning, 11ish was perfect.
Ya. I was so not impressed here. I got the oyster poboy and it was freaking huge. Seriously peeps-you are serious if you can finish the full sandwich. Probably better to get the 2/3 size (strange size, btw). They say that the bread makes the poboy great, but seriously, I was not impressed with the roll. The oysters were good though. My friends wanted breakfast so they ordered the breakfast platter, and I don't know if it's normal, but their ham was cold. And the amount of grits on that plate was a bit ridiculous. Everyone felt disappointed in a way... the saving grace was their pecan pie. That is serious shit. eat it!
This place may dish out five star food to those that are used to california burgers and sprouts on a daily basis, but i grew up on gumbo and jambalaya. Serving up a plate of cold red beans with some hard rice just doesnt cut it for me!
We came to mothers kind of on a whim...didnt have any time to plan out a nice dinner in nola so we just dropped in at about 10pm one night. They were pretty busy due to some convention that was in town so there was a bit of a line when we got there. Service was friendly and prompt so no complaints in that area.
My plate consisted of red beans and rice, chicken, potato salad, jambalaya, cabbage, and crawfish etoufee. In a place where flavor is king, they have watered down the good Louisiana flavor to cater to the tourists from New Hampshire, Nebraska, and Minneapolis who cant handle a little lemon in their water.
I poured on the crystal hot sauce and added as much taste as I could and it turned out to be a decent meal.
One last thing I want to mention is that every employee in the joint was black except for one...the one handling the money. They must have had at least 20 people running around that place but the one waldo looking fool that was there was the only one allowed to touch one penny...a coincidence or just typical Louisiana racism?
Now have I tasted our culture's divide;
it's somewhere between the Gulf and L.A.
This Mother's leads proud for the other side,
you'll see soon too, why I say what I say.
"No meat whatsoever" - those were my words,
she nodded and then repeated them twice.
but soon I had doubts that she ever heard,
as soon as I saw my red beans and rice.
With sausage atop and bacon below
as well as a third meat hiding in greens
I knew I couldn't eat it when she bestowed
the meatiest dish without meat i've seen.
So here, "no meat" means "no meat on its own"
down here in the Gulf, no beans cook alone.
My sonnet of dubious meter notwithstanding, seriously people, if you are vegetarian, especially one from the coasts, don't listen to everyone else when they want you to take you to classic New Orleans restaurants like Mother's. You can't just 'make it vegetarian' like you can back home. It's a different country down there and touristy bragging rights aren't worth multiple dinners of bread and iceberg lettuce.
Yum - Get a few people together, order fish platter with jambalaya and etoufee and an order of red beans and rice. Yum
On our last day in New Orleans, we decided to go the Mother's, as the local New Orleans suggested it to us. While trying to find the location, we passed the restaurant. To our surprise, there was no one lining up. We circled around and found street parking. During the 15-20 minutes that elapsed, a line had formed and about 10 people were in front of us.
When we were finally inside, we had to order the Ferdi Special Po' Boy (baked ham, roast beef, debris & gravy) as well as the Jambalaya (my friend is a jambalaya eater, so he must try all of them). There were 3 of us, so we ordered 2 Ferdi and one Jambalaya. Not shockingly, we did not finish it.
The Ferdi was really good. It was warn, not too hot, and had sauce dripping out. The bread was hard after a couple of minutes, but using my creative mind, I just used the sauce to moisten the break. It was good. The jambalaya was good as well. It had a little kick to it.
The staff were really nice and friendly. Also, they have a large sign that says "DO NOT TIP". Under this sign, it says that the waiters are not allowed to keep tip. So unfortunately, we did not tip. In hindsight, we should have probably left some tip. If anyone has any clarification, please let me know.
I had a light hangover, not a heavy one. We dropped my attorney at the airport and then my cousin and I had lunch here. I had the whole soft shelled crab sandwich. I was winded and slowing after 2/3's of it but finished strong; a fantastic, fantastic sandwich. I enjoyed also the bloody mary in a plastic cup. I finished lunch at 12:30 Central time. Back to the airport, flight to LAX, sprint from terminal 5 to 3, flight to Seattle, cab ride, bed, up in the morning, pick up the dog from the 'dog lounge', off to work, 1 P.M., light lunch meaning I DIDN'T GET EVEN A LITTLE BIT HUNGRY FOR ALMOST 24 HOURS THAT SANDWICH WAS JUST A CRUSHER. I still think about it from time to time, man I like deep fried soft shelled crab between bread, boy, do I!
Our service was excellent considering (a) the line that went out the door and along the building on a humid August day, and (b) the "Do not tip" signs plastered all over the restaurant. You want to tip. The guys and girls servicing that place are working their butts off getting as many po boys, fried chickens, jambalayas, and breakfasts to your table as possible.
The line is long, the ordering is loud and it sets you up to believe your order will be wrong, switched or worse... forgotten. Then the food does make it by some whimsical stroke of luck and amidst the chaos on the floor you'll find solace at your table and bliss on your plate.
I've only been once, and this was two weeks ago, but the Famous Ferdi Special was definitely THE BEST sandwich I've ever eaten. I found out that the pinnacle sandwich in my view has multiple meats (roast beef, ham and "debris" in this case) is mustardy, very juicy despite not being dipped, and on a FRESH french roll. There's other junk on the sandwich too but I don't need to supply the details. Look it up, read about it, and most imoprtantly: GO! It is awesome and I cannot wait to go back to New Orleans to get another bite.
had the debris sandwich.
i forget the name of this sammich, but it was gloriously tasty.
mother's gets a bit busy, and as always, i hate lines that snake through the seating. but, biting into my drippy, juicy sandwich made all those gripes disappear.
awesome jambalaya, so savory and wholesome.
they brag about having the best ham. gotta give em credit. it is lean and light. not salty, not sweet, etc. great job.
staff is great. love the history of this place.
I looooove Mothers! I don't go there too often because it is a bit pricey and the touristy crowds can get annoying, but you can't find a better roast beef poboy than this. roast beef is phenomenal and I love their breakfasts. Omelets , pancakes and biscuits that will make your mouth water! And some fantastic bread pudding for desert!!
How can this have three 1/2 stars? are people crazy?? I don't know what you ordered but there is only one thing to order after you stand in line for thirty minutes and that is a ferdi with debri, fries and a drink. Soft po-boy bread smothered with New Orleans style Au jus, with fresh made roast beef and ham OHHHH MAN is it good. My wife and I saw it on the food network yesterday and almost went through the TV to get at it. Other awesome sandwiches are the turkey and roast beef with debris and the Ham and turkey with Debris.
What puts them above the rest is they roast fresh roast beef, turkeys and hams everyday, so they are super fresh and with a homemade flavor.
Went to this restaurant for breakfast...it was hop'n the line never seemed to end. We each had the breakfast special..eggs, meat (we had ham..since they said they have the best ham town) grits, 2 biscuits and coffee for $9.
The only thing that I didn't like was the eggs...they were runny, are they suppose to be like that in the south? I just put a ton of hot sauce and ketchup. The best I must say was the biscuit's they weren't dried out or anything. Very good....a must try if you go to New Orleans, promise it will be packed!
Great oyster/shrimp po' boy and bread pudding. Friendly service. Inexpensive and fun.
One of our favorite places to visit in NOLA. To get out Southern Fix.
Home cooking don't expect much for ambiance, but the food statifies us. It's a hole in the wall. Very old. Right next to the W Hotel Convention Center where we stayed.
We been here a handful of times, not really a breakfast fan but I did enjoy going their for lunch or dinner.
Just make sure you don't linger staring what to order. Step to the side or the regulars will start yelling at you or staff. The door person/greeter is very nice. He will give you some pointers.
New Orleans, LA
Category: Restaurants
New Orleans, LA
Category: Seafood
New Orleans, LA
Category: Sandwiches
New Orleans, LA
Category: Cajun/Creole
New Orleans, LA
Category: Grocery
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