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Categories: Cajun/Creole, Music Venues
9110 Center StreetFrom 9:30 to midnight & sometimes later. Upcoming acts this weekend are Zac Quintana (Friday) and Orren Polak (Saturday).
Mon-Wed. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I've been back a couple of times since my last visit.
First Visit: Met Seab and Sue H. for dinner here one evening during Fall Jubilee Day in Old Town Manassas. We sat outdoors in the closed off side street. The place was packed and lively with activity. A Cajun band was jamming out some tunes and there was a bit of dancing going on.
Ordered the fried crawfish tails as an appetizer, a bowl of the Gumbo, and the Crawfish Etouffee. Plus a beer.
The Crawfish tails, and the spicy Remoulade were very tasty, But I was somewhat disappointed in the Gumbo - which I've had there before. It had way to much Okra in it and just was not as savory and rich as it usually is. The Crawfish Etouffee was also missing it's usual pizzazz.
Service was good, was an enjoyable evening.
Second Visit: My friend Lori and I visited for dinner on a Sunday evening. It's the first time I've eaten inside since they closed down the neighboring Foundation and expanded Okra's into the space. It was the lightest crowd I've ever seen at Okra's.
We both ordered red wines, I ordered the Carmen Merlot and she ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon and we shared the Alligator Bites appetizer with a side of Remoulade sauce. The Alligator bites seemed to be just a tad overcooked - the Remoulade sauce as always was mouthwatering - smoky and spicy!
For our entrees - I ordered the Tabasco Mixed Grill and Lori ordered the Pasta Diablo.
The Tabasco Mixed Grill is red beans and rice, with one French cut pork chop, a Cajun spiced chicken breast, and several savory grilled shrimp on a skewer, all drizzled over with Andouille gravy. Everything was divine - I started with the pork chop - was impressed with the tenderness and flavor, then moved on to the chicken, which was amazingly tender, savory, and good, but the shrimp was best of all. The red beans and rice and Andouille gravy were so tasty!
Afterward, we split a pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For some reason, I thought I detected the slight flavor of bacon in the Pecan Pie, but I suppose I could be hallucinating!
Service was very good. Food was very good.
Can't wait to come back!
Finally made it over to Okra's for dinner! WOW! So damn good! I'm sorry I waited so long to check… Read more »
Dinner tonight with Neal E and Sue H. This is as good as it gets in Manassas. Definitely!
Today was Fall Jubilee day in Old Town. The roads were barricaded and the streets were filled with vendors and fun. That ended at 5 PM. What was left was a crowd of hungry people drinking and eating Cajun food. One of the waitresses was dressed as a cat... Purrrrrrrrrrrr... too funny.
Okras took over the side street right next to the restuarant. They brought in a Southern-Cajun style musical group and had live music while customers dined in the road and on the sidewalk. Very cool.
Let's say the place was packed tonight. Okras recently renovated the inside of their restaurant, but tonight, everyone was outside. What a perfect night with the calm weather and fun atmosphere.
Service - I can never brag too much about Okra's service. It is TOP NOTCH. Tonight it was Elizabeth who helped us. She was sweet and very energetic. Positive, great smile, full of energy. Refreshing to be around. Nice to see a place where the people who work the restaurant really enjoy it. That is what I get out of all of Okra's employees.
Let's talk about food...
Had the Mignon Chili. Spicy dish with filet cut in to cubes. The meat was very tender and the chili had some heat. It was a huge portion and I could not finish (OMG!). Also had fried oysters, bowl of gumbo, corn bread, fried okra. Sue H had a chicken and rice/black bean combination. Neal E had something "with mudbugs".
I was very satisfied with my food. Perhaps the raspberry martini and lager beer helped me get to that conclusion, but seriously - Okras does an excellent job.
I find tonights experience to be remarkable due to the chaos caused by the jubilee and they moved the entire restaurant outside. They did not miss a beat and delivered that excellent service and food.
This is my local favorite place.
My Okras Haiku:
Crawfish from the pond
Tomato, roux and spices
Okras étouffée!
Wife and I visited Okra's tonight. It was a Manassas Old Town Date Night. This was our first stop.
We…
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Okra's is an awesome place to go in Old Town. The food simply can't be beat (as long as you like cajon and creole).
If you go at happy hour you will generally find a festive group of rotating regulars. You might even get wrapped up in a impromptu game of trivia. The beer is great, try the Restoration. This used to be the only place you could find Abita amber on tap but now they don't even have it. But they do have a full bar so you can't go wrong.
The food, along with the atmosphere, is what makes Okra's. I've been a couple dozen times and never had a bad experience. The gumbo is in the top two I have ever had. The molasses glazed pork is always moist and delicious. My favorite has to be the tobasco mixed grill - a little bit of everything on one plate.
Friday and Saturday are music nights so be prepared for that. It can get noisy but that is what the people are there for during that time frame. Now that they have outdoor seating it is even better as you can lounge outside with a hurricane and a po boy and watch the world go by.
You really can't get better creole/cajun food north of New Orleans than here. Although I've been coming here for a couple of years, I alweays felt the atmosphere left something to be desired. Now that they've expanded into the restaurant next door, the place feels like a restaurant with a bar, rather than a bar with tables, so eating here feels more relaxing and I really love the place. I come for the the gumbo, po boy sandwiches, red beans and rice and shrimp and grits. Each dish can be ordered in small or large size which is great because sometimes I'm not as hungry and sometimes I want leftover to take home.
I think Okra's is the best place in Manassas because of the whole experience you come away with. The food tickles you taste buds. You can order some wonderfully spicy food or non spicy foods but there is always something on the menu for everyone. I thoroughly love the mashed potatoes or grits with shrimp or salmon and special sauces. The chef even cooked something special for our friend who was a vegetarian. Clams on a half shell, tomato oyster shooters, and bananas foster are selections I just love.
Charles the owner, is there to greet you during your visit and I always go away with a good story or two he shares about Old town and it's patrons.
To top off the experience, on weekend nights and some evenings during the week , there are top notch musicians playing a variety of music. in good weather, dining outside is another plus.
My boyfriend and I tried Okra's for the first time last weekend. It was really good and I would definitely go back. They have Turbo Dog beer on tap which is a New Orleans dark home brew. The food was also excellent. I got the shrimp and grits and it was fantastic. I am looking forward to the next trip.
One of the better places to eat in the Manassas area! Great Crab and Corn Chowder and the Po-Boy's are great as well. They also have live music on some days as well.
Southern Louisiana style Cajun food - right down the street from my house in Old Towne Manassas. The alligator bites are "real alligator" without all the gamey chewiness you get other places. I went for my birthday and they gave me desert on them. I loved the Banana's Foster! The sauce even went delectably over my brother's piece of cake with light and fluffy butter cream frosting. I always come back! Try the dirty rice if you like chicken livers or crayfish!
Okra's is great food in Manassas!
Don't miss the fried okra as an app, it is downright tasty. My mom loved their "dirty rice" and you cant go wrong with their jambalaya! Overall good food, a nice casual atmosphere and an ok place to bring the whole family.
I gave this place 4 stars for a few less than stellar meals I have been served there; I have had to send dishses back twice. Once because my grits were stone cold. The problem was fixed immediately but when you order "shrimp and grits" it should all be piping hot! The second time was because the jambalaya was inedibly spicy. The manager did not believe me and said I was going to be charged for it anyways. She finally served up a dish for herself and was like' "oh, that was REALLY hot. That was the 4th complaint we had about it tonight". I love the jambalaya there and was pretty upset that I was going to have to go without it since it is made once a day (and on that day someone with a heavy spice hand!!)
So a few bad experiences have sullied their record IMHO. Since the prices are a little on the steep side for Manassas, I do expect my meal to be downright perfect. Give Okra's a try!
Last night I chowed down on the andouille po boy (with veggies as a side), while the Beau had the muffeletta (w/o the olive salad on the side). Both dishes were to die for. I absolutely love Okra's vegetables (squash, zucchini and onions)... the seasoning is perfect and they have that smoky grill taste to them as well.
The muffeletta was on the thin side as far as the lunch meat on it was concerned... I was expecting a lot more to come on the sandwich. However, the italian round loaf they use is a pretty big chunk of bread, so, it could have easily dwarfed the portion of lunch meat. Even after sitting for 40 minutes (the Beau arrived late), the muffeletta was still amazing... and the fries kept well, too!!
Best bar in Old Town-- it's the ONLY bar in Old Town that ISN'T sleazy, skeezy, dirty or seething… Read more »
Okra's level of quality has proven itself over multiple lunch trips in the past couple of months. The freshness of the food, the good service and a casual atmosphere, combined with rock-bottom prices really can't be beat.
Yesterday I had a cup of perfect gumbo, the day's special of southern-style Beef Stoganoff over rice and a perfect Crème brûlée for dessert for just over $20! While Beef Stroganoff doesn't sound like it would fit with Cajun food, it was the best I have ever had.
I like Okra's for lunch when working from home. Since the new parking garage opened in Old Town… Read more »
Manassas' old town is a nice blend of antebellum Virginia and hip small urban center. Okra's fits right into that scheme, bringing N'awlins fare to the mid atlantic.
There is an old New Orleans cocktail called a Sazerac, that blends rye whiskey with absinthe, bitters and lemon over simple syrup. Its a rare drink to find in a bar, but when I asked for one here - and double checked if they had absinthe - I knew this place would be good.
Standout dishes include the soups - all amazing, and several of the entree plates. Slightly lower on tower of impressive are the po'boys and fried Okra. Nevertheless, nothing gave me a moment of pause. In fact, next time i'm in old town I will most certainly be back.
Oh, don't miss out on desert here. The pecan pie (ala mode) was heavenly.
I have been going to Okras since the day it opened, as a matter of fact I also used to frequent the Home Plate which was there prior.
Okras is one of the best well cooked, fresh ingredient meals in the Manassas area. For lunch the chicken BLT is good, oysters are always right on, and service is good most of the time. Overall a good dining experience.
My wife and I ate there with my parent's a few months back and we were very, very pleased with the meal. It was a later afternoon lunch so the place was empty save for another table and a few bar flys. The restaurant itself is rather small and they don't take reservations so get there early if you have more than 4 people in your party.
The Firecracker shrimp were really good. We also had the Alligator Bites, they were a little chewy but I've never had alligator before so I really don't know how they are supposed to be.
For entrees we had the shrimp po boy, the pan-seared filet and the shrimp etouffee. The filet was one of the best filet's that I've ever had. It totally blew away any filet I've had at any up-scale steakhouses (like the over-priced Ruth's Chris). My wife loved the po boy, the shrimp was firm and crispy and the etouffee was great.
For dessert we had the creme brulee, a cake special that the owner/chef had won several awards for. Both were very, very good.
We've since eaten there again (about a month ago) a shrimp etouffee and the pan sauce for the filet were very, very salty. Not sure what was going on with that but I chalk it up to an off night in the kitchen. It was a saturday night and the place was absolutely packed with people there for Mardi Gras.
I found out about. I this place when my beautician asked me to get her lunch from here. I am sooo happy that I went. This place really makes you feel like you're in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. My first time visiting I only ordered the crab and corn chowder and it was great!!! Since that was only a sampling I knew I had to go back and visit for myself.
The next time I visited with the intentions of really chowing down. I decided to get the fried okra and I chose the Firecracker shimp and grits. The grits were old school and really thick with vegetables. What I also liked, is that the waiters were very knowledgeable about the menu and made great recommendations.
Sometimes the restaurant has live music (I believe on Friday) and the also have two brunch choices on Sunday. This is not the type of place I'd recommend a large group of people to visit because its rather small and intimate.
I've been to Okra's a few times and find it to be rather charming. The food is tasty and the servings are generous. I'm not a huge fan of Louisana-style food in general, but I can't resist their Muffaletta sandwich or their jumbalaya!
You won't find any better Cajun/Creole in this area.
I lived in pre-Katrina New Orleans for two years and had some great dining expereinces so I have an educated palate on this topic.
The Crawfish Etouffe is the real deal. They have a great menu of all the Cajun favorites. Their Chef Matthew is from N Orleans and does a great job of ensuring that everything is prepared with quality in mind.
They even serve Abita beers on tap!
The staff is friendly and knowledgable and the service is always good.
Next door is the Foundation Room for Sunday brunch.
On the weekends they have live entertainment.
Okra's tries for something of a Mardi Gras vibe with some quirky paintings and multi-colored tinsel adorning the walls. The mediocre ambiance, however, belies the fact that they serve up some excellent food. The chaurice-crusted seared salmon with a mustard-based sauce is one of the finest fish treatments I've had in a long time, and the peppery jambalaya has plenty of shrimp and andouille. This place is definitely a culinary gem in Old Town Manassas.
This place is great!
The atmosphere seems authentic New Orleans style. Very warm with lots of colors and hand painted art on the wall. The place is small, maybe 15 tables with an elevated bar that only seats a few.
The menu is made up of a great selection of Cajun and Creole dishes. The quality of the food is exceptional. The portions are big and are reasonably priced.
Live music is common and not too 'in your face'. The bands play the type of music that works with the ambiance they are trying to create at Okra's
Cajun food is hard to find in NoVa. At this place it's not only good, but well worth a drive.
I love this place! I have never had a bad meal here. The only issue that I have is that the place is very small and the wait can get very long. Since I do not eat seafood, although my fiancee does, I usually order the Gumbo, and fried Okra as a meal. Suprisingly, that is enough food to fill me and leave me satisfied. She always goes with some seafood dish and enjoys it. We take a lot of out of town guests there and they all enjoy it as well. I HIGHLY recommend it.
I have been looking for a good Cajun restaurant and saw all the great reviews for Okra's. I thought that if Okra's couldn't make a decent plate of Red Beans & Rice and Jambalaya, then it wouldn't be worth a return trip. I'm happy to report that both dishes were hits. This is some of the best New Orleans style food that I've had in a long time. The Jambalaya $13 for lunch) is flavorful with lots of shrimp and enough for leftovers the next day. The Red Beans & Rice ($10) is topped with a split sausage, spicy and really hit the spot on a cold rainy Sunday afternoon. (and leftovers) It was so good, I wanted to go back again the next day. My only complaint is a center bar with smoking. I just like to mention this just in case.
I love Okra's! I've been going there for years. The staff is great and so is the food. I'm in love with the corn and crab soup and the gator bites are always great for a late-night snack. It's so refreshing to hear live music there on the weekends; I feel like there isn't enough live music around this area anymore! One thing I miss post-remodeling is the dinosaur shaped chicken tenders with the waffle fries! You can still get the waffle fries, but sadly no more dinosaurs!
I have never had real Cajun food before but I had always wanted to try it. My friend, who has lived in Manassas longer than me, suggested to try it when I mentioned wanting to get some lunch in Old Town Manassas. I have tried a few different dishes. I have had the gumbo(very good), fried crawfish appetizer(yum!), fried okra, and alligator bites(my friend ordered the chicken tenders but they brought out these instead. We didn't notice the difference!).
But my favorite items on the menu are the corn and crab chowder and the crawfish po'boy. Everything was delicious. The chowder had plenty of corn and crab meat. The crawfish po'boy was wonderful and the fries
that came with it were great too. I would definitely recommend this place to all my friends.
I need to spend more time in my own back yard. I have been in the Manassas area over 2 years and finally started checking out the Old Town area. After seeing a review for Okra's, I decided to try it out. I'm glad I did. The jambalaya was really good. The red beans and rice needs a little bit of work, but was still good. The biggest downfall is the smoking, but it is so small, it will surely go non-smoking in December. I will definitely be back.
I ate here last Sat. and I have to say I really enjoyed the food. I got the red beans and rice with a side salad. The flavor was just right. I added a dash of Crystals hot sauce which made it even better.I will def. come back here. Next time I want to try the Po boy sandwich or cat fish sandwich for lunch.
Excellent po-boys here. Tucked away in the old part of Manassas, this was a little difficult to find, but I am glad I did! I frequent Manassas a lot so I will be sure to come back. There are great lunch deals and plenty of beers on tap.
Nice atmosphere, reminds me of New Orleans in look and feel.
Food hits all of the Cajun and Creole highlights including Gumbo, Jambalaya, Shrimp & Grits, Dirty Rice, Etouffee, etc. It's all done pretty authentically which is nice and it's all pretty tasty.
The Alligator Bites are a nice novelty and the name is a lovely pun.
They make the meanest Hot & Dirty Martini I've ever had! I'll go there just for that drink,
Try the po boys for a quick bite.
The prices are amazingly good for the quality, portion size, and the fact that it's in this location.
This restaurant has the New Orleans and Mardi Gras feel to it. There are lots of bright colorful paintings on the wall. The bar is generally pretty populare. Food is pretty good. They have items from Gumbo to steaks! The times that I have been it is generally very good.
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