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The New Orleans Creole Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Cajun/Creole Cajun/Creole [Edit]
114 First Ave SSeattle, WA 98104
Neighborhood: Pioneer Square
(206) 622-2563
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 2 am
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
108 reviews for The New Orleans Creole Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...an awesome po boy, red beans and rice, salad and cornbread."
(in 9 reviews)
"I saw the most amazing female jazz drummer in my life there."
(in 29 reviews)
"I've been craving hush puppies for a while now and am so..."
(in 8 reviews)
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108 reviews in English
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Review from Rebecca S.
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
Solid three stars.
I went here for lunch today with my friend. We walked in and were greeted and told to make ourselves at home, so we took a seat in the bar. The waitress brought us water and menus quickly and while we were seated, a lady was playing old time saloon music at the piano, which really set the mood.
I ordered the vegetarian gumbo and my friend ordered the catfish po boy. Both came with a starter of a corn pancake and an iceburg lettuce salad. The salad was so over saturated in sour mayonnaise dressing that the lettuce wilted - I thought that was physically impossible for iceburg lettuce, but you can always learn something new.
Food came out shortly after the starter. My gumbo was filled with zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms and other vegetables and also a scoop of rice with some weird seasoning on it. The gumbo was surprisingly flavorful, and I really liked the corn pancake with it. My friend thoroughly enjoyed every last bite of his catfish po boy and the side of rice and beans he received with it.
Service after we ate lagged though. The waitress disappeared and it took a long time before we could flag her down for the check. Not so good for my one hour lunch break.
Food was cheap ($5-6 each), but the beers cost about the same as the food, and for a tallboy PBR, that's just wrong. The drink menu was the only menu without prices - sneaky.
I'm sure I'll be back, but probably not for a while.Listed in: Cheap Eats, Pioneer Square
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Review from Dick E.
Seattle, WA
11/4/2011
I live in the neighborhood and have walked by with my dog a hundred times and enjoyed reading the music posters and signs. Anyway, I was with a friend yesterday. He suggested this place and I'm glad he did. It was around dinner time and the place was empty. The bartender gave us good service at a table in the bar, brought menus and drinks and explained some menu items.
I ordered seafood gumbo with shrimp and whitefish, delicious and spicy hot, but it should have been hotter temperature-wise. The corn fritter was okay but should have been warmer. And there was a tasty salad.
I could have eaten more of everything. Great flavors!
The Turbo Dog beer was excellent.
I will go back.
Service was prompt and courteous but not overbearing. -
Review from DandA T.
Beaverton, OR
10/27/2011
Walked in and sat ourselves down. Sat for 10 mins and nobody batted an eyelash in our direction. We finally got up and left because we figured we would walk and buy tickets for the comedy show we wanted to attend.
Came back, and this time we sat down near the bar. Place was damn near empty and after 10 mins nobody paid attention to us. I finally walked up to the bar and asked for menus. 10 more mins and somebody finally took our order, told them what we wanted as an appetizer to START OFF WITH.
Brought out the appetizer and the waitress didn't come back. We had to go up to the bar again to place our order. Waitress said she thought we were only ordering the chicken wings. I'll give this place 2 stars because of the wings, but don't expect much service. Waiters and Waitresses were all standing around watching the football game on the tv instead of waiting on people. -
Review from Miss C.
Seattle, WA
8/28/2011
Well, I would have liked to have TRIED this place, but my friends and I came in on a Saturday afternoon and seated ourselves (per the sign to do so). We waited for 20 minutes at our table and were not acknowledged a single time.
Oh wait...as we left, giving up on the place, one of the waitresses finally said, "thanks for coming in!" -
Review from Amy F.
8/3/2011
If someone offered to take me out for a free dinner at this place I am confident that my response would be "Oh hell no!" - even if they were picking up the bar tab too.
We crawled in here on a Thursday evening before an art walk to grab some food. My roommate previously lived in New Orleans so he was pretty excited about it which made it really sad to see his excitement fade away before we even got seated. The staff was incredibly rude and the place was dead empty.
We started with Mint Juleps and Hurricanes. I am pretty sure I could get a Hurricane at any other bar in Seattle that would taste just as good or more likely better but it included alcohol so I drank it and then ordered another one.
The food however was SCARY. We started with oyster shooters. Their oyster shooters tasted a lot like everything else I imagine they keep in the refrigerator. If I had to speculate as to what made them taste so awful I would imagine that they left them in the fridge for 2 weeks and then rubbed them onto the dirty floor before serving them. I think they thought the dried up lemon wedge would hide the taste.
At the end of our time there the place had about 4 more tables filled but it became really clear that the only thing keeping this place around is the tourism in Pioneer Square. I hate the thought that there are people out there that their view of Seattle includes this place - we're so much more awesome than that! -
Review from Madeline B.
Seattle, WA
10/27/2011
The live music is fantastic. The old jazzy decor is fun. The service is pleasant. At times there is swing dancing, but never when I have been in attendance sadly. I nice place to unwind with some jazz on a weeknight.
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Review from Howard M.
Snoqualmie, WA
3/7/2011
First of all, I'm not going to use phrases like "Meh" and "Eeew". What I am going to do is deliver a total SOS on 1st Avenue to avoid this place at all costs. Unless you are just coming to drink on a Friday night.
Should I start out by saying Wendy's Spicy Chicken sandwich is more Cajun than anything at TNOCR. I have driven by this place for years and decided to pick it as a place for a lunch meeting today. At the conclusion of our meal/meeting, I felt like that secret service guy in the movies jumping in front of the president to take a bullet. That's how I felt with my friends/colleagues at lunch. Most people trust me for a pretty decent batting average when it comes to dining, but this place was a strike out (bullet included).
Being a serious fan (geek) of Cajun/Creole food, who grew up in the south, I'll try any place that hints at Cajun/Creole/NOLA. 2 of us ordered Jambalaya and 1 ordered Seafood Gumbo. The imitation corn pancake that came out before our meal was not bad. It was at room temperature and somehow was the best thing we ate.
I think I knew we were going to need a bigger boat when the menu stated that the Gumbo was a tomato based stew and our server told us that the Jambalaya was going to served with Red Beans and Rice. Uh oh. Other than Seafood Gumbo, real Gumbo is Roux (flour and oil) based and not tomato. Our plates came out and it did not look good. My friend who ordered the Seafood Gumbo said it was ok, but the shrimp were overcooked. Our 2 plates of Jambalaya looked anything but. Next time you get a few days, take a flight to New Orleans, or anywhere in LA for that matter and find me Jambalaya that does not have rice cooked INTO it.
What arrived on my plate was a pile of mushy, overcooked rice, next to overcooked, bland red beans, with a nasty looking slather of shrimp, chicken(I think), sausage, and ham. It looked like someone just opened the worst can of reduced Campbell's soup and dumped it on my plate. But how does it taste? It is now 6:01 pm and I am still burping up the wretched fish/seafood stock base from my meal at 1:15 or so. Not only were the shrimp really overcooked, the meats (chicken, sausage, ham) tasted a little past their due date. It was probably the chicken as the pork usually holds up. Not good.
The upside of our visit was that our server was nice, the food was cheap, and there was a Starbucks 100 yds north that helped me kill the wretched taste I had in my mouth. Other than the experience described above, it was a great time.
PS- To any reviewer who considers this place "Authentic", you are out of your mind. -
Review from Cody S.
2/24/2011
This place is awesome! This is one of my favourite places to have a quick and easy bite! I don't know alot about cajun/creole places. That said, I enjoy this place! The food is as Louisiana authentic as you are going to get.
The atmosphere is pretty cool. I like hanging out in Pioneer Square and this is a great place! I had no idea that this place turned into a nightclub.Listed in: My Favourite Seattle…
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Review from Chris E.
Portland, OR
10/18/2011
We completely enjoyed our experience here. Being total tourists and on our first visit to Seattle we had no idea where to go for live Jazz and an after dinner cocktail. Yelp reviews led us to The New Orleans and we had a great time. This is a casual, low-key place. We sat at the bar, had an Andouille Sausage appetizer and a few drinks. The bartender was a lot of fun and so were the patrons. The music was great and could definitely be heard in the bar, but you could still have a conversation over the tunes. We would go back again.
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Review from J W.
Seattle, WA
2/10/2011
It's been a minute since I've been here, but I was just daydreaming about their mint juleps...they had this big jar full of fresh mint that they added to the bourbon and I think I fell in love!
I've only had the catfish and hush puppies, and they were really decent...great prices, cool music, the perfect pre-funk spot :) -
Review from Sameer K.
1/22/2011
Nothing really special, but ok in a pinch. We didnt like it ourselves, and there's a number of places nearby I'll try for food before going here again.
That said, there seemed to be a few 'regulars'-type people there, so there must be something great on the menu we didnt try.
p.s. Service was very good, and the staff were very nice. -
Review from Crystal H.
Seattle, WA
7/25/2010
I came here before and it was great, this time it was just okay.
Made reservations for dinner (7:30pm) for a Friday night and when we arrived we were told that we basically had 1hr 20min to eat and get out or we'd have to pay the $8/pp cover. We didn't intend on taking long as we had other plans, but horrible customer service on their part.
I remember the corn fritter being more, well, full of corn. This was like a pancake with a smidgen of cornmeal in it. Boo. Also mine was cold.
I ordered the stuffed flounder which was absolutely delicious. My husband got jambalaya, and the other two in our party got ribs and BBQ chix breast.
The appearance of the food was crap. Seriously, it looked like cafeteria food. I had come with my camera in hand hoping to score some pics for the upcoming YEE but no luck. Everyone's food but mine was okay. Just that, okay.
Our waitress was awesome, super nice, made up for a lot of the short comings. Won't be bringing people back her though.
We left shortly after the band was starting up. They played music, but not $8/pp music. -
Review from DeAnne E.
10/12/2010 1 photo
I'm not much of a Creole/Cajun fan but when I'm in the mood, I'll come here. This is one of the locations in Pioneer Square for this particular cuisine. I could give it a 2 but I've never traveled to Cajun country to know what this cuisine is supposed to taste like.
I've been here a couple of times for lunch. You get to pick where you want to sit. If you walk closer to the back, the atmosphere gets darker. Eventually the waitress will notice you. The cornbread is shaped like a pancake. I like smearing it with butter. The gumbo is good too.
It's not crowded during lunch time. However, on a sunny day you'll see people on the outside patio. It's more of a night life type of establishment. They have a stage set up for Jazz & Blues. -
Review from Elizabeth D.
Seattle, WA
1/13/2011
I love this place! It's quick, cheap, and easy and pretty tasty. I have been going for lunch by myself lately cause it's quiet, I could secretly drink whiskey, read, and eat! It's a building with so much character and history, and the staff seems to have been working there since the beginning. The walls are covered with jazz music posters and lots of New Orleans decor.
I've ordered the steak creole and the combo jambalaya. My friend raves about the shrimp po boy, but I have yet to try it. They all come with a salad and a corn fritter, and all for under $7!! The corn fritter is not the best, but the food has just enough spice and love that I really enjoy.
It's the kinda place you wanna come back to in the evening to see what's going on down there, what kinda live music they have, and definitely to people watch the regulars. -
Review from Keith B.
Concord, CA
12/28/2010
One of my favorite places to eat in the Seattle area. A total change up from the usual fare in the city, and I can tell some snooty people that blasted this place - most major cities in America do not have a cajun place that's this good. Sorry if it's not the Acme Oyster House, but guess what? There's only one Acme Oyster House. Have fun finding a cheap flight for your precious tastes.
I've actually NEVER eaten dinner here, and have never been around when a band plays - so my knowledge is only limited to lunchtime, but I always get the etoufee (OK, I did have the oysters once) and it's worth it. Prices are quite cheap, and the service is not fantastic (waiting staff is older in age and can be a little bit salty) but the food is worth the trip. Can't wait to grub here during dinnertime and see what kinda music they have. -
Review from Sin-Yaw W.
Seattle, WA
11/12/2010
Thursday lunch band, a 3-person one: bass, drums, and piano, was marvelous. A bit loud for conversations, but absolutely Jazzy.
I walked in the place and was immediately charmed by the decor. Many jazz musicians' portraits on the wall, lots of New Orleans arts and poster.
You don't expect a well trimmed piece of protein perfectly seasoned in a New Orleans restaurant. What you want is Cajun, lots of spices, and a bowl of complicated stew. This place give you exactly that. I had seafood gumbo, other ordered Jambalaya and fish. The corn bread was delightful too. That elderly waitress had just the right character to match.
Honestly, if not for the band, I would have given this 4 stars. But I would come back just for foods too. -
Review from Marissa S.
Seattle, WA
8/22/2008 4 photos
That wasn't gumbo.
I don't know what it was mister, but it was NOT gumbo.
Let me explain some basic components of gumbo. These MUST be a part of the magical dish for it to carry the name.
1. ROUX. Basic, this is the soul of the dish. Flour that has been browned in butter (it sounds easier to make than it is, trust me, It can turn on you).
2. HOLY TRINITY. Otherwise known as Celery, bell peppers, and onion.
3.OKRA. Ok, so this is not a must for all, but since Gumbo is named after okra, which is called "gumbo" I think it is a building block of any REAL gumbo. So I believe it is a must.
so, this was not gumbo.
First offense. The roux was messed up. I think corn starch had been added somewhere in the cooking process because the "soup base" had a bit of a gelatinous texture to it. Gumbo doesn't need to be thick. It does need to be flavorful though, and this wasn't.
Second offense. No holy trinity...just the son. Father and Holy ghost completely missing. Yep, big chunks of green bell peppers, absolutely no onion or celery. Blasphemy!
And lastly, no okra to speak of. Again, others can argue with me on this point as it is not mandatory (I suppose) but for me, and for all those I personally know, okra is a necessity. Since as I said before, "Gumbo" is named after okra. No gumbo? No gumbo.
Ug...to top it off the bell peppers weren't chopped,. or sauteed before becoming part of the "stew" (gumbo is supposed to be a stew)...and the other veggies were also only lightly cooked. That was actually the ONLY thing I liked. Pretending it was not supposed to be what it was, the veggies would have been perfect in another kind of soup, and I actually picked them out and ate them sans "soup base". They were lightly cooked, and fresh tasting. But again, supposed to be a stew...so not really part of an authentic gumbo.
Plus...not seasoned well enough, and just not good!
Add to this, the bartender who seemed all too annoyed to be answering my questions, and not really being all that helpful (unlike how NOLA really is) just did not make my experience a good one.
The bathroom situation...cute, pink, with martini glasses and shrimp all over the walls. But it wasn't even 8 yet and they stunk like latrines. I don't even want to think about how they must smell after a night of drunkards. Might be authentic to port-a-potties during Mardi Gras I guess.
But they did offer a LOVELY selection of high quality perfume to purchase from a little metal dispenser, AND adult novelties, you know, if the smell turned you on enough. I know it got me in the mood for love.
On the good side, I did enjoy the building itself. I adored the hardwood floors and exposed brick, and do look forward to coming back some night to hear live jazz. I'll just eat before I come next time. -
Review from Charlie D.
Seattle, WA
8/25/2008
Do you remember the days of your youth when you would raid your parents/friends parents liquor cabinets? And make weird concoctions, such as mixing vodka with tequila with a couple large splashes of jack daniels/wild turkey and topped with mountain dew? Well if do then the drinks at The New Orleans will take you back to your good old days. And not in a good way!!!!
We started with their Black-Eyed Susan and it pretty much tasted like bad orange juice with little or no Vodka. Next up was the Sazerac and boy was that a bad idea because it was so bad that it was totally undrinkable and had to be sent back to bar. And believe me I am not the type of person to send things back but I just had too this time. I really wanted to experience some proper New Orleans drinks that night but I guess I am going to have to go back Louisiana for the real thang. :( -
Review from Denice M.
Seattle, WA
9/5/2008
Surly waitstaff.
Mystery meat (sausage?).
Strange drink concoctions they call cocktails.
NO it ain't. Last I checked, food from the Big Easy needed to be spicy and flavorful, and eating is to be an experience, not just something you have to do. Unfortunately, they have taken the soul out of their soul food, creating bland offerings of gumbo (tomato based=bleh), andouille and other frightful combinations. The catfish was ok, but not worth making the trek to Pioneer Square to eat here. -
Review from mamalicous M.
Seattle, WA
5/7/2008
what can I get for $10? Anything. Anything? Anything you want! Ohh... me so hungry.
I met up with some friends here for lunch today. I was pleasantly surprised by the menu and the prices. For five dollars I had salad, corn fritter and a rather tasty seafood gumbo. We weren't rushed by the waitstaff during our lunch hour and got to enjoy what felt like a very "sex and the city" lunch date. We enjoyed it so much we are going to try and met up here once a month. The service was fast, the food tasty and reasonably priced. Got to love hanging with the girls for lunch. -
Review from Zachary Sam Z.
Seattle, WA
6/22/2009
My friend and I are sitting, waiting for our food, when two women walk in to join a party of four already seated. "Wow, this place is kind of a dump, isn't it!" one practically shouts.
Like this patron, the restaurant was a little uncouth; but in the restaurant's case, it was at least a little charming.
We had stopped in here because of its convenience from the Underground Tour. It's in an OK area, and the prices are good. In terms of food, the hush puppies were good (we ordered a side of them as an app), and the cornbread pancakes were interesting.
I didn't really care for the salad dressing, which tasted a little watered down. I also thought the red beans and rice were dry, but they were OK. The entrees were good: I had the Jambalaya, and my friend had one of the burgers... it was smothered in gravy, which was interesting.
I ended up finishing all but a bite of mine, but my friend left half of his food on the plate. Yet, who got admonished for not finishing all of his food? Me, of course. Other than that moment, the service was nice enough.
It's a wash for me. If I'm in the area and someone's craving it, I'll tag along. It's a decent place, and I think they try hard, so they get 3 stars in my book. -
Review from Nina W.
3/6/2008
The music and ambiance on the weekend evenings is really fun.
But I guess some people like creole food that tastes like it came off the back of your shoe.
Dont eat here. The food is BLAND and i mean BLAND. the only food ive had there that was decent was their appetizer cajun wings.
SO for a good start to a night in the square, go with an app and a hurricane that will knock your socks off. PLEASE dont order the other dishes, they are cooked by chefs who have no tastebuds. -
Review from Jason U.
Omaha, NE
6/23/2009
We stopped here after the undergound tour because we were hungry and the yelp ipod app was being less than helpful so we just walked in and sat down. Overall I was 'eh-ed' by the place.
I think it says something that my favorite thing about this place was that they served RC cola from the fountain, a great start! Then we got some hushpuppies, also delicious! things are picking up!
Then comes the salad, which was, to put it kindly, gross. I'm not sure what the dressing was but it completely turned me off. Moving on to the cornbread pancake you get with the salad, it was good, but not awesome.
I got a burger that was served on cornbread and smothered with cheese; what can go wrong? Well, the patty itself was good; but it was served not on cornbread, but the same cornbread pancakes from before, which was not enough bread to be called a 'bun' and got really soggy from all the /gravy/ that they dumped over the top of it (which I don't remember seeing on the menu's description). I only ate about half of mine, but it was OK because I was pretty much planning on eating all day, no need to fill up now!
In all fairness, everything that went by as the waitress was delivering other peoples plates looked really good, so I think maybe I need to come back and try it again.Listed in: Seattle Whirlwind
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Review from Sarah S.
Seattle, WA
6/20/2008
I've never been to the City of New Orleans, but if the food there is anything like the food I ate last night at the New Orleans Restaurant, then... I won't be making the trip.
Bland, flavorless, dry... and disappointing.
One star for the 8-year old who entertained us with drum solos and the super-cute couple who got up and danced to the band. One star because my friends swear by this place and my drink was strong. -
Review from Monica S.
Seattle, WA
6/15/2007
This place is a solid four-star eatery. It's not the super-most-bestest restaurant, but it's a great place to go for a weeknight supper.
I've really liked everything I've tried (and everything I've mooched off my boyfriend's plate). The seafood gumbo, the catfish and the eggplant lafitte compete for the title 'My Favorite Dish'.
The music is always wonderful. Never heard anyone I thought shouldn't be on the stage. Thoroughly enjoyed everyone I've heard. Some nights folks will be up and swing dancing in the aisles. Lots of fun! Don't forget to tip the musicians.
This place makes the strongest drinks EVER. Had a Hurricane with dinner once... it didn't remind me too much of the Hurricanes I've had in New Orleans, but WOW it packed a punch! I had to wait a while before I could drive home. The boyfriend had the strongest Mint Julep known to man on the same night. Truly an experience.
Of special note:
*****************
This is the only place I know of in Seattle that you can get hush puppies. They are the real deal, my friends. They are not listed on the menu I don't think. They're meant to accompany the scrumptious catfish plate, but I bet if you're real nice they'll give you some as an appetizer. Don't miss them!
If you don't know what hush puppies are, they're little deep-fried balls of cornmeal batter. The story goes that they were originally created to throw to begging dogs while the cook was busy in the kitchen. All I know is that my boyfriend is always begging me to take him to New Orleans to get the catfish. I know he's really wanting the hush puppies.
****
Edit:
I have been informed that Celtic Bayou in Redmond http://www.yelp.com/bi... has hush puppies as does Catfish Corner http://www.yelp.com/bi... . -
Review from Robin N.
Seattle, WA
12/21/2007
I've been going to the New Orleans restaurant for years for the hot jazz Ham Carson Quintet on Thursdays. Also, I've gone frequently for the Holotrad Band, another hot jazz Seattle favorite on Tuesdays. My friends and I love to go for the free dancing to live music, and have a beer and dinner while we're there.
I give the New Orleans restaurant 4 stars - I LOVE the atmosphere - you really do feel as if you're in some restaurant down in the french quarter... the MUSIC - some of the best hot jazz bands (and more famous Seattle jazz musicians, former count basie band members even!) you'll find in the Pacific NW....
but...
The food. It's ok. They've gone through a couple of chefs (at least it seems like they must have) in the past few years, and the red beans and rice sauce is not as good as it once was. The waitresses/waiters are hit or miss on service. If I had to suggest a drink - get the Hurricane - it's fruity and will knock you on your ass.
For food - I suggest the veggie jambalaya with large chunks of zucchini and yummy spices. Also, I love their baked eggplant with creole sauce. And for a CHEAP DINNER, you can get their red beans and rice meal, including a huge dish full of red beans and rice, plus a corn fritter and a side salad (a lot of food) for only $5.50.
The owner, Gay, is a truly giving and wonderful woman. Her heart is in the restaurant and the local seattle musicians who have played there for so long (Ham Carson's band has been playing there every week for 16 years!) and who are also her dear friends. Once, I was involved in a fundraiser party, and we called her to see if she'd be willing to donate anything towards the fundraiser - well, she donated TONS of free food - red beans and rice, peach cobbler, etc. SUCH a wonderful person - and always willing to help out. I also had my birthday dinner here one year, and she closed off the whole back of the restaurant for the party, and even made me a large cake (which was unexpected)!
If you go here for the first time, trust me, go for dinner AND drinks AND for the live music on Tuesday or Thursday night. If you go JUST for the food and no entertainment, you'll PROBABLY be dissappointed. What will make the New Orleans restaurant for you is the WHOLE PACKAGE - food, music and drinks, AND dancing, if you will. Just be careful for the first thursday nights - it's the arts walk, so you'll be battling it out for parking spots AND for dining table spots! ;)
ENJOY! -
Review from Shane H.
Orlando, FL
2/19/2006
New Orleans Restaurant is so much more than JUST a restaurant, it is an escape from Seattle.
Walking through the doors of the New Orleans is likely to transport you mentally to another place, the city of it's namesake New Orleans. Each night the blues and jazz are fresh and flowing. The musicians that grace the stage at the New Orleans are some of the finest in the world and they come from all around to play this great room.
The food is amazing with recipes brought over from New Orleans. Each menu item is fresh and made to perfection with all authentic ingredients and methods.
When you combine the amazing music with the great food AND the full service bar you have a great combination. This is a great place to take friends looking for less of a "club" vibe and more of a SHOW vibe. Come on down to the New Orleans and get a sense of what life SHOULD be like on a Saturday night!Listed in: Top Restaurants of the Emerald…
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Review from Tammy W.
2/20/2008
I love the New Orleans. I love Gaye. I have performed there, and I have seen many a fine band there. I love to gaze at all the jazz and blues artists on the wall. The place gets five stars for all those reasons.
But, I have to say, I don't eat there.
I miss Delcambre's Rajin' Cajun!Listed in: Ya'll Come
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Review from Edison D.
Los Angeles, CA
1/25/2009
The 2 stars is only for the food! Terrible Jambalaya!!! Can somebody from the inside critic this chef please... seriously! It tasted like spicy canned gravy sauce over a 3 day old rice! BLEH!
About the ambiance, it's definitely cool and it feels like there's so much history with the place! No complain there!
But they ask for cover even if you eat the "lousy" dinner there!?! WTF! Next time, I'll just go for the show... -
Review from Geoff N.
Seattle, WA
4/8/2007
The New Orleans is the perfect spot for a unique dinner date... as long as you don't mind Cajun kisses later on.
The restaurant features live New Orleans jazz and tasty tasty soul food. The bar sports an outdoor patio ideal for the summer months and while you can't see the entertainment from outside, you can still enjoy the sultry clarinet and swinging beats emanating from the stage.
The meals here come with a spicy Cajun kick and since most of them include beans and rice, the prices are very reasonable. Last time I went, I ordered the Cajun jambalaya which included andouille sausage and was accompanied by a side salad and corn bread fritter all for just $10.
I sat up on the 2nd floor balcony and watched a large party of other diners Charleston and Lindy-hop it up on the impromptu dance floor down below. One thing to keep in mind is that the restaurant is housed in one of Pioneer Square's old brick buildings and is without air conditioning. In warmer weather the dining room can be sweltering, but that just adds to the atmosphere.Listed in: First Date Ideas, cure for the summer time blues
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Review from Raquel D.
Seattle, WA
8/9/2009
I did not have ONE good experience here, unless you count finally paying and being able to leave.
Came in last week during the Pioneer Square Art Walk and sat at the bar. There was an feisty looking old lady rushing from table to table, with nary a word or smile. There was another old lady slowly walking from the kitchen to deliver food to the dining room. These ladies were both slightly hunched over, and looked like they should be using walkers. Where do these guys get their help? A nursing home?
Though the place wasn't packed, my friend and I realized that the two servers were a little over-worked and that we would have to wait. No problem. We're both servers, so we know how it goes. We sat at the bar, pondered the menu, and waited. And waited.
Water came, with a brusque "hello", before the lady disappeared again. Having decided on a meal, my friend and I amused ourselves with checking out the other patrons (who looked annoyed), and reading Yelp reviews of the place.
When the server came back, she asked if we were ready, admonished us for ordering too much food, and asked us if we wanted drinks. I asked her if they had a pinot grigio by the glass, and she handed me a wine menu and walked off. Okay, I shrugged. They probably have several white wines by the glass, and several pinot grigios to choose from. Except, no. There was only the one, but apparently the server wanted me to order it by name? My friend, who had ordered a Guinness, watched dismayed as the server rushed to and fro without pouring her drink.
Our food came: I'd ordered the gumbo, which should have had crawfish, shrimp, and crab; my friend ordered the fried oysters. First of all, since the server kept walking away before I could ask questions or order thoroughly, I couldn't tell her about my food allergies. My salad came out with creamy stuff that I couldn't eat, accompanied by a corn cake which I also couldn't eat. I had no idea if my gumbo was okay for me, but at that point I was too hungry to hunt her down. Second of all, the gumbo, had shrimp, but no crawfish or crab. There was some sort of fish instead.
The gumbo was AWFUL! As another reviewer said, "that was not gumbo." My mouth wanted to cry! The flavor was so bland, I had to pump it full of tabasco sauce to even swallow it. Thankfully my friend's oysters were palatable, but the fixings it came with were not.
I'm not sure how this place gets away with calling itself a Creole restaurant. There's gotta be some sort of "truth in advertising" law against that. -
Review from Colby S.
Seattle, WA
8/25/2005 2 photos
New Orleans cuisine at its best...listen to great live jazz as you gorge on authentic French quarter seafood gumbo and shrimp Creole, both highly recommended, and go for the hot stuff. On Wednesday nights check out the Floyd Standifer Group...great lead trumpet...but you need to get there early, the place fills up quickly. And lastly the drink menu is quite varied, and very affordable; watch out for the Hurricane...it'll knock you down.
Cheers!Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Darin P.
Spokane, WA
12/11/2008
Wow... once upon a glorious time, this was one of my preferred restaurants in Seattle for a Saturday night. I'd go in the night before a Seahawk game... have a great meal and a few hurricanes before doing the Pioneer Square crawl. Listen to some great music before hitting a few other fun spots.
It was hard to pick between the gumbo and jambalaya... so I didn't. I'd talk the wait staff into a small cup of gumbo before the entre. A few months ago I thought something was off, and after going this last weekend, and taking a client to whom I'd raved about this place, I was a bit embarrassed. At least he enjoyed his chicken dish. At any rate... now it will be tough to pick which one I want to burden myself with. I wish they had their act together... -
Review from carmen l.
Seattle, WA
2/16/2010
I agree with most of the reviews, the food was bland and nothing as jazzy as you would expect from real creole. I've made Zatarains that was better, unfortunately.
The staff was really friendly and cordial, the atmosphere was beautiful. But the food...I thought I was actually eating left overs. The waiter told us that they frequently have cooks in and out, almost as if to excuse the poor food quality. He gave us extra corn fritters, I have had worse for sure, but I have also had much better.
Nice place and waitstaff, but hopefully they find a good steady cook who knows how to cook yummie Creole. -
Review from Andrew R.
Redmond, WA
2/4/2011
The waitress didn't even LOOK at us for 20 min. The food sucked big time, bland garbage. It is super cheap and you get what you pay for. Even after dumping garlic sauce and hot sauce on my food, it still wasn't spicy enough. Don't waste your money.
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Review from Kristen M.
Portland, OR
2/11/2008
To everyone who spent any time eating at New Orleans, I will apologize in advance for sharing this little piece of information.....
I saw a rat in the middle of the restaurant. It scurried across the floor about 10 feet in front of me. Gross.
I hate to write such an awful review for this place because, quite frankly, if it wasn't for the rat I would've rated this place 5 stars. The bartender and bouncers are so much fun - really friendly and conversational. But for the sake of your health, don't eat there. -
Review from Booya B.
Seattle, WA
5/12/2011
I don't work downtown anymore but any time I can break away for lunch, this is one of the places I try and get to. I've tried a few things on the menu but I always think I should have ordered the combo jambalaya. Not that anything I've had there is not good, it's just that I like the jambalaya that much. It comes with a salad and corn fritter (pancake) along with a side of red beans. Great stuff!
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Review from Amanda J.
2/12/2010
I really, really wanted to like this place. It's decorated like it's Mardi Gras all year, there are awesome exposed brick walls with drawings of great jazz and blues musicians, and there was live music scheduled for the night. The live music was great, the food... well, it just wasn't.
I ordered a sidecar because it was on their list of recommended drinks, and I love a good cocktail in a martini glass. However, it wasn't so much rimmed with sugar as had a sticky sugar explosion all over the outside of the glass, and the ratio of brandy to whatever else was in it was just way, way off. I think I drank about a third of it before giving up...
With dinner you get a salad and a corn fritter. The salad looked depressed, and tasted accordingly. The corn fritter was a tasteless pancake thing that even butter couldn't save. I had eggplant lafitte which was soggy eggplant stuffed with some not-so-fresh tasting seafood, covered in a bland-ass gravy. Three of my friends got the fried catfish with hush puppies. None of them were terribly impressed either.
When they said they had chocolate mousse pie for dessert, we perked up. It's hard to screw up chocolate, right? Have you ever had those 99 cent Hershey Pies at Burger King? That's what this was. The whole meal was just so disappointing.
I'd go back for the live music, because it was awesome. But I would order bottled beer and leave dinner and cocktails to someone else... -
Review from Shari d.
2/17/2010
I have to say that I am not an expert with Creole food. I was only in NOLA once for a wedding and even then I am not sure I had the best the city had to offer. However I am sure that it was better than the New Orleans Creole Restaurant.
We ordered food to go for our office Mardi Gras potluck...we ordered the Shrimp Creole. We ordered 5 servings, each came with a side salad, red beans & rice, and a corn fritter. The salad was just a handful of bagged greens and the dressing had a creamy appearance but a vinegary taste which immediately turned me off. The red beans and rice were just that...a bunch of red kidney beans and some mildly brown rice. (I guess I expected red beans & rice but not the literal translation). The shrimp were OK but they lacked taste and the corn "fritter" was basically a not so sweet corn pancake. It seemed that being Creole food it should had more flavor...more oomph and unfortunately it wasn't there.
It was only $6 per order so the price wasn't bad...it is just that I expected more. Probably won't come back... -
Review from Cali G.
Seattle, WA
10/1/2011
This place is a tourist trap or a moron trap. It was horrible. I ordered the seafood salad. It was 4 pieces of shrimp, supposed crab meat, 2 small cuts of tomato and lettuce. No dressing. Nothing else. I wanted dressing but could never get the waitress to come back. When one of us asked what else was in a dish, the waitress took the menu away from her and then kept going. Just a disgusting trap. Avoid.
