- DT
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 13
- Reviews
-
9
- Photos
Fantastic! I'd Go Back in a Heartbeat!
- July 26, 2025
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kmarcolese from new orleans, Louisiana
We were looking forward to this place for weeks and I have to say, Nola didn't disappoint! Everything was fantastic, from the service to the atmosphere to the food!!!! The waiters knew exactly when to come over and when to stay away. We started the meal off with a couple mimosas, and we ordered the Crispy Duck Livers as an appetizer, which I can't say enough good things about it! I had the Sweet Barbecue Atlantic Salmon and my boyfriend had the Fried Breast of Chicken. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavors were awesome...I could ramble on forever about how wonderful the whole experience was. The only bad part was the bathroom. It wasn't pretty, although by french quarter standards it was actually the nicest one I've seen...
Editor Pick
Nola
- June 5, 2025
- Rated 4 of 5 by
BartonFamily from Anniston, Alabama
NOLA is Emeril LaGasse's restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Two years ago we went there just for dessert. We didn't have reservations and they could not accommodate us when we arrived. They did, however, ask us to come back in half an hour and they promised to have a table for us. Upon our return, we were seated and then doted upon as if we were the only customers in the place. Never have we received so much attention from a team of waiters!
On that night, the four of us ordered four different desserts and then had fun tasting them all. Peanut butter pie, creme brulee, banana bread pudding and chocolate buzz bombe - which contained brandied apricots. The waiter joked that due to the brandy in the buzz bombe, he needed to check our IDs and, afterwards, when we were done, he asked if he needed to call us a cab. (Well, it was funny at the time.) All of the desserts we sampled were as delicious as one would imagine, with the exception of the bread pudding. It was just too banana-ey.
After all the attention we received that night, and the delectable desserts, we made a pact to return to NOLAs one day for a full meal.
THAT DAY ARRIVED last month when we returned to New Orleans for what has become our bi-annual trip. We made reservations months in advance through opentable.com (and THAT worked very well, by the way.) We were seated within five minutes of our arrival and licked our lips in anticipation of what was to come. I started things out by ordering a frozen margarita with no salt and was quicky informed that NOLAs doesn't make frozen drinks. I was urged to try one of their Cosmopolitans, instead, but you know what? If I'm going to waste calories on a cocktail, I want MY choice of cocktail. So I just stuck with ice water while my dining companions ordered their drinks - a beer and rum & Cokes.
For dinner, the two men at the table ordered Shrimp & Grits. When the meals arrived, I had a taste off my husband's plate. The shrimp were seasoned and sautéed and rested on a healthy serving of creamy cheesy grits. Also mixed into the grits were green onions, smoked bacon and mushrooms.
I ordered the Seasonal Grilled Fish (which turned out to be Amberjack.) It was served with vegetable capellini and a tomato vinaigrette. I wasn't sure what the capellini was, but it turned out to be vegetables, such as zucchini and squash, sliced into spaghetti -thin strips and sautéed. This meal was very good, but nothing extraordinary. Certainly nothing "out of this world: or "to die for." It did, however, make me feel like a very healthy, very mature grown up - like I feel when I eat brussel sprouts.
Our fourth companion ordered the garlic-crusted redfish. It was served with brabant potatoes and a buerre rouge sauce. She gave me a taste and I instantly realized THAT WAS IT! The "out of this world" dish; the one "to die for." I immediately regretted not ordering it for myself. Really, in hindsight, what I should have done was thrown down my fork and called the waitress over -- and insisted on being served the same meal. After all, it would be a whole lot cheaper to pay for a second meal rather than go all the way back to New Orleans just to get that redfish. (Because that is EXACTLY what I'm going to do!) The fish was not fishy; in fact, it was quite mild, but seasoned and grilled like a perfect steak, and bursting with garlicky goodness. And that sauce. The buerre rouge sauce. I've never heard of it, but I believe you could pour it on a pile of rocks and it would make them taste good. Oh yeah, that redfish is most definitely in my future.
For dessert, my husband and I split a chocolate-covered peanut butter pie. Two of my all-time favorite foods. It was like a really, really, really dreamy Reese's peanut butter cup, each taste a little bite of heaven.
The atmosphere of NOLAs was loud and hectic and the tables were a little too close for comfort. The wait staff was not the most attentive; certainly nothing like we encountered two years ago when we stopped in for dessert. For example, after we were seated, a small dish of butter was placed on our table. I had read reviews on the internet about NOLA's homemade breads, but even after placing our drink orders, and meal orders, nothing was ever brought to our table. I finally asked our waitress if we could have some bread. She said, "Certainly!" and then never returned. I asked a passing waiter and he came back with a large basket filled with three different kinds of bread: dinner rolls, corn bread muffins and foccacia rolls. (I went with the latter and it was superb!) I was hoping he, or our waitress, would come back with a second serving, but that didn't happen.
Before leaving the restaurant, we asked if we could take a peek upstairs. Yes, we were told - feel free to look around. So we took the elevator up to the second and to the third floors. It was much quieter up there, more private and romantic. If you're planning a visit to NOLA's Restaurant, you may want to keep those upper floors in mind when making your reservations.
Oh, and here's a tip for the ladies. Don't ask where the restroom is because it is the restaurant's policy for you to be ESCORTED there. "Escorted" -- as in the waiter puts out his arm for you to take and then walks alongside you to the restroom door. (So if you have to go, just get up and find it yourself! LOL)
And in case you're curious, the tab for my husband and I, two dinners and one beer, with a 20% tip, came to $82.50.
From journal Amtrakking it to the Big Easy
Not as Great as I imagined
- March 24, 2025
- Rated 2 of 5 by
Pamelateach5 from Greenwood, Arkansas
Spent a week in New Orleans and ate at several Restaurants. NOLA was our least favorite. We easily got in without reservations. The service was outstanding, and the entree was good, but the appetizer and the dessert were only mediocre. It was somewhat pricey compared to other places that were recommended by the locals. The locals usually know where the best places are, and I can say they were right!!
NOLA
- January 11, 2026
- Rated 5 of 5 by
kimgallegos from Hardy, Virginia
Emeril rules! I really enjoyed my dining experience at Nola's. The waitstaff was excellent, and the food was every bit as heavenly as I imagined it would be. I had the buttermilk fried chicken breast with bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, Smithfield ham cream gravy and sauteed sugar snap peas. The waiter convinced me to have dessert, and I am glad he did. It was the white-chocolate bananas foster bread pudding with foster sauce and fudge drizzle. Thank goodness I walked around the rest of the day.
From journal A Week in New Orleans--Pre-Katrina
NOLA
- June 26, 2025
- Rated 5 of 5 by
BudKathy from Florence, Massachusetts
We were seated at our table; the waitress places your napkin on your lap and hands you the menu. Another waitperson then comes over and fills your glasses with water. Your waiter comes back for your order and asks if you have any questions about the menu. We started with the shrimp and corn bisque, followed by a green salad with house dressing; for my entree, I had the fried chicken breast with bourbon-mashed potatoes and green beans; my husband had the grilled cedar plank stuffed drum fish with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. We finished our meal by sharing the banana pudding layer cake. It was loaded with bananas, pudding topped with whipped cream, and two cookies as the edge of the cake. The meals were excellent, very tasty, and the servers spoil you. It was an enjoyable lunch experience.
From journal Mardi Gras