This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the GNO. I've never dined in, so I can't speak to the ambiance, wait staff, etc. But the food is yummy and the portions are huge, so it lasts and lasts. It might be slightly more spendy than your average strip-mall Chinese place, but it's worth it. The Egg Rolls are good, as well as the pork fried rice and I love the Cashew Chicken. I've also tried the Orange Peel Beef and the General Tso's Beef, both of which were spicy but not too spicy. You can choose between white and brown rice and my only tiny complaint is that they don't give you enough rice with a take out order. It's fast and easy...makes me happy!
(4)
Cynthia C.
I've been to Cafe East many times for lunch. Their lunch special is a great value with choice s small appetizer, entree and rice for 8.95. We went for dinner last night and enjoyed it. The place is clean and modern and the food is solid. We had appetizers of chicken gyoza and goat cheese gyoza. Both were crispy and tasty, good but not great. Our group then shared the Szechaun shrimp, sesame chicken, and red curry beef. All were good, fresh and ample. The sesame chicken was sweeter than normal, a bit more like orange chicken but it was good. The brown rice was cooked perfectly. Service was very good. A solid Chinese offering.
(4)
Katie A.
The business lunch special here is really great. You get a choice of small appetizers, 1 of about 15 different main dishes (very wide selection), and then a rice to go with your main dish, all for about $9 (with tax & tip it came to $12, still a great deal). The restaurant was also not very crowded at about lunchtime on a weekday, so there wasn't a wait for a table for our party of 6. The food was good, but not fantastic, and kind of predictable Chinese food, but I enjoyed finding another decent stand-by just in case I ever find myself needing this kind of food in this part of town again.
(4)
Tiff D.
Unlike most sketchy Chinese places around, this place is spacious, modern, and clean. There is a large bar when you enter. I might have to check out their drink menu some time. I got take out so I cant comment on service. Prices were high for Chinese food, although you did get enough for 2 in one dish. I got General Tso's Chicken. I appreciate that they use only white meat. No mystery meat here. The sauce was more sweet and sour than other General Tso's I've had. It wasn't at all spicy. The chicken was overcooked leaving a tough outer layer and although it was breaded it was not at all crispy. I wouldn't order it again but I would give this place another try.
(3)
Stephanie B.
Long black hair fried in the batter of my chicken. The restaurant was empty at 12:00 lunch time. Now I see why. I was still charged for the meal.
(1)
Lindsay H.
Visited this place for a business lunch which worked out pretty well since there is a parking lot and it seems like a predictable menu/atmosphere. However, predictable is not my thing. This place doesn't have much character and neither does the food. The quality of the food was average. I order scallops which I didn't realize would be battered and thin. The dish was a surf and turf deal that had red meat as well. This meat was the typical wimpy, sauce covered stuff you get in most unadventurous Chinese restaurants. I'm sure there is a need for some folks to have this type of place in Metairie, but I'm just not feeling it personally.
(3)
Nicole B.
Very good, consisten pan-Asian food. You can taste the Korean influence or Thai influence, just depends on the dish. I love this restaurant. Great for an office party. Great lunch prices. I love the curry seafood soup (very spicy & rich). Good garlic shrimp/chicken, good sesame chicken, good beef with red curry, and everything on their Chef Specials menu is great. I don't recommend the chicken with cashew or any of that type of dish - bland and not nearly as good as more traditional chinese restaurants. I'd eat there more often if it were a little less expensive - a bit over my cheap taste price limit. But the lunch is a good value.
(4)
Stan A.
Food was good, but someone there copied my credit card information and used it to buy porn. My CC company contacted me about the purchase. I will NOT eat there again! NOT worth someone trying to rip me off. I do not recommend this place.
(1)
Dale W.
Some friends took me to Cafe East for lunch and the Diner-esque sign had me completely unprepared for the upscale interior and refreshing menu with a fairly modern take on traditional asian dishes. Excellent food & prompt and courteous service has made me a fan and guarantees my return at lunch time in the future.
(4)
Carol B.
I have been going to Cafe East for years and have always had a wonderful experience! Their food is delicious and priced reasonably. The service is also exceptional.
(5)
Matt S.
Cafe East is my favorite Chinese restaurant. I always get the Kung pao and chicken fire pot soup and my gf gets orange chicken. They offer a big selection of different dishes and also have a lunch special. The meat is great quality, not the weird stringy meat you find at cheap places. The portions are big too. I highly recommend going.
(5)
Charlie P.
We ordered delivery on Wed. night, the driver called to say he was outside on the street and told me to come down and get my food. I asked why I had to get dressed and come outside and go downstairs to pick up my food on the street. He responded by saying he don't deliver to the apartment. I did have a $6 tip for him on a $38 order. Until I had to go get my own food. I gave him zero tip. He said thanks for the no tip and drove off. When I called the assistant manager she said that is not their policy and will write up the driver.
(1)
FE504 ..
The decor is nice , however the food our party had was horrible . Like another reviewer there was 2 bugs in our lettuce wraps . They didn't seem very concerned or apologetic at all . They offered to bring us new wraps but we declined . They are trying to be an asian fusion restaurant and it just don't work. There are too many good and CLEAN alternatives to Chinese food in Metairie , and this place isn't one. Normally , I would not be so harsh in my criticism of a restaurant , but the nonchaulence and indifference in finding bugs in your food proves to me they just don't care or they are used to it . Sorry cafe east , I won't be back .
(1)
Abby O.
Beautiful looking restaurant for the area, food not consistent, too salty most of the time.
(3)
Riva R.
I finally ordered take-out from Cafe East, and it was delicious! I got the szechuan dumplings and szechuan shrimp. Sauce on the dumplings was so good, and very different than anything I've had at a Chinese restaurant before. The Shrimp were super spicy (just how I like them) and there were at least 12 good sized shrimp perfectly cleaned. I found the prices to be slightly less than Young's in Kenner, and the food was so much better! I can't wait to try something new next week! Also, they offered without me asking if I'd like them to hold off on putting in my order since I was driving from 25 minutes away. Great customer service.
(5)
Rose V.
Not your average "Chinese" restaurant. Cafe East features a pan-Asian menu with food that's presented beautifully and tastes even better. I was sorely tempted to order every appetizer on the menu; the ones we had were all excellent. Subtle, interesting flavors and fresh ingredients. The place looks a little garish from outside and is huge inside, but it has a stylish ambiance which makes it suitable for a classy night out. Not cheap, but worth every penny.
(5)
Adam B.
Founded by the owners of Sake Cafe (Magazine Street) and in a hard to find location near Clearview, this is worth finding. Beautiful two story building with bar with a couple of plasma sets and an attractive and well lit dining area with New Orleans' takes on Chinese Cuisine. Excellent Crawfish Lo Mein, Spring Rolls and much more. It's like PF Changs if PF Changs actually had decent chefs.
(5)
Scott F.
Service is always good. Food is well priced and portioned. The ambiance is trendy and new age, especially compared to Chinese places in the area. The bar area is nice and the business lunch is a good for a quick bite. The liquor and wine selection is wide. Try the orange beef or the filet mignon with the red wine reduction.
(4)
Joshua G.
This place is decent but food seems to be loaded with too much sodium or something. Food not sitting right with me or my wife. We got the garlic chicken and beef. Don't plan on going back.
(2)
Sheri C.
We had this a few weeks ago, and I gotta say: I was not impressed. Especially since i was trying to convert some coworkers to their food. The orange chicken - well, there was no orange flavor. The sauce was salty, and the breading was so much that when we removed the breading, the piece of chicken was about the size of a quarter. I miss the old manager liz - the food seemed better when she was there.
(2)
Matt W.
Excellent food. Wish I tried sooner. Mango basil fried rice was great. Looking forward to trying more.
(5)
Maggie W.
When I'm craving chinese, I crave Cafe East!! My family and I love to come here. For an app, the crawfish spring rolls are delicious. For entrees the Cafe East Trio and the Thai Red Snapper are our favorites!! We get these every time. The portion of the Cafe East Trio is quite generous, two people can share. The prices are quite affordable. I think only once we've had a less than top notch server. LOVE this place!
(5)
Kate W.
We got take out, so I can't speak to the ambiance, but I can definitely say that the food was generous for the price and very tasty. There were 8 of us, so we tried a little bit of everything, lucky you! Heres what we ordered: *Ginger duck -- far and away the best entree we had. The sauce was so flavorful, and the duck was prepared well. *Ginger Shrimp and Scallops - Surprisingly not the same sauce as the duck, a little thinner. Tasty, but the scallops were kinda small. Shrimp were nice and overall tasty dish. *Pork fried rice - tasty stuff! *String beans - Very crisp and in a garlic sauce. I really liked this with the other entrees we had. *Egg rolls - pretty standard stuff. Not as crisp as I usually like the cabbage, but good flavor *Lettuce wraps - I was surprised it isn't a chicken filling, but a beef. Not as good as PF Chang's but that is a pretty high benchmark in my opinion! *General Tso Chicken - I didn't personally try this, but I'm told it was very good. Big pieces of white meat chicken. *Mongolian beef - again, I didn't try it, but it looked quite tasty. Big pieces of beef and broccoli. Would definitely eat here again.
(4)
TT G.
I loved this place for years. The menu is still quite good but the food is not prepared nearly as well as it had been in the past. I have only been disappointed as of late.
(3)
Cristy C.
I'm really between 4 and 5 stars here... I mean, I am the Duchess, so obviously I love it here. It's my go-to happy alternative to P.F. Changs. I tend to come here more often then there now because you can get the same quality food without the headache. It's always so damn loud in there! Here, you can take your time eating, your server is never MIA and one of my favorite things about this place are the chips and spicy sauces they give you as soon as you sit down. Every time I come here I go through two bowls of chips and I have to order more sauce because it's THAT good! I love the chicken with broccoli, the lettuce wraps, actually, pretty much everything. I highly recommend this place, especially for large groups.
(5)
Coral E.
Just enjoyed a lunch at Cafe East with some locals who love Cafe East for an easy and fast workday lunch. We got the Business Lunch where you choose a spring roll or crab rangoon for an appetier and then one of probably 10 options for your entree. I had the Sesame Chicken and it was very good. You also get to choose from white, brown or fried rice with your entree. Reasonably priced, very clean restaurant and our server was great.
(4)
Arthur W.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. The business lunch special is reasonably priced & a great amount of food. The crab Rangoon is delicious. For dinner, the dimly lit restaurant paired with the color changing lights that line the walls create and nice atmosphere. Good spot for a date.
(5)
Giovanni I.
I ordered takeout.. Entree was ok but nothing special, seemed thrown together and over cooked The wonton soup was the worst I've ever had, it was broth and wonton, thats it.. Wontons had no filling, no vegetables or greens in the broth nor pork strips that wonton soup usually comes with. The soup was barely warm. Thought maybe it was just a bad night for the restaurant, so I tried them again. Got the same bad wonton soup. Pretty place for such bad Chinese food.
This place always has parking. It's decent food, but a bit pricey for not being anything special. Whenever I go here, I try something new but it always seems to fall short. On the other hand, The people, building, and atmosphere are wonderful. You can definitely have N enjoyable experience here. Even if their type of food isn't your favorite.
(2)
Stacy R.
Ordered delivery the other night and it was awesome. Super fresh and hot. We got the crawfish spring rolls, good but not much crawfish. General Tsaos chicken and Schezan (sp?) Shrimp, which were both very good.
(4)
Michele B.
My roommate and I stopped here based on a friend's recommendation. When we arrived, the restaurant was completely empty. We were literally the only ones there. The host explained when he brought us to our table that they had just finished the dinner rush for that night and we came in a few minutes after. Our server, Lauren, was FANTASTIC. So sweet and accommodating, she made substitutes for my order and knew exactly when to check on us. The food arrived VERY quickly and our drinks were refilled the second the glass was empty. They even gave us some soda to go! :) This place has great ambiance. I'd definitely go here for a date or a special occasion or just when I'm craving great food. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
James B.
The best kimchi in New Orleans. Also, the tofu eggplant and garlic sauce is wonderful vegetation option. The service is always quick and friendly. Very reasonable prices too.
(4)
Jennifer K.
Love their general tso chicken and pineapple rice. Their egg roll is different but tasty to me. I really like this place
(5)
Sum B.
This place is sort of tucked away on a random street but they have a big, bright sign that you can't miss. We went in around 9 pm on a thursday night and the place was completely empty, except for 2 other people (there were more people who came in when we were there). The hostess seemed to be caught off guard. I was pretty impressed with the decor and the ambiance....trendy, classy and artistic. The service was attentive yet not pushy. Our server made great recommendations and we ended up ordering the hot and sour soup (yumm, pretty standard) and the clay pot soup (just the perfect amount of spiciness). For the entrees we ordered the garlic chicken and fried shrimp. The garlic chicken was good but nothing too exciting. The shrimp was good too. But man oh man! The portion sizes were huge. I had a good dinner and was able to get a lunch out of it too. It was a good experience and I'd definitely eat here again if I'm in the area.
(4)
Marisa X.
3.5 STARS Went for happy hour here today.. 2 for 1 drink specials and a happy hour menu with a $1, $3, and $7 list. Not too shabby! Decor: I totally understand the concept they are trying to pull.. the decor is nice, there's even a second floor (I believe this is for big parties) The only problem I had was the lighting was too damn dark to even see your food. Everyone in my party complained about the lighting. Service: Okay, I seriously would have gave them a higher rating but honestly the service was SAD. I would understand if the place was busy.. but they had only four other tables. We kept having to ask for refills, there were three of us... they only gave us one menu, and only two utensil setting. The waitress forgot, I got tired and just grabbed one off the table across from us. I agree with the other reviews, they bring you these wontons and sauces without telling you what is what... Food: -Wok Fried Calmari, a little too overcooked. But the sauce was light and refreshing. A little less cooked and more cripsy would have set this dish off. -Crab Rangoon.. not the best, not the worst. -Foo Foo Lettuce Wraps, well prepared and this was only $3 off the happy hour menu. -Hot and Sour Soup, yummy! First hot and sour soup I've had with chicken. -Mango Basil Fried Rice, good next time I'll have to remember to ask for it spicy. -General's Chicken, well perfected! -Crisy Whole Fish, we got it black bean style.. no too salty which was nice and light. Overall: It's a hit or miss. Would be a great place to rent out space for big parties. Food isn't bad. They just need help on mangement of waitstaff.
(3)
Latherio J.
Read the reviews and decided to go. MAN! Glad we did! Everything was fresh, and the shrimp were large and deveined. Excellent place, fast service, and food food.
(5)
Virginia F.
Cafe East is a bright, clean open restaurant that serves good food that is filling. I don't go to Chinese buffets that much anymore because the MSG really bothers me afterwards, but I stuck to the salads, broiled fish, soup and just had a little bit of the fried stuff. East has a great selection for every taste, including sushi. Of course it isn't great sushi but we are in a buffet so we're taking quantity, not quality. The service is prompt and courteous, the price is reasonable (12.99 on the weekend and that's including all the crab legs, boiled shrimp and crawfish you can eat). I have no complaints really.
(3)
Travis S.
This place was so bad it's not even worth making a full review. The food just isn't good.
Nice place. Very clean and well kept. The decor is modern and not over done Asian. The menu has several dishes featuring duck. The duck crepes are different but simple and good. They were under-staffed for the amount of business they had. The staff did a good job trying to keep up. Our server was Brandy. She was sweet, clearly in the weeds, but super nice. She never thought twice about the mess my kids were making on the floor. High five Brandy. The prices are in line and portions are large. It does resemble another large Asian chain but didnt feel so much like a chain restaurant. We will be returning again. Next time without the kids.
(4)
Shannon S.
I enjoy the lunch specials here. They have a really good hot & sour chicken soup. You also get to choose between multiple types of rice to go with your meal so that makes it a bit more interesting than your typical Chinese place. I've heard some complaints from some people that have used this place for catering and I've also had some occasional slow service. In general I've always found this to be a reliable spot for a quick and tasty meal that is a bit more upscale for a Chinese style restaurant.
(3)
Justin T.
I'm sorry! But first and last time for me! I'm a fan of PF Chang and Pei Wei, their order always fed me and my wife at a lower price and good! The order here is pricey for lunch! Ordered pad thai, chicken and shrimp are over cooked, and I'm able to finish the meal myself and still want more!!! I was argueing with my wife when she said she want to try here, I said I'll go buy pad thai for her if she want to get it from Pei Wei which is only around $7 which we can share and we know it's good since we just had it yesterday! But she insist and want to try here instead, so here goes my review!!!
(3)
Blue L.
The only reason I give this place 2 stars is that I think it's trying to be something that it's not - in other words, it attempts to be a trendy posh Asian eatery, but the dining experience more closely resembles eating in a giant overly decorated warehouse. The food is NOT authentic, that's for sure. In fact, it's more like Asian fusion, only that it's not particularly good at any of the types of Asian food they try to create, be it Korean, Chinese, Thai, or anything else. BUT, for people who can't tell and/or don't care about the authenticity of their ethnic food, this place is pretty good. Food is not overly greasy, seasoning is flavorful, and the presentation is visually pleasing. Generally, I've found that people who know nothing about real Asian food love this place....food purists and authenticity snobs (like me) trash it.
(2)
Bobby B.
Hmm. Interesting place. It's a CHINESE restaurant...I think. I say that because when you sit down, they bring you Kimchi...Seriously, an oversized thimbleful of Kimchi (Not even on the menu). It's actually quite good but a little sweet (Which is odd but oddly nice). They also bring out some deep fried wonton and three dipping sauces without telling you what all this stuff is or why it's there. I have eaten at enough placed to know but the poor family beside me had no clue and their 2 year old grabbed a little hand full of kimchi and put it in his mouth. Then he cried. Yeah...I laughed a little bit to myself but did feel bad after(sorta). The waitress was amazingly sweet. She forgot just about everything, but she was really sweet. I had to remind her 3-4 times about the chopsticks and when I ordered a water with lemon, she brought a glass of water and a tea with lemon. Odd, but she was sweet. I got the duck salad (really quite good but too sweet). and the Beef in Garlic sauce, extra, EXTRA spicy (not spicy at all. Not too bad though). I chose the Pineapple curried fried rice (tasted like an Indian dish. Clashed with the Kimchi (Korean) and the Chinese beef. The crawfish Spring roll was more like an eggroll and after cutting it up and looking, I never saw a single piece of crawfish. Sad. I like crawfish (My boss says the crab ragoons are good but she hates the crawfishless spring/eggrolls). Anyway...If it sounds like this is a 2 star review, it isn't. There were good points (duck) and bad points (roll) and in between (Sweet but Huuurrr waitress). I am willing to try again. Mostly, because it's half a block from my work. A little expensive for Chinese/Korean/Indian/Hurrrr, btw.
(3)
Michael W.
This once exciting new take on Asian cuisine has sadly degraded to barely better than bottom rung Chinese buffets. It's a shame and I hope they can find their way again, but after spending $45 for my 2 kids and I at lunch on basically glop, I won't be back until I hear it's been turned around. Hope they read this and clean up their act. Put some damn effort out... "lazy" is a word that pretty much sums up the way our food was prepared. Also, the kids used to be able to order a Shirley Temple as a "mocktail", but that went away quite a while back.
(2)
Jared F.
My former co-workers and I came to cafe east for a small "xmas party" get together. Why cafe east you may ask? Hell if I know. I just came into the fray at the last minute. Anyways, the restaurant was very swanky and made me feel overtly under dressed for the occasion (more my fault than theirs I know, but it felt like a t-shirt and jeans kind of night.) The food, which they serve tapas style for everyone to share, was excellent and relatively inexpensive. The service, however, was hit or miss. They weren't rude or anything, just a few screwups on the orders and drinks. Understandable, seeing the size of our party and how busy they were, I didn't expect them to bat .1000. This place is a definite recommend.
(4)
Ryan W.
Pan-asian cuisine. bland and boring, just like the masses like it. They obviously put more work into the decor and architecture than the menu.
(2)
Gerald T.
If your favorite Chinese restaurant is the one at the mall this place is not for you.. I ordered the cafe east trio.. it was good but not amazing. my wife got the ginger duck... that was amazing.. I would definitely go back for the duck. very nice restaurant.. little dark but not too bad.. most items on the menu are in the $15 range.. alittle high for some of the simple dishes but very fair for something like the ginger duck.. I drink ice tea with no sugar or lemon and this tea was very good.. important to me for a restaurant to have good tea. I will have to go back before i can give them 5 stars
(4)
Michael S.
Exceptional Chinese! Not cheap or not a quickie Chinese but a very nice, high quality. The food is outstanding, the portions are enough for dinner and lunch the next day! Beautiful, large and very stylish on the inside. I agree with everything in the other reviews. It is kinda like PF Changs...only this is in a league of it's own.
(5)
Gerlaine B.
I'm not a huge Chinese food fan, but I do like Cafe East. It seems to not be as heavy. Had dinner here on Wednesday night. I ate the fried tofu with sesame sauce, yummy! They have a great deal going with the happy hour from 3-7p, I believe. 2 for 1 drinks, $1 & $3 appetizers and $7 entrees. Only thing is, I wouldn't go when it's raining. I almost got trapped because Rye Street was completely flooded by the time I was leaving!
(4)
Frequent D.
WORM! Yep, we found a LIVE WORM in the fufu wrap lettuce. It was a delivery order, so I called Cafe East to notify the manager about the WORM. I asked the young lady who answered my call if the kitchen washes the lettuce. I was told, "The manager said you can come get some more and we'll wash it this time." I was told that the manager was busy and he would call me back. I called again the next day. Manager never returned my call. We had gone to Cafe East a week before and the duck and shrimp entrees were old and smelly. Will never so back to Cafe East.
(1)
Bruce C.
Chinese food with contempo decor. The lighting is very cool and a first in New Orleans area that I know of. Professional service, delicious appetizers and decent parking. If you can't find it, you can't eat there! Unless you are Asian, you probably don't want to bring children here. We eat here for business lunches and special lunch occasions.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Steph M.
This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the GNO. I've never dined in, so I can't speak to the ambiance, wait staff, etc. But the food is yummy and the portions are huge, so it lasts and lasts. It might be slightly more spendy than your average strip-mall Chinese place, but it's worth it. The Egg Rolls are good, as well as the pork fried rice and I love the Cashew Chicken. I've also tried the Orange Peel Beef and the General Tso's Beef, both of which were spicy but not too spicy. You can choose between white and brown rice and my only tiny complaint is that they don't give you enough rice with a take out order. It's fast and easy...makes me happy!
(4)Cynthia C.
I've been to Cafe East many times for lunch. Their lunch special is a great value with choice s small appetizer, entree and rice for 8.95. We went for dinner last night and enjoyed it. The place is clean and modern and the food is solid. We had appetizers of chicken gyoza and goat cheese gyoza. Both were crispy and tasty, good but not great. Our group then shared the Szechaun shrimp, sesame chicken, and red curry beef. All were good, fresh and ample. The sesame chicken was sweeter than normal, a bit more like orange chicken but it was good. The brown rice was cooked perfectly. Service was very good. A solid Chinese offering.
(4)Katie A.
The business lunch special here is really great. You get a choice of small appetizers, 1 of about 15 different main dishes (very wide selection), and then a rice to go with your main dish, all for about $9 (with tax & tip it came to $12, still a great deal). The restaurant was also not very crowded at about lunchtime on a weekday, so there wasn't a wait for a table for our party of 6. The food was good, but not fantastic, and kind of predictable Chinese food, but I enjoyed finding another decent stand-by just in case I ever find myself needing this kind of food in this part of town again.
(4)Tiff D.
Unlike most sketchy Chinese places around, this place is spacious, modern, and clean. There is a large bar when you enter. I might have to check out their drink menu some time. I got take out so I cant comment on service. Prices were high for Chinese food, although you did get enough for 2 in one dish. I got General Tso's Chicken. I appreciate that they use only white meat. No mystery meat here. The sauce was more sweet and sour than other General Tso's I've had. It wasn't at all spicy. The chicken was overcooked leaving a tough outer layer and although it was breaded it was not at all crispy. I wouldn't order it again but I would give this place another try.
(3)Stephanie B.
Long black hair fried in the batter of my chicken. The restaurant was empty at 12:00 lunch time. Now I see why. I was still charged for the meal.
(1)Lindsay H.
Visited this place for a business lunch which worked out pretty well since there is a parking lot and it seems like a predictable menu/atmosphere. However, predictable is not my thing. This place doesn't have much character and neither does the food. The quality of the food was average. I order scallops which I didn't realize would be battered and thin. The dish was a surf and turf deal that had red meat as well. This meat was the typical wimpy, sauce covered stuff you get in most unadventurous Chinese restaurants. I'm sure there is a need for some folks to have this type of place in Metairie, but I'm just not feeling it personally.
(3)Nicole B.
Very good, consisten pan-Asian food. You can taste the Korean influence or Thai influence, just depends on the dish. I love this restaurant. Great for an office party. Great lunch prices. I love the curry seafood soup (very spicy & rich). Good garlic shrimp/chicken, good sesame chicken, good beef with red curry, and everything on their Chef Specials menu is great. I don't recommend the chicken with cashew or any of that type of dish - bland and not nearly as good as more traditional chinese restaurants. I'd eat there more often if it were a little less expensive - a bit over my cheap taste price limit. But the lunch is a good value.
(4)Stan A.
Food was good, but someone there copied my credit card information and used it to buy porn. My CC company contacted me about the purchase. I will NOT eat there again! NOT worth someone trying to rip me off. I do not recommend this place.
(1)Dale W.
Some friends took me to Cafe East for lunch and the Diner-esque sign had me completely unprepared for the upscale interior and refreshing menu with a fairly modern take on traditional asian dishes. Excellent food & prompt and courteous service has made me a fan and guarantees my return at lunch time in the future.
(4)Carol B.
I have been going to Cafe East for years and have always had a wonderful experience! Their food is delicious and priced reasonably. The service is also exceptional.
(5)Matt S.
Cafe East is my favorite Chinese restaurant. I always get the Kung pao and chicken fire pot soup and my gf gets orange chicken. They offer a big selection of different dishes and also have a lunch special. The meat is great quality, not the weird stringy meat you find at cheap places. The portions are big too. I highly recommend going.
(5)Charlie P.
We ordered delivery on Wed. night, the driver called to say he was outside on the street and told me to come down and get my food. I asked why I had to get dressed and come outside and go downstairs to pick up my food on the street. He responded by saying he don't deliver to the apartment. I did have a $6 tip for him on a $38 order. Until I had to go get my own food. I gave him zero tip. He said thanks for the no tip and drove off. When I called the assistant manager she said that is not their policy and will write up the driver.
(1)FE504 ..
The decor is nice , however the food our party had was horrible . Like another reviewer there was 2 bugs in our lettuce wraps . They didn't seem very concerned or apologetic at all . They offered to bring us new wraps but we declined . They are trying to be an asian fusion restaurant and it just don't work. There are too many good and CLEAN alternatives to Chinese food in Metairie , and this place isn't one. Normally , I would not be so harsh in my criticism of a restaurant , but the nonchaulence and indifference in finding bugs in your food proves to me they just don't care or they are used to it . Sorry cafe east , I won't be back .
(1)Abby O.
Beautiful looking restaurant for the area, food not consistent, too salty most of the time.
(3)Riva R.
I finally ordered take-out from Cafe East, and it was delicious! I got the szechuan dumplings and szechuan shrimp. Sauce on the dumplings was so good, and very different than anything I've had at a Chinese restaurant before. The Shrimp were super spicy (just how I like them) and there were at least 12 good sized shrimp perfectly cleaned. I found the prices to be slightly less than Young's in Kenner, and the food was so much better! I can't wait to try something new next week! Also, they offered without me asking if I'd like them to hold off on putting in my order since I was driving from 25 minutes away. Great customer service.
(5)Rose V.
Not your average "Chinese" restaurant. Cafe East features a pan-Asian menu with food that's presented beautifully and tastes even better. I was sorely tempted to order every appetizer on the menu; the ones we had were all excellent. Subtle, interesting flavors and fresh ingredients. The place looks a little garish from outside and is huge inside, but it has a stylish ambiance which makes it suitable for a classy night out. Not cheap, but worth every penny.
(5)Adam B.
Founded by the owners of Sake Cafe (Magazine Street) and in a hard to find location near Clearview, this is worth finding. Beautiful two story building with bar with a couple of plasma sets and an attractive and well lit dining area with New Orleans' takes on Chinese Cuisine. Excellent Crawfish Lo Mein, Spring Rolls and much more. It's like PF Changs if PF Changs actually had decent chefs.
(5)Scott F.
Service is always good. Food is well priced and portioned. The ambiance is trendy and new age, especially compared to Chinese places in the area. The bar area is nice and the business lunch is a good for a quick bite. The liquor and wine selection is wide. Try the orange beef or the filet mignon with the red wine reduction.
(4)Joshua G.
This place is decent but food seems to be loaded with too much sodium or something. Food not sitting right with me or my wife. We got the garlic chicken and beef. Don't plan on going back.
(2)Sheri C.
We had this a few weeks ago, and I gotta say: I was not impressed. Especially since i was trying to convert some coworkers to their food. The orange chicken - well, there was no orange flavor. The sauce was salty, and the breading was so much that when we removed the breading, the piece of chicken was about the size of a quarter. I miss the old manager liz - the food seemed better when she was there.
(2)Matt W.
Excellent food. Wish I tried sooner. Mango basil fried rice was great. Looking forward to trying more.
(5)Maggie W.
When I'm craving chinese, I crave Cafe East!! My family and I love to come here. For an app, the crawfish spring rolls are delicious. For entrees the Cafe East Trio and the Thai Red Snapper are our favorites!! We get these every time. The portion of the Cafe East Trio is quite generous, two people can share. The prices are quite affordable. I think only once we've had a less than top notch server. LOVE this place!
(5)Kate W.
We got take out, so I can't speak to the ambiance, but I can definitely say that the food was generous for the price and very tasty. There were 8 of us, so we tried a little bit of everything, lucky you! Heres what we ordered: *Ginger duck -- far and away the best entree we had. The sauce was so flavorful, and the duck was prepared well. *Ginger Shrimp and Scallops - Surprisingly not the same sauce as the duck, a little thinner. Tasty, but the scallops were kinda small. Shrimp were nice and overall tasty dish. *Pork fried rice - tasty stuff! *String beans - Very crisp and in a garlic sauce. I really liked this with the other entrees we had. *Egg rolls - pretty standard stuff. Not as crisp as I usually like the cabbage, but good flavor *Lettuce wraps - I was surprised it isn't a chicken filling, but a beef. Not as good as PF Chang's but that is a pretty high benchmark in my opinion! *General Tso Chicken - I didn't personally try this, but I'm told it was very good. Big pieces of white meat chicken. *Mongolian beef - again, I didn't try it, but it looked quite tasty. Big pieces of beef and broccoli. Would definitely eat here again.
(4)TT G.
I loved this place for years. The menu is still quite good but the food is not prepared nearly as well as it had been in the past. I have only been disappointed as of late.
(3)Cristy C.
I'm really between 4 and 5 stars here... I mean, I am the Duchess, so obviously I love it here. It's my go-to happy alternative to P.F. Changs. I tend to come here more often then there now because you can get the same quality food without the headache. It's always so damn loud in there! Here, you can take your time eating, your server is never MIA and one of my favorite things about this place are the chips and spicy sauces they give you as soon as you sit down. Every time I come here I go through two bowls of chips and I have to order more sauce because it's THAT good! I love the chicken with broccoli, the lettuce wraps, actually, pretty much everything. I highly recommend this place, especially for large groups.
(5)Coral E.
Just enjoyed a lunch at Cafe East with some locals who love Cafe East for an easy and fast workday lunch. We got the Business Lunch where you choose a spring roll or crab rangoon for an appetier and then one of probably 10 options for your entree. I had the Sesame Chicken and it was very good. You also get to choose from white, brown or fried rice with your entree. Reasonably priced, very clean restaurant and our server was great.
(4)Arthur W.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. The business lunch special is reasonably priced & a great amount of food. The crab Rangoon is delicious. For dinner, the dimly lit restaurant paired with the color changing lights that line the walls create and nice atmosphere. Good spot for a date.
(5)Giovanni I.
I ordered takeout.. Entree was ok but nothing special, seemed thrown together and over cooked The wonton soup was the worst I've ever had, it was broth and wonton, thats it.. Wontons had no filling, no vegetables or greens in the broth nor pork strips that wonton soup usually comes with. The soup was barely warm. Thought maybe it was just a bad night for the restaurant, so I tried them again. Got the same bad wonton soup. Pretty place for such bad Chinese food.
(2)Jennifer H.
Before I went to Café East, I always wondered if they were open for business because the parking lot always had either a few cars in it, or it was totally empty. One Saturday, my family and I decided to check it out for dinner. We went in and it was VERY nice! I just didn't understand why such a nice restaurant with a very nice bar & top shelf alcohol was empty. There were even a couple awards on the wall rating it as one of Gambit's Top Restaurants. When we walked in, there was only one couple in this empty restaurant and my family. Our waiter was very friendly and provided us with great service. The food was very good. So good that I went back a few times for takeout (and even on those occasions it was empty). We ordered a combination rice, shrimp and broccoli, egg rolls, and crab Rangoon. Everything was great. I had no complaints about this place. In fact, I was pleased that the restaurant was empty because I didn't have to worry if my toddler decided to act up a bit. Maybe there is a huge lunch crowd or they have lots of parties, because I can't understand why this nice, large restaurant with good food always seem to be empty.
(4)Lauren L.
This place always has parking. It's decent food, but a bit pricey for not being anything special. Whenever I go here, I try something new but it always seems to fall short. On the other hand, The people, building, and atmosphere are wonderful. You can definitely have N enjoyable experience here. Even if their type of food isn't your favorite.
(2)Stacy R.
Ordered delivery the other night and it was awesome. Super fresh and hot. We got the crawfish spring rolls, good but not much crawfish. General Tsaos chicken and Schezan (sp?) Shrimp, which were both very good.
(4)Michele B.
My roommate and I stopped here based on a friend's recommendation. When we arrived, the restaurant was completely empty. We were literally the only ones there. The host explained when he brought us to our table that they had just finished the dinner rush for that night and we came in a few minutes after. Our server, Lauren, was FANTASTIC. So sweet and accommodating, she made substitutes for my order and knew exactly when to check on us. The food arrived VERY quickly and our drinks were refilled the second the glass was empty. They even gave us some soda to go! :) This place has great ambiance. I'd definitely go here for a date or a special occasion or just when I'm craving great food. I'll definitely be back.
(5)James B.
The best kimchi in New Orleans. Also, the tofu eggplant and garlic sauce is wonderful vegetation option. The service is always quick and friendly. Very reasonable prices too.
(4)Jennifer K.
Love their general tso chicken and pineapple rice. Their egg roll is different but tasty to me. I really like this place
(5)Sum B.
This place is sort of tucked away on a random street but they have a big, bright sign that you can't miss. We went in around 9 pm on a thursday night and the place was completely empty, except for 2 other people (there were more people who came in when we were there). The hostess seemed to be caught off guard. I was pretty impressed with the decor and the ambiance....trendy, classy and artistic. The service was attentive yet not pushy. Our server made great recommendations and we ended up ordering the hot and sour soup (yumm, pretty standard) and the clay pot soup (just the perfect amount of spiciness). For the entrees we ordered the garlic chicken and fried shrimp. The garlic chicken was good but nothing too exciting. The shrimp was good too. But man oh man! The portion sizes were huge. I had a good dinner and was able to get a lunch out of it too. It was a good experience and I'd definitely eat here again if I'm in the area.
(4)Marisa X.
3.5 STARS Went for happy hour here today.. 2 for 1 drink specials and a happy hour menu with a $1, $3, and $7 list. Not too shabby! Decor: I totally understand the concept they are trying to pull.. the decor is nice, there's even a second floor (I believe this is for big parties) The only problem I had was the lighting was too damn dark to even see your food. Everyone in my party complained about the lighting. Service: Okay, I seriously would have gave them a higher rating but honestly the service was SAD. I would understand if the place was busy.. but they had only four other tables. We kept having to ask for refills, there were three of us... they only gave us one menu, and only two utensil setting. The waitress forgot, I got tired and just grabbed one off the table across from us. I agree with the other reviews, they bring you these wontons and sauces without telling you what is what... Food: -Wok Fried Calmari, a little too overcooked. But the sauce was light and refreshing. A little less cooked and more cripsy would have set this dish off. -Crab Rangoon.. not the best, not the worst. -Foo Foo Lettuce Wraps, well prepared and this was only $3 off the happy hour menu. -Hot and Sour Soup, yummy! First hot and sour soup I've had with chicken. -Mango Basil Fried Rice, good next time I'll have to remember to ask for it spicy. -General's Chicken, well perfected! -Crisy Whole Fish, we got it black bean style.. no too salty which was nice and light. Overall: It's a hit or miss. Would be a great place to rent out space for big parties. Food isn't bad. They just need help on mangement of waitstaff.
(3)Latherio J.
Read the reviews and decided to go. MAN! Glad we did! Everything was fresh, and the shrimp were large and deveined. Excellent place, fast service, and food food.
(5)Virginia F.
Cafe East is a bright, clean open restaurant that serves good food that is filling. I don't go to Chinese buffets that much anymore because the MSG really bothers me afterwards, but I stuck to the salads, broiled fish, soup and just had a little bit of the fried stuff. East has a great selection for every taste, including sushi. Of course it isn't great sushi but we are in a buffet so we're taking quantity, not quality. The service is prompt and courteous, the price is reasonable (12.99 on the weekend and that's including all the crab legs, boiled shrimp and crawfish you can eat). I have no complaints really.
(3)Travis S.
This place was so bad it's not even worth making a full review. The food just isn't good.
(1)Annie B.
Sadly, my favorite part about Café East was the exterior. After driving around Metairie lost for quite a while (my usual M.O. when in Metairie) I almost passed it up. While scanning both sides of the street trying to spot the place, my thinking went as follows: "Abandoned warehouse? Nope, not it. Hair salon? Sporting goods store? Nope and nope. Bar/casino /adult Chuck E. Cheese extravaganza? No--wait, what? Is that really it?" Yes, that was it. It reminded me of a roadside casino in Missouri called "Capri" I once ducked into for a bloody mary. Anyhow, however overwhelmed I was with the décor, I was conversely underwhelmed by the food. All of the food possessed that bizarre consistency that often accompanies Chinese food - a wet, snot-like substance. I have never seen this consistency on any other genre of food and can only describe it as viscous. I have no idea if this is authentic to traditional Chinese food or is a western abomination; I only bring it up because it bewilders me. I don't really have much to say about the food beside "meh." The crawfish spring roll had one crawfish tail per roll and my dining companion and I both thought the shrimp in her dish were previously frozen. I'm always skeptical when Asian restaurants use the word "fusion" in their mission statment. These are big countries with ancient cuisines - do we really need to "fuse" them? Isn't there enough to draw from in a country with 1,330,044,544 people? The most exciting part of the meal was that they deliver what I believe to be spicy kimchi to every table. For more from me on Nola food and drink, visit eatdrinknola.blogspot.com
(1)Sean B.
Nice place. Very clean and well kept. The decor is modern and not over done Asian. The menu has several dishes featuring duck. The duck crepes are different but simple and good. They were under-staffed for the amount of business they had. The staff did a good job trying to keep up. Our server was Brandy. She was sweet, clearly in the weeds, but super nice. She never thought twice about the mess my kids were making on the floor. High five Brandy. The prices are in line and portions are large. It does resemble another large Asian chain but didnt feel so much like a chain restaurant. We will be returning again. Next time without the kids.
(4)Shannon S.
I enjoy the lunch specials here. They have a really good hot & sour chicken soup. You also get to choose between multiple types of rice to go with your meal so that makes it a bit more interesting than your typical Chinese place. I've heard some complaints from some people that have used this place for catering and I've also had some occasional slow service. In general I've always found this to be a reliable spot for a quick and tasty meal that is a bit more upscale for a Chinese style restaurant.
(3)Justin T.
I'm sorry! But first and last time for me! I'm a fan of PF Chang and Pei Wei, their order always fed me and my wife at a lower price and good! The order here is pricey for lunch! Ordered pad thai, chicken and shrimp are over cooked, and I'm able to finish the meal myself and still want more!!! I was argueing with my wife when she said she want to try here, I said I'll go buy pad thai for her if she want to get it from Pei Wei which is only around $7 which we can share and we know it's good since we just had it yesterday! But she insist and want to try here instead, so here goes my review!!!
(3)Blue L.
The only reason I give this place 2 stars is that I think it's trying to be something that it's not - in other words, it attempts to be a trendy posh Asian eatery, but the dining experience more closely resembles eating in a giant overly decorated warehouse. The food is NOT authentic, that's for sure. In fact, it's more like Asian fusion, only that it's not particularly good at any of the types of Asian food they try to create, be it Korean, Chinese, Thai, or anything else. BUT, for people who can't tell and/or don't care about the authenticity of their ethnic food, this place is pretty good. Food is not overly greasy, seasoning is flavorful, and the presentation is visually pleasing. Generally, I've found that people who know nothing about real Asian food love this place....food purists and authenticity snobs (like me) trash it.
(2)Bobby B.
Hmm. Interesting place. It's a CHINESE restaurant...I think. I say that because when you sit down, they bring you Kimchi...Seriously, an oversized thimbleful of Kimchi (Not even on the menu). It's actually quite good but a little sweet (Which is odd but oddly nice). They also bring out some deep fried wonton and three dipping sauces without telling you what all this stuff is or why it's there. I have eaten at enough placed to know but the poor family beside me had no clue and their 2 year old grabbed a little hand full of kimchi and put it in his mouth. Then he cried. Yeah...I laughed a little bit to myself but did feel bad after(sorta). The waitress was amazingly sweet. She forgot just about everything, but she was really sweet. I had to remind her 3-4 times about the chopsticks and when I ordered a water with lemon, she brought a glass of water and a tea with lemon. Odd, but she was sweet. I got the duck salad (really quite good but too sweet). and the Beef in Garlic sauce, extra, EXTRA spicy (not spicy at all. Not too bad though). I chose the Pineapple curried fried rice (tasted like an Indian dish. Clashed with the Kimchi (Korean) and the Chinese beef. The crawfish Spring roll was more like an eggroll and after cutting it up and looking, I never saw a single piece of crawfish. Sad. I like crawfish (My boss says the crab ragoons are good but she hates the crawfishless spring/eggrolls). Anyway...If it sounds like this is a 2 star review, it isn't. There were good points (duck) and bad points (roll) and in between (Sweet but Huuurrr waitress). I am willing to try again. Mostly, because it's half a block from my work. A little expensive for Chinese/Korean/Indian/Hurrrr, btw.
(3)Michael W.
This once exciting new take on Asian cuisine has sadly degraded to barely better than bottom rung Chinese buffets. It's a shame and I hope they can find their way again, but after spending $45 for my 2 kids and I at lunch on basically glop, I won't be back until I hear it's been turned around. Hope they read this and clean up their act. Put some damn effort out... "lazy" is a word that pretty much sums up the way our food was prepared. Also, the kids used to be able to order a Shirley Temple as a "mocktail", but that went away quite a while back.
(2)Jared F.
My former co-workers and I came to cafe east for a small "xmas party" get together. Why cafe east you may ask? Hell if I know. I just came into the fray at the last minute. Anyways, the restaurant was very swanky and made me feel overtly under dressed for the occasion (more my fault than theirs I know, but it felt like a t-shirt and jeans kind of night.) The food, which they serve tapas style for everyone to share, was excellent and relatively inexpensive. The service, however, was hit or miss. They weren't rude or anything, just a few screwups on the orders and drinks. Understandable, seeing the size of our party and how busy they were, I didn't expect them to bat .1000. This place is a definite recommend.
(4)Ryan W.
Pan-asian cuisine. bland and boring, just like the masses like it. They obviously put more work into the decor and architecture than the menu.
(2)Gerald T.
If your favorite Chinese restaurant is the one at the mall this place is not for you.. I ordered the cafe east trio.. it was good but not amazing. my wife got the ginger duck... that was amazing.. I would definitely go back for the duck. very nice restaurant.. little dark but not too bad.. most items on the menu are in the $15 range.. alittle high for some of the simple dishes but very fair for something like the ginger duck.. I drink ice tea with no sugar or lemon and this tea was very good.. important to me for a restaurant to have good tea. I will have to go back before i can give them 5 stars
(4)Michael S.
Exceptional Chinese! Not cheap or not a quickie Chinese but a very nice, high quality. The food is outstanding, the portions are enough for dinner and lunch the next day! Beautiful, large and very stylish on the inside. I agree with everything in the other reviews. It is kinda like PF Changs...only this is in a league of it's own.
(5)Gerlaine B.
I'm not a huge Chinese food fan, but I do like Cafe East. It seems to not be as heavy. Had dinner here on Wednesday night. I ate the fried tofu with sesame sauce, yummy! They have a great deal going with the happy hour from 3-7p, I believe. 2 for 1 drinks, $1 & $3 appetizers and $7 entrees. Only thing is, I wouldn't go when it's raining. I almost got trapped because Rye Street was completely flooded by the time I was leaving!
(4)Frequent D.
WORM! Yep, we found a LIVE WORM in the fufu wrap lettuce. It was a delivery order, so I called Cafe East to notify the manager about the WORM. I asked the young lady who answered my call if the kitchen washes the lettuce. I was told, "The manager said you can come get some more and we'll wash it this time." I was told that the manager was busy and he would call me back. I called again the next day. Manager never returned my call. We had gone to Cafe East a week before and the duck and shrimp entrees were old and smelly. Will never so back to Cafe East.
(1)Bruce C.
Chinese food with contempo decor. The lighting is very cool and a first in New Orleans area that I know of. Professional service, delicious appetizers and decent parking. If you can't find it, you can't eat there! Unless you are Asian, you probably don't want to bring children here. We eat here for business lunches and special lunch occasions.
(4)