My brother had to have gator when he visited NOLA in September. So, this is where I took him. The Gator bites were fried and therefore quite good. Hard to mess that up. The muffaletta was really oily... like sopping wet and pretty gross. Only on one side though. The other side didn't taste too bad. I prefer Ignatius for their muffaletta. The jazz band was nice and they were playing into the night. Not many people at the restaurant, so service was pretty quick.
(3)
Scott M.
Excellent! This by far is one of our favorite lunch spots. Try the Muffaletta and/or the Roast Beef Po-Boy (messy and awesome)! You'll be glad you did!
(5)
Kees v.
My wife had the Muffaletta and I ordered the Red Beans & Rice. Both were excellent however the serving size of the Muffaletta was extremely large, come hungry if you order this meal.
(4)
Jason Y.
After exploring the French Market area we decided we wanted a little rest along with some drinks and music. The Market Cafe was perfect- outside, live music, and strangely delicious drinks. We didn't have any food but the service was good and the music was great.
(4)
Patricia D.
Great mixed drinks...try the Hurricane or the Peach Daquiri. Food is so/so...the highlight being the Muffuleta, with olive salad topping. Po Boys are slapped onto regular Italian Bread...doesn't do the name justice.
(3)
Siobhán H.
Like most reviewers have said- It's touristy. Went here out of low blood sugar desperation. I'm still regretting my decision.
(2)
Isabelle E.
They have live music and a nice patio. We had a few pounds of crawfish and a few sides of gator and fries and other things and they all were served really quickly. The crawfish were super delicious and so were the sides. The waitress was very friendly. Had some drinks and they were pretty strong and fairly cheap.
(4)
Lorrayne L.
Objective 1 upon reaching shore again: Take more pictures of New Orleans. Objective 2 upon reaching shore again: Stuff mine face with more Orleans goodness. Both objectives achieved. The kindly waiter seated us immediately out on the patio, to enjoy the sunshine and briny air since the fog had burned off before we docked. A fine day in the NoLa. Firstly, I had a cup of their gumbo (I went on a gumbo craze since Miss Pearl's closed down), and it was fairly good. But then I ordered the alligator sausage, and I was done. I pride myself on being up to trying all types of foods, meats foremost. I've had fried alligator, but am not a huge fan of fried stuff, so was thoroughly delighted that they offered a grilled option. Combined with their creamy sausage sauce, grilled onions and peppers, every bite was a pure delight! I was almost in a tivvy that I might not have been able to finish it after the filling gumbo, but I managed, and happily waddled back to the hotel to pick up my bags. Seriously yo, if you're in the NoLa area, go here and stuff their sausage in your hungry and watering mouth. You won't regret it. Oh yeah, make sure to ask for the creamy sauce to go with it.
(5)
K J.
Went on a Saturday and experienced live music. A great place to people watch and enjoy your food. Started with the broiled crawfish which was great. My server even showed me how to eat them since it was my first time. Had the fried shrimp Po boy and it was really good. Topped it off with Pecan pie which was okay. All in all a great experience.
(5)
Adele M.
My waiter was super friendly and the jazz band entertaining, but the food was sub average. House salad was too much $$ for what I got and the Gulf Shrimp dish was not doing it for me. Veggies were just steamed, nothing else...something odd flavored in the shrimp, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Jambalaya was simple. Nothing special. However, lots of outdoor seating and room to people watch. Have to give it a thumbs up for that. Had I read Yelp reviews, I would not have gone here. It was the band that lured me in.
(2)
Don T.
The catfish po-boy and gator bites were great! Service was slow. Live music was fun!
(3)
Valerie P.
Normally I avoid anything that's touched a deep fryer, but I was on vacation, darn it, and the oyster po boy called to me. And I have to say, it was even more delicious than I could have imagined. I swear, I'm still having dreams about that thing! I also tried the alligator bites, but they tasted pretty much like what you'd expect of a novelty order--interesting to do once, but not enjoyable enough for a repeat. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was nice. I definitely enjoyed sitting on the patio and listening to the live jazz band belt out a rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" as I chowed down, and the Market Cafe was definitely a nice, easy place to have my last meal in the city before heading out to the airport. The reason I've giving this place four stars (normally I'd probably do three) is because our waitress let my group of three pay on separate checks, something that doesn't seem to be done much in NOLA, but as it was our last meal in the city and we were all seriously strapped for cash, being able to charge was a godsend.
(4)
Debbie M.
Very good service- very good music. We stopped in here for a late light lunch after walking all day & buying our tourist goodies. We were seated quickly & drinks arrived lickity split. We asked what was good- decided to try the alligator appetizers which taste like chicken (IMHO) they were tasty & I loved the sauce. We decided ask the waitress her pick for a good sandwich to split. She told us if we wanted to eat light to choose the 1/2 of a Muffaletta. My husband was concerned that we were sharing 1/2 a sandwich...he wanted to eat but not be stuffed. When our sandwich arrived even my hubby thought it was huge!!! Let me repeat myself the 1/2 sandwich is HUGE!!!! The full sandwich takes up a whole plate!!! Thank goodness we split this 1/2 sandwich I cannot imagine trying to eat this half sandwich by myself. This sandwich was WONDERFUL and both hubby & I were satified!!!! We got back to our hotel & noticed we'd left our shopping bag at the restaurant. We walked back over expecting that our bag may not have been there but as we walked in our waitress noticed us & said you package is at the bar...yea!!!
(5)
Dave B.
We were looking for a lighter place to eat after multiple huge meals, this was a fun place with live Dixie band, service was okay. I had the shrimp & oyster po-boy and Kevin had the muffuletta, both were good but pretty uninspired and basic. Be warned, a "full muffuletta" is frigging huge and enough for 2-3 people so order accordingly. We also had the bread pudding for dessert, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great, a bit dense for us, but we liked it. All in all not a bad place for a lighter more casual meal with some live entertainment.
(3)
Gigi S.
Ok, so you know that breakfast special here that's 3.95 for an egg, grits, a biscuit, and bacon? Get it. Add butter to the grits, mix it ALL together, top it with some ketchup and call it a morning, because it's the best deal you are bound to find in these here parts. The place across the street has a special too, but it isn't as low-cost as this option, and I was very well satisfied. Give the eating a rest till the real chefs wake up. Breakfast as a whole is not this cities strong suit, but if you MUST take up precious Liver-front property with breakfast after a night of drinking, you might as well do it at this charming place.
(4)
J G.
Solid but nothing special. Jazz during lunch is nice touch be sure to tip the band. Good location
(3)
Sherri K.
I do not remember this place right now - I will have to return to this review after checking out my pictures. hahaha! I have a feeling this was the place with the surly bartender who would not take a picture with me...damn tourists. Bourbon! ah yes, a corner bar, location location location... The entire staff seemed disgruntled. The bartender was not feeling the sherri-love, and didn't feel like talking with myself and the 1 or 2 other people at the bar. The outdoor patio with live music is set up for a no lose situation. It's one of those places you can hang on the street and listen to great big band music - LIVE on the corner. It's got the whole city feel, but I did not want to spend more money there because it just didn't have the personality of every other bar in the city.
(3)
Lisa H.
The food is good and the live music is great, but the customer service is questionable. I had an awesome mufaletta, which I ate entirely by myself even though I could have probably been fine with just a quarter sandwich (I ordered a half not a full, which is more than enough food). I posted a picture of the sandwich too. I would recommend going here for a drink in the afternoon so that you can enjoy the music and not worry about being bothered, the lack of good customer service bothers me more when I am enjoying a meal than when I am just having drinks.
(2)
Racquel D.
My brother, sister-in-law, and I all split the different kinds of po boys here. Catfish was delicious. Shrimp and oyster was delicious. Alligator sausage... OMG! It's the one we all recommend if you're gonna order a po boy here. It reminds me of a Filipino sausage.... kind of heavy, but really good. Delicious is the only way I can describe it really. Go and get you some!
(4)
Khank N.
This place is the shizznit! Gumbo and Po boy is where it's at! Service was quick and great! 2 mins we were sat down and drinks were coming! Atmosphere had a very chill vibe, nice to get away from the crowd! You really get a feel for New Orleans!
(5)
Kathy C.
Spotted this place on our way to the French Market from Cafe Du Monde and it looked pretty good. There was a live band outside pumping out lively, toe-tapping jazz. It was raining the day we came and the outside seating is all under cover so a great place to people watch. It definitely reminds me of the cafes in Paris. We ordered Popcorn Crawfish and Jambalaya. The crawfish was ok...I thought the individual crawfish were a little bit small but they were good. The jambalaya was really good. Super flavorful and filling. The ingredients in the rice were plentiful...like big chunks of chicken and sausage. A good place to stop and eat while you're strolling down the riverside or on Decatur.
(4)
Katie G.
Bland and tasteless excuse for a po boy. A few slices of store-bought sliced turkey, a few bits of lettuce, mayo, terrible roll, anemic tomato slice. Kind of intense and strange server. Band plays and then comes around with a hat for tips just as you're getting up to leave (and have your hands full of bags). Decent Bloody Mary, however.
(2)
Yensys L.
We decided to grab "quick" bite to eat before hitting the market etc. Well we were sat, were not told who our server would be. After about 10-15 mins a waitress came by said would take care of us. Took about another 10min before she came by to take our order. Took another 15 mins to just get out water and finally drinks. The waitress told us that the kitchen was backed up (only after being asked and it had been about 40min) would have understood but we saw 4 tables sit, eat, and leave before we even received our drinks let along food. Food was tasty but she never brought out our soups, chips, and my sausage sandwich was cold. After 50 mins and we were eating I finally received my diet coke also. Waitress didn't really seem to care. We complained to the managers about the incident, amazingly another waitress even agreed with us to the managers. The managers apologized and stated would do something to help remedy the problem. Well all that meant was, nothing. We were still charged our full 93.00 bill. Needless to say, WILL NEVER GO HERE AGAIN. you are better off going to the market, you will get the same food, cheaper and without the HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! p.s. next day we went to the market and had to walk past it. Talk about uncomfortable, the waitress walked outside to the sidewalk and stared us down whole time we walked by and back. Not cool at all.
(1)
Linda G.
We went to New Orleans for our 10th wedding anniversary the first week of June. We stayed at The Provincial which was literaly right around the corner from The Market Cafe. We stopped in here our second morning to try their breakfast buffet. Not only was the price very reasonable, but the food was good. We enjoyed it so much, we ended up doing breakfast here every morning for the rest of our stay. On our last morning we decided to actually try something from the menu instead of doing the buffet. Once again, the prices were very reasonable & the food was really good. What made it even better was the wonderful service we received. Every one of the waitresses that served us were friendly & helpful! We will definately make this our morning breakfast routine from the beginning on our next trip here!!
(5)
Janet E.
Not a huge fan of this restaurant. We sat outside where the band was playing. After sitting for about 10 minutes, our server still had not tended to us. We stopped two other servers to see if they could take our order, and each person told us they would go and get our server. Finally someone came to us and told us that she didnt know who the server for our table was but that she would take our order so that we wouldnt hate everyone working at the restaurant. She was nice and we appreciated her service. We were still not thrilled by how the restaurant was run though. After waiting for such a long time to order, the band stops playing and starts soliciting tips from the patrons. They didn't just walk around hoping you'd stick out your money to give them. They actually walked up to you and asked you for money. They stared at us and asked us if we had money for the band. Who does that? Food was good but not great. We ordered a plate of crawfish and an oyster po boy. The menu said the po boy came with fries, but I got chips instead. I was disappointed. I wanted fries! The oyster po boy was okay though. The crawfish plate was not as big and not as cheap at Yo Mamas.
The four of us had lunch here today after attempting lunch at MRB, where the patio was in the midst of construction. We didn't have high expectations of the food, but there was a band playing and people watching was good. Our server was expansive, exuberant and outspoken. Alan and I shared a shrimp po'boy and a Caesar salad and Sherri and Ron shared an oyster po'boy and another Caesar salad. Our salad was pretty good. I've had much worse Caesars elsewhere. The shrimp po'boy was unimpressive. I've had much better elsewhere, including Angeline's in Berkeley. Sherri and Ron were more impressed w/ their oyster po'boy and seemed pleased w/ their salad. In all, it was an adequate lunch when we were tired and hungry but we wouldn't return. Prices were high and the food wasn't worth it. You can sit on a nearby park bench and hear the music and watch people pass.
(3)
Colin G.
Being a New Orleans native, I tend to write off all places in the Quarter, save for a special few, as overpriced and touristy. The French Market, especially. But I was with Midwesterners, so I had to find something that was likely to have very little flavor. We sat inside. They have live music every night and, although it wasn't too loud, I had been walking around all day and just wanted some a/c. They have big windows though, so you can still watch people walk around. The group started with an appetizer of alligator bites. I normally skip this, because I think there's a reason why you never see much of it, but one of the people I was with was dead set on trying alligator. Have to say though that it was probably the best alligator I've ever had. If it wasn't chewier than chicken, I would have thought chicken, because it lacked the slightly fishy taste and the oily nature that you usually get with gator. And the dipping sauce was really good. My main course was a debris po-boy. If you don't know what this is, look it up, but I will say that it's pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, like "Deborah." I wasn't thrilled about it, but I liked the bread they use, which I thought was very true to what po-boy bread should be. This was served with a small side of jumbalaya. I have to say this was very good jumbalaya. Probably the best and closest to my family's that I've had at a restaurant. One of the few times I've eaten it without having to douse it with hot sauce. My partner had the red beans & rice. It's not normally served with sliced bread. At least I've never eaten it like that except at some restaurants. The sauce doesn't lend itself well to being soaked up by bread, so there's no point in giving you bread with it: you just get more rice. Rolls? Cornbread? Sure. But I thought it was good. Good balance between the beans and rice and, most importantly, they used the right kind of rice. The andouille tasted good to me. So it is definitely expensive. More or less impossible to eat for under $10 per person. But you get a TON of meat with your dish. Even the chicken pasta had kinda too much meat. Other downside: the wife got sick. Woke up with some bad stomach pain. She ate nothing but what I ate except she had more of the red beans. So it could have been the sausage. Who knows though. Could have been the hot dog we had earlier. Would I walk down here again just to eat? Absolutely not. I know of a lot of other places that are way better for the same price or less. But they have a good menu with a lot of variety and a good drink list, so it's not a bad choice if you have a big group.
(3)
Brian M.
AMAZING service, especially considering the horrendous service from a competing establishment across the street. Food was top-notch: I had a roast-beef po-boy (so tasty) and some popcorn shrimp with what I think was a homemade remoulade. SO good. And the price was right! Po-boys hover around $10. I'll be back to check on those huge muffalettas I saw!
(5)
Stephanie B.
Umm, I really didn't like this place. I mean, New Orleans is chock-full-o' delicious food, and The Market Cafe...isn't. Stopped by here with friends a couple weeks ago because we were on that side of the French Quarter and wanted a quick place to stop in and grab a bite. The prices seemed a little steep, but hey, it's NOLA. I ordered the shrimp po'boy, which is virtually impossible to mess up, but, well...you know where this is headed. It was a big honkin' sandwich...bigger than the average po'boy, I'd say, but the bread was cold and crumbly, and definitely not to be mistaken for toasted. Your average lettuce, tomato, mayo combo was slapped on there kind of hap-hazzardly, but all of this could've been redeemed by good fried shrimp. No dice. The shrimp were cold, flavorless, and *horror of horrors* definitely NOT de-veined. Gross...me and shrimp poop just don't get along. On a side note, my friend ordered the gyro (I shied away from it as the description on the menu included an ambiguous ingredient referred to only as "gyro meat")... Not sure what kind of meat it was, but it didn't look like any gyro I'd ever eaten. Now before you think I'm just another hater, please know that I'm in New Orleans about once a month and I've tried a lot of different restaurants in the area. This place is an insult to a city nearly as famous for their food as they are their music. I'd hate to think that unwitting tourists visit here looking for an authentic New Orleans experience and leave with a bad taste in their mouths (pun totally, totally intended.) Word to the wise, if you're on Decatur Street and hungry enough to chew your own leg off, keep walking and grab something infinitely more yummy and reasonably priced at the French Market, where you also get the added bonus of incredible ambiance and lots of vendors selling pretty much everything you can imagine, from t-shirts to fresh produce to back scratchers made from alligator hands on a wooden dowel. You can thank me later.
(1)
Adam M.
Pleasant. It's situated in a pretty busy area. We had a little trouble getting service at the start, so we moved to a table closer to the stage where a bunch of musicians were setting up. We were then greeted by a really really enthusiastic waiter. I only ordered half a muffaletta, assuming it'd be pretty small, but half a muffaletta was still a really big sandwich. Along with a cup of gumbo, it proved to be more than sufficient to fill me up, and considering the price ($7 for half a muffaletta), i was very pleased. To top it off, the band began to play just after our meal and they were awesome.
(4)
Nichole C.
I can't vouch for the whole menu, but the crawfish boil was off the hook here. The broth is spicy as hell (A.K.A. DELICIOUS) so be careful that it doesn't hit the back of your throat when you are slurping the juice from the head. (There is no way I can make that sound non-sexual, is there? This sentence was my third try.) It also helps that The Market Cafe sits in a great location, has live music, and has a sweet patio too. The prices are decent as well. I will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans.
(5)
Ida C.
Attracted by the live jazz and the fragrant spring sunshine, we made an unscheduled stop at The Market Cafe on our last day at Jazz Fest, which was dedicated to stuffing as much delicious NOLA fare as possible into our little bellies before our evening flight back to NYC In retrospect, we would have been better off skipping the stop. The staff was friendly, but the popcorn shrimp ($8.95) were sub-par compared to other eateries in the area in terms of portion size and taste. The shrimp tasted over-fried and lacked the plump juicyness that I've come to associate with New Orleans shrimp. PARTING THOUGHT: It may have been an off day for the fryer, but we'll probably stick to drinks next time...the music was quite nice!
(2)
Cher M.
Nice place to rest and drink after walking thru the FQ. The Crawfish Pie menu description states that there is a 20 minute wait, perfect excuse to relax and listen to the jazz band. Friendly, attentive waitress. Enjoyed the band.
(4)
Misty W.
A great little chill spot. I never had alligator before but since I was in NO I decided to give it a whirl. It tasted like chicken!! Pretty good actually. The breading was light and crisp and the sauce was flavorful and tangy. The band played classics that everybody knew which added to the relaxed atmosphere. My only complaint was the service. The waiter could have gotten us to buy a couple more beers but he never came around, in fact we had to search him out to pay the bill. We could have left without paying and he would have never known.
(4)
William C.
Disgusting. Terrible food, drinks and service. Only place in NOLA I never want to see again.
Awesome atmosphere, right in the heart of the French quarter market area. Live music, outdoor seating and great food. Muffuletta was great, crispy bread, meat stacked high and just all around great tasting.
(4)
Jason K.
Great location. Outdoor seating. Convenient. OK food. There are better places to eat in terms of quality, but market cafes location and outdoor seating make it a convenient choice when in the French market area. Combine that with some mellow live music and its an enjoyable experience.
(3)
Dawn R.
The food is probably only about 3 stars, but the experience earns it an extra one. When you've spent your morning browsing through the French Market, how can you resist having a seat at the Market Cafe, having a muffaletta and an iced tea, and enjoying some live New Orleans jazz? Throw in a cup of red beans & rice, and life is good! It's a great place to people watch as well, just be careful or you'll find yourself losing track of time and you'll miss out on the rest of the city!
(4)
Pam L.
Roaches, roaches and more roaches crawling on our food!!! First restaurant we stopped at on our New Orleans vacation and ran out the door!!!
(1)
Claire B.
The reason to visit The Market Cafe is the location and the atmosphere. The atmosphere here is great. You can sit on the patio with fans and listen to live traditional New Orleans jazz. The drinks are reasonably strong and decently priced. The food is good, not the best in NOLA, but consistently good. Items better than average - gumbo & the Greek salad. I believe the owners are Greek, so some of the dishes are a bit different than traditional cajun fare. For instance, the gumbo had both seafood and sausage in it. My South Louisiana grandmother and other cajun chefs would NEVER mix those two items, but it worked with this gumbo. It was quite yummy.
(4)
Kat L.
After a crazy night on the town with drinks, trannies, drunk servicemen, live sex shows, beads, broadway music, and bignets, of course this is the place to come! After stumbling my way through a few restaurants that had seafood in their jambalaya and the handsome one murmuring about crawfish, I found this gem. Not only do they have a NON SEAFOODY jambalaya, they serve it in ABUNDANCE. Three HUGE scoops of rice on my plate hiding a plethora of chicken, and andouille sausage. LOVED it. I ate every last morsel. Service was quick, and nice. Live band Saturday morning with really freaking awesome jazz. The food was fantastic, but the music itself would bring me back in a heartbeat.
(4)
Courtney C.
I would give this 4 stars, but the service was just that bad. Once sat, we were forgotten about for almost 10min. Our server apologized, but it wasn't a great way to start our meal. We were looking for a muffaleta and didn't want to wait in line for one of the more popular place. This place is probably great during the warmer months because you can sit outside and enjoy the scenery. Our table of four ordered greek salads and 2 muffaletas to share. We had no idea we were ordering enough for 8 people. YIKES! The salad was fresh, but average. The mufaleta was ok. I enjoyed it and I don't like olives. I wouldn't' order it again, but it was worth the experience. Its a very touristy place, but does the job. Nothing special.
(3)
R B.
Sunday morning breakfast, at 9:30, we walked right in and got a seat...and quickly we're greeted by a waitress. Food was very good, bacon was plentiful, thick and crispy...more than I could eat. Biscuits were good, hubby had the ham and cheese omelet, full of lots of ham and very filling. We'd definitely return...service and food were both worth a return visit!
(4)
Keke K.
good: This was a nice cafe simply for the location, a great place for people watching and the live music helped bolster the environment. The food was pretty standard tourist fare. My shrimp po' boy had wonderfully crunchy French bread. The coffee was very strong and had that nice chicory New Orleans taste. Overall it was a nice place for brunch and they allowed dogs in the outdoor area of the cafe. bad: Sadly the shrimp in my po' boy was good but not cleaned properly because I noticed some hadn't been peeled well and they still had that nasty black intestinal track which I know is "optional" to remove but really grosses me out. The bathroom was very small and dirty and had a constant flow of people.
(2)
James C.
Nice open atmosphere with live music. Gumbo was best in the "Taste of New Orleans" dish, as the Shrimp Creole had a bit too much Tomato. A little pricey but worth it for atmosphere. Very nice and attentive wait staff.
(4)
Sitha S.
Tried this place because we were hungry and there were tables open. I was not that impressed. I had the jambalaya and my friend had the shrimp po boy. Both were more on the bland side.
(3)
Annette P.
This was my second trip to NOLA, and my second trip to this restaurant. They serve a buffet, but I went with an entree off the menu. I think I got a better deal ordering an omelette although the buffet was busy and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We sat outside and enjoyed the breeze and music. Its a touristy place, but a good value overall. Not sure of the parking situation since I walked to this place on both trips.
(4)
Albert K.
Well I was walking around the French Qtr and wanted to try some authentic gumbo, sadly my phone was acting up and I couldn't look up anything on yelp. This place is nice enough and the food was good enough, nothing wowed me though. You'll certainly appreciate the AC! :)
(3)
Ryan B.
We did not get to the food. We were roped in to sitting down for a breakfast buffet. We asked about the buffet, assuming it may have some authentic southern dishes. Not a thing. We decided to go somewhere else, as we had previously seen some other restaurants with more interesting fare. The waiter was very rude and said we could hike down to ihop a few miles away for breakfast. Instead, we went down a block for muffalatta and some Cajun grits. Skip this place, it's a tourist trap.
(1)
Khoa N.
Nice environment but I was really disappointed at how flavorless and average the gumbo, jambalaya, wings, and ribs were. The waitress rarely came to our table and this experience was pretty much the low point of my trip to nola.
(2)
Anat S.
We ordered the gumbo and half a muffletah. Blah food, but the service was the worst part. Our server never checked on us, gave me chicken nuggets instead of the muffletah, and overall was inattentive. Skip this place, unless you're starving to death, or during the day. It seems like a decent place to get a drink and listen to live music, but eat elsewhere.
(2)
Ryan C.
Their Bloody Mary's are tastier than their food, the appetizers got to our table in a speedy 45 minutes, and our pitcher of water had 4 or 5 more flies in it than I'd generally allow. Waitress even comped the tip after ignoring our table. Hooray...!?
(1)
Free L.
The music was the best part of the meal - very talented singers and musicians. The cat fish on the po' boy was thick - batter needed more seasoning. With a little salt and mayo it was a tasty, large sandwhich. I've already wanted to go back. Po' boys are better at Camellias, you come here for the music.
(3)
Neal M.
Upon leaving the city day before yesterday my roommate and I decided to grab lunch and this was the place closest to us and that was chosen. I knew better than to eat in the French Market but whatever. $10 for a po-boy and fries isn't bad but our server recommended the gumbo so that's what I had. $10 for shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo in a town that has it readily available should've been the first indication this was a tourist trap. The bowl was barely more than a cup and it was a light roux in color and depth. It didn't taste bad but it didn't really have much flavor. My roommate had a muffalotta and she said it was "OK" but it didn't look very good. Live and learn i guess.
(2)
Joseph F.
Went to grab a quick bite right after the 4th of July fireworks ended. Was seated immediately and ordered Muffaletta and crawfish hush puppies. Everything tasted incredible, was reasonably priced, and our server Shanna was a joy. Loved it.
(4)
Mary C.
i passed by this place several times during my visit and i thought it looked nice. i was convinced to try it. its my last day and abt an hr before i have to start leaving for my flight and this place disappoints me bad. not only do i think our waitress forgot to put in our order but i ordered the n`awlins breakfast and asked for hashbrowns with it... totally didnt have it and didnt bother to tell me and just served it with grits without letting me know first. and my friend ordered the eggs Creole and its suppose to come with biscuits but they put toast in it and once again didnt mention anything to us abt it either. the food took 30 mins to come, there were ppl that came in after us that are almost done eating... this place is the worst place from all the places we've been to on our visit.
(1)
Eric O.
Walked down from bourbon st. Looking for a place for a quick bite that didn't have that permeating party street odor. Ordered the gumbo. It was long on roux and short on shrimp, sausage and crab but not terrible. Walked past kitchen side on way out and noticed a delivery being carried in including Zatarain's gumbo mix which was a disappointment. Band was nice but I could have done better gumbo wise with some Yelp research.
(2)
Sisca S.
We wanted some crawfish boil and this place won us over. The place across the street had a huuuuge platter of crawfish, but we only wanted a little bit so luckily, this place had one pound for 9.95. They were finger lickin' good! It was actually my first time diggin' into those lil' mudbugs. We also ordered deep fried alligator, too. I've never had that before either and it's a pretty dense meat...tasted like chicken. :) I got a daquiri and my husband got an Abita beer. You definitely have to drink their local beer during your stay in NO. They have servers trying to entice patrons at the entrances w/ menus in hand so that they seat you and take your order right away. I really enjoyed the band they had there. That was one of the biggest reasons why we chose this place. They took requests so that was nice...I had to put it at least one and tipped them well for playing my song. I kinda didn't like that they walked around the dining area with the tip bucket soliciting tips. I think that they should've just chilled in their seats and had people come up themselves. But whatever, they're trying to earn a living so good for them. They're really good. Overall, it's nicely located and the music was great. The service was only so-so, but for the first mudbugs & gator experience, it was pretty cool...
(3)
M P.
Fun outdoorsy place right next to the French Market! Live music and a busy place to eat and people watch! We ordered the Gulf Shrimp and then the Taste of New Orleans was great! Gave us a great combo of lots of things we wanted to try! Our waiter was super great, he knew a lot and told us his favorites to try!
(3)
Dena F.
This was our last meal before catching the plane back to Bid D. The only thing I'd not tried was a great roast beef sandwich. Okay...I'm sure there's plenty of seafood I could have had but that's what I wanted. And there was Market Cafe. You can't miss it. It's right THERE all the time with music playing and people standing around. So we went inside and grabbed a couple of sandwiches. We also had some gumbo and frozen drinks. It was a good meal. I think all food in NOLA is a little above par in comparrison with the rest of the US (except maybe for Dallas). And while Market Cafe was good it was not great. Almost every meal I'd had in the French Quarter had been pretty great...even the pizza. The gumbo was pretty tasty. We'd gotten ahold of some sort of soup a place was passing off as gumbo a few days before, so that was a plus. Service was quick. I'd go there again if I was in a hurry.
(3)
Scott S.
On a recent mission with friends to find them some tasty fried gator last minute before their shuttle left to the airport, after wandering around looking at posted menus all over the Quarter, we finally found this place. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find some gator, any gator, without mobile access to Yelp... I totally need an iPhone! (Or even an implant that allows direct Yelp to brain access... get on that Jobs!) Anyhow, it was a beautiful sunny day in the Quarter. We got to sit at a table outside and listen to their jazz band play while we ate, drank, and were generally merry. The gator bites were delicious and I preferred both them and the popcorn shrimp to the beans and rice I'd ordered. I will return here on multiple occasions I'm sure. Great location right in the French Market, combined with live music and tasty food, equals a good time. Just don't be in a hurry to catch a shuttle to the airport, you may really start to stress out when it comes time to pay the bill and race back to the hotel in a flurry of flip-flops and tourist weaving...
(4)
Rodeo G.
4 stars for the atmosphere for late breakfast. Live background jazz, and people watch while your bruh's dive in to massive portions. I had "Seafood Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffe, Red Beans & Rice, Sausage Jambalaya" sample plate, which was decent, not the best, but the muffaleta is the real deal..
(4)
Gus S.
Went twice and was twice bitten by the long waits in both getting service, and in getting the (very average) food. Others have recommended the muffalettas, and I agree that they're good. But I dont think they're either worth the wait if you're hungry (or in a hurry) or the price. I would only recommend this place if you're not in a hurry, and would like to enjoy some fine live music outdoors.
(2)
Olivia R.
Overpriced food with average service. Walk a little further to the french market where you can get better food for much cheaper.
(2)
Lori D.
Love this place... The music , food , location and delightful staff provide the quintessential New Orleans experience!! I recommend it highly... And I'm a local!!
(5)
Nate Z.
Tourists beware. This is an abomination of creole and all that's holy about this venerated cuisine. I ordered red beans and rice, not because I was a tourist but because I celebrate this dish all over the country. I'll describe: The dish was served in a large, round, white bowl with nothing but a cracker pack and a spoon. Firstly, a slice of bread is traditional, and for $12, come on! Then, I see the tablespoon sized scoop of rice drowning in this shallow, liquidy, mote-like pool of murky bean broth, interlaced with thin, grainy slices of sausage. I would imagine as well this entire system fitting in a large coffee mug. So, if you're hungry, there's another problem. Then the taste...watery, spiceless and mushy. I realize there are at least a hundred variations on this recipe, but I've never had one so underwhelming. In review, I am only Yelping about the red beans and rice. I didn't experience the whole menu, but looking around, I imagine most other dishes to be similar. Sitting outside was fine enough, and the service was at least there. Overall you get the sense this joint knows it's got a great location and that locals wouldn't patronize anyway. The good news is that I didn't get sick and for what it's worth I lived to Yelp another day. Caveat emptor and happy Yelping!
It's been a while since I've been there last, but every time I'm in New Orleans I like to stop at the Market Cafe and have some crawfish or a drink while resting my feet and listening to good live music.
(4)
Somchai S.
Stop here after wandering the French Quarter. For my first meal in the city I had the jambalaya. It was a little spicy and dry. But overall ok. The great thing abou this place is that it has live music and you can sit outside. With that came pidgeon who were at our foot trying to pick up scraps! Ahhhh
(3)
Daniela C.
Love it :) and great drinks here but no smoking inside at the bar. Music is good too
(3)
Russ D.
Had a great time here! Live music was terrific. Had a fantastic Muffuletta and discovered a cocktail called a Southern Fly.
(4)
Neil S.
The music drew us in and was the best part of the meal. We sent the silverware back twice because it was dirty. Our waitress was pleasant and accommodated our requests for baked potato substitution, but the potatoes were hard. The veggies were ok but needed something. Our red fish main dishes were fair. I know that is an outdoor venue but there are spiders galore. In fact as I write this waiting for my check my wife knocked one off of my leg. I advise going elsewhere.
(1)
Megan C.
3.5 stars This place earns five stars for location, but only three stars for service and food quality. It's located right in the french quarter-super close to the french quarter market, the riverwalk, and cafe du monde. Also, they've got excellent live music which I thoroughly enjoyed during the Saturday lunch that I visited. They've also got an excellent patio-where better to enjoy beautiful weather and Louisiana atmosphere/New Orleans people watching at its best? Now for the food-they've got all of the staples, Po' Boy sandwiches, gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya are all on the menu. Honestly, the gumbo was good but a little too salty and the catfish po boy was a bit on the dry side. Also, they charge for soda refills which is a bit of a bummer.
(3)
John W.
Had to get the crawfish etouffee, and was not disappointed. My wife got the fried seafood platter which I got to help here out with eating and we still didn't get through everything. The did have a band playing, and the band was good, but when you are trying to talk about the days events with others at your table it doesn't help having the band right behind you. If that's your thing, then you'll like it here. If you need someplace a little more conductive to conversation, ask to be seated well away from the band or head someplace else.
(4)
Melanie P.
Went here for some overpriced tiny crawfish ($9.99 a pound) but that was expected considering the location. There was a decent jazz cover band playing and we were looking to cool off on a hot afternoon. Our waitress disappeared after bringing our water and after a very long wait we had to find someone else to help us. Our order was taken, arrived in a decent amount of time and then had another super long wait to pay. The waitstaff seemed confused as to whose table we were and we never saw our original waitress again. Weird. I don't think I'll be coming back here.
Horrible service if you get the waitress Melissa! Ordered fried alligator, she brought alligator sausage. Argued with us that we were lying. We ate it and left after that. The one sausage it comes with didn't seem cooked all of the way, and is so NOT worth $10.
(1)
Sara K.
We had planned to do the tourist thing and go to Cafe Du Monde, but the line was ridiculous, so we decided to check out this place instead. It has a lot of seating but had no wait. They had a live jazz band playing, which was so nice and cool! There weren't a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, but fortunately they had a breakfast buffet, which I got. Everything was so fresh: pancakes, scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits, and seriously the best potatoes I've ever had. I don't know how they make them but they were delicious. My partner absolutely loved his shrimp po' boy as well. Considering the location it was a good value. The buffet was $10 and the sandwiches were a little more than that. In addition, our server was so nice and helpful. I would definitely come back.
(4)
Cindy C.
I ordered my first ever Muffaleta and it was really good! It was a little salty for my taste but only because it had ham. Even though I didn't like olives, the olive salad spread on the bread balanced it out. It was really busy; therefore, service was slowwwww. What I did love about this place was the jazz band that played outside in the patio. It was perfect especially with the beautiful weather.
(4)
Lauren C.
Very disappointed here. I ordered a salad and it was entirely iceberg lettuce...my fiance ordered the hamburger poboy and was so sick afterward....never again.
(2)
Nicole F.
A decent place to eat and listen to live jazz. I had the muffleta and my husband the sampler of cajun cuisine. I think we were both bigger fans of the sandwich. Be warned the 1/2 muffleta is big enough to feed two people.
(3)
Shawn J.
We walked all the way to Cafe Du Monde for the experience only to find it closed due to equipment failure. : ( So, we went across the street to The Market Cafe. We should have just waited for the equipment to be fixed at CDM. That just about sums it up. Don't eat breakfast here.
(2)
Liz R.
The Market Cafe had the best banana daiquiri of my New Orleans experience. It had fresh mashed up bananas. I could have had 100 of them. I was getting a little intoxicated so I ordered some crawfish and fries. The crawfish were so fresh. Service is a touch slow but I didn't mind. As long as I had one of those daiquiris I was good. Go here, grab a drink on the patio, and listen to the jazz band.
(4)
Erik A.
Nothing could have made our experience here better--prompt and friendly service, great, classic jazz--including some sung by a dapper passerby, by the looks of him, about 80 or so, who joined the band for a few songs. Remarkable. Great pecan pie and espresso drinks. A stellar place to sit in the shade outdoors and enjoy the music; one of the best stops of my trip.
(5)
Roy H.
Four of us had a lunch here on a Sunday. Fully understanding that it is New Orleans and there are a lot of tourists, I have to say the service was very disappointing. The waitress was not friendly at all and our food came out of the kitchen at different times. The couple with us got their food, I got mine after another five minutes and it was another 15 minutes before my wife's came out. All she ordered was a chicken wings and pork ribs appetizer. Most of the party thought the food was OK. I had the Muffaleta, which was very good. Probably wouldn't come back.
(2)
Jace D.
I had a bunch of fried stuff, so I made out ok on the food. The beers were great! Dark Ale pints in a plastic cup for $4! That screams NO to me. Wasted away a few hours on the patio listening to the for tip only band that ROCKED and was not obnoxious about working diners over for tips. All in all a great experience with no more weirdness than any other trip to the quarter. Some of the reviewers below seem to have hoity toity expectations that could never be reallized in this venue, or parhaps anywhere in the french quarter.
(4)
David H.
This non-descript market cafe definitely was a UPOD (Under Promise, and Over Delivered) for me... Muffaletta was a bit salty, but very tasty. Gumbo beats most of the New Orleans restaurants I've been to (especially Emeril). Its fragrant, and actually has the BAM factor. You can see shrimp, crab in this yummy soup.
(4)
Adam D.
Slow service; blah food. Too many other places in town to waste a meal here!
(1)
Jesseca T.
Two favorite things here: - outdoor seating with live music, all day - the super secret crawfish pie, which is a large ramekin filled with roux, crawfish, delicious peppers, onions and some buttery something, covered with a pastry top and baked- it takes a little bit so order a Greek salad in the meantime- two can share this, it's very rich- but it's worth it, like nothing I've ever had before- yum - The owners are Greek: when my husband gave his credit card they saw his last name and came out- I guess that's a Greek thing? It happens all of the time...Anyway, the pie was to DIE for, check it out !!
(5)
Kash D.
Service was good and there is outdoor searing and live music the Food okay. Had the Gyro and a Bloody Mary. The meat was rather overlooked and dry. If you have to eat you will get the expected quality from a tourist trap.
(2)
Annie R.
My crawfish pie was lovely and the live music a blast. A Little pricey though and our waiter seemd super eager to turn the table. I would go back though
(3)
Chris K.
Great breakfast for cheap. 3.99 for 3 bacon, a biscuit, 2 eggs, and some grits. Pretty good service too. Great location
(4)
Jim M.
Friday lunchtime...slow, surly service eventually delivered the worst ribs I have ever tasted. I wouldn't eat here again even if paid to do so.
(1)
Shannon F.
So we're walking around the French Market trying to meet up with some friends before heading to the 2008 Sugar Bowl...can't find 'em but we're so f*cking hungry... "Let's just eat here..." My buddy tells me, sounding like we just caved in and settled for some Doritos & a Coke. The only seats available at lunch on New Year's Day are at the bar. Being that we plan on getting drunk, that's not a problem. The bartender was a crack up...either he was funny or the Double JD & Cokes he made me were pretty stiff... Okay, for starters, we get the Gator bites. Battered & fried chunks of Alligator tail...MMM, pretty good, considering that I've never eaten alligator before. Does it taste like chicken? A little. The consistency is definitely like chicken, tastes like a cross between chicken & fish. Either way, it's good! A couple dasshes of Crystal hot sauce & cocktail sauce...can't go wrong! Next, I get the "Taste of New Orleans", which includes a bowl each of, Seafood Gumbo, Red Beans & Rice, Crawfish Etouffe & Sausage Jambalaya. Every dish was delicious, to say the least. This was the third time in 2 days I had to turn to my friend and ask "Is it me or does this whole f*cking city know how to cook?" He ordered the "Seafood Combo Platter" which consisted of 2 Fried Catfish filets, Flash fried oysters & fried gulf shrimp. I had a taste of each of those and needless to say, pretty damn good... Now, we're full as hell but it wouldn't be right to just leave without dessert. So we ordered the Bread Pudding w/rum sauce and the Pecan pie. The bread pudding was to die for. I thought the Pecan Pie was delicious too but my friend said he's had better from some southern kitchen in Hayward. I know, WTF? Either way, I thought it was good and this is my review so to hell with him and his Pecan Pie from Hayward. So all in all, our second day in NOLA was starting out to be a good one. In the culinary department at least...
(5)
Alexandra P.
Service was a bit slow, Our waiter later apologized he forgot he sat us done! Uh- thanks?! But we went ahead and put our drinks and food order in quickly as we were starving!!! 2 Muffelata's please.. gosh someone should have warned us How Big they were! Probably only needed 1 for the four of us! They were very yummy but nothing spectacular, but $14 for this huge sand-which was a deal! ate 1/4 there than had the other 1/4 after a night of drinking to soak up some of that alcohol. This place isn't bad at all but i must admit it is a touristy place!
(3)
Jayde K.
It was on the way to the french market. I stopped by to grab something really quick. I had gumbo and it was ok.
The service was friendly and attentive. The food was a solid 3.5. The music was fabulous. I had the shrimp creole and the gumbo soup. If they are authentic, they both require a "stomach", and here they were a good try but not strong and stewy enough. The location is also fantastic. Don't make it your choice if it's the only place you can go to, but for a good bite with a nice ambiance, it's a sure thing.
(4)
Jessica P.
The live music was lovely. The service was friendly. The food was pretty awful. I had a gumbo that wasn't all that good to begin with and probably inspired the term "Louisiana Butt Burner," because I was sick as a dog later on. Sorry for the TMI, but it was not fun getting food poisoning.
(2)
Henry M.
The food here is actually pretty decent. When you go definitely go with the louisana combo, to try everything.
(4)
Elle S.
um we went her for breakfast, its a cheap stuffy, restaurant. There was something really disgusting in my water, I alsmost threw up right at the table. The food is cheap , the staff was extremely annoying. I would NEVER NEVER NEVER go here again.
(1)
Roselle E.
Last night to grub in NoLa. Our friends are locals and they decided to take us here. Great choice! I had an entree called Taste of New Orleans and it had jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp creole, and red beans & rice. I totally enjoyed my food. We also had the fried oysters, crawfish, and shrimp remoulade for our appetizer and that was good too. The best dish of all though was the Bayou Chicken. It was chicken breast stuffed with crawfish and andouille sausage on top of linguini alfredo. That was really deeeelicious. Too bad I only got to taste it. Service was at par, the place could use more light and decor but overall it was good eats.
(4)
Abbi F.
YUM is all I can say about the crawfish pie and the muffaletta. And it's always fun to eat outside & have some live jazz with your sunday brunch. At times tough to hunt down the wait-staff though.
(5)
Sue L.
A huge thanks to the New Orleans local sitting at the table next to us who taught us how to properly eat a crawfish. You see, my friend and I, were struggling with the huge plate of them "mudbugs". I was biting into the shell trying to crack it open. The local must have felt pity on us...either that or she could not stand crawfish juice being splashed into her face everytime I haphazardly bit into one. For just $10...the market cafe offers a huge plate of boiled crawfish...a must try!!!
(3)
Dot V.
We had lunch here and we enjoyed it. My husband and I both had 1/2 Muffaletta. they were huge and really good. we should probably have split a half but we ate most of it. The band plays outside and it is a very good people watching spot. It is also very close to the French Market.
(3)
Samantha S.
The red beans and rice with sausage was pretty good - I would recommend it. The best part was probably eating outside while listening to a live jazz band - obviously a great NOLA experience.
(3)
Andy B.
Food Road Trip: New Orleans, LA Day 10 Exploring the French Quarter, looking for places to eat since we did not prepare in advance which places we should try. We actually didn't think we would be going to New Orleans because of the hurricane so I was texting my gf to ask her friend who use to live near New Orleans for some recommendations. One of the ones he recommended was Cafe Du Monde, so we remember seeing that and headed over there. Being the newbies that we were, we did not know that all they serve were beingnets and drinks. By this time, we are starving, so we head towards Market Cafe and was solicited by one of the employees to try them out. She hands all of us a menu and we sit down since we really needed to eat. What drew us initially to this place, other than being hungry was the live band playing. That was a nice touch. The waitress was very friendly and the food came out pretty fast, which was a big plus at the time. I had an oyster poor boy and I was not disappointed. The sandwich is pretty simple, some crusty toasted french bread lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo and the fried oysters but it was oh so good. Side note: I finally realized while I was eating this that the South has perfected the art of deep frying. Everything fried thing we ordered from Richmond to New Orleans so far has been really good. Since we like to share, I also got to taste Market Cafe's jambalaya, gumbo, red beans & rice and crawfish etouffee. The jambalaya was better than Mothers and the etouffee was on the same level but it was cheaper. Those 4 items cost about $16 and the portion was the same. I had a good time eating there since the band was playing throughout our lunch. Friendly service, jazz music, good food, and decent prices: I'm not a greedy guy so I couldn't think of a better place to spend for lunch.
(4)
Erin B.
We rolled in here just before closing, hoping to get our hands on some crawdads and left completely satisfied! We loved the relaxed, open air patio, though we were too late to catch the live music. Our server was attentive, helpful, and totally welcoming despite the fact that we were the only customers in the place for most of our visit. This was a first crawdad experience for both of us, so we have no basis of comparison, but we loved them. Cooked in a spicy, almost jerk-style sauce and served alongside a big ol' go cup of Abita amber, this was exactly what we were looking for.
(4)
brewgirl b.
Decent muffaletta sandwich. Not the most inspiring interior, but the service was okay and we got our food and beer quickly. Portions are HUGE.
(3)
Amanda R.
We went to the Market Cafe on recommendation of a local. Good choice! Most of the seating is outdoors, which was really nice, getting to sit outside, eat good food, watch people go by, and listen to their live jazz band. We ordered a combo with fried shrimp, fried catfish, and fried gator, and a side of jambalaya. The catfish and gator were really tasty, the shrimp and jambalaya were decent, but not as good as the other items. The people at the table next to us ordered po' boys and said they were fantastic. They also have a full bar, though we didnt partake.
(4)
John C.
the quality of this place seems to have gone down since my last visit. i brought my group to Market Cafe thinking that it would be another wonderful introduction to New Orleans cuisine for my NOLA neophytes. it turned out that i would be wrong this time. i tried a bit of everyone's plate, and almost everything was way too salty. i ordered a Muffaleta and the bread was either stale or overtoasted. whichever it was, i felt like it was tearing up the roof of my mouth. needless to say, our experience this time around left us feeling a bit ripped off, and for those in our group otherwise inexperienced with New Orleans food, let's say they were not quite looking forward to whatever would've been next, if it was going to be anything similar. our server was a nice enough guy, but he didn't know that he dropped a $100 bill from the cash that i handed him and he ran outside to chase after me because he thought i shorted him. when i walked back inside with him to clear things up, i found it on the floor next to the bar. come on guy.
I'd call this a tourist trap. The food is expensive, and the jambalaya? Not spicy, not flavorful. The beer is expensive. The bread pudding? I've had way better in California. Everything I ordered was made for a timid palette. Either that, or the waitress misjudged me. Either way, not good. Yes, the outdoor seating is nice, and it's nice to have a live band playing, but that doesn't make up for what this place is.
(3)
Kb R.
Really wonderful oysters. The crabcakes were also a winner. Service was excellent. Maybe overlooked because of other well known spots but we really enjoyed it.
(4)
Jasson S.
The food was good but not great... the alligator and redfish were decent, but the vegetables were severely over cooked. However the Jazz band playing gave the patio a great laid back feel and that definitely added extra points. :)
(4)
Kyle T.
As in most places in New Orleans, service was bad. Waitress was slow and asked for us to pay her so she could go take a smoke break. Drinks were weak. Band solicited tips walking around from table to table. Waste of time and money.
(1)
Rainey S.
Melissa A has it right! These guys have the BEST muffaletta in town. I tried Central and it was fine...but this one had big chunks of cauliflower in the salad and oh man was it good. I was in Nawlins for 4 days and I think I ate at least 2 sammiches (that means 4 meals!). Right on the point where the street splits...never gets a mention but ohmigod is it good. I still fantasize about these and I went in like 2002!!! I do need to get back to the Big Easy...grab a muffaletta from The Market Cafe and head to the banks of the river. Relaxing, beautiful and yummy...is life any better?
(5)
Chris B.
Stopped in for a quick meal and was pleasantly surprised. Not the best stuff in NOLA and a little overpriced but if your near by and starving it will satisfy. Beware of slow service.
(3)
Vic L.
Loved this place, we had the fried alligator. The wait staff was outstanding and it was the highlight of our stay.
(5)
Joni J.
The Muffaletta sandwich was great! The gumbo was good too. Add in the great music and it makes it 5 stars!
(5)
Rick P.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars... Woke up late on the last day in N.O. and wanted to try this nice outdoor seating cafe with a live band playing I think throughout most of the day. Anytime I'm dining outside in near perfect weather it's a good day! Upon deciding what to have for lunch I asked the waiter and he suggested having the muffaleta (a foccacia bread sandwich covered with a marinated olive salad, then layers of capicola, salami, mortadella, emmentaler, and provolone and heated up to give the bread a slight crunch and melt the provolone). I ordered a half sandwich as suggested by the waiter and it was plenty of sandwich! This is a really good sandwich! Definitely recommend trying a muffaleta while you're in New Orleans. I ordered a bloody mary to settle my "Hurricane" headache but probably should have gone with a screwdriver instead...BM here isn't very good. This place should be on your list to check out for a nice leisure lunch with outdoor seating and good live music and definitely order the muffaleta!
(4)
Steven F.
Cheap, great breakfast buffet. Good food and coffee. In the heart of the French Quarter (right next to the Joan of Arc statue).
(5)
Angela Z.
The music was great. The food was ok. I had a debris sandwich but it was a tad bit salty. We had the alligator and it was good. My husband had a Po'boy. It was good but not amazing.
(3)
Saman S.
Authentic New Orleans dishes, great service, great recipes and high-quality ingredients!
(4)
tony c.
sitting outside was nice and having the band there was also pretty cool, but something about the ambiance didnt feel right. it felt sort of kitschy and touristy. if you dont mind all of that, it's not a bad place. the food is pretty darn decent. the drinks were only so-so.. if you like sweet frou frou drinks there are plenty, but they're not very strong. if you definitely want to have a drink drink with your meal, go with the coffee. it's actually pretty tasty and has a little kick to it. give it a shot if you've got nothing better on your list.
(2)
Perla T.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. We ordered the blackened chicken salad with field greens tossed in a vinaigrette dressing. We expected to get a light and crisp salad with a nice pile of warm grilled chicken on top. What we got was a bowl of iceberg lettuce, pale cold chicken, tomato slices thrown in, huge uneven chunks of green peppers and blue cheese dressing in plastic cups. We asked our waiter if this was the chicken salad and he ignored us and walked away. When we asked him about the vinaigrette dressing, he again walked away, without saying anything and then brought is a generic plastic glass with dressing. He never apologized or tried to correct our order. We didn't send the order back because we were so hungry, so we ate it. He must have really noticed our dissatisfaction with the salad because he brought us a complimentary dessert saying that there was a "new guy" at the kitchen who messed up our order. We didn't believe him and we didn't eat the crusty looking bread pudding he brought us. Basically, learn from our mistake and don't come here. There are SO MANY other great places to try in the area. This place is not worth it. And it was expensive too. The only good thing about this place was the live band playing. They get five stars.
it's okay to try this place...nothing special but for the fact that it is facing the streets of the french quarter. the food is not that great. it's ok...but it's the french quarter--which makes it OKAY.
(3)
Singha F.
My friend and I split a half order of the muffaletta. We tried to go to Central Grocery first, but it was closed. So I don't know how the muffaletta here compares to that of the famous Central Grocery, but I thought Market Cafe's was delicious. The sandwich was slighted toasted so the cheese melted and the bread was slightly crunchy on the outside. Nice outdoor seating with a cool blues band playing. This is a good place to relax, listen to some good music, and eat some good food.
(4)
Katie P.
We ended up here after initially trying for the legendary Beignets at Cafe Du Monde... yah, no way. That line wasn't moving and stretched down the block. Also, the need for breakfast was becoming a more and more urgent need as the minutes passed. We stumbled down the block and came across The Market Cafe. My traveling buddy and I are both kind of picky so when we got there and discovered that we could sit outside, listen to live music, and they had a breakfast buffet we were sold! It did everything we needed it to. The scrambled eggs were perfect and the bacon was delicious! I don't think that waiting in that Cafe Du Monde line for a couple of Beignets would have made me happy in the long run but The Market Cafe did! Also, big props to our waitress who was ten times more awesome then she needed to be for a breakfast buffet. I honestly felt like she was really "in-it to win-it" insofar as getting my day started right!
(4)
Chris S.
I had dinner with a few people here one night to mixed reviews. To be fair, the food that was considered less than exceptional was appetizers, which were most likely frozen and pre-packed. I had the crawfish etouffee and it was great. The rest of the food seemed to go over pretty well. Prices were on par and appropriate for the quality I enjoyed. I'd go back again without a doubt.
(4)
Katherine B.
After planning to go the The Market Cafe one night while in New Orleans, I never even got to try the menu. The service was so awful that we walked out (I have never done this before). We were shown to our table and that was it. The place was not crowded at all. The wait staff were going around in what looked like circles but no one ever acknowledged us at our table. I could not even get anyone's attention. Afte 15 minutes we left.
(1)
Josh R.
Good food at 11:30. We opted for lunch, gator bites as an app.and we both had the crawfish pie. It was a delicious flaky crust with crawfish ettoufee underneath. No skimping on the crawfish either. I gotta say though, the majority of the people around us ordered breakfast (at 11:30?!?) and we were really envious. The biscuits looked huge and the pancakes fluffly/delicious. We're going to try them another morning for breakfast, but lunch wasn't bad, probably one of the 2nd best meals we've had so far in NOLA.
(3)
G. J.
Popped in to escape the suffocating heat and have a mid-afternoon espresso. We stayed by the bar and chatted to the eccentric but charming barista -- who makes a mean espresso, by the by. There was a live band playing on the outside terrace (though it's partly covered and has a fair amount of shade, which I'm sure is appreciated if you choose to sit out there), but it was perfectly audible from inside and we had a lovely -- albeit unremarkable -- experience. My only complaint: it's very, very overpriced... seven dollars for two espressos!
(3)
Cookie C.
Low marks for food. I had a combo po-boy - shrimp and oyster. Their menu says they are overstuffed. The only 'over' is the bread to filling ratio. The crusty French roll was ok - almost too crusty to bite through, and the amount of insides was disappointing. There wasn't enough mayo, so it was basically a crunchy, dry sandwich. Just not that great - especially for 12 bucks. It took too long for me to be noticed by the wait staff, and quite a while for the sandwich to come out. I really enjoyed sitting under the canopy outdoors; I did not enjoy the food.
(2)
Steven R.
The catfish poyboy was really good. The reason I gave 4 stars is because of the price- they are about $16. It was fine, because I split it with my friend, but that's just way to much for some fish on a bun. Service was good and there's a nice deck, as well as an air conditioner indoors areas. Solid drinks too.
(4)
AC G.
This place is a tourist trap, and they really don't care if you go back again. We went for lunch August 1, 2015, and it was a mess. We were seated outside, and the place was so disorganized that a server asked us if we were seated by a hostess or just found an open table ourselves. If the servers don't know you've been seated, it is not a good sign! The food was ok but took a very long time to come out. Half of our table was finished by the time the other half was served. To top off the bad experience, they charged $1 for each soda refill. I had a ginger ale in a plastic cup filled to the brim with ice. It was gone in two gulps, and I couldn't believe I was charged for a refill....rip off city! The server didn't warn me about the refill charges either, so it was kind of a shock when the bill arrived. Will NOT go again, but they don't work for return business anyway.
Great breakfast buffet. Wife said they really know how to make grits! Breakfast potatoes were killer. Frindly waiter but not over the top.
(5)
Eleanor R.
Key lime is amazing!! :) made by Martino, he is such a fun guy and embodies the spirit of New Orleans so well! This is coming from a resident :)
(5)
Candace H.
Had a great experience at The Market Cafe. I love almost any place that has outside seating and live music. The Market Cafe did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the mufulleta. I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about the sandwich since I left NOLA. The service was attentive and the drinks were delicious. I'll definitely be returning to The Market Cafe next time I'm in NOLA.
(4)
Monie H.
4 stars due to the Great service and good, reasonably priced breakfast buffet. Buffet is only $10. The food on it was fresh and hot. The biscuits are delicious - light & buttery. The fruit was sweet. Service is excellent and friendly. I would eat there again.
(4)
vaduz u.
Ok... so. Typically my reviews are based on the food and drink of an establishment. Also, typically, I don't go to tourist trap establishments - especially in my former home of New Orleans. This particular experience, however, calls upon my civic duty to share my experience imposed upon me by the service. Both the positive and the negative. All I wanted was an iced coffee. It was late morning, and my guy and I had been walking off what was an unanticipated night before of a lively meet up with friends and family. We stopped at The Market Cafe, as there was no intense line and I needed something besides 'walking it off' to fix this thing... and I was in no condition to eat, yet. We were directed to the bar where a lanky middle-aged woman with dark, pigtail braids assisted us. I eventually gave my money to my guy for the two coffees, and went outside. (Like I said, I was in no condition to be around food just yet.) I stood outside watching three NOPDs try to assist a gutter punk who appeared to be having an epileptic seizure by the Joan of Arc statue, while the transaction was completed. My guy soon joined me, and we walked to a shady spot where we could add our disappointing mini-H&Hs to our iced coffees. While doing so, he asked "Ummm... did you give me a $10 or a $20?" 'A $20... why?' I replied. "I thought so, too, but the woman only gave me change for a $10, and said that's what I'd given her." 'I'll be right back,' I said, and quickly stomped back into The Market Cafe. I lived a long time in New Orleans, and worked almost just as long in the bartending business there. I know the scam. I've never done it, but I've had to fire people over it. This was not an accident on her part. I advised our bartender, who either doesn't know how to count or is just blatantly dishonest (I pick the latter), that I know for certain it was a $20 because that's all I had on me. She played stoned or dumb (maybe both, maybe not even playing). I asked for the manager. It took three times for me to clarify thru her stoned out answers to see it was a gentleman behind the buffet bar. I brought this to his attention (diplomatically, of course). He was courteous and helpful, advising he would check the video. (Obviously the place is owned/run by people smarter than the bartender, as they must know they need to have videos on their people.) He disappeared through a door, while I waited back at the bar, giving a diplomatic stink eye to pigtail lady. Within only a couple minutes, he came back out, retrieved an additional $10 from the till, and gave it to me with multiple apologies. Why am I not giving one star for this review? The bartender's dishonest actions certainly give reason enough for a negative review to the establishment she should be grateful to be working for. But, there are two reasons The Market Cafe gets two additional stars: Star #2 - The honesty and immediate attention to correct the situation by the manager. He could have very easily pretended he saw a $10 on the video footage, and sent me packing. Instead, he did the right thing. And that sort of honest is harder to find these days. Star #3 - Despite the H&H containers (that's typical in New Orleans), it was a pretty damn good iced coffee. And there's even an Honorable Mention - the entire experience got my blood pumping, and my hangover was gone by the time I got back to my guy and my coffee.
(3)
Celes P.
We ate here for breakfast and it is okay price is reasonable. If you are really hungry you can go for the buffet for $10
(4)
Valerie T.
Great chicken Ceasars salad and hurricanes :) Music almost every night and always an upbeat staff*
(4)
Shawna S.
The food was good. They were very busy when we were there and it took awhile to get refills and stuff. Also the refills cost an extra $1, which I thought was weird. For dinner we went to Bubba Gump's... The food and service was way better there.
(3)
Danielle J.
For what it is, touristy spot it was fine. Coulda been a bit cheaper for a better experience overall. Greek salad was good. My husband got the crawfish etouffe which he like and I thought was tasty but 18 bucks is a bit hefty. A lot of other reviewed said service was bad but ours was quick and friendly. Music was chill and not overly loud. Good experience overall.
(3)
Stephanie M.
Not a bad stop during shopping in the market. Food is cheap and quick. The alligator bites were slightly spicy but good. Service was on point and it really was not that crowded. I recommend if in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there
(4)
Andrea P.
I was dying of heat exhaustion so I stopped in here for a adult drink and ice cream. (Yes I know how odd that is). The drink was strong and ice cream was sweet. The prices were very reasonable. In fact the ice cream was cheaper than the candy shop across the way. It cooled me down and got me ready for more adventures.
(5)
Shannon E.
Today we have taken tables 59 & 60. There aren't many folks in here. Service has been horrible. It took the longest to get our drinks. When our food did arrive, it only arrived for 1/2 the table. The others waited an additional 10 minutes, at least, for their food to arrive. We never received napkins and we had to ask for refills. If we hadn't had 5 in our dining party, we wouldn't have left an 18% gratuity. I wouldn't suggest The Market Cafe anytime in the future. Our gumbo was watered down (photos included). Shrimp had no seasoning. (Photos included). Gyro was pretty good for this place. Fries? Cold.
(2)
Scott C.
Inevitably we always end up here when visiting the quarter. I think that's because there's rarely a wait for seating and it can accommodate groups. The food is simply ok. Good for a sampling of classic New Orleans food, but certain not representative of the best New Orleans food. It's very average, the service is a bit slow- friendly, but slow. And it's way overpriced. Food portions are generous, however, so I would suggest splitting a meal so that you can save room for better food.
(3)
Jess P.
So we stopped by here earlier for the first time. They had a small menu selection. I got the chicken ceaser salad. It was delicious. My friends got the sampler. They preferred some cups over others. It was okay, don't think I'd go back there again. I wasn't that impressed
(3)
TamaraRoyal R.
I was sent by a local For the Muffaletta- DELICOUS. EXCELLENT service too! I sat at the bar and my server showed me how to best enjoy my Muffaletta: "pour the dressing on the small plate, dip in and take a bite!" YUMMY food and Delicious live music too!
(5)
Betty L.
We stopped by after dinner for some dessert and coffee. While the staff seated us right away, I wasn't crazy about the service. From the beginning we said we were here for dessert and music, but the staff acted like "that's it?" While the music was good, the bread pudding and coffee were so-so. The bread pudding came out warm and the rum sauce on the bread pudding was yummy. It was a decent size to share, but wasn't any thing to brag about. Not to mention they gave my BF my mocha and I got his cappuccino.
(3)
Kathy P.
What I liked about this place was that there was a band out on the patio and they allowed dogs there. Otherwise this place did not impress me. I ordered the taste of New Orleans and the flavors were bland and my jambalaya was cold. For $20 I expected a lot more. Our server was great in the beginning, but after we got our food she totally neglected our table. She never came back to Check on us and I had to ask another server to get her for us so we could get our check. Overall this place was very mediocre and I will not be back.
(2)
Elizabeth W.
my boyfriend and I are visiting New Orleans together, and stopped for lunch at this small cafe after the suggestion of a local. it was absolutely delicious. we got the alligator and the Taste of New Orleans. a great small meal. it was a little more pricey than we would normally pay for a lunch, but everything was fresh and tasted fantastic. definitely worth a trip!
Tourist trap. The food is basic NOLA food, but you can get better tasting elsewhere. Only plus is that there was live music to enjoy while eating, but again, you can get that anywhere in this city. Only reason we came here was because we needed something quick to eat before Krewe du Vieux and everywhere else had a long wait.
(2)
Dan S.
Just gross. Old crawfish Chewy gator bites Terrible chicken sandwich. Avoid at all costs!!!!
(1)
Timmy K.
This was the absolute worst experience of my life. We saw our server only TWICE in an hour. Our server forgot to ring in half of our parties drinks. After we reminded her, that's the only time she returned to our table. We weren't able to get a refill on water, and it was July in NOLA. Not good. We asked the hostess to get our server, but the server still did not return. We asked our server for a manager, but the manager didn't care and didn't bother to come to our table. Our food took over an hour to get to our table, and one person in our party didn't get her food. I will go out of my way not to return.
(1)
Samira T.
We got the breakfast buffet because it was only $10.95. The biscuits were hard as a rock. Everything else was pretty good tho. Guess we have to come back another time for lunch. The atmosphere was awesome tho. Live jazz band everyday at 1030. That was a plus!
(3)
Tiffany P.
While wondering around the French Quarter, we smelled something delicious and followed our noses here. The live band out front is what ultimately lead us to stay and eat. Glad we did! This place is perfect for what is. An open air cafe with an incredible live jazz band, an unforgettable muffuletta sandwich, and strong drinks. We ordered two hurricanes, (why not), half a muffuletta, and the jambalaya. Little had the chicken strips and a soda. I've never had a hurricane before but I can tell you- this is how it should taste. Strong, fruity, refreshing, delicious, and kinda like if you had more then one you might just keel over. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE sandwiches. So much. This sandwich is the sandwich of the gods. Other sandwiches become depressed when they see this sandwich. The sandwich dreams are made of. The bread is house made and perfectly light, crispy on the outside but doesn't tear the roof of your mouth up, and dense and chewy without being too heavy. Perfect. The meats and cheese were delicious but the real standouts were the olive salad spread and the house made dipping sauce it was served with. Jeez. My mouth is watering so hard right now. Hubs had the jambalaya and really enjoyed it. My kiddo actually ate the chicken strips which is saying a lot when it comes to kids. The location is absolutely primo for people watching and we were even able to see a few wedding processions/parades while we were there. The service was super friendly but unfortunately sluggish, thus 4 stars instead of 5. I would return if I were to find myself in Nola with time to spare and a hankerin for a killer sammie.
Do not go here if you want to enjoy New Orleans as a tourist. Their food is, to put it in nicer terms, edible. And do not by all means order shrimp creole - it tasted like mashed tomatoes, with a couple pieces of tiny shrimp which had no flavor; not to mention the dish is overpriced. The cons of this place is the large seating area outside and free jazz performers (at least the night I went there they had them)
(3)
Sharon K.
The food was good but the customer service is VERY poor from the Manager Demetra down to the wait staff. They do not accommodate large groups or let you pay with credit cards and cash. We had a party of a basketball players with parents. The waitress lectured us after she brought the bill as to what form of payment they would take and WE should have known before eating. The manager was adamant that we can use all cards or all cash. After a standoff of wills she took the cards and cash as forms of payment. It took an hour after the bill came to resolve the issue.
(1)
Xae C.
Food was hit or miss. The gumbo was off, the jambalaya was pretty good. Should have passed on the boiled shrimp. It had no flavor and hot sauce didn't help. Atmosphere was nice with the band playing. Everyone on the staff was very nice!
(3)
Beau W.
Tried the Fried Shrimp Po-Boy. It was ok. A whole lot of bread and some little fried shrimp. Service was ok. Seems like most of the crew preferred staying inside then outside. The best part was actually the atmosphere. Just sitting right next to the roads with traffic zooming by you. Hearing people get yelled and honked at for crossing at the wrong times. I would go back and try something different next time.
(4)
Rachel K.
The atmosphere is great! The bartender Marty was amazing, we would come back again just to hang with him. He has every gadget from golf clubs to breathalyzers. What a great time!
(5)
JR C.
Coachella Music Festival can sure find an inconvenient time to release their ticket sales, and so it so happens that this year, I find myself here at this popular outdoor jazz and muffuletta spot. I took my seat in the outdoor veranda while the jazz band was still setting up for their day. Muffulettas would not be served for another 45 minutes (lunch time) but she still came by often since we were starting the day with lattes. When the band started playing this place became a joyous gathering and seats starting filling up all around us. We saw many orders of the beignets start to pass us by but we were here to try the muffelettas. -=-Muffelettas-=- Not the best, not the worse. If there's anything that stood out from the others, it was the lightness of the bread and the extreme olive-ness of the spread. I'm not a huge fan of olives so that did not exactly make my day, but I'm sure an olive fan would be thrilled.
(4)
Jen L.
We were some of the last patrons in the building that night. The restaurant looks like Bourbon street- like it could use a nap and a shower. The service was average. The waiter did not disappear completely and leave us to fend for ourselves, but she also did the bare minimum. The one highlight was the hot and fresh food. The fried shrimp entree was delicious.
(4)
Enrique J.
Terrible service. Good music and good food. I didn't like the fact that there was a 18% gratuity on groups of 5 or higher. We had 5 people and it took forever for drinks and food. We had to ask multiple times for the same drinks. It was definitely not worth the $20 tip that was included in our bill. The manager said it was mandatory even with bad service.
(1)
Shane S.
This was one of the few cafes open early Christmas afternoon, so it was very busy. The food was good. We had mufaletta, shrimp poboy, alligator tail bites and sample of jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans rice. The sample was pretty good and the alligator was great. Nothing really stood out here; however, the iced vanilla latte was actually great.
(3)
Qu L.
Waiter not good food not good service not good waiter reference us as ""YOU PEOPLE""
(1)
Jason A.
How to rate this place......um location is a plus The waitress was pleasant but she asked me 4 or 5 times if i wanted white or wheat bread. Everytime i stated wheat. And somehow i got white. I try not to complain about little shit but i found that extremely annoying. Wasnt busy and seriously, how hard can that be. She also screwed up my wifes order too. Now to make up for incompetence your food must be amazing, it was ok. Nothing bad but nothing special either so this is how ill remember my stay. After we left a nice jazz band started playing. Sounded pretty good and wouldve liked to been there for that, maybe that wouldve gained em another star.
(2)
A Z.
Hm, well, they're pet friendly but there are only a few tables dedicated to this along the side of the cafe, so if there's a wait, expect to wait 5x longer. Nola isn't that pet friendly and this is one of the few places you can eat when traveling with a dog, so good on them for that. We waited a half hour before leaving but that's not why we left, we left because we heard one of the waitresses say "I'm not your f***ing server" to a table of people just trying to pay their bill. Saw A LOT of people annoyed, waiting to pay their bill, which is something you notice while waiting for a table to open up. Menu looked like typical fried junk anyway so I'm glad we left and ate elsewhere.
(2)
Sam W.
I give this place 5 star just because I end up here evertime I take a trip to New Orleans...This is were I start my trip...The menu has all of the classic New Orleans dishes at a great price...I have never had a bad meal here...I love to sit back outdoors and listen to Jazz having a hurricane and a seafood platter while people watching...I have been here numerous times over the years and always look forward to spending time here...
(5)
Breelyn M.
After getting off the fabulous city sightseeing tour bus we stopped here! ( tour guide randy is do funny) It was pouring raining so my sister & I decided to stop at the bar! We got wings & a southern fly & Louisiana lemonade to drink! Great drinks & wings! Def a nice quick stop!
(4)
Manuel G.
With the location where this place is, you would think this will be a typical tourist trap. And it is, but in a way that you would not feel ripped off. The food was good and the service was okay. I really enjoyed the live jazz band that plays there. Not a bad place to have dinner in a New Orleans weekend. Not the best place in town but definitely not the worst. Prices were all right.
(4)
Lauren A.
Food was okay. I had the popcorn shrimp. Service was awful. I think she forgot about me. I wouldn't come back here again.
(2)
Maggie S.
A lady was outside trying to get customers in and we asked if they were still serving breakfast and she said yes they had a ten dollar all you can eat buffet. I would have preferred to eat somewhere else and have lunch/regional foods, but the husband likes a traditional breakfast. It was good. Lots of bacon, sausage, eggs, grits, pancakes, and fried potatoes. I didn't have any fruit. It was affordable and good. They had biscuits and white gravy too. Sausage gravy isn't as big in New Orleans as in the midwest, so the gravy was just so so for me. Waitress extremely nice! Staff got my husband a drink to go...very nice and seen the staff constantly cleaning up around buffet.
(3)
Korina S.
Had been walking around and saw this place so came back to eat. I liked how it was outside and open and there was live music and good people watching. Our server was quick and friendly. We split the fried shrimp and a muffuletta and it was huge! Really good though. Would recommend if you are looking for a casual place outside to people watch.
(4)
Randall S.
Convenient is the game here. Closest sit down to the French Market. Sandwiches were average.
(2)
Alex E.
Our family of four was in New Orleans for three days in March 2015 and I wanted my wife who had never been to go thru the Quarter and see the sights. We wanted breakfast and this place was near the only street parking we could find. Got seated about 9:50 AM, got served breakfast about 10:25AM. Wow! long wait. Its location is why its popular, its kinda a hustle joint, meaning, get you in then wait and wait. Our server was a nice young girl but clueless. We ordered omelets, toast, coffee and hash browns. Coffee was great, after it finally came. Hash browns were cubed potatoes, small portions and definitely not hash browns, when my wife asked, she was told this is how they make them here? Really? A FIRST. The omelets were good, and the toast when it finally came without butter looked like prison bread, thin white tasteless bread. I understand tourist places, but cm'on. There are tons of fantastic places to eat in the Quarter, and this isn't one of them.
(2)
Susan U.
Ordered the shrimp creole and it had 4 pieces of shrimp, rice and stewed tomatoes, and nothing else that was stated on the menu.....all for 20$ what a tourist trap...we were too starved to care but in hindsight...should of done more about it! It was a rip off.
(1)
Greg K.
I like this place. Music. In the heart. A bit touristy. But good muffaleta and good beer. Etouffe is good. Not fine dining of course but a nice place with good food + music. Friendly servers.
(4)
Lauren H.
Epic long wait times. Even with the place half full, with half the people having the breakfast buffet. We waited over 40 minutes and our food wasn't out yet. We asked for the bill and even that took another 10 minutes. Service. Well aside from taking our order, we saw our server once. And we had sent another server to find her to make that happen. She said (as we were leaving) the delay in our breakfasts was because they ran out of biscuits. How does that happen at a half full restaurant specializing in breakfast? And if it does, tell us before 40 minutes goes by. Manage expectations. Offer a fruit plate in the mean time. Do something. We left hungry and annoyed. I pity the fools that try this place.
(1)
Adrianne D.
It is my first time in LA so my family and I decided to visit this restaurant. All I have to say is please keep going. I need you all to understand I am a very forgiving and nice person but the customer service here is horrible! We asked politely about the quantity of pieces that came with a catfish dinner and was lied to (given less), my mother and I ordered soda to go along with our lunch and it was later taken away from our table claiming the water was contaminated...so the waiter brought us bottled water and we were charged over $7.00 for water when we didn't even ask for it. The manager then began to argue with us after we provided a friendly recommendation to him about warning customers of contaminated restaurant water prior to eating. Then to top it off the bartender placed his dirty hands in an olive jar to replenish the olives at the bar and sold an old beer that was under his serving table to young couple behind us. The entire experience was shady and it was very obvious the manager was only out for money!
(1)
Thuy V.
Bf had a crawfish mission and we tried it here while walking around and seeing a sign. While it was on the bottom of our list and had a more lemongrass seasoning, it is a great location and has decent food and usually a band playing. Service was ok. Also tried the sausage poboy and the bread was crisp and sausage good. Fries were ok. Crawfish rating: MRB Bayou Barn via FoodFest J's Seafood Dock French Market restaurant Market Cafe
(3)
Greg T.
Terry and josh helped me and my boyssssss get super twisted at noon on Friday. We washed down the delicious PO boys with dozens of perfectly poured drinks. Would recommend it to my mother, much less strangers.
(5)
Helen C.
My family ate here on Christmas Day because it was one of the only places that was open in the area, you could sit inside and eat, and didn't need a reservation (everywhere else was sold out). It was a packed house (aka slow service but understandable) when we went to eat here (obvi christmas day!). Its just a simple cafe with a bar in the middle, and some tables inside and outside if you want to eat outside. No fancy decor or anything. I got the jumbalaya and it was so-so. Nothing special but okay. My coffee wasn't anything special either.
(3)
Melissa S.
Awesome! Wonderful music, the fried alligator was amazing. Crawfish Beignets were pretty great. We enjoyed it a lot.
(5)
R S.
Ok - skip the Po Boys. If you want a sandwich, to just fill you up - fine. But, if it's your first po boy, go elsewhere. I had the fried shrimp and my man had the fried shrimp and fried oyster. First, the service was excellent, hence the higher star than what it really deserves, but food has to factor in somewhere and service can't take you to 5 stars. The bread was regular French bread, good, but could have been better complemented. The shrimp were fried battered shrimp I can buy frozen back home. There was, what I would call, a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and two tomato slices that are missing the vine, because they were taken from home way too soon. You know - pink. And I believe there was mayo, but when you quickly slap it on with a spatula...eh, I don't think so. We were brought a mustard sauce that made my taste buds stand up and then faint it was so strong and did not go with fried shrimp. The cocktail sauce tasted good and was very necessary, because the shrimp needed some glue to stay in the sandwich. But, there was not enough. What would have made this better, more mayo strewn across with a tip dispenser. More lettuce, ripe tomatoes and/or an aioli (garlic, cocktail sauce - make one up). It needed to be a little gooier - somehow. Get my drift? Oh - and the chips were stale and almost bendable without breaking. Strange phenomenon. Chewy, not crispy. I'm still on the search...this cannot be what the hype is about, but then again I didn't do my Yelp search first and just wanted my first Cajun meal in NOLA. Fried shrimp po boy seemed appropriate despite the restaurant.
(2)
Arthur R.
I don't like to give negative reviews, but this occasion warrants one. My extended family was out for a good meal in the Quarter and landed here because the menu looked Cajun traditional. We were seated straightaway, and attended to promptly. So far so good. Then the food came. I had the Taste of New Orleans, with a bland chicken & sausage gumbo, an uninspiring jambalaya, a decent shrimp creole, and delicious red rice and beans. My wife had a full portion of the rice and beans, and my kids had a fried crawfish app, and a shrimp po'boy. The crawfish was reportedly good, but the sandwich left a lot to be desired. A sandwich starts with bread, and her bread was stale! She soldiered through it, as did a nephew who got a shrimp & oyster po'boy. That bread was like a day old French loaf--only good for pain perdu (French toast). The worst was the barbecue shrimp my brother-in-law ordered. He sent it back for being extremely overcooked. I don't even think he got a bite in. Our waitress was effusive in her apology for the BBQ shrimp, and if my daughter knew enough, she might have sent her sandwich back, but this was a disappointing meal. Proceed with caution.
(3)
Kiley S.
Love the live music and people watching. Muffuletta was really good and big enough for 2 to split if you aren't very hungry or if you have an appetizer first.
(4)
Andrew S.
Killer Nawlins cuisine. Had the crawfish etouffee, as well as the red beans & rice with sausage. Excellent. Great for people-watching. Plus they have live music. Can't wait to go back.
(4)
Amanda B.
Nice place to people watch and grab a bite to eat and a cocktail! We had gumbo, jambalaya, and fried crawfish bites. Two thumbs up! The drinks were nice and strong too! Service was just ok. Live band playing was also just ok, not very 'lively'.
(4)
Jan B.
I have eaten here at least 6 times and really like this place. Had the fried shrimp and it was great. Light breaking and fresh shrimp. Good drinks and quick service. I like it better than some of the really famous places.
(5)
Joe B.
Food took forever to arrive and was so so. Manager or owner got mad at my dog for sitting in a chair which is ok, but handle it like a professional instead of acting like a complete @$$. The one shining light was the really sweet waitress who I am sure is working in a better place by now. One extra star for location.
(2)
Karley S.
Split the muffaletta sandwich and the red beans and rice, catfish etouffee, and jambalaya sampler. Very filling meal. The wait time was a bit long for our two glasses or water and for our food. That is why I am only giving three stars.
(3)
Ashton L.
The only redeeming quality for this restaurant is the location. Don't make the same mistake we did and end up choking down their cold and bland breakfast. We were told the only option was eating off the buffet but then we saw other tables around us ordering off the menu. At least if we had a chance to do that we may have gotten semi warm food and grits and gravy without a rubbery layer on top. The servers seemed more interested in sitting on tables and texting than working. Don't be fooled by the looks of the place and think it might be good. You'll just end up covering everything in hot sauce to make it edible like we did.
(1)
Greg S.
I agree with other reviews that this feels pretty "tourist-y." We stopped in because we were strolling through the French Quarter and were starving for a late dinner. This worked, even if it didn't wow either of us. The band packed up as soon as we sat down, which was a bummer. The service was okay -- the waitstaff seemed rushed but were still polite and present enough. The food was reasonably tasty. Good fries. No complaints. No accolades either, sadly. You could find worse spots to have a quick bite in the French Quarter.
(3)
Andrew R.
Stopped here on way back to hotel from Market. If you are lucky enough to catch the band, then worth it. If not, then you can get better food elsewhere. Ordered gumbo and shrimp and oyster po boy. Gumbo was room temperature. PO boy was ok bit not great.
(3)
Gerald H.
Make no mistake this is a tourist spot. I've been here on several occasions and the service and food was good. The muffaletta was good and plentiful. On a nice day sitting outside and listening to the music is great. The band plays for tips and it can get awkward when you and your family is having a meal when some guy sticks a bucket in your face..no pressure but still. Kids love the grilled cheese sandwich, probably why we keep coming here. If you like to dine inside this place is not the best option. People come here for the outdoor seating and live music. Overall, not a bad place to eat.
(3)
Chris S.
We were just cruising along looking for breakfast and decided to stop here. The service was attentive to us, and we sat in the covered dining area toward the park. The density of tables was a bit unsettling, and there were pigeons on the prowl under our feet looking for dropped morsels. A tad distracting. It was loud, too. On the good side, the food was tasty. I had a traditional breakfast and was especially fond of the pancakes. The rest was passable. My wife had the shrimp omelette and a biscuit and was very pleased. She was highly complimentary of the coffee, which is no easy task.
(3)
Sierra Lei C.
we stopped here because it was a hot day and we wanted a place to relax and get a cold drink. a live band played and they were great. i wasn't expecting to get anything to eat but i gave in to their gumbo, which i thought was delicious. my brother got the crawfish beignets. holy cow, those crawfish beignets!! order them.
(4)
Kevin R.
On a Saturday, since all of the other breakfast places in the French Quarter were busy, my girlfriend and I decided to venture to the Market Cafe since there were many open tables. I now know why so many tables were open. First off, the only breakfast food available was a buffet. This wasn't ideal, but not a deal breaker so we stayed for the buffet. The food was your standard scrambled eggs, cut French fries were their "home fries," sausage that most likely is a cheap knock off of jimmy dean, and a few other items. The one decent item was a dry biscuit with gravy. This awful meal (2 breakfast buffets) ran me just shy of $30 after including two coffees. The worst part of the visit was the service. The waitress was quick to come to the table and take drink orders, but that was the only thing done right. She brought over the check about 2 minutes after we ordered and our plates still full and then wasn't to be seen again until I paid after I was done eating. In summary, it doesn't matter how long the line is elsewhere, don't eat here.
(1)
Mark H.
Ain't no such thing as cheap breakfast near the French Market. At first, we stopped at Cafe du Monde, but the place was insane. No one really seemed eager to help us, and it seemed as if everyone was just making a damn mess with those beignets. We decided to get up and find some eggs and bacon somewhere when we stumbled upon this place. They were advertising a special for $3.95 for 1 egg, grits, a biscuit and either bacon or sausage. They also had a breakfast buffet for $10, so I went for that instead of the special. Buffet included pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, gravy, potatoes and fruit. Both the special and buffet were good, but $25-$30 is a lot to drop on some breakfast! If you order the Irish coffee, they make it strong. Head's up!
(3)
Ashley H.
Some friends were in town for the weekend, staying in the Quarter, with a two year old. After an afternoon of kiddie activities, I met up with them for dinner. The plan was to wander a bit and stumble on to somewhere good. Unfortunately, we ended up here, instead. Now, I've grabbed a Bloody Mary or four from the Market Cafe over the years while shopping... I even attempted to do the brunch buffet once upon a time (but rejected it after seeing what they had sitting out.) So yeah, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the choice, but hey, it was all in the name of making a tired, hungry kid happy. I figured, "how bad could it really be?" We sat outside, taking the table on the very end so as not to disturb the other diners. (Did I mention that there was a child involved?) Apparently this did not sit well with our server since it meant she had to walk a few extra feet past a couple of empty tables to wait on us. Nothing better than when a server attempts to make you feel like she's doing you a favor when, in fact, she is simply doing her job. And poorly at that. There were no refills of the waters, no clearing of dishes, or any of the other things that one would expect. She never asked if we needed anything or how our food was or anything. Of course, she probably knew better than to ask how it was because it sucked and she knew it. I had the crawfish beignets and a cup of gumbo. The beignets come with an order of four, which also how many crawfish tails I counted. It was basically an order of hush puppies. The gumbo had a good flavor but was also very lacking in the meat department... there was one slice of sausage, a bite of chicken and one tiny shrimp. The others at the table were equally unimpressed with their entrees. I almost fell out of my chair when the bill came and I realized how expensive everything was. I don't normally get sticker shock when it comes to dining, especially in the Quarter. But when the bill came on this night, I felt taken like the fool that I was for going here in the first place. Oh, I almost forgot, they do have live music, which is always a plus. I did not, however, appreciate being solicited for tips before my order was even taken. Let me hear you play for a little while before asking me for money. Yeah, this place is clearly a tourist trap and I knew better than to go here, but I did. So, I really have no one to blame but myself. I do know that I definitely won't be making the same mistake again. Ever.
The Greek salad was wonderful. The fried alligator was the best out of 4 that I tried.. There was outside seating. Live band. Not too loud. Prices are reasonable. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Holly W.
My husband and I stopped in here Wednesday 3/11 for breakfast. We sat outside on a lovely morning and listened to live music. We both had the breakfast buffet. It was very good. The service was great and friendly. I would go back for sure.
(4)
Melissa A.
We stopped here for lunch just because it was right on front of us and the menu looked pretty good. So glad we did! I usually do my research before trying someplace new but I was unprepared this time! I had a fried shrimp po boy and it was delicious! Seriously yuuuummm! The servers were all very friendly and our food was at the table in just a couple of minutes. It was so quick my hyper kid didn't even have a chance to get bored before it arrived- and that usually doesn't take very long! Oh yeah - they also had a musician playing outside (in the middle of the day on a Wednesday) that was pretty cool.
(5)
Mayar K.
I would love to give this place even less than one star. They have the perfect location but they didn't take advantage of that. Staff was not so nice and they kind of force you to go in because they don't have enough business. We went in because every other place was super busy so we decided that we can give it a shot. The waitress was nice but she didn't give us any menu but instead she told us that they have only open buffet and we didn't know that you can still order from the menu. However, the waitress thought it would be better not to clarify that to us. The food was absolutely horrible. I don't know where to start but it was very cold and not fresh at all. I think this place has a great chance to be one of the top places because of their location but they lack good management apparently.
(1)
John R.
Heading into the French Quarter, it might be wise to know that everyone attending will understand that the French Quarter restaurants aren't the cheapest places in town. I had planned to go to a restaurant across the street, but someone in my party deemed it too expensive and we instead went to The Market Cafe. The food is okay, but the space is tight and the food is not the best that the city has to offer. For an appetizer, I ordered the alligator sausage, which was pretty delicious. For the meal, I took an incredible wrong turn and ordered the oyster poboy. GET THE SHRIMP, PEOPLE. The oyster one tastes like a sandwich of dirty water. The service is as acceptable as one could expect from a tourist city. Know that you will be assaulted by a number of birds who will eat your food and a noise level that you probably weren't expecting, even with the knowledge that you're in New Orleans. The drinks are weak, so stick to tea, soda, or water.
(2)
Benton D.
The Live jazz trio was great and the outdoor seating was good, although I am not sure the tables were ever cleaned. The service was slow, unfocused and inattentive. The "full espresso bar" seems to have forgotten to use actual espresso in their drinks. The beer tasted old and like it was being pumped through equipment that had never been cleaned. The Po-boy was ok but very greasy. In a town full of great food, this place relies on location and tourists who don't know the place to stay in business.
(1)
Crystal R.
Awesome lunch spot! our waitress was so sweet and very attentive. The live jazz music set the mood. We ordered the muffuletta and the "taste of New Orleans" and this was the best food we have tasted so far this trip! The flavors, spices, quantity and service makes this #1
(5)
Megan E.
We stopped here for drinks and they were good and reasonably priced. Some of the staff seemed to be having issues with one another. That made the ambiance a bit tense.
(3)
Juan T.
Live jazz band and free ice water that was the highlight of the experience. The gator was half cooked and elastic. We asked the waiter and she said, it looks like it needs to be put back on the fryer but never took them back or took them off the bill. ALso had the crawfish buns and they were super dry and a small crawfish inside. At night it gets better due to the live Jazz band + Please tip they dont work for the restaurant. Its a tourist trap
(1)
JW A.
My wife and I went here for dinner on our last night in NOLA, great surf and turf, gumbo was good as an appetizer, and we also got the pasta with shrimp and crawfish. Not a bad place to try if you just don't know what you want.
(5)
Hanae K.
Sarah, our server, was a sweet heart :) I recommend her if you are at the market cafe. We didnt know that there was a breakfast special going on so we waited at the table drinking coffee and hurricane enjoying the live jazz band til the lunch menu came out. Sarah took our order right away when the kitchen was about to open for lunch. Food was decent and she checked on us every now and then with a big smile. We had: Jambalaya, a ok My first Muffuletta! Fresh and delicious. it's different from the one i tried at Central Grocery Co, which had more garlic. The Market Cafe felt like it was freshly made when ordered. what I didn't like: Not sure if this is a nola thing but the server only takes care of his/her own table. Not much of a team work... I asked one of the server for more coffee and he responded with "your server will take care of you" and stepped back. I was pretty pissed until I noticed that it wasn't just him who did that. Thanks Nelson F. for recommending this place :)
(4)
Beth T.
I come here every time I come to New Orleans. It's become sort of a tradition dragging whoever I'm with so I can get my poboy fix. Granted, the food isn't amazing, but it's good and fairly priced compared to other places. Plus the music and bustling atmosphere make it worth it to me. I've never had a problem with waiting (I always go around lunch time after the breakfast buffet ends) and while I have had some lackluster service generally the waitstaff where pretty attentive and informative. They also make tasty drinks. Try the mango madness (I think that's what it was called) it was delicious!
(4)
Anthony J.
Live jazz in an open air seating area makes this a good place. We ordered a whole muffuletta, which was very good, but it was humungous and we couldn't even finish it between the two of us. If you are really hungry and eating your own meal, you should probably just get the half order, but be forewarned even the half order consists of two pretty large sandwiches. I wish the waitress would have told us about the size of the muffuletta....if we would have known how big it was going to be, we would have just opted to split the 1/2 order. The drinks were also very good, but we were a little disappointed when they arrived in plastic cups instead of the fancy glasses that are pictured on the menu.
(3)
Kenzey D.
I loved this restaurant. They had excellent service, delicious food, and a great live jazz band playing. Nice atmosphere and it made for a great meal. Theres not a lot to choose from on the menu, but the service was super prompt because of this. Love it, would definitely recommend it. :)
(5)
Glenna K.
This review is about a single item they serve. Continue reading. You know the NOLA August thing, when you've walked 2, possibly 3 blocks, outside and are now drenched in your own sweat and your sunglasses are sliding down your sunscreened and sweaty nose and all you can think about is finding some AC and you're tired of browsing useless souvenir shops and overpriced antique stores and dammit all the cafes are outdoors??? Then you see the beacon of the Market Cafe and you go inside to have whatever you must order to soak up some AC? You know, THAT phenomenon?? That's how I discovered they make the best iced mocha on the planet. And I NEVER order these in coffee shops because they are always tooooooo sweet and syrupy. It is now part of my ritual on every trip, nearly every day. Martin the bartender is hip, quirky, very quick-witted, and good to pass the time with while you soak up that sweet, sweet air conditioning.
(5)
Benny K.
A place for a quick break, to have some drinks or snacks/sandwiches while enjoying the live band/music in the open patio. Service was good while we were there, the waitresses even gave us some tips on where to go and what to do. They even serve buffet breakfast, but have not tried it.
(3)
Fernando B.
Good for a quick bite and drink. Not your gourmet spot but will do the job. There was live jazz when I went there. Service is quick and friendly.
(3)
Toni J.
Ate lunch here on 3/21/14 and was pleasantly surprised! Service was excellent and the food was tasty! I ordered the fried shrimp platter and the shrimp was fresh and flavorful. The live band was icing on the cake and I'll def return!
(4)
Niki C.
Had a very lovely lunch date here on my last day in New Orleans, so because everything on the date was perfection, I have got to give this place 4 stars. Our waitress was great, our salads very tasty but a bit slow to come out (Greek Salad with lamb for me, Caesar with chicken & shrimp for him), the ambiance only slightly on the touristy side since it is located in the center aisle of the french market, but the live jazz band playing as we sat outdoors on his beautiful day made it PERFECT! Romantic & memorable if you ask me...but perhaps I am biased since my date was so cute ;)
(4)
Jason B.
Super friendly staff! My wife & I were wandering around looking for something to eat. A really nice man called us over, sat us down where we could hear the jazz band and took our order. My wife wasn't feeling very good and he was more than willing to cooperate with her trying to find same thing she could eat. ( not too rich, not too spice) I ordered the crawfish beignets, they were amazing! I'll definitely visit again ( they also have fresh fruit daiquiris, margaritas and beer to go!)
(4)
Nelson F.
Stopped by to grab a quick sandwich to go before my swamp tour, and was happy to see this place with just what I wanted. Of all the times I've been to New Orleans, I'd never tried the Muffaletta, a sandwich made famous in The Big Easy, so it was the perfect opportunity to try. I ordered the half order, with the waitress assuring me it would be enough, and she wasn't kidding! For $8 the half order was huge and took over the whole to go box, big enough that they cut it into 2 pieces. I honestly thought they made a mistake and gave me the whole order but they didn't. As for the sandwich itself, incredible! The spices, olive oil, the Italian meat, and then the surprising crunchy texture of the marinated vegetables and fresh slightly toasted Italian bread blended to make a beautiful symphony in my mouth. I was going to share the 2nd half of the sandwich order but after the first bite I decided not to and ate the whole thing. It was that good. Afterwards, I kept thinking about the sandwich and wanted to try the Central Grocery Co, who invented the sandwich to begin with. Surprisingly, I liked this sandwich (The Market Cafe's) much better!
(4)
Janelle H.
Food was good; tried the Alligator and the Muffalatta (it was gigantic). Patio was nice with love jazz band.
(3)
Chelsea B.
Went for a late brunch. They served a small breakfast buffet and Cajun style foods. We had the breakfast buffet (eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, mini pancakes, and fruit) for 10$ and fancy iced espresso drinks (4$). The covered patio style dining was great and relaxing! There was a live jazz band that was awesome. Really enjoyed this little place before heading down the street to the market!
(4)
Brandy A.
Super touristy. We were here for lunch as our last meal in NoLa. The good: - Located in a very central and busy part near the French market and Jackson Square, so you absorb the lively vibe as you dine. - When we were there there was a live jazz band playing. They were awesome entertainment to enjoy while we had lunch. -There's a covered patio with outdoor seating so you could dine outside and soak in the sunshine. The not-so-good: - I maybe ordered the wrong item but their chicken po' boy wasn't very tasty. The bread was chewy and untoasted, the chicken inside as well as the lettuce and mayo were boring. I could have packed this myself for lunch and I would have toasted the bread. I also tasted the gator sausage, which was savory but had no unique flavor beyond a smoked sausage. - Quite obnoxious with the attempted upsell of drinks and other food that we weren't a bit interested in. The band also came around to each table and held out the donation jar. That dampened our meal quite a bit. There are similar restaurants and cafes all within vicinity of Market Cafe so I'd try another one if I had a redo. The fun music the band played didn't really make up for the rather mediocre overall experience we had.
(2)
Shelley A. D.
#NOLAtoursim #Foodtourism #chitownfoodie This highest rating is for the location, the drinks, the musicians and the atmosphere. We did not try the food. The Market Cafe is the easiest place to go to hear live music from local musicians. The drinks are a fair price. The kids were happy to have hot chocolate and bop to the music. And it is an open air cafe-- so you can sit inside or stand right outside the gate with a to go cup in hand. The staff was kind, welcoming and not intrusive. So you could stop by for a minute or linger over a couple of sets. We will be back.
(5)
Jackie A.
Stopped by with a few friends right after we arrived in NoLa for Mardi Gras. No, it's not fantastic, but it's not as bad as some other tourist "cajun" places I've been to in the French Quarter. The oyster po' boy was delic. as was the bloody mary. We were seated at a table that had a good view of the street and they kept the windows open so it was nice inside. I wouldn't go here for a great dining experience but it's certainly better than other similar places.
(3)
Alicia F.
second time we have visited this place and again, we are very pleased. our waitress was very friendly and the outdoor atmosphere gives you a feeling of what New Orleans represents. love the jazz band that plays there and they do a great job, but I do not like how they go table to table asking for tips. we always tip, and tip very well but I don't like the feeling of being pressured. Other than that, it is a great place to dine
(4)
Kari S.
First thing we noticed was an abundance of friendly and attentive staff who let us choose our table on the patio. There was a breakfast buffet that looked promising but we ordered individual meals. The food came out quick, was very reasonably priced and tasty. The good comfort foods of biscuits and gravy, pancakes, eggs and hash browns were the perfect way to start a day full of sightseeing. A small band was setting up as we left and everyone was so friendly.
(5)
Luna K.
On my 5 day trip to NOLA, I ate here 3 times. The atmosphere was just amazing, the outside seating and the music was just as good as it gets and always put me and hubby in a good mood. The place was never overly crowded, and I never had to wait. The food was great, the first day we dined we had he fried alligator, shrimp po boys and a cup of their award winning gumbo. The alligator was good, spicy and good dipping sauce. Shrimp Po boys were perfect in my opinion, light and airy bread, nice fried shrimp that didn't taste greasy at all. Gumbo was good, definitely not award winning but it was good enough that we ordered a bowl on the next visit. Muffaletta was amazing! It was the first time we had it, but our eyes lit up when we bit into it! Service was good,no overall complaints. Only thing is it seems as when they give you the check the disappear for what seems like forever. As for the music the band is great, I just do not appreciate the fact that sometimes they walk around with a tip jar while your eating and talk you into tipping them. Its not a pleasant experience when your trying to relax and eat.
(4)
Daniel Y.
Even my dog thought that the food was average. Long wait times, bland and ununique food, and higher than average prices. The only saving grace is its location and the live music, but those alone weren't enough to convince my stomach--or my wallet--that this place was worth the visit.
(1)
Ace D.
It was really cool place and grown atmosphere. Ana was our server and she was awesome and full of life. Food was great! Thanks for the experience!
(5)
Lisa L.
Didn't eat here but the place was packed. Outdoor seating was to hot.
(4)
Clarice O.
Walking around Decatur, my friend noticed that I was dawdling a little bit trying to listen to the jazz band playing at The Market Cafe. Being my tourist guide that day, he suggested we stop and go in. I needed to have some bread pudding, anyway, because I have been deprived of it all my life (his words, not mine). The place was oozing with tourists (me included). The waitress gave me a somewhat irritated look when I asked (really very nicely, too, if I may say so myself) if they had strawberry lemonade. It seemed as though she were pushing the strawberry daiquiri to us, but I can think of no logical reason why this would be. Anyway, the bread pudding was rather delicious -- the richness and the sweetness were balanced. But I am not a fan of the overly touristy vibe. So even though Market Cafe is a 3.5 stars kind of place, I would simply round them down to 3 stars. Funny anecdote: The sax player somewhat ripped off my friend, though, by playing just a few notes after being given a $5 tip (by a few notes, I mean I counted merely to "two Mississippi" and that was it). The Aussie (my friend) was too nice to say anything, while I was merely amused by his pout.
(3)
Lilli H.
It was our last day in New Orleans, so we wanted to end it on a good note. We walked around shopping and thought we would end our time with a nice lunch before heading out. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place and thought it would be nice since it was smacked dabbed in the middle. Our host was very nice, however, our waitress was another story. We sat for about five minutes before she came by. She didn't ask for our drink orders, or for our order at all. The first thing she said was the kitchen was closed and they are only doing the buffet. Mind you, this was at 10:30am. We were very taken back by this, as we wanted a cajun/creole style breakfast (we can get standard eggs and bacon back home!) She also sounded annoyed, almost as if we were a burdon, asking her to do her job. Anyways, she saw the confused look on our faces, as we told her we did not want the buffet. So then she says, and I quote, "Okay, so then what do you want?", to which we hesitantly ordered off the menu not knowing if she would put it in, since the "kitchen was closed". At this point she goes to put in our order even though she said only the buffet was open. We also had to flag her down again to order our drinks. After about ten minutes she walks by and says "Oh, you guys wanted coffee right?" My boyfriend is a very patient person, however, her service was so terrible he wanted to leave. We got up and told her to cancel our order. We went to the Gazebo Cafe next door and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our waiter was amazing, the manager even checked up on us. There are plenty of great places with great people willing to show you what New Orleans is all about. Save yourselves from this awful experience and go elsewhere! And if for some terrible reason all the restaurants were closed, except the Market Cafe, make sure you avoid getting a blonde waitress with short hair!
(1)
Rebecca R.
Went here and was waited on by Emily A. She was an amazing server! Quick, bright and attentive! I like this place a lot! Live music and great food! I'd want to give this place a 5 star but felt a little insulted by the gentleman collecting tips for the band. After giving out all my cash to pan handlers throughout the day, only had a dollar cash to place in the tip bucket! I was snubbed by the guy and felt it was time to leave. It's tough to be an artist in a city that doesn't pay. Otherwise perfect place! Shaded yet outside and by the water. Nice place thanks to the service I'd go back.
(4)
Tish W.
DON'T EVER GO HERE...I went back today because I loved the place the first time. Not today! First off Demitree is the biggest ass***e I ever seen and definitely the worse manager. I seen a girl walk in and get fired and he wouldn't even tell her why he told her he didn't need a reason. Then he went to brag on a server. Mind you the server he was bragging about with the cross eyes rudely told me I'm not your server get her to get your stuff and that's what he calls a good server. Worse customer service and manager ever!!# Also you don't fire a person in the middle of the restaurant especially in an unprofessional manner. I would love to know who's over him cause he needs to be the one getting fired. Not to mention my drink was watery and the food was cold. This place is terrible. Don't ever go here!!!! No stars for him or his so called go server apparently he don't know what good is. Last day here last time EVER coming here!!!!
(1)
Jennifer W.
Sat in-between the two halves of Decatur street and right by the French Market this is a great place to stop when walking around New Orleans' french quarter. Every time I went by they had live music which was great and we committed ourselves to trying it because it seemed so awesome. We finally got to stop by and although the service is a little slow (but that seems normal for New Orleans) it was so nice to sit and enjoy the music and watch people walk by. We grabbed a roast beef sandwich and it was so big my husband and I easily split it for a light lunch, if you are the whole thing you'd be very full! It comes with fries, which were pretty good, and my husband tried some alcoholic drink which was delicious according to him! It's a great place to eat or just sit and enjoy the music!
(4)
Tara J.
We actually didn't eat here; we only drank here a couple of times, but each time it was a good experience. What I like about this place is that it's indoor/outdoor and it's open and airy. The cafe is surrounded by windows, so no matter where you're sitting, you can see outside. We sat up at the bar and enjoyed beers on our first trip, but sat at a table at the bar and ordered Hurricanes on the second trip. The bartender remembered us, and we really appreciated the friendly service here. It's a great central place to stop and have a drink midday while sightseeing or shopping in the French Market. We'll be back!
(4)
John F.
The food and the service probably only deserves a 4 star review. But add the live Dixie jazz band, and it is definitely a five star experience. For lunch we each had half of Muffeletta sandwich. this was on my must try list while in NOLA. We loved it! You have to like olives if you order this sandwich. Also, we discovered that half a sandwich is really big. The whole sandwich is a piece of bread about 12 inches across filled with meat, cheese and olive salad. Don't order a full sandwich unless you have a fridge back at your hotel. Eating a traditional NOLA sandwitch and listing to traditional jazz music is as good as it gets.
(5)
Martina-Realtor H.
Wings here were the best I've had in my life! Breakfast buffet is decent not fab tho. Great atmosphere & good place to relax and people watch
(4)
Coral E.
If you like to people watch, sit outside and enjoy some local cuisine - this is a must! Enjoyed a delicious shrimp poboy here today. Others with me enjoyed crawfish, gumbo (which they raved about) and the gyro.
(4)
Ana E.
Despite the place was half empty on a Thursday afternoon the service was exxxtremely slow. Their Bloody Mary is good,but too much condiments for my taste and a little overpriced for that particular cafe. Ordered a shrimp po-boy,Greek salad and a Caesar,the food was pretty darn good,very light and crispy just what you want on a hot New Orleans afternoon. The place is very touristy and gets filled up with people quick. One of the best things about the market cafe is their band,great and fun music that we definitely enjoyed.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Carole M.
Great food and fantastic service. While looking for some NOLA food we found The Market Cafe at the French Market. Checking out the food that was being served convinced us to try it! We were greeted by a delightful young woman, Anna, who was smiling and offered suggestions after explaining we wanted to try something we cannot get in the north. Anna suggested that we try the taste of New Orleans. This consisted of a cup of gumbo, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya and red beans and rice, all four where delicious! A great suggestion. Next we tried the fried alligator. This was crisp and very light and excellent. Anna also suggested we try a Muffaletta. Since we heard of it but never tasted this, it was a totally different taste and was fantastic. Of course, we also had to try a shrimp Po-boy. This was tasty, with light crisp shrimp. Overall we were totally pleased with our experience. Anna paced the food so that we could enjoy it and Anna was attentive and wanted to be sure we were enjoying our meal. Which we did! The food was great and the location in the French Market was very charming, but the best part was the absolutely wonderful friendly service and the outstanding suggestions from Anna!!
(5)Marie F.
My brother had to have gator when he visited NOLA in September. So, this is where I took him. The Gator bites were fried and therefore quite good. Hard to mess that up. The muffaletta was really oily... like sopping wet and pretty gross. Only on one side though. The other side didn't taste too bad. I prefer Ignatius for their muffaletta. The jazz band was nice and they were playing into the night. Not many people at the restaurant, so service was pretty quick.
(3)Scott M.
Excellent! This by far is one of our favorite lunch spots. Try the Muffaletta and/or the Roast Beef Po-Boy (messy and awesome)! You'll be glad you did!
(5)Kees v.
My wife had the Muffaletta and I ordered the Red Beans & Rice. Both were excellent however the serving size of the Muffaletta was extremely large, come hungry if you order this meal.
(4)Jason Y.
After exploring the French Market area we decided we wanted a little rest along with some drinks and music. The Market Cafe was perfect- outside, live music, and strangely delicious drinks. We didn't have any food but the service was good and the music was great.
(4)Patricia D.
Great mixed drinks...try the Hurricane or the Peach Daquiri. Food is so/so...the highlight being the Muffuleta, with olive salad topping. Po Boys are slapped onto regular Italian Bread...doesn't do the name justice.
(3)Siobhán H.
Like most reviewers have said- It's touristy. Went here out of low blood sugar desperation. I'm still regretting my decision.
(2)Isabelle E.
They have live music and a nice patio. We had a few pounds of crawfish and a few sides of gator and fries and other things and they all were served really quickly. The crawfish were super delicious and so were the sides. The waitress was very friendly. Had some drinks and they were pretty strong and fairly cheap.
(4)Lorrayne L.
Objective 1 upon reaching shore again: Take more pictures of New Orleans. Objective 2 upon reaching shore again: Stuff mine face with more Orleans goodness. Both objectives achieved. The kindly waiter seated us immediately out on the patio, to enjoy the sunshine and briny air since the fog had burned off before we docked. A fine day in the NoLa. Firstly, I had a cup of their gumbo (I went on a gumbo craze since Miss Pearl's closed down), and it was fairly good. But then I ordered the alligator sausage, and I was done. I pride myself on being up to trying all types of foods, meats foremost. I've had fried alligator, but am not a huge fan of fried stuff, so was thoroughly delighted that they offered a grilled option. Combined with their creamy sausage sauce, grilled onions and peppers, every bite was a pure delight! I was almost in a tivvy that I might not have been able to finish it after the filling gumbo, but I managed, and happily waddled back to the hotel to pick up my bags. Seriously yo, if you're in the NoLa area, go here and stuff their sausage in your hungry and watering mouth. You won't regret it. Oh yeah, make sure to ask for the creamy sauce to go with it.
(5)K J.
Went on a Saturday and experienced live music. A great place to people watch and enjoy your food. Started with the broiled crawfish which was great. My server even showed me how to eat them since it was my first time. Had the fried shrimp Po boy and it was really good. Topped it off with Pecan pie which was okay. All in all a great experience.
(5)Adele M.
My waiter was super friendly and the jazz band entertaining, but the food was sub average. House salad was too much $$ for what I got and the Gulf Shrimp dish was not doing it for me. Veggies were just steamed, nothing else...something odd flavored in the shrimp, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Jambalaya was simple. Nothing special. However, lots of outdoor seating and room to people watch. Have to give it a thumbs up for that. Had I read Yelp reviews, I would not have gone here. It was the band that lured me in.
(2)Don T.
The catfish po-boy and gator bites were great! Service was slow. Live music was fun!
(3)Valerie P.
Normally I avoid anything that's touched a deep fryer, but I was on vacation, darn it, and the oyster po boy called to me. And I have to say, it was even more delicious than I could have imagined. I swear, I'm still having dreams about that thing! I also tried the alligator bites, but they tasted pretty much like what you'd expect of a novelty order--interesting to do once, but not enjoyable enough for a repeat. The overall ambiance of the restaurant was nice. I definitely enjoyed sitting on the patio and listening to the live jazz band belt out a rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" as I chowed down, and the Market Cafe was definitely a nice, easy place to have my last meal in the city before heading out to the airport. The reason I've giving this place four stars (normally I'd probably do three) is because our waitress let my group of three pay on separate checks, something that doesn't seem to be done much in NOLA, but as it was our last meal in the city and we were all seriously strapped for cash, being able to charge was a godsend.
(4)Debbie M.
Very good service- very good music. We stopped in here for a late light lunch after walking all day & buying our tourist goodies. We were seated quickly & drinks arrived lickity split. We asked what was good- decided to try the alligator appetizers which taste like chicken (IMHO) they were tasty & I loved the sauce. We decided ask the waitress her pick for a good sandwich to split. She told us if we wanted to eat light to choose the 1/2 of a Muffaletta. My husband was concerned that we were sharing 1/2 a sandwich...he wanted to eat but not be stuffed. When our sandwich arrived even my hubby thought it was huge!!! Let me repeat myself the 1/2 sandwich is HUGE!!!! The full sandwich takes up a whole plate!!! Thank goodness we split this 1/2 sandwich I cannot imagine trying to eat this half sandwich by myself. This sandwich was WONDERFUL and both hubby & I were satified!!!! We got back to our hotel & noticed we'd left our shopping bag at the restaurant. We walked back over expecting that our bag may not have been there but as we walked in our waitress noticed us & said you package is at the bar...yea!!!
(5)Dave B.
We were looking for a lighter place to eat after multiple huge meals, this was a fun place with live Dixie band, service was okay. I had the shrimp & oyster po-boy and Kevin had the muffuletta, both were good but pretty uninspired and basic. Be warned, a "full muffuletta" is frigging huge and enough for 2-3 people so order accordingly. We also had the bread pudding for dessert, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great, a bit dense for us, but we liked it. All in all not a bad place for a lighter more casual meal with some live entertainment.
(3)Gigi S.
Ok, so you know that breakfast special here that's 3.95 for an egg, grits, a biscuit, and bacon? Get it. Add butter to the grits, mix it ALL together, top it with some ketchup and call it a morning, because it's the best deal you are bound to find in these here parts. The place across the street has a special too, but it isn't as low-cost as this option, and I was very well satisfied. Give the eating a rest till the real chefs wake up. Breakfast as a whole is not this cities strong suit, but if you MUST take up precious Liver-front property with breakfast after a night of drinking, you might as well do it at this charming place.
(4)J G.
Solid but nothing special. Jazz during lunch is nice touch be sure to tip the band. Good location
(3)Sherri K.
I do not remember this place right now - I will have to return to this review after checking out my pictures. hahaha! I have a feeling this was the place with the surly bartender who would not take a picture with me...damn tourists. Bourbon! ah yes, a corner bar, location location location... The entire staff seemed disgruntled. The bartender was not feeling the sherri-love, and didn't feel like talking with myself and the 1 or 2 other people at the bar. The outdoor patio with live music is set up for a no lose situation. It's one of those places you can hang on the street and listen to great big band music - LIVE on the corner. It's got the whole city feel, but I did not want to spend more money there because it just didn't have the personality of every other bar in the city.
(3)Lisa H.
The food is good and the live music is great, but the customer service is questionable. I had an awesome mufaletta, which I ate entirely by myself even though I could have probably been fine with just a quarter sandwich (I ordered a half not a full, which is more than enough food). I posted a picture of the sandwich too. I would recommend going here for a drink in the afternoon so that you can enjoy the music and not worry about being bothered, the lack of good customer service bothers me more when I am enjoying a meal than when I am just having drinks.
(2)Racquel D.
My brother, sister-in-law, and I all split the different kinds of po boys here. Catfish was delicious. Shrimp and oyster was delicious. Alligator sausage... OMG! It's the one we all recommend if you're gonna order a po boy here. It reminds me of a Filipino sausage.... kind of heavy, but really good. Delicious is the only way I can describe it really. Go and get you some!
(4)Khank N.
This place is the shizznit! Gumbo and Po boy is where it's at! Service was quick and great! 2 mins we were sat down and drinks were coming! Atmosphere had a very chill vibe, nice to get away from the crowd! You really get a feel for New Orleans!
(5)Kathy C.
Spotted this place on our way to the French Market from Cafe Du Monde and it looked pretty good. There was a live band outside pumping out lively, toe-tapping jazz. It was raining the day we came and the outside seating is all under cover so a great place to people watch. It definitely reminds me of the cafes in Paris. We ordered Popcorn Crawfish and Jambalaya. The crawfish was ok...I thought the individual crawfish were a little bit small but they were good. The jambalaya was really good. Super flavorful and filling. The ingredients in the rice were plentiful...like big chunks of chicken and sausage. A good place to stop and eat while you're strolling down the riverside or on Decatur.
(4)Katie G.
Bland and tasteless excuse for a po boy. A few slices of store-bought sliced turkey, a few bits of lettuce, mayo, terrible roll, anemic tomato slice. Kind of intense and strange server. Band plays and then comes around with a hat for tips just as you're getting up to leave (and have your hands full of bags). Decent Bloody Mary, however.
(2)Yensys L.
We decided to grab "quick" bite to eat before hitting the market etc. Well we were sat, were not told who our server would be. After about 10-15 mins a waitress came by said would take care of us. Took about another 10min before she came by to take our order. Took another 15 mins to just get out water and finally drinks. The waitress told us that the kitchen was backed up (only after being asked and it had been about 40min) would have understood but we saw 4 tables sit, eat, and leave before we even received our drinks let along food. Food was tasty but she never brought out our soups, chips, and my sausage sandwich was cold. After 50 mins and we were eating I finally received my diet coke also. Waitress didn't really seem to care. We complained to the managers about the incident, amazingly another waitress even agreed with us to the managers. The managers apologized and stated would do something to help remedy the problem. Well all that meant was, nothing. We were still charged our full 93.00 bill. Needless to say, WILL NEVER GO HERE AGAIN. you are better off going to the market, you will get the same food, cheaper and without the HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! p.s. next day we went to the market and had to walk past it. Talk about uncomfortable, the waitress walked outside to the sidewalk and stared us down whole time we walked by and back. Not cool at all.
(1)Linda G.
We went to New Orleans for our 10th wedding anniversary the first week of June. We stayed at The Provincial which was literaly right around the corner from The Market Cafe. We stopped in here our second morning to try their breakfast buffet. Not only was the price very reasonable, but the food was good. We enjoyed it so much, we ended up doing breakfast here every morning for the rest of our stay. On our last morning we decided to actually try something from the menu instead of doing the buffet. Once again, the prices were very reasonable & the food was really good. What made it even better was the wonderful service we received. Every one of the waitresses that served us were friendly & helpful! We will definately make this our morning breakfast routine from the beginning on our next trip here!!
(5)Janet E.
Not a huge fan of this restaurant. We sat outside where the band was playing. After sitting for about 10 minutes, our server still had not tended to us. We stopped two other servers to see if they could take our order, and each person told us they would go and get our server. Finally someone came to us and told us that she didnt know who the server for our table was but that she would take our order so that we wouldnt hate everyone working at the restaurant. She was nice and we appreciated her service. We were still not thrilled by how the restaurant was run though. After waiting for such a long time to order, the band stops playing and starts soliciting tips from the patrons. They didn't just walk around hoping you'd stick out your money to give them. They actually walked up to you and asked you for money. They stared at us and asked us if we had money for the band. Who does that? Food was good but not great. We ordered a plate of crawfish and an oyster po boy. The menu said the po boy came with fries, but I got chips instead. I was disappointed. I wanted fries! The oyster po boy was okay though. The crawfish plate was not as big and not as cheap at Yo Mamas.
(3)Yvonne B.
We wandered over to the Market Café for a Muffaletta sandwich when we found the Central Grocery closed. Only hours until our flight left NoLa, we felt an urgency to try this famous Muffaletta! The Market Café was nice. I mean, I liked it. It had outdoor seating, a large bar in the middle of the inside area, and some TVs. I would call it a dive, except that it was surrounded by windows and natural sunlight (I work from the assumption that dives are dingy). About four servers sat at a nearby table rolling silverware in napkins. Whenever we wanted something, we need only catch the eye of one of them. Service was friendly and pretty quick. We ordered Bloody Mary's and a Muffaletta to share. The Bloody Mary's tasted like they were from a mix and were a huge letdown after the amazing concoction from Brennan's. The Muffaletta? Well, it was okay. Neither one of us had one before nor have we had one since so we have no grounds for comparison. What I can say is that it was huge and that, between the two of us, we could not eat a whole one. We thought that it was too salty - the combination of meats and giardiniera was a bit much for us (perhaps also the influence of the Bloody Mary). We left satisfied and would probably return if we visited New Orleans another time.
(3)Toni M.
The four of us had lunch here today after attempting lunch at MRB, where the patio was in the midst of construction. We didn't have high expectations of the food, but there was a band playing and people watching was good. Our server was expansive, exuberant and outspoken. Alan and I shared a shrimp po'boy and a Caesar salad and Sherri and Ron shared an oyster po'boy and another Caesar salad. Our salad was pretty good. I've had much worse Caesars elsewhere. The shrimp po'boy was unimpressive. I've had much better elsewhere, including Angeline's in Berkeley. Sherri and Ron were more impressed w/ their oyster po'boy and seemed pleased w/ their salad. In all, it was an adequate lunch when we were tired and hungry but we wouldn't return. Prices were high and the food wasn't worth it. You can sit on a nearby park bench and hear the music and watch people pass.
(3)Colin G.
Being a New Orleans native, I tend to write off all places in the Quarter, save for a special few, as overpriced and touristy. The French Market, especially. But I was with Midwesterners, so I had to find something that was likely to have very little flavor. We sat inside. They have live music every night and, although it wasn't too loud, I had been walking around all day and just wanted some a/c. They have big windows though, so you can still watch people walk around. The group started with an appetizer of alligator bites. I normally skip this, because I think there's a reason why you never see much of it, but one of the people I was with was dead set on trying alligator. Have to say though that it was probably the best alligator I've ever had. If it wasn't chewier than chicken, I would have thought chicken, because it lacked the slightly fishy taste and the oily nature that you usually get with gator. And the dipping sauce was really good. My main course was a debris po-boy. If you don't know what this is, look it up, but I will say that it's pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, like "Deborah." I wasn't thrilled about it, but I liked the bread they use, which I thought was very true to what po-boy bread should be. This was served with a small side of jumbalaya. I have to say this was very good jumbalaya. Probably the best and closest to my family's that I've had at a restaurant. One of the few times I've eaten it without having to douse it with hot sauce. My partner had the red beans & rice. It's not normally served with sliced bread. At least I've never eaten it like that except at some restaurants. The sauce doesn't lend itself well to being soaked up by bread, so there's no point in giving you bread with it: you just get more rice. Rolls? Cornbread? Sure. But I thought it was good. Good balance between the beans and rice and, most importantly, they used the right kind of rice. The andouille tasted good to me. So it is definitely expensive. More or less impossible to eat for under $10 per person. But you get a TON of meat with your dish. Even the chicken pasta had kinda too much meat. Other downside: the wife got sick. Woke up with some bad stomach pain. She ate nothing but what I ate except she had more of the red beans. So it could have been the sausage. Who knows though. Could have been the hot dog we had earlier. Would I walk down here again just to eat? Absolutely not. I know of a lot of other places that are way better for the same price or less. But they have a good menu with a lot of variety and a good drink list, so it's not a bad choice if you have a big group.
(3)Brian M.
AMAZING service, especially considering the horrendous service from a competing establishment across the street. Food was top-notch: I had a roast-beef po-boy (so tasty) and some popcorn shrimp with what I think was a homemade remoulade. SO good. And the price was right! Po-boys hover around $10. I'll be back to check on those huge muffalettas I saw!
(5)Stephanie B.
Umm, I really didn't like this place. I mean, New Orleans is chock-full-o' delicious food, and The Market Cafe...isn't. Stopped by here with friends a couple weeks ago because we were on that side of the French Quarter and wanted a quick place to stop in and grab a bite. The prices seemed a little steep, but hey, it's NOLA. I ordered the shrimp po'boy, which is virtually impossible to mess up, but, well...you know where this is headed. It was a big honkin' sandwich...bigger than the average po'boy, I'd say, but the bread was cold and crumbly, and definitely not to be mistaken for toasted. Your average lettuce, tomato, mayo combo was slapped on there kind of hap-hazzardly, but all of this could've been redeemed by good fried shrimp. No dice. The shrimp were cold, flavorless, and *horror of horrors* definitely NOT de-veined. Gross...me and shrimp poop just don't get along. On a side note, my friend ordered the gyro (I shied away from it as the description on the menu included an ambiguous ingredient referred to only as "gyro meat")... Not sure what kind of meat it was, but it didn't look like any gyro I'd ever eaten. Now before you think I'm just another hater, please know that I'm in New Orleans about once a month and I've tried a lot of different restaurants in the area. This place is an insult to a city nearly as famous for their food as they are their music. I'd hate to think that unwitting tourists visit here looking for an authentic New Orleans experience and leave with a bad taste in their mouths (pun totally, totally intended.) Word to the wise, if you're on Decatur Street and hungry enough to chew your own leg off, keep walking and grab something infinitely more yummy and reasonably priced at the French Market, where you also get the added bonus of incredible ambiance and lots of vendors selling pretty much everything you can imagine, from t-shirts to fresh produce to back scratchers made from alligator hands on a wooden dowel. You can thank me later.
(1)Adam M.
Pleasant. It's situated in a pretty busy area. We had a little trouble getting service at the start, so we moved to a table closer to the stage where a bunch of musicians were setting up. We were then greeted by a really really enthusiastic waiter. I only ordered half a muffaletta, assuming it'd be pretty small, but half a muffaletta was still a really big sandwich. Along with a cup of gumbo, it proved to be more than sufficient to fill me up, and considering the price ($7 for half a muffaletta), i was very pleased. To top it off, the band began to play just after our meal and they were awesome.
(4)Nichole C.
I can't vouch for the whole menu, but the crawfish boil was off the hook here. The broth is spicy as hell (A.K.A. DELICIOUS) so be careful that it doesn't hit the back of your throat when you are slurping the juice from the head. (There is no way I can make that sound non-sexual, is there? This sentence was my third try.) It also helps that The Market Cafe sits in a great location, has live music, and has a sweet patio too. The prices are decent as well. I will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans.
(5)Ida C.
Attracted by the live jazz and the fragrant spring sunshine, we made an unscheduled stop at The Market Cafe on our last day at Jazz Fest, which was dedicated to stuffing as much delicious NOLA fare as possible into our little bellies before our evening flight back to NYC In retrospect, we would have been better off skipping the stop. The staff was friendly, but the popcorn shrimp ($8.95) were sub-par compared to other eateries in the area in terms of portion size and taste. The shrimp tasted over-fried and lacked the plump juicyness that I've come to associate with New Orleans shrimp. PARTING THOUGHT: It may have been an off day for the fryer, but we'll probably stick to drinks next time...the music was quite nice!
(2)Cher M.
Nice place to rest and drink after walking thru the FQ. The Crawfish Pie menu description states that there is a 20 minute wait, perfect excuse to relax and listen to the jazz band. Friendly, attentive waitress. Enjoyed the band.
(4)Misty W.
A great little chill spot. I never had alligator before but since I was in NO I decided to give it a whirl. It tasted like chicken!! Pretty good actually. The breading was light and crisp and the sauce was flavorful and tangy. The band played classics that everybody knew which added to the relaxed atmosphere. My only complaint was the service. The waiter could have gotten us to buy a couple more beers but he never came around, in fact we had to search him out to pay the bill. We could have left without paying and he would have never known.
(4)William C.
Disgusting. Terrible food, drinks and service. Only place in NOLA I never want to see again.
(1)Piyush S.
Market café is definitely not the best of new Orleans and frankly it is quite touristy. But still, it gives the budget traveler a good bang for the buck. See, for 2 nights in new Orleans, my budget allowed for 2 good fancy meals and I prefer my fancy meal to be dinner rather than lunch. So, I have got to find something cheap but tasty for lunch and Market café seems to be that kind of a place. Live Jazz music, hot tasty gumbo, alligator sausages and people watching at 2 PM for a cheap price, Why not?
(4)Monica M.
Awesome atmosphere, right in the heart of the French quarter market area. Live music, outdoor seating and great food. Muffuletta was great, crispy bread, meat stacked high and just all around great tasting.
(4)Jason K.
Great location. Outdoor seating. Convenient. OK food. There are better places to eat in terms of quality, but market cafes location and outdoor seating make it a convenient choice when in the French market area. Combine that with some mellow live music and its an enjoyable experience.
(3)Dawn R.
The food is probably only about 3 stars, but the experience earns it an extra one. When you've spent your morning browsing through the French Market, how can you resist having a seat at the Market Cafe, having a muffaletta and an iced tea, and enjoying some live New Orleans jazz? Throw in a cup of red beans & rice, and life is good! It's a great place to people watch as well, just be careful or you'll find yourself losing track of time and you'll miss out on the rest of the city!
(4)Pam L.
Roaches, roaches and more roaches crawling on our food!!! First restaurant we stopped at on our New Orleans vacation and ran out the door!!!
(1)Claire B.
The reason to visit The Market Cafe is the location and the atmosphere. The atmosphere here is great. You can sit on the patio with fans and listen to live traditional New Orleans jazz. The drinks are reasonably strong and decently priced. The food is good, not the best in NOLA, but consistently good. Items better than average - gumbo & the Greek salad. I believe the owners are Greek, so some of the dishes are a bit different than traditional cajun fare. For instance, the gumbo had both seafood and sausage in it. My South Louisiana grandmother and other cajun chefs would NEVER mix those two items, but it worked with this gumbo. It was quite yummy.
(4)Kat L.
After a crazy night on the town with drinks, trannies, drunk servicemen, live sex shows, beads, broadway music, and bignets, of course this is the place to come! After stumbling my way through a few restaurants that had seafood in their jambalaya and the handsome one murmuring about crawfish, I found this gem. Not only do they have a NON SEAFOODY jambalaya, they serve it in ABUNDANCE. Three HUGE scoops of rice on my plate hiding a plethora of chicken, and andouille sausage. LOVED it. I ate every last morsel. Service was quick, and nice. Live band Saturday morning with really freaking awesome jazz. The food was fantastic, but the music itself would bring me back in a heartbeat.
(4)Courtney C.
I would give this 4 stars, but the service was just that bad. Once sat, we were forgotten about for almost 10min. Our server apologized, but it wasn't a great way to start our meal. We were looking for a muffaleta and didn't want to wait in line for one of the more popular place. This place is probably great during the warmer months because you can sit outside and enjoy the scenery. Our table of four ordered greek salads and 2 muffaletas to share. We had no idea we were ordering enough for 8 people. YIKES! The salad was fresh, but average. The mufaleta was ok. I enjoyed it and I don't like olives. I wouldn't' order it again, but it was worth the experience. Its a very touristy place, but does the job. Nothing special.
(3)R B.
Sunday morning breakfast, at 9:30, we walked right in and got a seat...and quickly we're greeted by a waitress. Food was very good, bacon was plentiful, thick and crispy...more than I could eat. Biscuits were good, hubby had the ham and cheese omelet, full of lots of ham and very filling. We'd definitely return...service and food were both worth a return visit!
(4)Keke K.
good: This was a nice cafe simply for the location, a great place for people watching and the live music helped bolster the environment. The food was pretty standard tourist fare. My shrimp po' boy had wonderfully crunchy French bread. The coffee was very strong and had that nice chicory New Orleans taste. Overall it was a nice place for brunch and they allowed dogs in the outdoor area of the cafe. bad: Sadly the shrimp in my po' boy was good but not cleaned properly because I noticed some hadn't been peeled well and they still had that nasty black intestinal track which I know is "optional" to remove but really grosses me out. The bathroom was very small and dirty and had a constant flow of people.
(2)James C.
Nice open atmosphere with live music. Gumbo was best in the "Taste of New Orleans" dish, as the Shrimp Creole had a bit too much Tomato. A little pricey but worth it for atmosphere. Very nice and attentive wait staff.
(4)Sitha S.
Tried this place because we were hungry and there were tables open. I was not that impressed. I had the jambalaya and my friend had the shrimp po boy. Both were more on the bland side.
(3)Annette P.
This was my second trip to NOLA, and my second trip to this restaurant. They serve a buffet, but I went with an entree off the menu. I think I got a better deal ordering an omelette although the buffet was busy and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We sat outside and enjoyed the breeze and music. Its a touristy place, but a good value overall. Not sure of the parking situation since I walked to this place on both trips.
(4)Albert K.
Well I was walking around the French Qtr and wanted to try some authentic gumbo, sadly my phone was acting up and I couldn't look up anything on yelp. This place is nice enough and the food was good enough, nothing wowed me though. You'll certainly appreciate the AC! :)
(3)Ryan B.
We did not get to the food. We were roped in to sitting down for a breakfast buffet. We asked about the buffet, assuming it may have some authentic southern dishes. Not a thing. We decided to go somewhere else, as we had previously seen some other restaurants with more interesting fare. The waiter was very rude and said we could hike down to ihop a few miles away for breakfast. Instead, we went down a block for muffalatta and some Cajun grits. Skip this place, it's a tourist trap.
(1)Khoa N.
Nice environment but I was really disappointed at how flavorless and average the gumbo, jambalaya, wings, and ribs were. The waitress rarely came to our table and this experience was pretty much the low point of my trip to nola.
(2)Anat S.
We ordered the gumbo and half a muffletah. Blah food, but the service was the worst part. Our server never checked on us, gave me chicken nuggets instead of the muffletah, and overall was inattentive. Skip this place, unless you're starving to death, or during the day. It seems like a decent place to get a drink and listen to live music, but eat elsewhere.
(2)Ryan C.
Their Bloody Mary's are tastier than their food, the appetizers got to our table in a speedy 45 minutes, and our pitcher of water had 4 or 5 more flies in it than I'd generally allow. Waitress even comped the tip after ignoring our table. Hooray...!?
(1)Free L.
The music was the best part of the meal - very talented singers and musicians. The cat fish on the po' boy was thick - batter needed more seasoning. With a little salt and mayo it was a tasty, large sandwhich. I've already wanted to go back. Po' boys are better at Camellias, you come here for the music.
(3)Neal M.
Upon leaving the city day before yesterday my roommate and I decided to grab lunch and this was the place closest to us and that was chosen. I knew better than to eat in the French Market but whatever. $10 for a po-boy and fries isn't bad but our server recommended the gumbo so that's what I had. $10 for shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo in a town that has it readily available should've been the first indication this was a tourist trap. The bowl was barely more than a cup and it was a light roux in color and depth. It didn't taste bad but it didn't really have much flavor. My roommate had a muffalotta and she said it was "OK" but it didn't look very good. Live and learn i guess.
(2)Joseph F.
Went to grab a quick bite right after the 4th of July fireworks ended. Was seated immediately and ordered Muffaletta and crawfish hush puppies. Everything tasted incredible, was reasonably priced, and our server Shanna was a joy. Loved it.
(4)Mary C.
i passed by this place several times during my visit and i thought it looked nice. i was convinced to try it. its my last day and abt an hr before i have to start leaving for my flight and this place disappoints me bad. not only do i think our waitress forgot to put in our order but i ordered the n`awlins breakfast and asked for hashbrowns with it... totally didnt have it and didnt bother to tell me and just served it with grits without letting me know first. and my friend ordered the eggs Creole and its suppose to come with biscuits but they put toast in it and once again didnt mention anything to us abt it either. the food took 30 mins to come, there were ppl that came in after us that are almost done eating... this place is the worst place from all the places we've been to on our visit.
(1)Eric O.
Walked down from bourbon st. Looking for a place for a quick bite that didn't have that permeating party street odor. Ordered the gumbo. It was long on roux and short on shrimp, sausage and crab but not terrible. Walked past kitchen side on way out and noticed a delivery being carried in including Zatarain's gumbo mix which was a disappointment. Band was nice but I could have done better gumbo wise with some Yelp research.
(2)Sisca S.
We wanted some crawfish boil and this place won us over. The place across the street had a huuuuge platter of crawfish, but we only wanted a little bit so luckily, this place had one pound for 9.95. They were finger lickin' good! It was actually my first time diggin' into those lil' mudbugs. We also ordered deep fried alligator, too. I've never had that before either and it's a pretty dense meat...tasted like chicken. :) I got a daquiri and my husband got an Abita beer. You definitely have to drink their local beer during your stay in NO. They have servers trying to entice patrons at the entrances w/ menus in hand so that they seat you and take your order right away. I really enjoyed the band they had there. That was one of the biggest reasons why we chose this place. They took requests so that was nice...I had to put it at least one and tipped them well for playing my song. I kinda didn't like that they walked around the dining area with the tip bucket soliciting tips. I think that they should've just chilled in their seats and had people come up themselves. But whatever, they're trying to earn a living so good for them. They're really good. Overall, it's nicely located and the music was great. The service was only so-so, but for the first mudbugs & gator experience, it was pretty cool...
(3)M P.
Fun outdoorsy place right next to the French Market! Live music and a busy place to eat and people watch! We ordered the Gulf Shrimp and then the Taste of New Orleans was great! Gave us a great combo of lots of things we wanted to try! Our waiter was super great, he knew a lot and told us his favorites to try!
(3)Dena F.
This was our last meal before catching the plane back to Bid D. The only thing I'd not tried was a great roast beef sandwich. Okay...I'm sure there's plenty of seafood I could have had but that's what I wanted. And there was Market Cafe. You can't miss it. It's right THERE all the time with music playing and people standing around. So we went inside and grabbed a couple of sandwiches. We also had some gumbo and frozen drinks. It was a good meal. I think all food in NOLA is a little above par in comparrison with the rest of the US (except maybe for Dallas). And while Market Cafe was good it was not great. Almost every meal I'd had in the French Quarter had been pretty great...even the pizza. The gumbo was pretty tasty. We'd gotten ahold of some sort of soup a place was passing off as gumbo a few days before, so that was a plus. Service was quick. I'd go there again if I was in a hurry.
(3)Scott S.
On a recent mission with friends to find them some tasty fried gator last minute before their shuttle left to the airport, after wandering around looking at posted menus all over the Quarter, we finally found this place. I had no idea it would be so difficult to find some gator, any gator, without mobile access to Yelp... I totally need an iPhone! (Or even an implant that allows direct Yelp to brain access... get on that Jobs!) Anyhow, it was a beautiful sunny day in the Quarter. We got to sit at a table outside and listen to their jazz band play while we ate, drank, and were generally merry. The gator bites were delicious and I preferred both them and the popcorn shrimp to the beans and rice I'd ordered. I will return here on multiple occasions I'm sure. Great location right in the French Market, combined with live music and tasty food, equals a good time. Just don't be in a hurry to catch a shuttle to the airport, you may really start to stress out when it comes time to pay the bill and race back to the hotel in a flurry of flip-flops and tourist weaving...
(4)Rodeo G.
4 stars for the atmosphere for late breakfast. Live background jazz, and people watch while your bruh's dive in to massive portions. I had "Seafood Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffe, Red Beans & Rice, Sausage Jambalaya" sample plate, which was decent, not the best, but the muffaleta is the real deal..
(4)Gus S.
Went twice and was twice bitten by the long waits in both getting service, and in getting the (very average) food. Others have recommended the muffalettas, and I agree that they're good. But I dont think they're either worth the wait if you're hungry (or in a hurry) or the price. I would only recommend this place if you're not in a hurry, and would like to enjoy some fine live music outdoors.
(2)Olivia R.
Overpriced food with average service. Walk a little further to the french market where you can get better food for much cheaper.
(2)Lori D.
Love this place... The music , food , location and delightful staff provide the quintessential New Orleans experience!! I recommend it highly... And I'm a local!!
(5)Nate Z.
Tourists beware. This is an abomination of creole and all that's holy about this venerated cuisine. I ordered red beans and rice, not because I was a tourist but because I celebrate this dish all over the country. I'll describe: The dish was served in a large, round, white bowl with nothing but a cracker pack and a spoon. Firstly, a slice of bread is traditional, and for $12, come on! Then, I see the tablespoon sized scoop of rice drowning in this shallow, liquidy, mote-like pool of murky bean broth, interlaced with thin, grainy slices of sausage. I would imagine as well this entire system fitting in a large coffee mug. So, if you're hungry, there's another problem. Then the taste...watery, spiceless and mushy. I realize there are at least a hundred variations on this recipe, but I've never had one so underwhelming. In review, I am only Yelping about the red beans and rice. I didn't experience the whole menu, but looking around, I imagine most other dishes to be similar. Sitting outside was fine enough, and the service was at least there. Overall you get the sense this joint knows it's got a great location and that locals wouldn't patronize anyway. The good news is that I didn't get sick and for what it's worth I lived to Yelp another day. Caveat emptor and happy Yelping!
(2)Mike G.
After a long night of Drinking, my friend and I woke up with one thing in mind. Breakfast (and aspirin) but Breakfast being first on the list. The hotel breakfast was good if you were just looking for a quick bite, but neither him nor I could remember eating Dinner, and we were starved. So we wanted Breakfast. Being in New Orleans, our intentions were to hit up Café Du Monde, get some beignets and then wonder around and find something else random to eat. But we made the mistake of being in town the same time about 20 church youth groups were. So, needless to say, the line coming out of Café Du Monde was something to gaze at in amazement. So, we stumbled up a bit further and ran into The Market Café, lured by a hostess saying "Looks like you two need Breakfast". I won't say it was the most incredible breakfast I've ever had, but it was tasty. Buffet style, which was perfect for us, and we had a pretty good range of options, pancakes being the favorite to choose from, but the potatoes and bacon were well made and fresh from the kitchen in the back. So all very tasty. Fresh fruit was also available, nice way to finish a heavy breakfast. The food was good, a nice place to stop, and the atmosphere was pleasant. Jazz music playing in the background, nice big windows, and a helpful staff. The Milk didn't taste to fresh, so I switched to water, but that was my only complaint. Wouldn't mind a return visit for Breakfast the next time I'm in the area.
(4)Pashley C.
Only bought coffee and desert as an excuse to listen to the outdoor live music - really pleasant 30 minutes.
(4)Brian D.
Excellent food. Red Beans and rice is to die for. Excellent Jambalaya and Étouffée. Pretty good Gumbo. Very good Muffaletta sandwich...
(4)Xavier M.
Had a beer listening to a really good jazz band at 11am on a sunny friday morning. Can't rate the food since I had none
(3)Eb D.
I like everything about this place: the live jazz band always playing, the open-air dining (or enclosed seating if weather dictates), the people-watching, AND the food and servers. On this 4 day stay, I tried the Muffaletta (delicious served warm), 2 different po-boys, crawfish, and (I love) the breakfast buffet, among others. Everything I had here was delicious, and the servers were always nearby, smiling and engaging, doing all possible to make your visit special. I'd name names but I don't have the names of all who served my son & I, so it would be unfair to only name a few. All the servers deserve accolades for being so friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet is super, for $9.95 (currently): fresh scrambled eggs, thick sliced bacon, sausage links, potatoes diced/chunked, grits, biscuits and gravy, silver dollar pancakes, and watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon; all you can eat, served from about 8:00 AM to after noon sometime. I think I had breakfast at the buffet 3 out of the 4 days we were in N.O. These two from DE and MD loved it all, and the devoted service we received. Thank you to all who made our day, everyday, and put smiles on our faces, at The Market Café! Looking forward to seeing you next year!
(5)Ryan T.
It's been a while since I've been there last, but every time I'm in New Orleans I like to stop at the Market Cafe and have some crawfish or a drink while resting my feet and listening to good live music.
(4)Somchai S.
Stop here after wandering the French Quarter. For my first meal in the city I had the jambalaya. It was a little spicy and dry. But overall ok. The great thing abou this place is that it has live music and you can sit outside. With that came pidgeon who were at our foot trying to pick up scraps! Ahhhh
(3)Daniela C.
Love it :) and great drinks here but no smoking inside at the bar. Music is good too
(3)Russ D.
Had a great time here! Live music was terrific. Had a fantastic Muffuletta and discovered a cocktail called a Southern Fly.
(4)Neil S.
The music drew us in and was the best part of the meal. We sent the silverware back twice because it was dirty. Our waitress was pleasant and accommodated our requests for baked potato substitution, but the potatoes were hard. The veggies were ok but needed something. Our red fish main dishes were fair. I know that is an outdoor venue but there are spiders galore. In fact as I write this waiting for my check my wife knocked one off of my leg. I advise going elsewhere.
(1)Megan C.
3.5 stars This place earns five stars for location, but only three stars for service and food quality. It's located right in the french quarter-super close to the french quarter market, the riverwalk, and cafe du monde. Also, they've got excellent live music which I thoroughly enjoyed during the Saturday lunch that I visited. They've also got an excellent patio-where better to enjoy beautiful weather and Louisiana atmosphere/New Orleans people watching at its best? Now for the food-they've got all of the staples, Po' Boy sandwiches, gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya are all on the menu. Honestly, the gumbo was good but a little too salty and the catfish po boy was a bit on the dry side. Also, they charge for soda refills which is a bit of a bummer.
(3)John W.
Had to get the crawfish etouffee, and was not disappointed. My wife got the fried seafood platter which I got to help here out with eating and we still didn't get through everything. The did have a band playing, and the band was good, but when you are trying to talk about the days events with others at your table it doesn't help having the band right behind you. If that's your thing, then you'll like it here. If you need someplace a little more conductive to conversation, ask to be seated well away from the band or head someplace else.
(4)Melanie P.
Went here for some overpriced tiny crawfish ($9.99 a pound) but that was expected considering the location. There was a decent jazz cover band playing and we were looking to cool off on a hot afternoon. Our waitress disappeared after bringing our water and after a very long wait we had to find someone else to help us. Our order was taken, arrived in a decent amount of time and then had another super long wait to pay. The waitstaff seemed confused as to whose table we were and we never saw our original waitress again. Weird. I don't think I'll be coming back here.
(1)Rebecca T.
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(2)Che P.
Great location for lunch before shopping at The French Market. The only thing about this place is that it's a bit pricey for the quality of food. Only ordered a cup of Gumbo since I wasn't that hungry but I got to sample a few of my friends' dishes. The Crawfish Etouffé was tasty, the Gumbo was spicy, and the Jambalaya was flavorful. Didn't bother trying their Fried Seafood as it is almost always the same everywhere else. Service was decent and there was a live band outside on the patio where you can enjoy the music and the nice weather.
(3)Aud C.
Horrible service if you get the waitress Melissa! Ordered fried alligator, she brought alligator sausage. Argued with us that we were lying. We ate it and left after that. The one sausage it comes with didn't seem cooked all of the way, and is so NOT worth $10.
(1)Sara K.
We had planned to do the tourist thing and go to Cafe Du Monde, but the line was ridiculous, so we decided to check out this place instead. It has a lot of seating but had no wait. They had a live jazz band playing, which was so nice and cool! There weren't a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, but fortunately they had a breakfast buffet, which I got. Everything was so fresh: pancakes, scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits, and seriously the best potatoes I've ever had. I don't know how they make them but they were delicious. My partner absolutely loved his shrimp po' boy as well. Considering the location it was a good value. The buffet was $10 and the sandwiches were a little more than that. In addition, our server was so nice and helpful. I would definitely come back.
(4)Cindy C.
I ordered my first ever Muffaleta and it was really good! It was a little salty for my taste but only because it had ham. Even though I didn't like olives, the olive salad spread on the bread balanced it out. It was really busy; therefore, service was slowwwww. What I did love about this place was the jazz band that played outside in the patio. It was perfect especially with the beautiful weather.
(4)Lauren C.
Very disappointed here. I ordered a salad and it was entirely iceberg lettuce...my fiance ordered the hamburger poboy and was so sick afterward....never again.
(2)Nicole F.
A decent place to eat and listen to live jazz. I had the muffleta and my husband the sampler of cajun cuisine. I think we were both bigger fans of the sandwich. Be warned the 1/2 muffleta is big enough to feed two people.
(3)Shawn J.
We walked all the way to Cafe Du Monde for the experience only to find it closed due to equipment failure. : ( So, we went across the street to The Market Cafe. We should have just waited for the equipment to be fixed at CDM. That just about sums it up. Don't eat breakfast here.
(2)Liz R.
The Market Cafe had the best banana daiquiri of my New Orleans experience. It had fresh mashed up bananas. I could have had 100 of them. I was getting a little intoxicated so I ordered some crawfish and fries. The crawfish were so fresh. Service is a touch slow but I didn't mind. As long as I had one of those daiquiris I was good. Go here, grab a drink on the patio, and listen to the jazz band.
(4)Erik A.
Nothing could have made our experience here better--prompt and friendly service, great, classic jazz--including some sung by a dapper passerby, by the looks of him, about 80 or so, who joined the band for a few songs. Remarkable. Great pecan pie and espresso drinks. A stellar place to sit in the shade outdoors and enjoy the music; one of the best stops of my trip.
(5)Roy H.
Four of us had a lunch here on a Sunday. Fully understanding that it is New Orleans and there are a lot of tourists, I have to say the service was very disappointing. The waitress was not friendly at all and our food came out of the kitchen at different times. The couple with us got their food, I got mine after another five minutes and it was another 15 minutes before my wife's came out. All she ordered was a chicken wings and pork ribs appetizer. Most of the party thought the food was OK. I had the Muffaleta, which was very good. Probably wouldn't come back.
(2)Jace D.
I had a bunch of fried stuff, so I made out ok on the food. The beers were great! Dark Ale pints in a plastic cup for $4! That screams NO to me. Wasted away a few hours on the patio listening to the for tip only band that ROCKED and was not obnoxious about working diners over for tips. All in all a great experience with no more weirdness than any other trip to the quarter. Some of the reviewers below seem to have hoity toity expectations that could never be reallized in this venue, or parhaps anywhere in the french quarter.
(4)David H.
This non-descript market cafe definitely was a UPOD (Under Promise, and Over Delivered) for me... Muffaletta was a bit salty, but very tasty. Gumbo beats most of the New Orleans restaurants I've been to (especially Emeril). Its fragrant, and actually has the BAM factor. You can see shrimp, crab in this yummy soup.
(4)Adam D.
Slow service; blah food. Too many other places in town to waste a meal here!
(1)Jesseca T.
Two favorite things here: - outdoor seating with live music, all day - the super secret crawfish pie, which is a large ramekin filled with roux, crawfish, delicious peppers, onions and some buttery something, covered with a pastry top and baked- it takes a little bit so order a Greek salad in the meantime- two can share this, it's very rich- but it's worth it, like nothing I've ever had before- yum - The owners are Greek: when my husband gave his credit card they saw his last name and came out- I guess that's a Greek thing? It happens all of the time...Anyway, the pie was to DIE for, check it out !!
(5)Kash D.
Service was good and there is outdoor searing and live music the Food okay. Had the Gyro and a Bloody Mary. The meat was rather overlooked and dry. If you have to eat you will get the expected quality from a tourist trap.
(2)Annie R.
My crawfish pie was lovely and the live music a blast. A Little pricey though and our waiter seemd super eager to turn the table. I would go back though
(3)Chris K.
Great breakfast for cheap. 3.99 for 3 bacon, a biscuit, 2 eggs, and some grits. Pretty good service too. Great location
(4)Jim M.
Friday lunchtime...slow, surly service eventually delivered the worst ribs I have ever tasted. I wouldn't eat here again even if paid to do so.
(1)Shannon F.
So we're walking around the French Market trying to meet up with some friends before heading to the 2008 Sugar Bowl...can't find 'em but we're so f*cking hungry... "Let's just eat here..." My buddy tells me, sounding like we just caved in and settled for some Doritos & a Coke. The only seats available at lunch on New Year's Day are at the bar. Being that we plan on getting drunk, that's not a problem. The bartender was a crack up...either he was funny or the Double JD & Cokes he made me were pretty stiff... Okay, for starters, we get the Gator bites. Battered & fried chunks of Alligator tail...MMM, pretty good, considering that I've never eaten alligator before. Does it taste like chicken? A little. The consistency is definitely like chicken, tastes like a cross between chicken & fish. Either way, it's good! A couple dasshes of Crystal hot sauce & cocktail sauce...can't go wrong! Next, I get the "Taste of New Orleans", which includes a bowl each of, Seafood Gumbo, Red Beans & Rice, Crawfish Etouffe & Sausage Jambalaya. Every dish was delicious, to say the least. This was the third time in 2 days I had to turn to my friend and ask "Is it me or does this whole f*cking city know how to cook?" He ordered the "Seafood Combo Platter" which consisted of 2 Fried Catfish filets, Flash fried oysters & fried gulf shrimp. I had a taste of each of those and needless to say, pretty damn good... Now, we're full as hell but it wouldn't be right to just leave without dessert. So we ordered the Bread Pudding w/rum sauce and the Pecan pie. The bread pudding was to die for. I thought the Pecan Pie was delicious too but my friend said he's had better from some southern kitchen in Hayward. I know, WTF? Either way, I thought it was good and this is my review so to hell with him and his Pecan Pie from Hayward. So all in all, our second day in NOLA was starting out to be a good one. In the culinary department at least...
(5)Alexandra P.
Service was a bit slow, Our waiter later apologized he forgot he sat us done! Uh- thanks?! But we went ahead and put our drinks and food order in quickly as we were starving!!! 2 Muffelata's please.. gosh someone should have warned us How Big they were! Probably only needed 1 for the four of us! They were very yummy but nothing spectacular, but $14 for this huge sand-which was a deal! ate 1/4 there than had the other 1/4 after a night of drinking to soak up some of that alcohol. This place isn't bad at all but i must admit it is a touristy place!
(3)Jayde K.
It was on the way to the french market. I stopped by to grab something really quick. I had gumbo and it was ok.
(3)Christopher N.
I would like to say that my crawfish étouffée is the best, but I had the crawfish étouffée at The Café Market in New Orléans at the French Market, which resides in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre - Old Square) and it was really good. Louisiana is home to the best Créole cusine in the world, and I'm a tough critic because I'm culturally Créole! On a side note...their Shrimp Créole is good as well! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
(3)Mandy M.
The service was friendly and attentive. The food was a solid 3.5. The music was fabulous. I had the shrimp creole and the gumbo soup. If they are authentic, they both require a "stomach", and here they were a good try but not strong and stewy enough. The location is also fantastic. Don't make it your choice if it's the only place you can go to, but for a good bite with a nice ambiance, it's a sure thing.
(4)Jessica P.
The live music was lovely. The service was friendly. The food was pretty awful. I had a gumbo that wasn't all that good to begin with and probably inspired the term "Louisiana Butt Burner," because I was sick as a dog later on. Sorry for the TMI, but it was not fun getting food poisoning.
(2)Henry M.
The food here is actually pretty decent. When you go definitely go with the louisana combo, to try everything.
(4)Elle S.
um we went her for breakfast, its a cheap stuffy, restaurant. There was something really disgusting in my water, I alsmost threw up right at the table. The food is cheap , the staff was extremely annoying. I would NEVER NEVER NEVER go here again.
(1)Roselle E.
Last night to grub in NoLa. Our friends are locals and they decided to take us here. Great choice! I had an entree called Taste of New Orleans and it had jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp creole, and red beans & rice. I totally enjoyed my food. We also had the fried oysters, crawfish, and shrimp remoulade for our appetizer and that was good too. The best dish of all though was the Bayou Chicken. It was chicken breast stuffed with crawfish and andouille sausage on top of linguini alfredo. That was really deeeelicious. Too bad I only got to taste it. Service was at par, the place could use more light and decor but overall it was good eats.
(4)Abbi F.
YUM is all I can say about the crawfish pie and the muffaletta. And it's always fun to eat outside & have some live jazz with your sunday brunch. At times tough to hunt down the wait-staff though.
(5)Sue L.
A huge thanks to the New Orleans local sitting at the table next to us who taught us how to properly eat a crawfish. You see, my friend and I, were struggling with the huge plate of them "mudbugs". I was biting into the shell trying to crack it open. The local must have felt pity on us...either that or she could not stand crawfish juice being splashed into her face everytime I haphazardly bit into one. For just $10...the market cafe offers a huge plate of boiled crawfish...a must try!!!
(3)Dot V.
We had lunch here and we enjoyed it. My husband and I both had 1/2 Muffaletta. they were huge and really good. we should probably have split a half but we ate most of it. The band plays outside and it is a very good people watching spot. It is also very close to the French Market.
(3)Samantha S.
The red beans and rice with sausage was pretty good - I would recommend it. The best part was probably eating outside while listening to a live jazz band - obviously a great NOLA experience.
(3)Andy B.
Food Road Trip: New Orleans, LA Day 10 Exploring the French Quarter, looking for places to eat since we did not prepare in advance which places we should try. We actually didn't think we would be going to New Orleans because of the hurricane so I was texting my gf to ask her friend who use to live near New Orleans for some recommendations. One of the ones he recommended was Cafe Du Monde, so we remember seeing that and headed over there. Being the newbies that we were, we did not know that all they serve were beingnets and drinks. By this time, we are starving, so we head towards Market Cafe and was solicited by one of the employees to try them out. She hands all of us a menu and we sit down since we really needed to eat. What drew us initially to this place, other than being hungry was the live band playing. That was a nice touch. The waitress was very friendly and the food came out pretty fast, which was a big plus at the time. I had an oyster poor boy and I was not disappointed. The sandwich is pretty simple, some crusty toasted french bread lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo and the fried oysters but it was oh so good. Side note: I finally realized while I was eating this that the South has perfected the art of deep frying. Everything fried thing we ordered from Richmond to New Orleans so far has been really good. Since we like to share, I also got to taste Market Cafe's jambalaya, gumbo, red beans & rice and crawfish etouffee. The jambalaya was better than Mothers and the etouffee was on the same level but it was cheaper. Those 4 items cost about $16 and the portion was the same. I had a good time eating there since the band was playing throughout our lunch. Friendly service, jazz music, good food, and decent prices: I'm not a greedy guy so I couldn't think of a better place to spend for lunch.
(4)Erin B.
We rolled in here just before closing, hoping to get our hands on some crawdads and left completely satisfied! We loved the relaxed, open air patio, though we were too late to catch the live music. Our server was attentive, helpful, and totally welcoming despite the fact that we were the only customers in the place for most of our visit. This was a first crawdad experience for both of us, so we have no basis of comparison, but we loved them. Cooked in a spicy, almost jerk-style sauce and served alongside a big ol' go cup of Abita amber, this was exactly what we were looking for.
(4)brewgirl b.
Decent muffaletta sandwich. Not the most inspiring interior, but the service was okay and we got our food and beer quickly. Portions are HUGE.
(3)Amanda R.
We went to the Market Cafe on recommendation of a local. Good choice! Most of the seating is outdoors, which was really nice, getting to sit outside, eat good food, watch people go by, and listen to their live jazz band. We ordered a combo with fried shrimp, fried catfish, and fried gator, and a side of jambalaya. The catfish and gator were really tasty, the shrimp and jambalaya were decent, but not as good as the other items. The people at the table next to us ordered po' boys and said they were fantastic. They also have a full bar, though we didnt partake.
(4)John C.
the quality of this place seems to have gone down since my last visit. i brought my group to Market Cafe thinking that it would be another wonderful introduction to New Orleans cuisine for my NOLA neophytes. it turned out that i would be wrong this time. i tried a bit of everyone's plate, and almost everything was way too salty. i ordered a Muffaleta and the bread was either stale or overtoasted. whichever it was, i felt like it was tearing up the roof of my mouth. needless to say, our experience this time around left us feeling a bit ripped off, and for those in our group otherwise inexperienced with New Orleans food, let's say they were not quite looking forward to whatever would've been next, if it was going to be anything similar. our server was a nice enough guy, but he didn't know that he dropped a $100 bill from the cash that i handed him and he ran outside to chase after me because he thought i shorted him. when i walked back inside with him to clear things up, i found it on the floor next to the bar. come on guy.
(2)Linnea B.
We had to try a real New Orleans Po Boy sandwich before we left. What better place than The Market Café in the French Market? Sitting outside on a beautiful February afternoon watching people and listening to a great jazz quartet while we ate was just perfect. We tried a fried shrimp Po Boy and a fried oyster Po Boy washed down with a beer. Both sandwiches were good, the oyster more flavorful, eating half of each was a perfect combo. The bread was really fresh and just the perfect texture. We were even in the mood to enjoy our ditzy waitress...who was still in slow motion from too much partying the night before and kept forgetting what she was doing.
(4)Paul B.
I'd call this a tourist trap. The food is expensive, and the jambalaya? Not spicy, not flavorful. The beer is expensive. The bread pudding? I've had way better in California. Everything I ordered was made for a timid palette. Either that, or the waitress misjudged me. Either way, not good. Yes, the outdoor seating is nice, and it's nice to have a live band playing, but that doesn't make up for what this place is.
(3)Kb R.
Really wonderful oysters. The crabcakes were also a winner. Service was excellent. Maybe overlooked because of other well known spots but we really enjoyed it.
(4)Jasson S.
The food was good but not great... the alligator and redfish were decent, but the vegetables were severely over cooked. However the Jazz band playing gave the patio a great laid back feel and that definitely added extra points. :)
(4)Kyle T.
As in most places in New Orleans, service was bad. Waitress was slow and asked for us to pay her so she could go take a smoke break. Drinks were weak. Band solicited tips walking around from table to table. Waste of time and money.
(1)Rainey S.
Melissa A has it right! These guys have the BEST muffaletta in town. I tried Central and it was fine...but this one had big chunks of cauliflower in the salad and oh man was it good. I was in Nawlins for 4 days and I think I ate at least 2 sammiches (that means 4 meals!). Right on the point where the street splits...never gets a mention but ohmigod is it good. I still fantasize about these and I went in like 2002!!! I do need to get back to the Big Easy...grab a muffaletta from The Market Cafe and head to the banks of the river. Relaxing, beautiful and yummy...is life any better?
(5)Chris B.
Stopped in for a quick meal and was pleasantly surprised. Not the best stuff in NOLA and a little overpriced but if your near by and starving it will satisfy. Beware of slow service.
(3)Vic L.
Loved this place, we had the fried alligator. The wait staff was outstanding and it was the highlight of our stay.
(5)Joni J.
The Muffaletta sandwich was great! The gumbo was good too. Add in the great music and it makes it 5 stars!
(5)Rick P.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars... Woke up late on the last day in N.O. and wanted to try this nice outdoor seating cafe with a live band playing I think throughout most of the day. Anytime I'm dining outside in near perfect weather it's a good day! Upon deciding what to have for lunch I asked the waiter and he suggested having the muffaleta (a foccacia bread sandwich covered with a marinated olive salad, then layers of capicola, salami, mortadella, emmentaler, and provolone and heated up to give the bread a slight crunch and melt the provolone). I ordered a half sandwich as suggested by the waiter and it was plenty of sandwich! This is a really good sandwich! Definitely recommend trying a muffaleta while you're in New Orleans. I ordered a bloody mary to settle my "Hurricane" headache but probably should have gone with a screwdriver instead...BM here isn't very good. This place should be on your list to check out for a nice leisure lunch with outdoor seating and good live music and definitely order the muffaleta!
(4)Steven F.
Cheap, great breakfast buffet. Good food and coffee. In the heart of the French Quarter (right next to the Joan of Arc statue).
(5)Angela Z.
The music was great. The food was ok. I had a debris sandwich but it was a tad bit salty. We had the alligator and it was good. My husband had a Po'boy. It was good but not amazing.
(3)Saman S.
Authentic New Orleans dishes, great service, great recipes and high-quality ingredients!
(4)tony c.
sitting outside was nice and having the band there was also pretty cool, but something about the ambiance didnt feel right. it felt sort of kitschy and touristy. if you dont mind all of that, it's not a bad place. the food is pretty darn decent. the drinks were only so-so.. if you like sweet frou frou drinks there are plenty, but they're not very strong. if you definitely want to have a drink drink with your meal, go with the coffee. it's actually pretty tasty and has a little kick to it. give it a shot if you've got nothing better on your list.
(2)Perla T.
If I could give this place zero stars, I would. We ordered the blackened chicken salad with field greens tossed in a vinaigrette dressing. We expected to get a light and crisp salad with a nice pile of warm grilled chicken on top. What we got was a bowl of iceberg lettuce, pale cold chicken, tomato slices thrown in, huge uneven chunks of green peppers and blue cheese dressing in plastic cups. We asked our waiter if this was the chicken salad and he ignored us and walked away. When we asked him about the vinaigrette dressing, he again walked away, without saying anything and then brought is a generic plastic glass with dressing. He never apologized or tried to correct our order. We didn't send the order back because we were so hungry, so we ate it. He must have really noticed our dissatisfaction with the salad because he brought us a complimentary dessert saying that there was a "new guy" at the kitchen who messed up our order. We didn't believe him and we didn't eat the crusty looking bread pudding he brought us. Basically, learn from our mistake and don't come here. There are SO MANY other great places to try in the area. This place is not worth it. And it was expensive too. The only good thing about this place was the live band playing. They get five stars.
(1)P R.
We like eating here when we are in New Orleans. My son likes the outdoor seating, casual atmosphere and enjoys the gumbo étouffée trio with red beans and rice. Not the best place to eat in NOLA but always fun and dependable. We also enjoy the weekend breakfast buffet.
(4)D J.
Yum, get the taste of new orleans
(4)Tonitini C.
it's okay to try this place...nothing special but for the fact that it is facing the streets of the french quarter. the food is not that great. it's ok...but it's the french quarter--which makes it OKAY.
(3)Singha F.
My friend and I split a half order of the muffaletta. We tried to go to Central Grocery first, but it was closed. So I don't know how the muffaletta here compares to that of the famous Central Grocery, but I thought Market Cafe's was delicious. The sandwich was slighted toasted so the cheese melted and the bread was slightly crunchy on the outside. Nice outdoor seating with a cool blues band playing. This is a good place to relax, listen to some good music, and eat some good food.
(4)Katie P.
We ended up here after initially trying for the legendary Beignets at Cafe Du Monde... yah, no way. That line wasn't moving and stretched down the block. Also, the need for breakfast was becoming a more and more urgent need as the minutes passed. We stumbled down the block and came across The Market Cafe. My traveling buddy and I are both kind of picky so when we got there and discovered that we could sit outside, listen to live music, and they had a breakfast buffet we were sold! It did everything we needed it to. The scrambled eggs were perfect and the bacon was delicious! I don't think that waiting in that Cafe Du Monde line for a couple of Beignets would have made me happy in the long run but The Market Cafe did! Also, big props to our waitress who was ten times more awesome then she needed to be for a breakfast buffet. I honestly felt like she was really "in-it to win-it" insofar as getting my day started right!
(4)Chris S.
I had dinner with a few people here one night to mixed reviews. To be fair, the food that was considered less than exceptional was appetizers, which were most likely frozen and pre-packed. I had the crawfish etouffee and it was great. The rest of the food seemed to go over pretty well. Prices were on par and appropriate for the quality I enjoyed. I'd go back again without a doubt.
(4)Katherine B.
After planning to go the The Market Cafe one night while in New Orleans, I never even got to try the menu. The service was so awful that we walked out (I have never done this before). We were shown to our table and that was it. The place was not crowded at all. The wait staff were going around in what looked like circles but no one ever acknowledged us at our table. I could not even get anyone's attention. Afte 15 minutes we left.
(1)Josh R.
Good food at 11:30. We opted for lunch, gator bites as an app.and we both had the crawfish pie. It was a delicious flaky crust with crawfish ettoufee underneath. No skimping on the crawfish either. I gotta say though, the majority of the people around us ordered breakfast (at 11:30?!?) and we were really envious. The biscuits looked huge and the pancakes fluffly/delicious. We're going to try them another morning for breakfast, but lunch wasn't bad, probably one of the 2nd best meals we've had so far in NOLA.
(3)G. J.
Popped in to escape the suffocating heat and have a mid-afternoon espresso. We stayed by the bar and chatted to the eccentric but charming barista -- who makes a mean espresso, by the by. There was a live band playing on the outside terrace (though it's partly covered and has a fair amount of shade, which I'm sure is appreciated if you choose to sit out there), but it was perfectly audible from inside and we had a lovely -- albeit unremarkable -- experience. My only complaint: it's very, very overpriced... seven dollars for two espressos!
(3)Cookie C.
Low marks for food. I had a combo po-boy - shrimp and oyster. Their menu says they are overstuffed. The only 'over' is the bread to filling ratio. The crusty French roll was ok - almost too crusty to bite through, and the amount of insides was disappointing. There wasn't enough mayo, so it was basically a crunchy, dry sandwich. Just not that great - especially for 12 bucks. It took too long for me to be noticed by the wait staff, and quite a while for the sandwich to come out. I really enjoyed sitting under the canopy outdoors; I did not enjoy the food.
(2)Steven R.
The catfish poyboy was really good. The reason I gave 4 stars is because of the price- they are about $16. It was fine, because I split it with my friend, but that's just way to much for some fish on a bun. Service was good and there's a nice deck, as well as an air conditioner indoors areas. Solid drinks too.
(4)AC G.
This place is a tourist trap, and they really don't care if you go back again. We went for lunch August 1, 2015, and it was a mess. We were seated outside, and the place was so disorganized that a server asked us if we were seated by a hostess or just found an open table ourselves. If the servers don't know you've been seated, it is not a good sign! The food was ok but took a very long time to come out. Half of our table was finished by the time the other half was served. To top off the bad experience, they charged $1 for each soda refill. I had a ginger ale in a plastic cup filled to the brim with ice. It was gone in two gulps, and I couldn't believe I was charged for a refill....rip off city! The server didn't warn me about the refill charges either, so it was kind of a shock when the bill arrived. Will NOT go again, but they don't work for return business anyway.
(1)Eric J.
Crawfish Étouffée is very good. It is touristy but the band was great and delicious food. On the pricier side though.
(4)Mark T.
Great breakfast buffet. Wife said they really know how to make grits! Breakfast potatoes were killer. Frindly waiter but not over the top.
(5)Eleanor R.
Key lime is amazing!! :) made by Martino, he is such a fun guy and embodies the spirit of New Orleans so well! This is coming from a resident :)
(5)Candace H.
Had a great experience at The Market Cafe. I love almost any place that has outside seating and live music. The Market Cafe did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the mufulleta. I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about the sandwich since I left NOLA. The service was attentive and the drinks were delicious. I'll definitely be returning to The Market Cafe next time I'm in NOLA.
(4)Monie H.
4 stars due to the Great service and good, reasonably priced breakfast buffet. Buffet is only $10. The food on it was fresh and hot. The biscuits are delicious - light & buttery. The fruit was sweet. Service is excellent and friendly. I would eat there again.
(4)vaduz u.
Ok... so. Typically my reviews are based on the food and drink of an establishment. Also, typically, I don't go to tourist trap establishments - especially in my former home of New Orleans. This particular experience, however, calls upon my civic duty to share my experience imposed upon me by the service. Both the positive and the negative. All I wanted was an iced coffee. It was late morning, and my guy and I had been walking off what was an unanticipated night before of a lively meet up with friends and family. We stopped at The Market Cafe, as there was no intense line and I needed something besides 'walking it off' to fix this thing... and I was in no condition to eat, yet. We were directed to the bar where a lanky middle-aged woman with dark, pigtail braids assisted us. I eventually gave my money to my guy for the two coffees, and went outside. (Like I said, I was in no condition to be around food just yet.) I stood outside watching three NOPDs try to assist a gutter punk who appeared to be having an epileptic seizure by the Joan of Arc statue, while the transaction was completed. My guy soon joined me, and we walked to a shady spot where we could add our disappointing mini-H&Hs to our iced coffees. While doing so, he asked "Ummm... did you give me a $10 or a $20?" 'A $20... why?' I replied. "I thought so, too, but the woman only gave me change for a $10, and said that's what I'd given her." 'I'll be right back,' I said, and quickly stomped back into The Market Cafe. I lived a long time in New Orleans, and worked almost just as long in the bartending business there. I know the scam. I've never done it, but I've had to fire people over it. This was not an accident on her part. I advised our bartender, who either doesn't know how to count or is just blatantly dishonest (I pick the latter), that I know for certain it was a $20 because that's all I had on me. She played stoned or dumb (maybe both, maybe not even playing). I asked for the manager. It took three times for me to clarify thru her stoned out answers to see it was a gentleman behind the buffet bar. I brought this to his attention (diplomatically, of course). He was courteous and helpful, advising he would check the video. (Obviously the place is owned/run by people smarter than the bartender, as they must know they need to have videos on their people.) He disappeared through a door, while I waited back at the bar, giving a diplomatic stink eye to pigtail lady. Within only a couple minutes, he came back out, retrieved an additional $10 from the till, and gave it to me with multiple apologies. Why am I not giving one star for this review? The bartender's dishonest actions certainly give reason enough for a negative review to the establishment she should be grateful to be working for. But, there are two reasons The Market Cafe gets two additional stars: Star #2 - The honesty and immediate attention to correct the situation by the manager. He could have very easily pretended he saw a $10 on the video footage, and sent me packing. Instead, he did the right thing. And that sort of honest is harder to find these days. Star #3 - Despite the H&H containers (that's typical in New Orleans), it was a pretty damn good iced coffee. And there's even an Honorable Mention - the entire experience got my blood pumping, and my hangover was gone by the time I got back to my guy and my coffee.
(3)Celes P.
We ate here for breakfast and it is okay price is reasonable. If you are really hungry you can go for the buffet for $10
(4)Valerie T.
Great chicken Ceasars salad and hurricanes :) Music almost every night and always an upbeat staff*
(4)Shawna S.
The food was good. They were very busy when we were there and it took awhile to get refills and stuff. Also the refills cost an extra $1, which I thought was weird. For dinner we went to Bubba Gump's... The food and service was way better there.
(3)Danielle J.
For what it is, touristy spot it was fine. Coulda been a bit cheaper for a better experience overall. Greek salad was good. My husband got the crawfish etouffe which he like and I thought was tasty but 18 bucks is a bit hefty. A lot of other reviewed said service was bad but ours was quick and friendly. Music was chill and not overly loud. Good experience overall.
(3)Stephanie M.
Not a bad stop during shopping in the market. Food is cheap and quick. The alligator bites were slightly spicy but good. Service was on point and it really was not that crowded. I recommend if in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there
(4)Andrea P.
I was dying of heat exhaustion so I stopped in here for a adult drink and ice cream. (Yes I know how odd that is). The drink was strong and ice cream was sweet. The prices were very reasonable. In fact the ice cream was cheaper than the candy shop across the way. It cooled me down and got me ready for more adventures.
(5)Shannon E.
Today we have taken tables 59 & 60. There aren't many folks in here. Service has been horrible. It took the longest to get our drinks. When our food did arrive, it only arrived for 1/2 the table. The others waited an additional 10 minutes, at least, for their food to arrive. We never received napkins and we had to ask for refills. If we hadn't had 5 in our dining party, we wouldn't have left an 18% gratuity. I wouldn't suggest The Market Cafe anytime in the future. Our gumbo was watered down (photos included). Shrimp had no seasoning. (Photos included). Gyro was pretty good for this place. Fries? Cold.
(2)Scott C.
Inevitably we always end up here when visiting the quarter. I think that's because there's rarely a wait for seating and it can accommodate groups. The food is simply ok. Good for a sampling of classic New Orleans food, but certain not representative of the best New Orleans food. It's very average, the service is a bit slow- friendly, but slow. And it's way overpriced. Food portions are generous, however, so I would suggest splitting a meal so that you can save room for better food.
(3)Jess P.
So we stopped by here earlier for the first time. They had a small menu selection. I got the chicken ceaser salad. It was delicious. My friends got the sampler. They preferred some cups over others. It was okay, don't think I'd go back there again. I wasn't that impressed
(3)TamaraRoyal R.
I was sent by a local For the Muffaletta- DELICOUS. EXCELLENT service too! I sat at the bar and my server showed me how to best enjoy my Muffaletta: "pour the dressing on the small plate, dip in and take a bite!" YUMMY food and Delicious live music too!
(5)Betty L.
We stopped by after dinner for some dessert and coffee. While the staff seated us right away, I wasn't crazy about the service. From the beginning we said we were here for dessert and music, but the staff acted like "that's it?" While the music was good, the bread pudding and coffee were so-so. The bread pudding came out warm and the rum sauce on the bread pudding was yummy. It was a decent size to share, but wasn't any thing to brag about. Not to mention they gave my BF my mocha and I got his cappuccino.
(3)Kathy P.
What I liked about this place was that there was a band out on the patio and they allowed dogs there. Otherwise this place did not impress me. I ordered the taste of New Orleans and the flavors were bland and my jambalaya was cold. For $20 I expected a lot more. Our server was great in the beginning, but after we got our food she totally neglected our table. She never came back to Check on us and I had to ask another server to get her for us so we could get our check. Overall this place was very mediocre and I will not be back.
(2)Elizabeth W.
my boyfriend and I are visiting New Orleans together, and stopped for lunch at this small cafe after the suggestion of a local. it was absolutely delicious. we got the alligator and the Taste of New Orleans. a great small meal. it was a little more pricey than we would normally pay for a lunch, but everything was fresh and tasted fantastic. definitely worth a trip!
(4)Thomas A.
This venue is conveniently located near the market and the Café du Monde. We had a buffet breakfast here for about $10? I think? Typical breakfast buffet with fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, toast, pancakes...all satisfactory. Quick service. A good value.
(3)Roxanne C.
Tourist trap. The food is basic NOLA food, but you can get better tasting elsewhere. Only plus is that there was live music to enjoy while eating, but again, you can get that anywhere in this city. Only reason we came here was because we needed something quick to eat before Krewe du Vieux and everywhere else had a long wait.
(2)Dan S.
Just gross. Old crawfish Chewy gator bites Terrible chicken sandwich. Avoid at all costs!!!!
(1)Timmy K.
This was the absolute worst experience of my life. We saw our server only TWICE in an hour. Our server forgot to ring in half of our parties drinks. After we reminded her, that's the only time she returned to our table. We weren't able to get a refill on water, and it was July in NOLA. Not good. We asked the hostess to get our server, but the server still did not return. We asked our server for a manager, but the manager didn't care and didn't bother to come to our table. Our food took over an hour to get to our table, and one person in our party didn't get her food. I will go out of my way not to return.
(1)Samira T.
We got the breakfast buffet because it was only $10.95. The biscuits were hard as a rock. Everything else was pretty good tho. Guess we have to come back another time for lunch. The atmosphere was awesome tho. Live jazz band everyday at 1030. That was a plus!
(3)Tiffany P.
While wondering around the French Quarter, we smelled something delicious and followed our noses here. The live band out front is what ultimately lead us to stay and eat. Glad we did! This place is perfect for what is. An open air cafe with an incredible live jazz band, an unforgettable muffuletta sandwich, and strong drinks. We ordered two hurricanes, (why not), half a muffuletta, and the jambalaya. Little had the chicken strips and a soda. I've never had a hurricane before but I can tell you- this is how it should taste. Strong, fruity, refreshing, delicious, and kinda like if you had more then one you might just keel over. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE sandwiches. So much. This sandwich is the sandwich of the gods. Other sandwiches become depressed when they see this sandwich. The sandwich dreams are made of. The bread is house made and perfectly light, crispy on the outside but doesn't tear the roof of your mouth up, and dense and chewy without being too heavy. Perfect. The meats and cheese were delicious but the real standouts were the olive salad spread and the house made dipping sauce it was served with. Jeez. My mouth is watering so hard right now. Hubs had the jambalaya and really enjoyed it. My kiddo actually ate the chicken strips which is saying a lot when it comes to kids. The location is absolutely primo for people watching and we were even able to see a few wedding processions/parades while we were there. The service was super friendly but unfortunately sluggish, thus 4 stars instead of 5. I would return if I were to find myself in Nola with time to spare and a hankerin for a killer sammie.
(4)Ruth C.
Three and a half stars. Efficient service, single stall bathroom, popular outdoor seating, jazz band for ambiance while you people-watch the marketplace passersby. Drinks are sweet and weak outside of the Hurricane. I actually liked the crawfish étouffée a little more than their award-winning gumbo, but the seafood-free jambalaya was disappointingly mushy. Market pricing on seafood was okay. Future hit list: alligator, crawfish beignets.
(3)Lyudmyla M.
Do not go here if you want to enjoy New Orleans as a tourist. Their food is, to put it in nicer terms, edible. And do not by all means order shrimp creole - it tasted like mashed tomatoes, with a couple pieces of tiny shrimp which had no flavor; not to mention the dish is overpriced. The cons of this place is the large seating area outside and free jazz performers (at least the night I went there they had them)
(3)Sharon K.
The food was good but the customer service is VERY poor from the Manager Demetra down to the wait staff. They do not accommodate large groups or let you pay with credit cards and cash. We had a party of a basketball players with parents. The waitress lectured us after she brought the bill as to what form of payment they would take and WE should have known before eating. The manager was adamant that we can use all cards or all cash. After a standoff of wills she took the cards and cash as forms of payment. It took an hour after the bill came to resolve the issue.
(1)Xae C.
Food was hit or miss. The gumbo was off, the jambalaya was pretty good. Should have passed on the boiled shrimp. It had no flavor and hot sauce didn't help. Atmosphere was nice with the band playing. Everyone on the staff was very nice!
(3)Beau W.
Tried the Fried Shrimp Po-Boy. It was ok. A whole lot of bread and some little fried shrimp. Service was ok. Seems like most of the crew preferred staying inside then outside. The best part was actually the atmosphere. Just sitting right next to the roads with traffic zooming by you. Hearing people get yelled and honked at for crossing at the wrong times. I would go back and try something different next time.
(4)Rachel K.
The atmosphere is great! The bartender Marty was amazing, we would come back again just to hang with him. He has every gadget from golf clubs to breathalyzers. What a great time!
(5)JR C.
Coachella Music Festival can sure find an inconvenient time to release their ticket sales, and so it so happens that this year, I find myself here at this popular outdoor jazz and muffuletta spot. I took my seat in the outdoor veranda while the jazz band was still setting up for their day. Muffulettas would not be served for another 45 minutes (lunch time) but she still came by often since we were starting the day with lattes. When the band started playing this place became a joyous gathering and seats starting filling up all around us. We saw many orders of the beignets start to pass us by but we were here to try the muffelettas. -=-Muffelettas-=- Not the best, not the worse. If there's anything that stood out from the others, it was the lightness of the bread and the extreme olive-ness of the spread. I'm not a huge fan of olives so that did not exactly make my day, but I'm sure an olive fan would be thrilled.
(4)Jen L.
We were some of the last patrons in the building that night. The restaurant looks like Bourbon street- like it could use a nap and a shower. The service was average. The waiter did not disappear completely and leave us to fend for ourselves, but she also did the bare minimum. The one highlight was the hot and fresh food. The fried shrimp entree was delicious.
(4)Enrique J.
Terrible service. Good music and good food. I didn't like the fact that there was a 18% gratuity on groups of 5 or higher. We had 5 people and it took forever for drinks and food. We had to ask multiple times for the same drinks. It was definitely not worth the $20 tip that was included in our bill. The manager said it was mandatory even with bad service.
(1)Shane S.
This was one of the few cafes open early Christmas afternoon, so it was very busy. The food was good. We had mufaletta, shrimp poboy, alligator tail bites and sample of jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans rice. The sample was pretty good and the alligator was great. Nothing really stood out here; however, the iced vanilla latte was actually great.
(3)Qu L.
Waiter not good food not good service not good waiter reference us as ""YOU PEOPLE""
(1)Jason A.
How to rate this place......um location is a plus The waitress was pleasant but she asked me 4 or 5 times if i wanted white or wheat bread. Everytime i stated wheat. And somehow i got white. I try not to complain about little shit but i found that extremely annoying. Wasnt busy and seriously, how hard can that be. She also screwed up my wifes order too. Now to make up for incompetence your food must be amazing, it was ok. Nothing bad but nothing special either so this is how ill remember my stay. After we left a nice jazz band started playing. Sounded pretty good and wouldve liked to been there for that, maybe that wouldve gained em another star.
(2)A Z.
Hm, well, they're pet friendly but there are only a few tables dedicated to this along the side of the cafe, so if there's a wait, expect to wait 5x longer. Nola isn't that pet friendly and this is one of the few places you can eat when traveling with a dog, so good on them for that. We waited a half hour before leaving but that's not why we left, we left because we heard one of the waitresses say "I'm not your f***ing server" to a table of people just trying to pay their bill. Saw A LOT of people annoyed, waiting to pay their bill, which is something you notice while waiting for a table to open up. Menu looked like typical fried junk anyway so I'm glad we left and ate elsewhere.
(2)Sam W.
I give this place 5 star just because I end up here evertime I take a trip to New Orleans...This is were I start my trip...The menu has all of the classic New Orleans dishes at a great price...I have never had a bad meal here...I love to sit back outdoors and listen to Jazz having a hurricane and a seafood platter while people watching...I have been here numerous times over the years and always look forward to spending time here...
(5)Breelyn M.
After getting off the fabulous city sightseeing tour bus we stopped here! ( tour guide randy is do funny) It was pouring raining so my sister & I decided to stop at the bar! We got wings & a southern fly & Louisiana lemonade to drink! Great drinks & wings! Def a nice quick stop!
(4)Manuel G.
With the location where this place is, you would think this will be a typical tourist trap. And it is, but in a way that you would not feel ripped off. The food was good and the service was okay. I really enjoyed the live jazz band that plays there. Not a bad place to have dinner in a New Orleans weekend. Not the best place in town but definitely not the worst. Prices were all right.
(4)Lauren A.
Food was okay. I had the popcorn shrimp. Service was awful. I think she forgot about me. I wouldn't come back here again.
(2)Maggie S.
A lady was outside trying to get customers in and we asked if they were still serving breakfast and she said yes they had a ten dollar all you can eat buffet. I would have preferred to eat somewhere else and have lunch/regional foods, but the husband likes a traditional breakfast. It was good. Lots of bacon, sausage, eggs, grits, pancakes, and fried potatoes. I didn't have any fruit. It was affordable and good. They had biscuits and white gravy too. Sausage gravy isn't as big in New Orleans as in the midwest, so the gravy was just so so for me. Waitress extremely nice! Staff got my husband a drink to go...very nice and seen the staff constantly cleaning up around buffet.
(3)Korina S.
Had been walking around and saw this place so came back to eat. I liked how it was outside and open and there was live music and good people watching. Our server was quick and friendly. We split the fried shrimp and a muffuletta and it was huge! Really good though. Would recommend if you are looking for a casual place outside to people watch.
(4)Randall S.
Convenient is the game here. Closest sit down to the French Market. Sandwiches were average.
(2)Alex E.
Our family of four was in New Orleans for three days in March 2015 and I wanted my wife who had never been to go thru the Quarter and see the sights. We wanted breakfast and this place was near the only street parking we could find. Got seated about 9:50 AM, got served breakfast about 10:25AM. Wow! long wait. Its location is why its popular, its kinda a hustle joint, meaning, get you in then wait and wait. Our server was a nice young girl but clueless. We ordered omelets, toast, coffee and hash browns. Coffee was great, after it finally came. Hash browns were cubed potatoes, small portions and definitely not hash browns, when my wife asked, she was told this is how they make them here? Really? A FIRST. The omelets were good, and the toast when it finally came without butter looked like prison bread, thin white tasteless bread. I understand tourist places, but cm'on. There are tons of fantastic places to eat in the Quarter, and this isn't one of them.
(2)Susan U.
Ordered the shrimp creole and it had 4 pieces of shrimp, rice and stewed tomatoes, and nothing else that was stated on the menu.....all for 20$ what a tourist trap...we were too starved to care but in hindsight...should of done more about it! It was a rip off.
(1)Greg K.
I like this place. Music. In the heart. A bit touristy. But good muffaleta and good beer. Etouffe is good. Not fine dining of course but a nice place with good food + music. Friendly servers.
(4)Lauren H.
Epic long wait times. Even with the place half full, with half the people having the breakfast buffet. We waited over 40 minutes and our food wasn't out yet. We asked for the bill and even that took another 10 minutes. Service. Well aside from taking our order, we saw our server once. And we had sent another server to find her to make that happen. She said (as we were leaving) the delay in our breakfasts was because they ran out of biscuits. How does that happen at a half full restaurant specializing in breakfast? And if it does, tell us before 40 minutes goes by. Manage expectations. Offer a fruit plate in the mean time. Do something. We left hungry and annoyed. I pity the fools that try this place.
(1)Adrianne D.
It is my first time in LA so my family and I decided to visit this restaurant. All I have to say is please keep going. I need you all to understand I am a very forgiving and nice person but the customer service here is horrible! We asked politely about the quantity of pieces that came with a catfish dinner and was lied to (given less), my mother and I ordered soda to go along with our lunch and it was later taken away from our table claiming the water was contaminated...so the waiter brought us bottled water and we were charged over $7.00 for water when we didn't even ask for it. The manager then began to argue with us after we provided a friendly recommendation to him about warning customers of contaminated restaurant water prior to eating. Then to top it off the bartender placed his dirty hands in an olive jar to replenish the olives at the bar and sold an old beer that was under his serving table to young couple behind us. The entire experience was shady and it was very obvious the manager was only out for money!
(1)Thuy V.
Bf had a crawfish mission and we tried it here while walking around and seeing a sign. While it was on the bottom of our list and had a more lemongrass seasoning, it is a great location and has decent food and usually a band playing. Service was ok. Also tried the sausage poboy and the bread was crisp and sausage good. Fries were ok. Crawfish rating: MRB Bayou Barn via FoodFest J's Seafood Dock French Market restaurant Market Cafe
(3)Greg T.
Terry and josh helped me and my boyssssss get super twisted at noon on Friday. We washed down the delicious PO boys with dozens of perfectly poured drinks. Would recommend it to my mother, much less strangers.
(5)Helen C.
My family ate here on Christmas Day because it was one of the only places that was open in the area, you could sit inside and eat, and didn't need a reservation (everywhere else was sold out). It was a packed house (aka slow service but understandable) when we went to eat here (obvi christmas day!). Its just a simple cafe with a bar in the middle, and some tables inside and outside if you want to eat outside. No fancy decor or anything. I got the jumbalaya and it was so-so. Nothing special but okay. My coffee wasn't anything special either.
(3)Melissa S.
Awesome! Wonderful music, the fried alligator was amazing. Crawfish Beignets were pretty great. We enjoyed it a lot.
(5)R S.
Ok - skip the Po Boys. If you want a sandwich, to just fill you up - fine. But, if it's your first po boy, go elsewhere. I had the fried shrimp and my man had the fried shrimp and fried oyster. First, the service was excellent, hence the higher star than what it really deserves, but food has to factor in somewhere and service can't take you to 5 stars. The bread was regular French bread, good, but could have been better complemented. The shrimp were fried battered shrimp I can buy frozen back home. There was, what I would call, a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and two tomato slices that are missing the vine, because they were taken from home way too soon. You know - pink. And I believe there was mayo, but when you quickly slap it on with a spatula...eh, I don't think so. We were brought a mustard sauce that made my taste buds stand up and then faint it was so strong and did not go with fried shrimp. The cocktail sauce tasted good and was very necessary, because the shrimp needed some glue to stay in the sandwich. But, there was not enough. What would have made this better, more mayo strewn across with a tip dispenser. More lettuce, ripe tomatoes and/or an aioli (garlic, cocktail sauce - make one up). It needed to be a little gooier - somehow. Get my drift? Oh - and the chips were stale and almost bendable without breaking. Strange phenomenon. Chewy, not crispy. I'm still on the search...this cannot be what the hype is about, but then again I didn't do my Yelp search first and just wanted my first Cajun meal in NOLA. Fried shrimp po boy seemed appropriate despite the restaurant.
(2)Arthur R.
I don't like to give negative reviews, but this occasion warrants one. My extended family was out for a good meal in the Quarter and landed here because the menu looked Cajun traditional. We were seated straightaway, and attended to promptly. So far so good. Then the food came. I had the Taste of New Orleans, with a bland chicken & sausage gumbo, an uninspiring jambalaya, a decent shrimp creole, and delicious red rice and beans. My wife had a full portion of the rice and beans, and my kids had a fried crawfish app, and a shrimp po'boy. The crawfish was reportedly good, but the sandwich left a lot to be desired. A sandwich starts with bread, and her bread was stale! She soldiered through it, as did a nephew who got a shrimp & oyster po'boy. That bread was like a day old French loaf--only good for pain perdu (French toast). The worst was the barbecue shrimp my brother-in-law ordered. He sent it back for being extremely overcooked. I don't even think he got a bite in. Our waitress was effusive in her apology for the BBQ shrimp, and if my daughter knew enough, she might have sent her sandwich back, but this was a disappointing meal. Proceed with caution.
(3)Kiley S.
Love the live music and people watching. Muffuletta was really good and big enough for 2 to split if you aren't very hungry or if you have an appetizer first.
(4)Andrew S.
Killer Nawlins cuisine. Had the crawfish etouffee, as well as the red beans & rice with sausage. Excellent. Great for people-watching. Plus they have live music. Can't wait to go back.
(4)Amanda B.
Nice place to people watch and grab a bite to eat and a cocktail! We had gumbo, jambalaya, and fried crawfish bites. Two thumbs up! The drinks were nice and strong too! Service was just ok. Live band playing was also just ok, not very 'lively'.
(4)Jan B.
I have eaten here at least 6 times and really like this place. Had the fried shrimp and it was great. Light breaking and fresh shrimp. Good drinks and quick service. I like it better than some of the really famous places.
(5)Joe B.
Food took forever to arrive and was so so. Manager or owner got mad at my dog for sitting in a chair which is ok, but handle it like a professional instead of acting like a complete @$$. The one shining light was the really sweet waitress who I am sure is working in a better place by now. One extra star for location.
(2)Karley S.
Split the muffaletta sandwich and the red beans and rice, catfish etouffee, and jambalaya sampler. Very filling meal. The wait time was a bit long for our two glasses or water and for our food. That is why I am only giving three stars.
(3)Ashton L.
The only redeeming quality for this restaurant is the location. Don't make the same mistake we did and end up choking down their cold and bland breakfast. We were told the only option was eating off the buffet but then we saw other tables around us ordering off the menu. At least if we had a chance to do that we may have gotten semi warm food and grits and gravy without a rubbery layer on top. The servers seemed more interested in sitting on tables and texting than working. Don't be fooled by the looks of the place and think it might be good. You'll just end up covering everything in hot sauce to make it edible like we did.
(1)Greg S.
I agree with other reviews that this feels pretty "tourist-y." We stopped in because we were strolling through the French Quarter and were starving for a late dinner. This worked, even if it didn't wow either of us. The band packed up as soon as we sat down, which was a bummer. The service was okay -- the waitstaff seemed rushed but were still polite and present enough. The food was reasonably tasty. Good fries. No complaints. No accolades either, sadly. You could find worse spots to have a quick bite in the French Quarter.
(3)Andrew R.
Stopped here on way back to hotel from Market. If you are lucky enough to catch the band, then worth it. If not, then you can get better food elsewhere. Ordered gumbo and shrimp and oyster po boy. Gumbo was room temperature. PO boy was ok bit not great.
(3)Gerald H.
Make no mistake this is a tourist spot. I've been here on several occasions and the service and food was good. The muffaletta was good and plentiful. On a nice day sitting outside and listening to the music is great. The band plays for tips and it can get awkward when you and your family is having a meal when some guy sticks a bucket in your face..no pressure but still. Kids love the grilled cheese sandwich, probably why we keep coming here. If you like to dine inside this place is not the best option. People come here for the outdoor seating and live music. Overall, not a bad place to eat.
(3)Chris S.
We were just cruising along looking for breakfast and decided to stop here. The service was attentive to us, and we sat in the covered dining area toward the park. The density of tables was a bit unsettling, and there were pigeons on the prowl under our feet looking for dropped morsels. A tad distracting. It was loud, too. On the good side, the food was tasty. I had a traditional breakfast and was especially fond of the pancakes. The rest was passable. My wife had the shrimp omelette and a biscuit and was very pleased. She was highly complimentary of the coffee, which is no easy task.
(3)Sierra Lei C.
we stopped here because it was a hot day and we wanted a place to relax and get a cold drink. a live band played and they were great. i wasn't expecting to get anything to eat but i gave in to their gumbo, which i thought was delicious. my brother got the crawfish beignets. holy cow, those crawfish beignets!! order them.
(4)Kevin R.
On a Saturday, since all of the other breakfast places in the French Quarter were busy, my girlfriend and I decided to venture to the Market Cafe since there were many open tables. I now know why so many tables were open. First off, the only breakfast food available was a buffet. This wasn't ideal, but not a deal breaker so we stayed for the buffet. The food was your standard scrambled eggs, cut French fries were their "home fries," sausage that most likely is a cheap knock off of jimmy dean, and a few other items. The one decent item was a dry biscuit with gravy. This awful meal (2 breakfast buffets) ran me just shy of $30 after including two coffees. The worst part of the visit was the service. The waitress was quick to come to the table and take drink orders, but that was the only thing done right. She brought over the check about 2 minutes after we ordered and our plates still full and then wasn't to be seen again until I paid after I was done eating. In summary, it doesn't matter how long the line is elsewhere, don't eat here.
(1)Mark H.
Ain't no such thing as cheap breakfast near the French Market. At first, we stopped at Cafe du Monde, but the place was insane. No one really seemed eager to help us, and it seemed as if everyone was just making a damn mess with those beignets. We decided to get up and find some eggs and bacon somewhere when we stumbled upon this place. They were advertising a special for $3.95 for 1 egg, grits, a biscuit and either bacon or sausage. They also had a breakfast buffet for $10, so I went for that instead of the special. Buffet included pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, gravy, potatoes and fruit. Both the special and buffet were good, but $25-$30 is a lot to drop on some breakfast! If you order the Irish coffee, they make it strong. Head's up!
(3)Ashley H.
Some friends were in town for the weekend, staying in the Quarter, with a two year old. After an afternoon of kiddie activities, I met up with them for dinner. The plan was to wander a bit and stumble on to somewhere good. Unfortunately, we ended up here, instead. Now, I've grabbed a Bloody Mary or four from the Market Cafe over the years while shopping... I even attempted to do the brunch buffet once upon a time (but rejected it after seeing what they had sitting out.) So yeah, I wasn't exactly thrilled at the choice, but hey, it was all in the name of making a tired, hungry kid happy. I figured, "how bad could it really be?" We sat outside, taking the table on the very end so as not to disturb the other diners. (Did I mention that there was a child involved?) Apparently this did not sit well with our server since it meant she had to walk a few extra feet past a couple of empty tables to wait on us. Nothing better than when a server attempts to make you feel like she's doing you a favor when, in fact, she is simply doing her job. And poorly at that. There were no refills of the waters, no clearing of dishes, or any of the other things that one would expect. She never asked if we needed anything or how our food was or anything. Of course, she probably knew better than to ask how it was because it sucked and she knew it. I had the crawfish beignets and a cup of gumbo. The beignets come with an order of four, which also how many crawfish tails I counted. It was basically an order of hush puppies. The gumbo had a good flavor but was also very lacking in the meat department... there was one slice of sausage, a bite of chicken and one tiny shrimp. The others at the table were equally unimpressed with their entrees. I almost fell out of my chair when the bill came and I realized how expensive everything was. I don't normally get sticker shock when it comes to dining, especially in the Quarter. But when the bill came on this night, I felt taken like the fool that I was for going here in the first place. Oh, I almost forgot, they do have live music, which is always a plus. I did not, however, appreciate being solicited for tips before my order was even taken. Let me hear you play for a little while before asking me for money. Yeah, this place is clearly a tourist trap and I knew better than to go here, but I did. So, I really have no one to blame but myself. I do know that I definitely won't be making the same mistake again. Ever.
(1)Lori K.
Had the oyster poboy it was delicious and my friends split a lot of different food and by loved the crawfish étouffée. Sat inside in the air conditioning :))) was a great evening meal
(3)Monique S.
The Greek salad was wonderful. The fried alligator was the best out of 4 that I tried.. There was outside seating. Live band. Not too loud. Prices are reasonable. Would definitely go back.
(4)Holly W.
My husband and I stopped in here Wednesday 3/11 for breakfast. We sat outside on a lovely morning and listened to live music. We both had the breakfast buffet. It was very good. The service was great and friendly. I would go back for sure.
(4)Melissa A.
We stopped here for lunch just because it was right on front of us and the menu looked pretty good. So glad we did! I usually do my research before trying someplace new but I was unprepared this time! I had a fried shrimp po boy and it was delicious! Seriously yuuuummm! The servers were all very friendly and our food was at the table in just a couple of minutes. It was so quick my hyper kid didn't even have a chance to get bored before it arrived- and that usually doesn't take very long! Oh yeah - they also had a musician playing outside (in the middle of the day on a Wednesday) that was pretty cool.
(5)Mayar K.
I would love to give this place even less than one star. They have the perfect location but they didn't take advantage of that. Staff was not so nice and they kind of force you to go in because they don't have enough business. We went in because every other place was super busy so we decided that we can give it a shot. The waitress was nice but she didn't give us any menu but instead she told us that they have only open buffet and we didn't know that you can still order from the menu. However, the waitress thought it would be better not to clarify that to us. The food was absolutely horrible. I don't know where to start but it was very cold and not fresh at all. I think this place has a great chance to be one of the top places because of their location but they lack good management apparently.
(1)John R.
Heading into the French Quarter, it might be wise to know that everyone attending will understand that the French Quarter restaurants aren't the cheapest places in town. I had planned to go to a restaurant across the street, but someone in my party deemed it too expensive and we instead went to The Market Cafe. The food is okay, but the space is tight and the food is not the best that the city has to offer. For an appetizer, I ordered the alligator sausage, which was pretty delicious. For the meal, I took an incredible wrong turn and ordered the oyster poboy. GET THE SHRIMP, PEOPLE. The oyster one tastes like a sandwich of dirty water. The service is as acceptable as one could expect from a tourist city. Know that you will be assaulted by a number of birds who will eat your food and a noise level that you probably weren't expecting, even with the knowledge that you're in New Orleans. The drinks are weak, so stick to tea, soda, or water.
(2)Benton D.
The Live jazz trio was great and the outdoor seating was good, although I am not sure the tables were ever cleaned. The service was slow, unfocused and inattentive. The "full espresso bar" seems to have forgotten to use actual espresso in their drinks. The beer tasted old and like it was being pumped through equipment that had never been cleaned. The Po-boy was ok but very greasy. In a town full of great food, this place relies on location and tourists who don't know the place to stay in business.
(1)Crystal R.
Awesome lunch spot! our waitress was so sweet and very attentive. The live jazz music set the mood. We ordered the muffuletta and the "taste of New Orleans" and this was the best food we have tasted so far this trip! The flavors, spices, quantity and service makes this #1
(5)Megan E.
We stopped here for drinks and they were good and reasonably priced. Some of the staff seemed to be having issues with one another. That made the ambiance a bit tense.
(3)Juan T.
Live jazz band and free ice water that was the highlight of the experience. The gator was half cooked and elastic. We asked the waiter and she said, it looks like it needs to be put back on the fryer but never took them back or took them off the bill. ALso had the crawfish buns and they were super dry and a small crawfish inside. At night it gets better due to the live Jazz band + Please tip they dont work for the restaurant. Its a tourist trap
(1)JW A.
My wife and I went here for dinner on our last night in NOLA, great surf and turf, gumbo was good as an appetizer, and we also got the pasta with shrimp and crawfish. Not a bad place to try if you just don't know what you want.
(5)Hanae K.
Sarah, our server, was a sweet heart :) I recommend her if you are at the market cafe. We didnt know that there was a breakfast special going on so we waited at the table drinking coffee and hurricane enjoying the live jazz band til the lunch menu came out. Sarah took our order right away when the kitchen was about to open for lunch. Food was decent and she checked on us every now and then with a big smile. We had: Jambalaya, a ok My first Muffuletta! Fresh and delicious. it's different from the one i tried at Central Grocery Co, which had more garlic. The Market Cafe felt like it was freshly made when ordered. what I didn't like: Not sure if this is a nola thing but the server only takes care of his/her own table. Not much of a team work... I asked one of the server for more coffee and he responded with "your server will take care of you" and stepped back. I was pretty pissed until I noticed that it wasn't just him who did that. Thanks Nelson F. for recommending this place :)
(4)Beth T.
I come here every time I come to New Orleans. It's become sort of a tradition dragging whoever I'm with so I can get my poboy fix. Granted, the food isn't amazing, but it's good and fairly priced compared to other places. Plus the music and bustling atmosphere make it worth it to me. I've never had a problem with waiting (I always go around lunch time after the breakfast buffet ends) and while I have had some lackluster service generally the waitstaff where pretty attentive and informative. They also make tasty drinks. Try the mango madness (I think that's what it was called) it was delicious!
(4)Anthony J.
Live jazz in an open air seating area makes this a good place. We ordered a whole muffuletta, which was very good, but it was humungous and we couldn't even finish it between the two of us. If you are really hungry and eating your own meal, you should probably just get the half order, but be forewarned even the half order consists of two pretty large sandwiches. I wish the waitress would have told us about the size of the muffuletta....if we would have known how big it was going to be, we would have just opted to split the 1/2 order. The drinks were also very good, but we were a little disappointed when they arrived in plastic cups instead of the fancy glasses that are pictured on the menu.
(3)Kenzey D.
I loved this restaurant. They had excellent service, delicious food, and a great live jazz band playing. Nice atmosphere and it made for a great meal. Theres not a lot to choose from on the menu, but the service was super prompt because of this. Love it, would definitely recommend it. :)
(5)Glenna K.
This review is about a single item they serve. Continue reading. You know the NOLA August thing, when you've walked 2, possibly 3 blocks, outside and are now drenched in your own sweat and your sunglasses are sliding down your sunscreened and sweaty nose and all you can think about is finding some AC and you're tired of browsing useless souvenir shops and overpriced antique stores and dammit all the cafes are outdoors??? Then you see the beacon of the Market Cafe and you go inside to have whatever you must order to soak up some AC? You know, THAT phenomenon?? That's how I discovered they make the best iced mocha on the planet. And I NEVER order these in coffee shops because they are always tooooooo sweet and syrupy. It is now part of my ritual on every trip, nearly every day. Martin the bartender is hip, quirky, very quick-witted, and good to pass the time with while you soak up that sweet, sweet air conditioning.
(5)Benny K.
A place for a quick break, to have some drinks or snacks/sandwiches while enjoying the live band/music in the open patio. Service was good while we were there, the waitresses even gave us some tips on where to go and what to do. They even serve buffet breakfast, but have not tried it.
(3)Fernando B.
Good for a quick bite and drink. Not your gourmet spot but will do the job. There was live jazz when I went there. Service is quick and friendly.
(3)Toni J.
Ate lunch here on 3/21/14 and was pleasantly surprised! Service was excellent and the food was tasty! I ordered the fried shrimp platter and the shrimp was fresh and flavorful. The live band was icing on the cake and I'll def return!
(4)Niki C.
Had a very lovely lunch date here on my last day in New Orleans, so because everything on the date was perfection, I have got to give this place 4 stars. Our waitress was great, our salads very tasty but a bit slow to come out (Greek Salad with lamb for me, Caesar with chicken & shrimp for him), the ambiance only slightly on the touristy side since it is located in the center aisle of the french market, but the live jazz band playing as we sat outdoors on his beautiful day made it PERFECT! Romantic & memorable if you ask me...but perhaps I am biased since my date was so cute ;)
(4)Jason B.
Super friendly staff! My wife & I were wandering around looking for something to eat. A really nice man called us over, sat us down where we could hear the jazz band and took our order. My wife wasn't feeling very good and he was more than willing to cooperate with her trying to find same thing she could eat. ( not too rich, not too spice) I ordered the crawfish beignets, they were amazing! I'll definitely visit again ( they also have fresh fruit daiquiris, margaritas and beer to go!)
(4)Nelson F.
Stopped by to grab a quick sandwich to go before my swamp tour, and was happy to see this place with just what I wanted. Of all the times I've been to New Orleans, I'd never tried the Muffaletta, a sandwich made famous in The Big Easy, so it was the perfect opportunity to try. I ordered the half order, with the waitress assuring me it would be enough, and she wasn't kidding! For $8 the half order was huge and took over the whole to go box, big enough that they cut it into 2 pieces. I honestly thought they made a mistake and gave me the whole order but they didn't. As for the sandwich itself, incredible! The spices, olive oil, the Italian meat, and then the surprising crunchy texture of the marinated vegetables and fresh slightly toasted Italian bread blended to make a beautiful symphony in my mouth. I was going to share the 2nd half of the sandwich order but after the first bite I decided not to and ate the whole thing. It was that good. Afterwards, I kept thinking about the sandwich and wanted to try the Central Grocery Co, who invented the sandwich to begin with. Surprisingly, I liked this sandwich (The Market Cafe's) much better!
(4)Janelle H.
Food was good; tried the Alligator and the Muffalatta (it was gigantic). Patio was nice with love jazz band.
(3)Chelsea B.
Went for a late brunch. They served a small breakfast buffet and Cajun style foods. We had the breakfast buffet (eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, mini pancakes, and fruit) for 10$ and fancy iced espresso drinks (4$). The covered patio style dining was great and relaxing! There was a live jazz band that was awesome. Really enjoyed this little place before heading down the street to the market!
(4)Brandy A.
Super touristy. We were here for lunch as our last meal in NoLa. The good: - Located in a very central and busy part near the French market and Jackson Square, so you absorb the lively vibe as you dine. - When we were there there was a live jazz band playing. They were awesome entertainment to enjoy while we had lunch. -There's a covered patio with outdoor seating so you could dine outside and soak in the sunshine. The not-so-good: - I maybe ordered the wrong item but their chicken po' boy wasn't very tasty. The bread was chewy and untoasted, the chicken inside as well as the lettuce and mayo were boring. I could have packed this myself for lunch and I would have toasted the bread. I also tasted the gator sausage, which was savory but had no unique flavor beyond a smoked sausage. - Quite obnoxious with the attempted upsell of drinks and other food that we weren't a bit interested in. The band also came around to each table and held out the donation jar. That dampened our meal quite a bit. There are similar restaurants and cafes all within vicinity of Market Cafe so I'd try another one if I had a redo. The fun music the band played didn't really make up for the rather mediocre overall experience we had.
(2)Shelley A. D.
#NOLAtoursim #Foodtourism #chitownfoodie This highest rating is for the location, the drinks, the musicians and the atmosphere. We did not try the food. The Market Cafe is the easiest place to go to hear live music from local musicians. The drinks are a fair price. The kids were happy to have hot chocolate and bop to the music. And it is an open air cafe-- so you can sit inside or stand right outside the gate with a to go cup in hand. The staff was kind, welcoming and not intrusive. So you could stop by for a minute or linger over a couple of sets. We will be back.
(5)Jackie A.
Stopped by with a few friends right after we arrived in NoLa for Mardi Gras. No, it's not fantastic, but it's not as bad as some other tourist "cajun" places I've been to in the French Quarter. The oyster po' boy was delic. as was the bloody mary. We were seated at a table that had a good view of the street and they kept the windows open so it was nice inside. I wouldn't go here for a great dining experience but it's certainly better than other similar places.
(3)Alicia F.
second time we have visited this place and again, we are very pleased. our waitress was very friendly and the outdoor atmosphere gives you a feeling of what New Orleans represents. love the jazz band that plays there and they do a great job, but I do not like how they go table to table asking for tips. we always tip, and tip very well but I don't like the feeling of being pressured. Other than that, it is a great place to dine
(4)Kari S.
First thing we noticed was an abundance of friendly and attentive staff who let us choose our table on the patio. There was a breakfast buffet that looked promising but we ordered individual meals. The food came out quick, was very reasonably priced and tasty. The good comfort foods of biscuits and gravy, pancakes, eggs and hash browns were the perfect way to start a day full of sightseeing. A small band was setting up as we left and everyone was so friendly.
(5)Luna K.
On my 5 day trip to NOLA, I ate here 3 times. The atmosphere was just amazing, the outside seating and the music was just as good as it gets and always put me and hubby in a good mood. The place was never overly crowded, and I never had to wait. The food was great, the first day we dined we had he fried alligator, shrimp po boys and a cup of their award winning gumbo. The alligator was good, spicy and good dipping sauce. Shrimp Po boys were perfect in my opinion, light and airy bread, nice fried shrimp that didn't taste greasy at all. Gumbo was good, definitely not award winning but it was good enough that we ordered a bowl on the next visit. Muffaletta was amazing! It was the first time we had it, but our eyes lit up when we bit into it! Service was good,no overall complaints. Only thing is it seems as when they give you the check the disappear for what seems like forever. As for the music the band is great, I just do not appreciate the fact that sometimes they walk around with a tip jar while your eating and talk you into tipping them. Its not a pleasant experience when your trying to relax and eat.
(4)Daniel Y.
Even my dog thought that the food was average. Long wait times, bland and ununique food, and higher than average prices. The only saving grace is its location and the live music, but those alone weren't enough to convince my stomach--or my wallet--that this place was worth the visit.
(1)Ace D.
It was really cool place and grown atmosphere. Ana was our server and she was awesome and full of life. Food was great! Thanks for the experience!
(5)Lisa L.
Didn't eat here but the place was packed. Outdoor seating was to hot.
(4)Clarice O.
Walking around Decatur, my friend noticed that I was dawdling a little bit trying to listen to the jazz band playing at The Market Cafe. Being my tourist guide that day, he suggested we stop and go in. I needed to have some bread pudding, anyway, because I have been deprived of it all my life (his words, not mine). The place was oozing with tourists (me included). The waitress gave me a somewhat irritated look when I asked (really very nicely, too, if I may say so myself) if they had strawberry lemonade. It seemed as though she were pushing the strawberry daiquiri to us, but I can think of no logical reason why this would be. Anyway, the bread pudding was rather delicious -- the richness and the sweetness were balanced. But I am not a fan of the overly touristy vibe. So even though Market Cafe is a 3.5 stars kind of place, I would simply round them down to 3 stars. Funny anecdote: The sax player somewhat ripped off my friend, though, by playing just a few notes after being given a $5 tip (by a few notes, I mean I counted merely to "two Mississippi" and that was it). The Aussie (my friend) was too nice to say anything, while I was merely amused by his pout.
(3)Lilli H.
It was our last day in New Orleans, so we wanted to end it on a good note. We walked around shopping and thought we would end our time with a nice lunch before heading out. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place and thought it would be nice since it was smacked dabbed in the middle. Our host was very nice, however, our waitress was another story. We sat for about five minutes before she came by. She didn't ask for our drink orders, or for our order at all. The first thing she said was the kitchen was closed and they are only doing the buffet. Mind you, this was at 10:30am. We were very taken back by this, as we wanted a cajun/creole style breakfast (we can get standard eggs and bacon back home!) She also sounded annoyed, almost as if we were a burdon, asking her to do her job. Anyways, she saw the confused look on our faces, as we told her we did not want the buffet. So then she says, and I quote, "Okay, so then what do you want?", to which we hesitantly ordered off the menu not knowing if she would put it in, since the "kitchen was closed". At this point she goes to put in our order even though she said only the buffet was open. We also had to flag her down again to order our drinks. After about ten minutes she walks by and says "Oh, you guys wanted coffee right?" My boyfriend is a very patient person, however, her service was so terrible he wanted to leave. We got up and told her to cancel our order. We went to the Gazebo Cafe next door and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our waiter was amazing, the manager even checked up on us. There are plenty of great places with great people willing to show you what New Orleans is all about. Save yourselves from this awful experience and go elsewhere! And if for some terrible reason all the restaurants were closed, except the Market Cafe, make sure you avoid getting a blonde waitress with short hair!
(1)Rebecca R.
Went here and was waited on by Emily A. She was an amazing server! Quick, bright and attentive! I like this place a lot! Live music and great food! I'd want to give this place a 5 star but felt a little insulted by the gentleman collecting tips for the band. After giving out all my cash to pan handlers throughout the day, only had a dollar cash to place in the tip bucket! I was snubbed by the guy and felt it was time to leave. It's tough to be an artist in a city that doesn't pay. Otherwise perfect place! Shaded yet outside and by the water. Nice place thanks to the service I'd go back.
(4)Tish W.
DON'T EVER GO HERE...I went back today because I loved the place the first time. Not today! First off Demitree is the biggest ass***e I ever seen and definitely the worse manager. I seen a girl walk in and get fired and he wouldn't even tell her why he told her he didn't need a reason. Then he went to brag on a server. Mind you the server he was bragging about with the cross eyes rudely told me I'm not your server get her to get your stuff and that's what he calls a good server. Worse customer service and manager ever!!# Also you don't fire a person in the middle of the restaurant especially in an unprofessional manner. I would love to know who's over him cause he needs to be the one getting fired. Not to mention my drink was watery and the food was cold. This place is terrible. Don't ever go here!!!! No stars for him or his so called go server apparently he don't know what good is. Last day here last time EVER coming here!!!!
(1)Jennifer W.
Sat in-between the two halves of Decatur street and right by the French Market this is a great place to stop when walking around New Orleans' french quarter. Every time I went by they had live music which was great and we committed ourselves to trying it because it seemed so awesome. We finally got to stop by and although the service is a little slow (but that seems normal for New Orleans) it was so nice to sit and enjoy the music and watch people walk by. We grabbed a roast beef sandwich and it was so big my husband and I easily split it for a light lunch, if you are the whole thing you'd be very full! It comes with fries, which were pretty good, and my husband tried some alcoholic drink which was delicious according to him! It's a great place to eat or just sit and enjoy the music!
(4)Tara J.
We actually didn't eat here; we only drank here a couple of times, but each time it was a good experience. What I like about this place is that it's indoor/outdoor and it's open and airy. The cafe is surrounded by windows, so no matter where you're sitting, you can see outside. We sat up at the bar and enjoyed beers on our first trip, but sat at a table at the bar and ordered Hurricanes on the second trip. The bartender remembered us, and we really appreciated the friendly service here. It's a great central place to stop and have a drink midday while sightseeing or shopping in the French Market. We'll be back!
(4)John F.
The food and the service probably only deserves a 4 star review. But add the live Dixie jazz band, and it is definitely a five star experience. For lunch we each had half of Muffeletta sandwich. this was on my must try list while in NOLA. We loved it! You have to like olives if you order this sandwich. Also, we discovered that half a sandwich is really big. The whole sandwich is a piece of bread about 12 inches across filled with meat, cheese and olive salad. Don't order a full sandwich unless you have a fridge back at your hotel. Eating a traditional NOLA sandwitch and listing to traditional jazz music is as good as it gets.
(5)Martina-Realtor H.
Wings here were the best I've had in my life! Breakfast buffet is decent not fab tho. Great atmosphere & good place to relax and people watch
(4)Coral E.
If you like to people watch, sit outside and enjoy some local cuisine - this is a must! Enjoyed a delicious shrimp poboy here today. Others with me enjoyed crawfish, gumbo (which they raved about) and the gyro.
(4)Ana E.
Despite the place was half empty on a Thursday afternoon the service was exxxtremely slow. Their Bloody Mary is good,but too much condiments for my taste and a little overpriced for that particular cafe. Ordered a shrimp po-boy,Greek salad and a Caesar,the food was pretty darn good,very light and crispy just what you want on a hot New Orleans afternoon. The place is very touristy and gets filled up with people quick. One of the best things about the market cafe is their band,great and fun music that we definitely enjoyed.
(3)