Willie Mae’s Restaurant - Venice

The only time I had been to Willie Mae's was in New Orleans. It blew our minds and tastebuds. Absolutely divine.When they opened in the westside, I believe it was a take out only situation. Since I do not live in the area, it was not a convenient situation.During this recent DineLA restaurant week, I met a friend there for lunch. Now they have a fairly large sit down dining room that was quite busy and it seems like there was a steady stream of takeout.Our server, Desiree was fantastic. She told me this branch was started by the same folks of the original in New Orleans. Due to a an issue with the freeway closure and horrible traffic, we were very late and she kindly honored our reservation.The food was fantastic. Great crunchy and spice on the chicken (it is on the spicy side so be careful if you cannot handle the heat). The little corn breads were just the right amount. We tried the yams, which is a must, but also shared some of the other sides. The cabbage is cooked kind of like collard greens. The butter beans and rice is very tasty. We also tried the mashed potatoes and gravy.All sides are vegan, which I thought was done for the local L.A. crowd, but we were told the sides are vegan in the original recipes.Next time I'd like to try the gumbo and other dishes on the menu.

I'm a big fan of Willie Mae's in New Orleans and when I heard this was here I couldn't wait to try it. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Like the one in NOLA if anyone makes better fried chicken I'd be surprised. Service was southern friendly and my sides, cornbread, red beans, rice, and mac and cheese were spectacular. I tried the gumbo as well and it was terrific!Free parking behind the restaurant!This is now one of my go-to places when I'm in LA

Willie Mae's is a NOLA institution for delivering southern style (creole) dishes. I was happy when they made the decision to bring it to the Los Angeles area. Several years ago I missed the ghost kitchen they first started in West Los Angeles (on Santa Monica Blvd.). I found out they morphed from the Ghost set-up to their own brick/mortar in Venice on Lincoln Blvd.The restaurant is nicely appointed. I parked on the street (metered) but there are also a few spots in the back. You have the option of dining in or taking out. The big issue in take-out is you don't get the full presentation the way your meal is presented. Anyway, they do a very good job in packaging your meal.The chicken is what I expected. Tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside and very tasty. I also, opted for the rice and beans and they too were tasty. I was going with the Mac until I noticed they offered a cup of gumbo. Also, tasty and not a bad bargain for ten bucks. They offer a variety of southern specialties, and the price points are competitive. I did notice beer and wine was also offered.A couple of knit-picky issues which prevented me from giving them 5 stars.1. Deserts are a staple with southern style cooking so I was surprised with the person taking my order mentioned they did not have bread pudding!!!! Unfortunately that is the only desert they offer. Ummm, there were at least five staff on site and I kept thinking....."with the recipe, how hard could it be for somebody to take ownership and knock out some bread pudding." And to boot, it was the weekend!!! A self-inflicted blunder that hopefully manages address. 2. I didn't notice it, but my wife did. We do not mind tipping as we appreciate the service received but when did you tip on the SALES TAX, instead of just your meal?Anyway, Willie Mae's has a bright future, and we will be returning.

I personally think this place is a 3, but friend who vehemently disagrees with me says it's a 5 so 4 it is.Let's start with the positive. Came for DineLA to checkout their amazing deal and the staff was courteous and friendly. She promptly let us know they were out of dark meat chicken and no longer serve the brussel sprouts and it's as if she was telepathically reading my mind bc those were the two things I wanted lol. Friend ended up getting the fried chicken dinner with cabbage and yams. I got the fried fish with cabbage. Friend *loved* the fried chicken and thought it was a perfect crunch ratio and agreed why it was voted best fried chicken (we learned this lil fact from their website). I had a bite, while I liked the crunch I thought it could use more flavor. It was cooked brilliantly but felt it needed more seasoning. I think the same for the fish. Cooked perfectly (I love when fish isn't so fried it tastes like gristle) but it needed more seasoning in the batter. Friend thinks the fish could've been crispier but clearly I have the superior palette lol. The chicken is an amazing deal DineLA or not. The fish seal feels on the pricier side for what you get especially since there's less sides.We both loved the cabbage. To me it tasted like Thanksgiving. Idk how else to describe it. Yams were perfect. Sweet, but didn't taste like candy. The cornbread was moist and yummy. Could easily pop a dozen of those back in one sitting. Got to taste the gumbo and while it was nice I wouldn't need a full order. Idk something about the gravy I didn't like. I think I like more broth leaning gumbo. We also ordered the bread pudding bc it's one of my favorite desserts. I thought it looked oily but I think it's the white chocolate sauce. I liked the texture but there was a particular flavor that dominated it (later learned it was almond and it def reminded me of an almond croissant. I *love almond croissants* but that's not how I want my bread pudding to taste) and it made me not excited to finish it. Overall cute, intimate spot. They clearly get a lot of business from to go orders. Super easy to find street parking. Not a place to go out of your way to but it'll def scratch the itch if you're looking for a southern meal.

The fried chicken yall!!!!! My mouth waters just thinking about it. It's crispy and juicy with a little kick to it. It's literally perfection. Idk when this location opened but they were so attentive and quick to serve the food. Everything came out scorching hot and fresh. I loved this place. We got the family meal for like $80 I think? It was about 10pc chicken and three sides - we got the yams, Mac and cheese, and red beans and rice + it came with cornbread. Everything was delicious! Must must must try!

The food is fire. And just what the west side needed. I took away one star because I ordered the seafood platter and it literally only came with one catfish fillet and a few shrimps. I know it's the west side but that feels like a bit of a ripoff. Still! The shrimp and catfish was delicious. There's really no atmosphere as it's a fast casual kind of place but the service was friendly. It was busy on a Friday night so hoping this place sticks around. Next time we'll probably just order takeout but I'm looking forward to it!

Very clean and friendly service. Chicken is made to order amd thé crust is almost tempura like. Shatters when you bite into it. It's good, but does leave an oily film on your tongue. The chicken tenders were also a bit dry (but that happens at most places). The cornbread muffin is tasty and so were the red beans. The noodles for the Mac and cheese were over cooked and the cheese was on the bland side. Cabbage tasted like thé exterior of a cabbage roll and a good flavor. Solid eats.

Omggggg NOLA has come to Venice! I swear, I was nervous about a satellite Cali location because I've been to the OG in New Orleans! However, one bite in the mac and cheese, HEAVEN. Then one bite into the chicken, an infinite eternity of bliss~!Alright coming back to earth now, I finally made my way to Willie Mae's nearly two years after they opened. They have some free parking in the back with EV chargers, though we couldn't get ours to work. Seating is all inside with a table outside in the front. They use Yelp Waitlist so you can add yourself when there's a wait ahead of time, or book a reservation directly on Yelp to be set. THE FOOD THOOOO....My goodness I have delicious memories in Louisiana of biting into this incredibly plump chicken with perfectly seasoned and spiced bits of crisp on the outside. Hours ago, I got that same exact feeling. The chicken here is juicy as heck and I swear, that spicy goodness on the skin was just the same and had my mouth pop, lock and drop it.The mac and cheese is soooo creamy, flavor-filled and perfect. It was a little more runny than the other location but s'all good, it tasted wonderful all the same.And I still love their buttery mini cornbreads. Perfect size for me and being a bit smaller, they don't get dry as quick. Love them.Pro-Tip: GO IN PERSON! It's so much better crisp, hot and fresh.Big portions, good prices, chill atmosphere with sports games playing on their TVs. I miss the cute little Grandma, lolz, but I'll def be back! So happy Willie Mae's has come to LA~!

Knew I had to try this location after being in NOLA a couple years ago and trying the original. I was not disappointed! The staff was great, super attentive and eager to make us feel welcome. The parking was easy and traffic was not crazy at the time we were there. The place was small but well maintained. Love the red beans, it's definitely my favorite next to the chicken.

QUICKIE REVIEWTaste of New Orleans in LA.FOODThis is what I tried:-Taste of New Orleans with gumbo, red beans & rice, and potato wedgesThe chicken is fried very well (as in good, not over done). The wedges were surprisingly done perfectly. Gumbo has bold seafood flavor. Some will love it, others may find it to be a bit much.PARKINGYes, around the back or street parking.SERVICEGood. Waitress set us down and kept up with us.PRICEExpect around $50 for two.TIP/OTHER THOUGHTSDiscovered this place when I was planning my trip to New Orleans. The original location is burned down in NOLA but to my surprise they had a location in LA. Whenever the one in NOLA is rebuilt, would love to have the original. They have a bold claim of best fried chicken in America at that location.