The Best Seafood in New Orleans

Southside Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (881) • $$

"We were visiting from Oregon and my mom wanted some good southern food. This place is highly rated so we decided to check it out. We were starving so we decided to start with the appetizer of fried mushrooms. Then I ordered a club sandwich and my mom got the catfish with gumbo and hush puppies (doesn't get any more southern than that!). We decided to share the bread pudding with bourbon sauce for dessert. Everything was delicious! Our server was very friendly and food came out quickly!"

Heard Dat Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (725) • $$

"Upon arrival we weren't sure if this was the correct place because it looked so small! But it indeed was! There's really only outdoor seating and a few inside. We came as soon as it opened and it did take awhile for food to come out but the girl the took our order gave us a heads up! So do not come hangry because it does take awhile for the food to come out but just know ITS WORTH THE WAIT! We got the bourbon street lovers - chicken over Mac and cheese. It was delicious. Chicken is nice and juicy but is still crispy. Mac and cheese is full of flavor. My personal favorite was the superdome. It's blacken fish topped with mash potatoes, crispy onion rings in a lobster sauce. YUMMMM. At first I thought it being fish was going to be sus but I'm really glad I tried it! This was one of my favorite things we had out here. This place is a must! You will not regret it!"

Mandina's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (914) • $$

"Excellent sandwiches. Also had the crab claw appetizer, was excellent. Service was prompt and friendly."

Restaurant Rebirth

★★★★★ 4.6 (678) • $$$

"Interesting/creative food, good service and atmosphere. The food was so good that I even forgot to take pictures"

Chophouse New Orleans

★★★★☆ 4.2 (777) • $$$$

"Great location, awesome little away from the madness, in an old building with great ambiance.Service is top notch as expected in a restaurant as nice as this.Appetizer seafood assortment was excellent and came with their thick-cut bacon. Delish.Filet was cooked perfectly and no sauce was needed. The way it should be.Would return."

Cafe Sbisa

★★★★☆ 4.4 (693) • $$

"I Really enjoyed dining here. The ambience is perfect, along with the live jazz band. It just added more of an impressive atmosphere to restaurant. The food was amazing, I throughly enjoyed the lamb chops. It came with a creative corn porridge. If I were to try and give a better description I can't. But I can say OMG it was good. I strongly recommend this place, of course for dinner. But you can even make it a great night for drinks, and live music."

Domilise Po-Boys & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (719) • $$

"Yelp Review 2024 #55:A few years ago after seeing Domilise on the Food Network, I tried coming here assuming they're open on a Sunday. I remember it was raining and I was staying in the French Quarter area - good thing my friend lived in New Orleans and drove me around.Fast forward to a few years later, I finally got to try what Alex Guarnaschelli was raving about. The place is old, small, laidback but a very good representation of New Orleans: no need for anything fancy, just proudly telling its story and culture. A few tables and chairs and it's ok to share your table with a stranger or two. It gets busy and crowded here. If that's too much for you, you can always take your food to-go but eat it quickly.The ordering process is pretty simple. You look at the menu if you didn't look it up ahead of time, go to the counter to place your order and pay, and wait about 20 minutes for your food. The service was friendly.My original idea was to try their shrimp po boy, oyster po boy, and a roast beef po boy. But that's a lot of food for one person. Time to narrow my choice. I'm not a huge fan of oysters so, there goes the oyster po boy. I hear a lot of good things about the shrimp po boy but I was craving beef since I've been eating seafood in NOLA. But towards the bottom of the menu, it says "Surf n Turf" - roast beef po boy with shrimp! No need to choose. I can have both! Next dilemma was whether or not to get fries. Fried potatoes is always a good idea but what if it's too much food?It did end up being too much food. So, my trick was take off the buns on one half of the sandwich and stack everything into one massive sandwich. It was messy, hard to eat and required a lot of napkins but I had space for my fries! The Surf n Turf Po Boy was a very good call. The beef was juicy and tender, the shrimp was lightly battered and crunchy with great flavors.Their sandwiches come in 2 sizes: small and large. They have soda, alcohol, etc to wash it all down. You'll leave full and completely satisfied for under $25."

Prejean's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (824) • $$

"Stopped here on the way to New Orleans, craving some fried Cajun food and this place absolutely delivered!My household is full of seafood and Cajun food lovers, so we were in heaven from the start. We started off with a dozen chargrilled oysters and every single one was packed with flavor.For the main course, my boyfriend and I shared the seafood platter which was a feast in itself. It came with fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried oysters, fried crawfish tails, fries, and hush puppies. The fried catfish was the star for me-crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside, with perfectly seasoned breading. While everything on the platter was delicious the hush puppies stole the show. I'm not even sure what goes into making a hush puppy to be honest but what I do know is that the ones here were the best I've ever had.Service was decent and fast too. Even with a party of nine, we were in and out in just an hour and a half and back on the road.If you're ever passing through, I highly recommend stopping by this spot."

Basin Seafood & Spirits

★★★★☆ 4.2 (670) • $$$

"We were meandering in the area and stumbled upon this fine establishment and, to our delight, found it to be some of the best food we had on our trip to New Orleans. My partner had the jambalaya and I had the Royal Red Bordelaise. We paired it with a Vinho Verde and had catfish as an appetizer. All were spectacular. Adding to this, our server, Ty, was hospitable and amicable. He humored us as we asked him a million questions about New Orleans and his experience as a local. He even recommended music venues, which we visited afterwards - and they were also amazing. The ambiance was relaxed, which we needed after our evenings spent in the French Quarter. I highly recommend this place!"

Cou-yon's Cajun Bar-B-Q

★★★★★ 4.6 (529) • $$

"Amazing food (brisket, chicken wings, mardigras potato and green beans) and service...staffs were so friendly - will definitely come back."

Los Jefes

★★★★☆ 3.8 (767) • $$

"12/6/24: It has been some time since we last went to Los Jefes. When we first went there, it was absolutely incredible on all levels but then, things changed and the quality of the drinks and food went down. On our last visit the fajitas were incredibly salty and we did not even finish them.Well, THEY ARE BACK! I am very happy to say this! We went there last week and had the chicken and steak fajitas and they were incredible once again. Great flavor, well seasoned, cooked to perfection.I have one big complaint, however, and it has something to do with their supplier. In my wife's and my opinion, the shells they provide to you for the fajitas are an absolute joke. Taco Bell's shells are larger. Every other Mexican food restaurant I have gone to are larger. Really, guys, I don't want to hear about your supplier, I could not care less and really do not want excuses. Then, the bartender has the Gaul to tell us that they are designed more for pushing than making a fajita! DO NOT tell me how to eat my meal and do not come up with such a poor excuse. This place has great Margaritas. Donnie is an incredible chef putting out the best Fajitas in the city! Don't insult your restaurant, your customers, and Donnie and give your customers Fajita shells that would be better suited to little hands in a grade school cafeteria!"

The Pelican Club

★★★★☆ 4.1 (632) • $$$

"We went there with a group of seven. We had a wonderful table, and the service was very fast and friendly. We all did the prix fixe menu. We tried a wide range of dishes, including seafood, beef, and chicken. The desserts were amazing. The price was really, not bad for a restaurant of this high quality. If you're looking for a place for a special celebration, definitely consider this one."

BRQ Seafood and Barbeque

★★★★☆ 4.1 (580) • $$

"BRQ in Baton Rouge. I think I have a crush on you. On my last night in BR, I tried this spot with a coworker, following a recommendation from our local project manager, who said the a/c was great and the food was even better. She was correct on both counts. Saylor took great care and deftly managed keeping drinks filled and the whole BRQ team brought food to our table at temperature and others in our section seemed happy, as well.We tried barbecue and seafood menu items. Very good, all around. Starting with complimentary house-made BnB pickles and BBQ chips is brilliant. Delicious amuse-bouche for all ages. We wanted the baked goat cheese (out of marinara), so substituted spinach-artichoke. Great fun that the kitchen was willing to swap in vegetables for tortilla chips. (Nice to have an option that doesn't derail the healthier eaters at the table.)BBQ is fantastic. I didn't take a photo of the house-made andouille or their 4 (four!) different bbq sauces.Trust me and treat yourself to andouille a la carte or alongside whatever else you will try. The brisket nachos with house made cheese sauce were dynamite. The seafood was fresh and perfectly prepared. I'm a Mac n cheese snob, but Saylor said BRQs was good. (Claim: verified!) Maquechoux was delicious. Wasn't hungry for dessert, but had to order just to get the look on my coworker's face (who hadn't seen it delivered to the next table). The vast majority of the cake went home in 2 (two!) rotisserie chicken boxes. Massive, deliciously textured with nuts, raisins, and carrots, and not cloyingly sweet. I wish there was a plus or bonus star to give. I travel for work. A lot. I try to find locally-run places where the atmosphere is comfortable and the food is deliciously made with care. BBQ joints hold a special place in my heart. It takes most of a day to prepare it. The effort is hot, long, and under appreciated. Places that go the extra step (veggies instead of chips), make a little tasty things to welcome you (here are chips and pickles: we are glad you're here!), and prepare wonderful entrees and sides... well this is a comfortable and delicious experience. And if you are in Baton Rouge, go. If you aren't in BR, then get there and try this place."

Cooter Brown's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (604) • $$

"Great selection of beers. Weird art lining the ceiling. Strangely bright for a bar. Saw one of the largest cockroaches scurry across the floor."

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (663) • $$

"Solid place! They had a great selection of drinks and the atmosphere is so fun. Do patio if you can, it really feels like you're at a backyard barbecue in the best way.Food is decent, small selection, and a bit heavy . Definitely a place I would go again, especially if they were doing some sort of fun event. And don't miss that scorpion shot!"

Desi Vega's Steakhouse

★★★★☆ 4.3 (464) • $$$

"Wow! 5 star service all the way. We came for a work event I had the filet with blue cheese crust others had the ribeye and fish. I had the wedge salad for starters which was perfection and we shared the Mac n cheese, asparagus and mashed potatoes. I would highly suggest you treat yourself to an incredible meal."

The Chimes East

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (732) • $$

"Saturday nights are packed because Chimes are good at providing A1 service, but they check you in quickly to get you in the queue. Our table was ready in 30 minutes, and our server immediately took our the order. The ambiance is always live, with multiple TVs, great music in the background, the smell of chargrilled oysters, and the variety of seating that makes everyone feel welcome. We sat outside in the patio area, but the heaters didn't disappoint. The food was delicious, as always, and they never missed a beat. I also love how the staff look out for each other; they work hand in hand."

The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar

★★★★☆ 3.5 (685) • $$

"Had a family outing with kiddos and grandparents at The Blue Crab for a weekend lunch and we all left full, satisfied with our choices and happy with our service. Air-conditioning was keeping things perfectly cool in the hot summer heat and the elevated views of Lake Pontchartrain were wonderful (note there is an elevator).We enjoyed chargrilled oysters, crabmeat au gratin, a fried shrimp poboy with a side of must order hand-dipped onion rings, the west end cobb salad, crab cake sandwich with fries and a fried catfish poboy with fries. Plus a bucket of beer. Oh, we loved that the Blue Crab has a fairly large kids menu, six total items that max out at $6.95 and include french fries. Our kiddos enjoyed their burgers.Short and sweet, we will happily return to The Blue Crab."

Clesi's Restaurant & Catering

★★★★☆ 4.1 (495) • $$

"The seafood oysters were on point! My partner loved the alligator bites. Situated in a nice quiet neighborhood, and should be given good recognition for its service and food."

The Chimes Covington

★★★★☆ 3.5 (619) • $$

"Excellent burger. First time there but will definitely be back. Very nice staff. Loved the change of scenery."

Mason's Grill

★★★★☆ 3.8 (492) • $$

"Brunch was delicious! We had a French toast and eggs. One of the best French toast I have had as well as the coffee is strong. Owner of the restaurant is present and has great customer service."

Clancy's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (405) • $$$

"As noted in my previous review this is an Uptown neighborhood institution. It's classic, genteel, sometimes loud, yet a typical upscale NOLA white tablecloth restaurant.We came with several friends and had a table upstairs. There are a series of rooms, and we were at the room with wine storage, vast wine storage.Seated right away we got water and ordered drinks. I got a Sazarac, a favorite infused with Absinthe. OK, I had two. The waiter warned that on the third I would be carried home. I had two.They brought the ubiquitous French bread in small bags. So light with a thin crust.As a group we ordered fried oysters and they were delicious, full of rich flavor in a white sauce.We had small side salads that were incredibly fresh and dressed lightly.I had the Pompano (fish) for my entree and it was perfectly prepared and flakey. It was a large portion. It came with small potatoes that I found to be too salty for my taste.For dessert I tried the bread pudding, absolutely deliciousService was so professional and yet light and friendly, like eating at a friend's house with a person who really knows how to entertain with class.It's difficult to get reservations, but worth the try as it's always packed full.Apologies, but when I'm with a group I refrain from taking many pictures. It's tacky and I think rude to pull out a phone and start clicking, especially with folks you haven't seen for some time"

Mike Anderson's - Gonzales

★★★★☆ 4 (416) • $$

"I went here with a group of 16. They were able to accommodate us with a reservation the day of. They allotted one server for our table which ended up not being too bad. Holy moly the oysters are HUGE and tasty with the bread. You have to get the oysters. Most meals come with a salad of your choice between house or Caesar. The stuffed mushrooms were a great add on for appetizers. I got the norman, it was a cozy meal with really large shrimp. I personally would've liked something more spicy. The gator bites were huge as well and fresh. I recommend if you're trying to get some Louisiana cuisine in the area."

Kenner Seafood

★★★★☆ 3.8 (459) • $$

"This is one of those times I'm completely perplexed with the 3.8 mediocre Yelp rating because the bustling dining room with locals at 4:30 in the afternoon, friendly service, 2023 Gambit Award, Best of New Orleans say otherwise. Oh the nay sayers! But, thanks to my Yelp buddy, Omar, and his recommendation this is our first NOLA stop!The interior screams NOLA's rich jazz history with yearly, framed and signed Jazz Festival posters adorning the walls. The well worn restaurant and the menu speaks to a the love of Cajun cuisine found here. Kenners is a restaurant and seafood market. The array of displayed blue crab - picked, whole and shucked oysters speak to the love of seafood and the local fishing industry. As typical of hubs when he's excited about trying a unique spot, he orders a little of this and a little of that. We had a sampling of all our favorites! Our thoughts:*The tamales, Delta style, were a must for this tamale lover, were the typical cigar size and great! *The seafood Gumbo was on target with its rich dark roux color, yummy shrimp and served Cajun style with half a blue crab and white rice. *The fried shrimp were delicious, perfectly cooked with a nice crispy texture and butterflied. Oh my, just perfection! Loved the jalapeño hush puppies, too - savory not sweet. *The cup of red beans and rice was warm comfort in a cup, seasoned with sausage. *The fried crab claws were slightly over cooked and were the only disappointment. Thank you Omar for the recommendation! We'll return perhaps sooner than later Cheers!"

Frankie & Johnny's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (431) • $$

"Full old school Nola. Love it. Pitchers of beer and good food. Come here every visit."

New Orleans Food and Spirits

★★★★☆ 4.1 (382) • $$

"This was the first restaurant we ate at during the most recent trip to Louisiana. We stayed in Gretna and got pedicures in Harvey and was referred to this restaurant by a customer and one the nail artist. We walked in to order takeout, and it was a busy bustling restaurant. Plenty of tables full, plenty of customers waiting on orders. Phone ringing - all good signs. We ordered the seafood gumbo, seafood sampler, and Voodoo crawfish rolls. Every single item was delicious. I especially enjoyed the crawfish rolls, which were hot, and I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to bite one open to taste- that occurred in the car, as you can see in the picture. I didn't care for the mustard sauce that accompanied the roll, but honestly, you didn't need it. However, a spicy chill sauce would work. My husband said that the gumbo was too seafoody, but he isn't the seafood fan, and I thought the gumbo was good. A great asset to the West Bank!"

Woody's Roadside - Ocean Springs

★★★★☆ 4.3 (344) • $$

"My Big Ben burger was the best burger I've had in a long time. The onion tangles on top were amazing. The balsamic mayo was a miss but ask for garlic Mayo instead. I love that asparagus is an option for sides because I have to watch carbs and fries aren't my friend.My partner had triple tail tacos and they were also very good.Our server was great! I didn't catch her name but the receipt says Bree.I'll definitely eat here again. My only complaint is the noise level in the restaurant."

Middendorf's - Manchac

★★★★☆ 3.6 (488) • $$

"I can remember coming to Middendorf's as a kid when my Dad brought our family to eat here. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere and I remember good seafood in an old building next to the water. The last time I dined here was about 20 years ago before my dinner last Thursday night. I was on the fence to come here because I think during my last visit I decided I wasn't a fan of their thin fried catfish. I have changed my mind.I ordered the large version of their thin fried catfish meal for $19 and it came with fries, hush puppies and fries. On the night of my visit the restaurant had a nice dinner crowd there with about a 5-10 minute wait for a table in this large multi room restaurant. They even had an accordion player in one dining room entertaining the guests.My meal arrived about 10 minutes after ordering and it looked quite large. I received 5 or 6 pieces of fish, two large hush puppies, fries and cole slaw in a separate container. The fish was delicious. Lightly breaded and with plenty of meat the fillets were so light tasting and almost like eating tender potato chips. They were very good. The hush puppies were thick in their cornmeal texture and flavorful and filling. They were quality hush puppies not often found nowadays. I liked the well cooked fries and the cole slaw was perfect as a palate cleanser. This meal was very good and I couldn't finish it all wishing that I had ordered the smaller version of the meal.Middendorf's is kind of a Louisiana institution with a unique and decorative interior and a seafood centric menu with their famous thin fried catfish. Strongly consider eating here especially if you are driving by on I-55."

Cafe Pontalba

★★★☆☆ 3 (675) • $$

"Stopped by here because we were famished and it was the nearest place. So glad we did! Not sure why it doesn't have more stars on yelp. It was very tasty and affordable. Our waitress was funny, nice and attentive. Love the open ceiling to floor windows and ceiling fans going. Very NOLA!"

Casamento's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (397) • $$

"You go for the oysters. It's that simple. The raw oysters are fresh, delicious and reasonably priced. I tried the gumbo which was decent. Also tried the meatball loaf, about the only non-seafood item. The meatballs were good but too much bread for my taste.Go for the oysters."

Taranto's Crawfish

★★★★★ 4.5 (294) • $$

"My husband and I have eaten here multiple times throughout the years. He got the crawfish platter ( usually my go-to as well) and I tried the Dungeness crab platter for the first time. As usual the crawfish were perfect but that crab y'all was AMAZING. Services was top notch , as usual. We love this place"

Ruffino's

★★★★☆ 4 (353) • $$$

"I attended a group dinner here . The atmosphere was nice and the lighting was perfect. The room was a little tight due to our party size. Our server was attentive and knew the group menu well. I enjoyed the fish Katie but the bread pudding stole the show."

Roux & Brew Seafood and Steak House

★★★★☆ 4.2 (317) • $$

"We stopped here on the way to Florida since it's not far from I-10 and so happy we found it! Everything was delicious! The blueberry passion fruit cocktail is delicious and refreshing! The trout crawfish etoufee was great with bold flavor and the grilled shrimp was perfect! I didn't even use the butter sauce so saved calories and still enjoyed! The steamed veggies and green beans are delicious and came with good amounts! The service was friendly attentive and young! One side is called the patio but I think it's the bar side which had a good sounding vibe but since we were driving and in a hurry we didn't get to enjoy that side! The restaurant is ideal for a casual date or for a family with kids to eat in a big booth! Yes I recommend this place and will keep it on my list of places to stop off during my beach trips!"

Phil's Marina Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (315) • $$

"I've lived around the Gulf Coast for most of my life and have always been a seafood lover. Phil's is the best I've ever had. My Liz had the Snapper Devereaux and I had the Veal Nicole and we shared. Both were outstandingly good. The snapper was garnished with a white wine sauce with mushrooms and Gulf shrimp. The veal had a lump crabmeat topping. Both were exquisitely good. Also worthy of mention was the gouda cheese grits and the blue cheese dressing on my salad and the creole dressing on Liz's. 100 stars!"

Bear's Po Boy's at Gennaro's

★★★★☆ 4.2 (297) • $$

"Ok Yelpers, this is officially my top choice for a fully dressed roast beef or french fry with roast beef debris poboy in the New Orleans area. Oh man, the perfect blend of mayo, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and Leidenheimer French bread. There is Louisiana hot sauce and Tabasco on the table. The waitresses will gladly bring out extra gravy if you ask. The only problem is the wait, it took 40 minutes after we ordered to get our food. There is a sign on the wall stating the possible long wait during peak hours. By this time my glass Barqs root beer was not cold. So use the supplied paper towels at your table cause you'll need them. Enjoy! Eat local."