Cornet

The Mardi Gras Gods must have been thinking of me. While my trip to New Orleans was weeks before the main parade, I was not aware that there were numerous Mardi Gras parades in those weeks leading to the main event. So, I took the opportunity to secure a balcony ticket at the Cornet ($235 for 3 hours), for an afternoon parade that would pass its location on Bourbon Street. The deal included an open bar and an all you can eat menu of rice & beans, jambalaya, gumbo and chicken & rice. This was a private set up on the second floor that also included a DJ. There was direct balcony access. Beads were available for purchase in $5 and $10 packets. Visibility was pristine, you were there in the midst of it all, but on the balcony, away from the crowds below. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it was definitely a party to remember. Food choice, though limited, was good. Service from the staff was also well executed. A major snag, however, was that they oversold tickets (even though they advertised that they do not). As a result, when it was parade time to move to the balcony (adjoining the bar and food area), there was no first row room for everyone. You needed to be strategic, to secure a spot, if you wished to throw beads to the crowds below. To make this happen, you had to time your food and restroom breaks wisely, if you wished to make full use of your high priced ticket and be part of the action.

This was a location I had the pleasure to go to on a food tour I was a part of. It was a two-story building with big wrought iron balconies where outdoor seating was available. There was a small bar on the lower level that had a number of televisions. They served authentic Cajun and creole cuisine. The staff was attentive and helpful.We were served the Cajun chicken and sausage jambalaya. This was a traditional dish done exceptionally well. The Cajun flavoring really came through in the dish. The rice was cooked ideally and there was an adequate amount of sausage and chicken pieces.Will I go back? No doubt.

This place (at the time of our dining on Ja 31 2025) has/had 3.5 stars; that is about right and fair I think based on our experience today. I'm saying so simply based on the quality of the food we had.Coming from the Mile Hight City (Denver to be exact), the southern hospitality in this city known by its moniker, "Big Easy" is so luring especially on Bourbon Street. The guy who was standing on the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Peter Street got our attention with a menu. His friendly and welcoming demeanor simply could not be ignored. We were hungry. My daughter and I were like, "Sure, why not?" He took us to the second-floor balcony for a nice street view of the Bourbon Street.Despite the fact that we were so overdue for lunch (4:00pm), we wanted to eat light with no alcohol (well, my daughter doesn't drink so this only applies to me.) We set our eyes on 1) Fried Alligator (app) and 2) Crawfish Etouffe so we ordered just that.Our waiter, Terrance, was so above and beyond. His attentiveness was top-notch. We wanted to split everything so when we explained that to him he kindly asked the chef to split the Crawfish Etouffe into two different bowls so it would be easier for us to eat (so that is how it came out; this was his decision (asking the chef to split it, we didn't even ask him to do so.) He also asked us if we needed spoons for the Etouffe (to eat something like Etouffe, a spoon is definitely easier than a fork.)I wasn't a virgin to a Fried Alligator dish; I had had it at an African restaurant in Tokyo back in my heyday while I was still living there. Like I thought it tasted like chicken back then, my opinion still remained the same after eating it at Cornet. Well, some may disagree with the way I am describing it but it really doesn't have any distinct flavor so hence "tastes like chicken" description to describe it that it's pretty easy to consume.Now Crawfish is/was a different thing for me. Although it wasn't bad, I also thought that I'd never order crawfish ever again at any restaurant. It tasted a bit "gamy" to me (like eating some wild animal meat.) Although the stew part was nice and buttery, I couldn't get used to the funny or eccentric (almost) gamy flavor of it. It was also a bit chewy. This was a pass for me.Cornet itself is not a bad restaurant in any way. If I ever go back here, I will just have to order something different, something more mainstream like PoBoys or Gumbo.

One of our tour guides mentioned coming through here not only because the food and drinks are good, but it's "where Louie Armstrong's career began." FUN FACT: Louie Armstrong was unofficially adopted by a Lithuanian Jewish family who supported him with practically everything (including buying his first cornet) and shaped the person he came to be. And according to Google, he wore the Star of David as a sign of gratitude to his Jewish benefactors.It was en route to my groups pub/bar crawl, so it was a must stop! We were lucky enough to find enough seats at the bar, so we took it. Cool Yelp perk: you get 50% off an app if you check in! We weren't hungry enough for a meal, but we were in need for palate cleansers (we've made a few pub stops before getting here) so might as well take advantage of the perk! JUBILEE SHRIMP: Creamy with a slight crunch, there was an explosion of flavors on this app. If there was a good starter to serve as a palate cleanser, this is a good one. BOURBON STREET CRAB CAKES: For the price, this is a bargain! Each order comes with 4. Didn't even need the dash of lemon, but it changes the flavor profile to a different level. The crab flavor was the star here and not too many fillers. We enjoyed this app as well. FOOD: 5. SERVICE: 3. Average at best. VALUE: 4. Even more especially with the discount! PARKING: Street. If you're lucky. OVERALL: 4. Kinda cool being at a place that had to do with a legendary musician. The food and drinks were just a bonus. Would return. Would recommend.

People are nice-drinks are strong and they keep 'em coming. Music is an open door away. Carnival season is in full swing and it's fabulous!!

We purchased tickets to be on the balcony for a Mardi Gras parade this was amazing amazing experience and would do it again when we come back! The bartenders were great and good liquor which was surprising considering it was an open bar. Food was good as well all you can eat with tickets! Had the time of our lives well worth every penny thank you for a great experience

We stopped in on Sat night to grab a drink and hopefully sit on the balcony to people watch. We were sat on the balcony at the side street, which we could hardly see Bourbon St. There were open tables on Bourbon St. I ordered the Infused Blueberry cocktail, it was delicious! My boyfriend got a Titos Soda, which was fine. We just had one drink, we really liked our server, but left to go somewhere else.

The food was really good, although the ceiling was leaking next to us, the bartender was great!

I got into New Orleans a few hours before I could check into my hotel so I wanted a place where I could get some food and a drink while watching some of games. Cornet ticked all of those boxes. As I sat there, everything was good and the jambalaya was pretty tasty. Once I got my bill, there was a bunch of random fees on it that left a bad taste in my mouth. They had a non-cash fee, an automatic 15% gratuity, and a nondescript "other fee." The worst part is that they hide these fees by giving you a receipt on the top that doesn't itemize anything and just gives you the total and asks for ANOTHER gratuity. I'm sure they get a lot of people that way but it felt very dirty and made what was otherwise a pleasant experience into this negative review.

Came here for Mardi Gras weekend and was a major disappointment. Everything tasted frozen and microwaved or cheaply fried ( we came in a party of 5) Over priced with hidden fees make for a rip off. Bland tasting food and a high bill tab $ made for a never again experience! Much better restaurants for basic bar style fried foods or cheap pasta with rubbery shrimps.