Cafe Pontalba

We came to New Orleans for an extended weekend. I've visited many times over the years but my friend had never been. We made sure to stay in the French Quarter so she could get the tourist experience. We ate here for our first meal in New Orleans. They have all the favorites people want to try and it's right in the center of attractions, so we could eat, drink, and people watch.

I am not really a French Quarter kinda girl, but this was a really great choice for a late evening stop in. The crab cakes and those gator bites are EVERYTHING!! Plus it looks directly out onto Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral. Great for people watching and hearing the wonderful sounds of NOLA!!

This is a nice little restaurant in the middle of Jackson Square. The food is Cajun and Creole. The hostess stands at the door entrance and seats you right away. Once seated, the waitress comes over. They both were friendly and welcoming. They have a bar with 4 or 5 signature drinks. The menu has a nice variety of options. The waitress explained both menus in detail. My daughter and i both chose the seafood Platter, and she was able to substitute her oysters for more shrimp. The food was delivered in a timely matter. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious .The spices were just right. You get fries , french bread, and hushpuppies with it. The prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere was fun.

I was so excited about this place - absolutely perfect location, breezy, but left a little underwhelmed unfortunately. I ordered the shrimp and grits that looked like they were out of a magazine! (Photo below) However, the shrimp were super overcooked so they were hard - but flavor spot on if they were cooked less. Grits and and poached eggs were yummy too. However, as we were leaving the largest cockroach I have ever seen was crawling up the wall - which caused quite a stir in the restaurant when someone screamed, lol. Obviously, those little guys are everywhere in the south, but a little shocking to say the least 🤣

This was my favourite restaraunt in the French quarter in terms of variety, freshness, price point and taste. They have all the New Orleans classics on the menu and the service is great. Don’t skip the fish of the day!! Bathrooms are small and kind of dirty- but that’s the case everywhere in the French quarter.