5. NOLA Restaurant

One of the BEST restaurants in the Quarter
I go to New orleans every year in the fall and every year, this is one of my musts. From the moment you walk in the door you're greeted with a warm smile and delicious fragrances from the open style kitchen. We like to dine at a certain table and they always make sure we get it. The appetizers are fantastic, try their Cosmopolitan with homemade pineapple infused vodka, its delicious. My favourite dish is the southen buttermilk chicken but everything I've had is always incredible. For dessert I recommend the Funky Monkey ice cream, its not on the menu anymore but they frequently have it. Over all the experience is wonderful, you are well cared for and the food definitely something to write home about. Give it a try, but call in advance to make a reservation or chances are you won't get in.

Disappointed
After reading the menu on line, I had great expectations for Nola when I arrived in New Orleans last weekend. Unfortunately, the best part of dining there was reading the menu. Our table was ready upon arrival, and we were taken to the upstairs dining room by elevator. Our waiter came immediately, but only asked if we wanted sparkling or still water - we were not asked if we wanted a cocktail! I guess since the bar is located downstairs, it's too much of a hassle to bring cocktails up and down the elevator? The dining room tables were arranged very closely - uncomfortably so. And it was like an echo chamber! So loud that every one in my party was practically screaming. It took about 10 minutes for our waiter to come back and take our food and wine order. Luckily he brought the wine out before our appetizers! I had the crab cake and it was REALLY mediocre. It was overly breaded and overly fried. It looked and tasted like something from TGI Fridays or Chili's. My entree was the duck, and the portion size was double what I expected. It had good flavor, but was overcooked so that the skin was tough. The accompanying corn bread pudding was really average, and the vegetables were under cooked and almost raw. I had an Irish Coffee for an after dinner drink. I don't know how you make a bad Irish Coffee, but they somehow managed. It was the worst Irish Coffee I ever had. Also, the door directly to the ladies room is right in the upstairs dining room, so if you're unfortunate enough to get seated close to it, you have a steady stream of women walking past your table. I wouldn't recommend it and am sorry I went there when I could have had a much better dining experience almost anywhere else.

Have eaten at NOLA many times, but last night's meal was the worst. Veggies were cold and undercooked. Filet Mignon was small and over cooked. Sent it back - 2nd filet was done to perfection, yet still very small. Dessert was bland. My wife's Pork Chop Porterhouse one half was dry, while the other half was done perfectly - go figure. Her veggies were barely cooked. Wine selection was wonderful. Water was not served with either lemon or lime. Restaurant was extremely noisy.