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Brigtsen's Restaurant

4.5 (499 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 8:30 PM

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BRIGTSEN'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Intimate
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Brigtsen's Restaurant

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Ron L.

Brigtsens Restaurant is one of the finest restaurants in New Orleans, which has the best food in the country. Need I say more. This restaurant run by the famous Cajun Creole chef, Frank Brigtsens who is still in the kitchen while nursing a bad back with his lovely wife and wonderful waitstaff know what they're doing and they do it well - serving deliciously prepared Cajun creole cuisine in a beautiful old warm house. Down by Riverbend, you enter the house with a long hallway that opens up into three small dining areas of the house with a small bar and tight, small kitchen that enables the chef and assistants to work together to produce consistently delicious food. I started learning which dishes I could eat since I'm gluten intolerant. The excellent server went down the menu and I had a large selection to choose from as they change their menu frequently. I was dining with two local friends, one who had never eaten at this restaurant. I ordered the: Butternut Shrimp Bisque. This was a velvety tasty cup with a slight bite to it. For my main I ordered the Blackened Tuna with Smoked Corn Sauce, Black Bean Salsa & Avocado Sour Cream. The Blackened Tuna had a smoky flavor and not the sometimes harsh seasoning of blackened fish with an incredible smoked corn sauce. This plate was finger licking good. As excellent as my dish was, one friend ordered Roast Duck with Orange Pepper Jelly Glaze and Dirty Rice Grilled Redfish with Crawfish & Pistachio Lime Butter Herbsaint Creamed Spinach Oyster, Artichoke Baked Oyster, Crawfish Cornbread w/Jalapeno Smoked Corn Butter * Crawfish Calas with Green Onion Sauce Lemon Creme Brûlée

Airline Chicken
Angie D.

We had a very lovely COOLinary experience at Brigtsen's! We made reservations and were seated as soon as we walked in. Our server Amanda was extremely knowledgeable and helpful when it came to ordering. My husband was shy of the bisque because of the sirracha in it but she brought us the bottle so he could read the ingredients because it was Tabasco brand instead or the usual, he decided to go ahead and order it and he loved it. My watermelon salad was very fresh and I loved the dressing. Husband had the airline chicken and I had the pan roasted pork chop, both served with vegetables and mashed potatoes. I was a little worried the pork chop would be too heavy but not at all! The andouille gravy is very light but big on flavor. Everything was perfect with the sides. We both cleaned our plates but also really wanted dessert too. He had the pecan pie with caramel sauce and I went with the light and absolutely delightful lemon crème brûlée- wow!!! The restaurant is in a small old house so it's not very big but it's comfortable. We ate every bite of all our dishes and walked out very happy. I highly recommend.

Shrimp Remoulade
Marc G.

I've wanted to eat here forever, and tonite was the night. The restaurant is located inside a converted old home. Important to know when you are seeking reservations; there are tables in three different dining rooms, and some in the entrance hallway. Although the food is amazing, I think that the experience is best in one of the dining rooms and not at one of the two tops in the hallway. The service is friendly and efficient, as it is in all the best New Orleans restaurants. We started with the shrimp remoulade, and the New Orleans barbecue shrimp. The shrimp remoulade was interesting as it was served with quartered deviled eggs, and homemade guacamole. The New Orleans barbecue shrimp were served with a Cajun rice croquette, and the most amazing sauce. Make sure you get plenty of bread and don't leave a drop behind. Our mains were the duck, and the seafood platter, otherwise known as the "Shell beach diet". The duck was an entire half that had been boned, roasted beautifully, and served with a tart cherry sauce and dirty rice. One of the most delicious duck preparations I've ever had. The seafood platter included an amazing piece of grilled red fish topped with shrimp in a butter sauce, as well as two different stuffed oyster preparations, perfectly fried calamari with a cherry pepper aïoli, and a crock of freshly made cornbread with mudbug tails, served with plenty of butter on top. The waiter said it was designed to serve one, but the portion was huge. At the end of the meal, we were too stuffed to try dessert, but the pecan pie with caramel sauce that was brought to another table looked amazing . Highly recommended for an amazing Cajun/Creole meal in New Orleans.

Eggplant parmesan
shrey d.

There's a certain expectation that comes with dining at a restaurant built around a celebrated chef's name--an expectation not just of technical competence, but of intention, restraint, and respect for the ingredients. This visit, regrettably, delivered very little of that. The evening began on an oddly dissonant note: being asked to sit in a hallway while dining. Not a lounge, not a bar--simply a passageway. It's a small detail, but in restaurants that aspire to polish, these are precisely the moments that signal whether hospitality is an afterthought or a discipline. Even the most basic overture--the bread service--set the wrong tone. At $3.50, the charge itself isn't the issue; many great restaurants charge for bread and elevate it accordingly. Here, however, the bread was dry, lifeless, and entirely without character. If anything, it felt like a placeholder rather than a deliberate offering. The meal itself unfolded with a similar lack of coherence. The BBQ shrimp was, to its credit, excellent--well-balanced, properly executed, and the only dish that suggested the kitchen is capable of focus. Everything else, however, felt rushed, indifferent, or simply misjudged. The seafood platter was the clearest example. A majority of it leaned on undersized redfish, giving the impression of skimpiness rather than composition. The calamari arrived soggy--an unforgivable flaw for something so fundamentally dependent on texture. In a city where most restaurants serve different seafood platters, this one close to $50 was one of the most careless ones I have had. The oysters were even more perplexing: one paired with what tasted unmistakably like canned, sour artichoke, the other buried under creamed spinach so bland it muted everything around it. These weren't bold choices; they were careless ones. The eggplant parmesan followed suit--soft where it should have been crisp, lacking structure, and paired with pasta that tasted indistinguishable from inexpensive boxed varieties. At roughly $30, the absence of both protein and craft made the dish feel less like a considered offering and more like an obligation on the menu. What's most disappointing isn't that the meal had flaws--every restaurant has off moments--but that the flaws pointed in a consistent direction. This didn't feel like a kitchen taking risks and missing; it felt like a kitchen cutting corners. When soggy calamari makes it onto a featured seafood platter, and even the bread arrives as an afterthought, it suggests a prioritization of throughput over integrity. I have seen great chefs prioritize quality ruthlessly over what goes out of kitchen and the place I really wanted to support, that adherence to quality was no where to be seen. Having dined extensively at all tiers of restaurants both locally and across the country, this stands out--not for ambition or originality--but for how underwhelming it ultimately was. Perhaps it was an off night. But if so, it was one that revealed more than it concealed.

Daniel L.

My wife took me to here for my first dining experience in a home like restaurant. Super friendly service and delicious food. We got the gumbo and seafood platter, both are delicious. I like the grilled fish with pistachios sauce the most, very unique flavor.

BBQ Shrimp ($19)
Mina H.

I know everyone loves this place, but for us, it was SO subpar. We went for a birthday dinner, and we were frankly extremely disappointed. Maybe we just ordered the wrong items and the other items are better? Maybe we just went on an off day? I have no idea how we had such a terrible experience here. This is a tiny single house that has been turned into a restaurant located off of Leake Ave. (honestly, not a prime location). Because of the nature of the building, there are not a lot of spaces for tables, and reservations are needed. You should note, if you are a couple, there is a high chance you will be seated at a small table in a dingy narrow hallway where the wait staff will always walk by you to get to the kitchen, the patrons will walk by you to get to a coat rack and/or bathroom. Some people even bumped our table. Okay, here's a breakdown of the dishes we tried: *Bread with butter ($3.50) - It was warm, but it wasn't soft or tasty. It was such mediocre bread. Save your money, it's not even worth the $3.50 that they charge you. If they make it in-house, they need a new recipe. *BBQ Shrimp ($19) - This was the only fantastic item we had. We should have ordered two of these and then called it a day. This was delicious. Flavorful and perfectly cooked. It's an appetizer, so the portion is small (6 shrimp) though. *Eggplant Parmesan ($28) - This was not great, but the redeeming quality was the sauce. The tomato sauce was excellent with a perfect flavor. Not too acidic, not too sweet, well seasoned. However, the breading was so bad on the eggplant. It was flavorless and already soggy when we received it. The pasta was overcooked and of bad quality (like cheap box noodles from a grocery store). Pasta is so easy to make... For the price, I would have expected fresh pasta served al dente. This item doesn't even have a protein, so why is it almost $30 for cheap grocery store noodles? *Seafood platter ($48) - This was overall awful. The redfish with the shrimp pesto butter were actually good, but the redfish was SO tiny (about half the size of my palm) and it came with 3 shrimp. Everything else the "platter" came with was terrible. The cornbread was so dry you needed water to wash down every single bite. The fried calamari was soggy with no seasoning to the breading. The oyster items were the worst oysters I have ever had in my life. I did not know oysters could be cooked so badly. The creamed spinach and oysters were so bland. It's like they just sauteed both in the same pan with no seasonings. The artichoke baked oysters were no better. It was just sour. Like, they mixed some canned artichokes with oysters along with some flour product and shoved it in an oven. I am not kidding when I write that I have never had such horrendous oyster dishes. Whatever you do, do not order their seafood platter. The majority of it is awful. It's considered fine dining, so you can expect the portions to be small, but when the food doesn't even taste good on top of that, you leave feeling like you should go grab something else to eat on the way home. One thing that really bothered me was the lack of diversity for the staff at the front of the house. We live in such a diverse city and for there to be zero diversity for the customer-facing staff, that rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was a rare coincidence and they usually have other staff working front of the house too? I certainly hope so. All in all, take my advice, if you were planning on going to a restaurant in the same price range, go to Mr. B's Bistro instead. You'll get better food, better atmosphere, and you'll spend around the same amount. I felt I completely wasted my money dining here and regretted not just going somewhere else. I heard this place hasn't been the same since Covid, and I could see how that might be the case because I do not know how the prestige nor reputation could be justified.

Chocolate cake
Courtney K.

It's been a while since I visited Brigtsen's, and it's still just an outstanding restaurant all around. My friend and I each had a cup of the gumbo and I had the blackened tuna. Portion sizes are great, and the entrees come with the most delicious creamed potatoes. It's a small place that feels like you're in someone's home. Service is warm and not rushed. The star, though, was the chocolate cake. Oh, my. I don't know if I have ever had such an incredible slice of cake!

The pan fried fish

The quality and taste was absolutely awful. I would have rather had gas station friend chicken for 1/50th the cost of this place. The house this was in was super small and had a musty smell. The food tasted like the smell of the house. I got the fish that was pan fried and it was awful - it tasted exactly like the BBQ shrimp but with extra pepper. Don't waste your money. The server was looking for a huge tip and this was evident. I would pay not to go here. The vegetables were bland and awful with no choice of what veggie. I've had better boxed mashed potatoes and the ones I make at home are sooooo much better than this for $58

Butternut Shrimp Bisque
Colette S.

Very quaint place with fabulous service. Feels like an old home turned into a restaurant- so you get that homey feel as soon as you enter. The bisque was Amazing , could have eaten bowls and bowls . All of our dishes , we mostly chose fish dishes . Flavorful and good portions. Now the dessert - omg. The chocolate cake was so good but the table was about to lose it over the pecan pie. They were about to lick the plate clean. Our waiter was super nice and attentive.

Shrimp Remoulade and Deviled Egg Appetizer

Charming! A historic but somewhat hidden gem. One of my mother's favorite New Orleans restaurants. Our table enjoyed the shrimp/deviled egg appetizer, seafood gumbo, duck and seafood platter. Coffee was delicious but the dessert menu did not garner our interest.

duck
Gabrielle W.

I finally made it over to Brigsten's for my birthday and it truly did not disappoint. Every single dish had an amazing flavor, the cocktails were great, excellent options of wine too! I have no complaints at all. Our server Ben was also very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The vibe of the place feels like you're in someone's home and I really enjoyed how each room had its own art and section. I wish the BBQ shrimp had more shrimp because YUM! It was absolutely divine. The sauce was cooked to perfection- genuinely some of the best I have ever had in the city. The pork was cooked so well & the dijon sauce was the flair it needed. The fish was excellent as well as the duck. Truly, everything was amazing here. I'd recommend this spot & will definitely be back!

Robert H.

NOLA classic does not disappoint, ever! Great good. Great service. Almost makes me want to move to NOLA.....

Omar S.

For years, each time I visited New Orleans, I ate at Brigtsen's. Though I wasn't in a hurry, if it was practical, I'd dine there on the night I got into town. Starting my trip at Brigtsen's reminded me of why I was in New Orleans, and refreshed my memory of old-time menus and ingredients, and of service of a certain style. I didn't recommend Brigtsen's to everyone who asked. Some, I sent to Jack Dempsey's or Deanie's, instead. You only heard about Brigtsen's from me if I thought that you'd understand and appreciate the place. But Brigtsen's menu has grown tired, and, in a couple of recent visits, the dishes I was served seemed prepared by people* who were distracted, preoccupied by things other than prepping, cooking and presenting a pleasing meal. Also, even on a slow night, the service at Brigtsen's was rote and rushed, and left me wondering if, simply by being there, I'd imposed on the staff. These dinners weren't bad; they just weren't what meals at Brigtsen's should have been, and used reliably to be. But it's not all disappointment. I've discovered that Gabrielle Restaurant offers the experience I missed at Brigtsen's, which gives me a suitable alternative: I'll dine at Gabrielle, and check in on Brigtsen's once in a while, to see if things there improve. * An exception: "afters" prepared by pastry chef Samantha Price were textural marvels, flavor-packed creations that should have been heavier than they were. Sadly, Chef Price is gone from Brigtsen's; I hope she's doing well and is still knocking out killer desserts.

Great seasoned fish with creamy avocado sauce.

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Reviews are largely positive. Diners praise the rich, flavorful Cajun-Creole dishes, friendly and attentive staff, and cozy home-like ambiance.

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2 months ago

Everything was outstanding start to finish from the moment. I called for reservations till we got the check. Love this place.

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2 months ago

Food service and overall experience was excellent. Always love going there. A wonderful restaurant

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1 year ago

I love every dish served. Tastes like no other One of my favorite restaurants in NOLA.

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Page 1 of 13

Ask the Community - Brigtsen's Restaurant

Is this place walker accessible?

it might have 1-2 steps to enter as it is an old house. But once you are inside everything is on 1 floor

What is the dress code?

I have been to Brigtsen's many times. There have been times when I went directly from work, and was wearing a suit and tie, and felt perfectly comfortable. Other times, nice jeans and a collared shirt are plenty. Frank, Marna, and Sandy are great… 

Is there a patio?

They do not have a patio

Do I need to make reservations?

Yes definitely

How far in advance do they accept reservations?

3 months

Do they still have the 3 course menu for $16.99?

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Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar

4.4(2k reviews)
3.9 mi•Central Business District
•$$
Casual dining
Happy hour specials

Good food for a good price and good service. We order the…read morecalamari and the oysters charbroiled, I think that the ousters had too much parmesan cheese but you can take it out or ask for less.

Do NOT be steered away from this place! It may not be the fanciest restaurant in New Orleans, but…read morethe seafood was amazing and the service was spectacular. We came in Saturday night without a reservation and only had to wait a few minutes. Our waitress was amazing from the second we sat down. I really wish I remembered her name because she was super attentive, funny, patient, and honestly made the whole experience even better. My boyfriend and I started with the Creole oysters and OMG... probably some of the best oysters I've ever had. They were incredibly flavorful, and dipping the bread into all that sauce afterward was SO good. My mother-in-law had the fried calamari, which came with remoulade, and she really enjoyed it. For my entrée, I had the jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage. It was definitely spicy, but really, really good. My boyfriend and mother-in-law both had the grilled red snapper topped with their creamy crawfish sauce, and they loved it. My father-in-law had one of the oyster specials with shrimp and crawfish, which was also excellent. We finished with dessert... boyfriend and I had a chocolate mousse/cake dessert and my in-laws had the bread pudding. Everything was delicious. The atmosphere was casual and fun, they had the football games playing on the TVs, and our waitress was fantastic the entire night. Just an overall great experience. If you love seafood and oysters, definitely give this place a try. I would 100% come back!

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Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar - Gallier's... Great Seafood & Oysters with Cajun Style

Gallier's... Great Seafood & Oysters with Cajun Style

Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar - We are right off Bourbon Street (Corner of Canal St and Carondelet St)

We are right off Bourbon Street (Corner of Canal St and Carondelet St)

Gallier Restaurant & Oyster Bar - Gallier Special Dozen Oyster

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Gallier Special Dozen Oyster

Hot N Cajun - Oysters

Hot N Cajun

4.3(217 reviews)
3.9 mi•French Quarter

Solid seafood boil but nothing special than any other boil spot I've done to…read more Idk if it was a NOLA thing but no crawfish in stock as I guess we were end of season. Most seafood boil spots still have a supply so on that alone I probably wouldn't return.

Hot N Cajun was easily one of my favorite seafood stops in New Orleans! From the moment that…read moresteaming seafood boil bag hit the table, I knew we were in for a good meal. This was my first time having noodles added to a seafood boil, and let me tell you--they were a GAME CHANGER. The noodles soaked up all that rich, buttery Cajun sauce and seasoning, making every bite ridiculously flavorful. I honestly don't know if I can order another seafood boil without noodles now! Our boil was loaded with crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and egg, and everything came out piping hot and covered in sauce. The seafood was flavorful, the portions were generous, and once we dumped everything onto the tray, it was officially time to get messy. What I really appreciated was how well everything worked together. The noodles weren't just an unnecessary add-on--they caught all that extra sauce that normally gets left at the bottom of the bag. Do yourself a favor and add them! Come hungry, roll up your sleeves, and don't wear anything you're afraid to get Cajun sauce on. Hot N Cajun delivered exactly what I wanted from a New Orleans seafood boil: hot, messy, saucy, flavorful, and satisfying. The noodles alone made this one memorable. Definitely coming back!

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Hot N Cajun - Bar area

Bar area

Hot N Cajun - Dungeness crab cajun

Dungeness crab cajun

Hot N Cajun - Fried Seafood Basket

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Fried Seafood Basket

Bon Ton Prime Rib - Keylime pie

Bon Ton Prime Rib

4.4(120 reviews)
4.0 mi•Central Business District

Went the other night Antonio was our server and did an amazing job. We started with charbroiled…read moreoysters those were so good we ordered another tray, then We got ribeyes and tenderloin, and several sides. The food was amazing, The cocktails were perfect but the Butter cake for dessert stole the show. We were already full but couldn't leave it unfinished. The inside is the perfect, event thought we were dressed casually we weren't made to feel out of place.

I went to Bon Ton Prime Rib for my birthday Saturday 8/29 with a party of 13, and unfortunately,…read morethe experience was a mix of good and bad. The good: The food was really good! Everything we ordered was delicious, and honestly, the food is the main reason I would consider giving Bon Ton another try. I also want to give credit to the host who greeted us. She was extremely friendly, professional, and genuinely tried her best to accommodate my party. The bad: The issue was management. I had a party of 13, and I understood that the restaurant could only seat 10 people at one table. I was told the other 3 guests would be seated at a separate table, and I was completely okay with that arrangement. However, Travis, the front manager, canceled the reservation for my 3 additional guests, so they were never seated. The host was trying her best to help us, but Travis was not very accommodating and made the situation much more difficult than it needed to be. I also asked to speak with a manager because I wanted to understand what happened with the table for my 3 guests. Tre was told that I wanted to speak with him, but he didn't come over when he finished with the table behind me. Instead, he went into the kitchen, came back out, and spoke with my friend instead of me. When he eventually spoke with me, I asked if he was the manager, and he told me no. He also gave me a different name. What makes this even more disappointing is that I wasn't approaching him to complain. I simply wanted to ask about the seating situation and find a solution for my guests. The interaction with management was unnecessary and took away from what should have been a special birthday dinner. I will say again that the food was good enough that I am willing to give Bon Ton another try. Hopefully, next time the service and management experience will match the quality of the food. Shoutout to the host for being kind and trying her best--you could tell she genuinely cared about helping us.

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Bon Ton Prime Rib - Interior of the restaurant

Interior of the restaurant

Bon Ton Prime Rib - Crab cake

Crab cake

Bon Ton Prime Rib - Interior

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Interior

Willie Mae’s NOLA - Hardhide Peach glaze wings

Willie Mae’s NOLA

4.0(496 reviews)
3.6 mi•Warehouse District
•$$

I could smell the chicken a block away. I increased my pace so I could more quickly make it to this…read morebucket-list restaurant, especially since I love fried chicken. There were a few pleasant surprises that I experienced. First, I don't know why, but I expected a hole-in-the-wall establishment. But it was a beautifully updated restaurant with a nice square bar in the center. It's light and bright with a lot of space. I was greeted warmly and sat quickly at the bar. Note, that reservations are required to sit at a table. Walk-up guests must sit at the bar. I was alone so I normally sit at the bar anyway. I was pleasantly welcomed by Nicole who immediately asked if I wanted water or any other drink to start. I got sweet tea since it's my favorite nonalcoholic drink. I ordered the 1/4 chicken dark meat with a side of macaroni & cheese and a piece of cornbread. 2nd surprise. The chicken is spicy, which I forgot from all the shows I've watched about the chicken here. It's just enough to give it a little heat and added flavor. The batter is light and crispy with a hint of buttermilk. The meat is super juicy and delicious. 3rd surprise. I didn't know I would love the Mac and cheese so much. It was more savory than cheesy, which made it stand out above others I've had. The cornbread muffin was a great tie-in with its slightly sweet honey flavor. Savory and sweet. Tender and crunchy. It covered all of the requirements for a perfectly balanced meal. The service was excellent with that perfect Southern touch of sweetness and hospitality. I highly recommend visiting when in New Orleans.

The last time I ate at this restaurant it was in the old location on St Ann Street. My friend…read morewanted to try their gumbo and I was curious to see if the food was still good in the new spot. The decor and vibe is more upscale than the old place and it's bigger. The people are still friendly and welcoming. I ordered fried chicken, butter beans, red beans and rice and candied yams and my friend got the gumbo so we could split the sides and chicken between us. I was able to taste the gumbo before my friend devoured it and it was good! The chicken was perfectly cooked and not greasy. I love the butter beans, I get them every time. The weak link for me were the yams because it was overly spiced with something I'm not sure if it was cloves or nutmeg but it was way too much for me.

Photos
Willie Mae’s NOLA - History in the making!

History in the making!

Willie Mae’s NOLA - Fried shrimp platter

Fried shrimp platter

Willie Mae’s NOLA - 1/4 Fried chicken and Mac and cheese

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1/4 Fried chicken and Mac and cheese

Brigtsen's Restaurant - cajun - Updated October 2026

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