This restaurant let me down so terribly bad. The area has a smaller option of food places than I'll used to but this place had good reviews. There are good points to my review and if you want to just rest those just skip to the bottom. DECOR: From a racial standpoint is is rather surprising to see some of the decor. The place is called "Cotton," nothing wrong there but when the biggest visible wall decor you have is multiple pictures of people of color in cotton fields that is disturbing. The fact that the vast majority of there customer are not people of color adds to how this doesn't sit well with me. The actual booth tables to me were kinda uncomfortable which may be that it was just too low and my knees touched. My elderly mother who's birthday is the reason we attended needed a chair but they sat too low and sunk in. SERVICE: Now the staff is a very tricky one. Honestly EVERYONE EXCEPT our actually waiter was polite. I didn't catch his name there but my receipt says Paul. He was a somewhat older gentleman with glasses and a somewhat tanned complexion as I am unsure of his ethnicity. From the beginning he had a rushed and generally unpleasant demeanor. We had a larger table and he didn't really move around much to accommodate both sides. He also touched inside of plates which to me is not something you do on a surface someone else shall be eating from. Now I will note as a disclaimer we had one member of our party who didn't want to be there so she was not the best customer. She was unresponsive at times with her ordering, which can definitely come off rude. That said he is in service. Deliver Service! When she takes too long ask if she needs time and return later. He would without any words just walk off to another table while she read over the menu. But it wasn't just her he was not polite to any of the table. He didn't check on us really nor put in any care when there. NICE LADY: I must note between talking of Paul's poor service there was a young white lady who I believe was a hostess who was the epitome of great service. The place was very busy on the evening which you could tell by her hurried pace but anytime I spoke with her she had a caring and polite demeanor even at her rushed pace. I even informed her of how nice she was to which she responded it's my job but no she was nicer than necessary which says something about her. Back to Paul he messed up orders. I requested no oysters got oysters. My sister has the wrong dish brought out. There was a completely extra dish brought that no one ordered. The food took extraordinary but long to come out so we didn't want to wait for more but food being prepared.They were so completely swamped all night that we were given the table bread after our appetizers which is not a strike to him but the fact he never addressed it is. But that I spoke with the aforementioned lady about them. Paul twice made mistakes bringing out our split checks and we actually had to go with him to their register. He could've simply written down the adjustments instead of relying on his memory that failed. GOOD PARTS: Now for my good speaking. The design of the place was nice expect for a few poor choices in decor. Had a nice rustic feel. As I said expect for our waiter there was no other worker I would speak bad of. The food had highs and lows. The boudin balls were delicious with the sauce that came with them. When the table bread did come it was also very delicious with the honey butter it came with. Like really delicious. I also got a pineapple juice with strawberries made by the bar that was solid. The seafood platter I had was okay. It had a bit to heavy a seasoning on it for me and had oysters I requested to not have. I also liked their, I believe, house made dipping sauces it came with. The food would've garned a 3 star from me based on what I tasted. Paul became somehow caring and apologetic for any problems once we were paying. The check came with an automatic gratuity of 20% for our group of 9 which included 4 children. I personally was objective to the gratuity given our service but others were okay so I didn't speak on it. The 20% is also rather high for an automatic gratuity but that's the restaurant. Of course I didn't tip anything additional. MY RATING: With the such poor service we received there is no way I could give this place anything above this 1 star. And given that highly uncomfortable racial decor I don't see me returning. read more

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Beautiful restaurant and great menu - so hard to choose!! The deer camp meatloaf is AMAZING! Cocktails on point!

Great atmosphere and good service. Food was wonderful! Highly recommend, they're accommodating to little ones as well! read more

I can't comment on the food because I didn't eat when I was there, but I did spend time at the upstairs bar and it was very nice. Good choice of liquor and although the bartenders were a little non observant to the patrons sitting at the bar, they made a good drink. Casual and low key, good choice to chill. Next time I'm going to try the food! read more

Awesome food, service, and really cool atmosphere. Our server Jared was spectacular! Duck wraps were out of this world. Highly recommend.

Really great steak kabob: tender and cooked to a perfect medium! Love the architecture.

I walked into this restaurant was amazed by how beautiful it was until I turned to my left and saw a giant mural sized portrait of slaves picking cotton. I couldn't stop staring at it the whole night and was honestly just amazed that they decided to decorate such an amazing space with such disgusting images of black suffering, pain and slavery. I didn't get a closer look at the other parts of the restaurant, but Another reviewer actually showed more racist images throughout the restaurant. Like, couldn't you just have pictures of beautiful cotton fields? Did you have to decorate your restaurant with slavery? The food was good for the area but pricy with small portions - even if this restaurant was in New Orleans the prices would be high. The crawfish pasta was excellent. The crab gnocchi was too fishy and a bit over cooked. Waiters are nice but a bit frazzled. If it wasn't for the racist decor I'd give it a 3 or 4 stars, but I don't know if I could eat here again. Owners should be ashamed of themselves. read more

One of the underrated spots in downtown Monroe. We like the brunch menu a lot here and stop in from time to time. We've always had a good meal here. The steak menu is limited but the filet I did have was perfect. read more

I'm so glad we stopped here. We did not have a reservation, so we probably had about a 30 minute wait. So, ummm ... Get a reservation. We ended up sitting in a bar upstairs that backs to the river. Lovely! Unfortunately, the weather did not permit us to sit on the outdoor patio. This restaurant is in an old building on the corner. You may not see the sign at first -- we didn't. It is a dark vertical sign that hangs on the corner of the building. There is no sign at all on the door. The Louisiana Strawberry salad is uh-may-zing! Get it! And don't share! I mean that! I also had the grits and collards. Not being Cajun, I prefer my collards without spice, but they were still enjoyable. The grits were too salty - and I'm a salt lover. Hubby had the Pork Belly - yummy! And, the Shrimp & Grits - Spicy! Service was slow - I'm not sure whether that is a common problem. I would definitely return here -- preferably, with a reservation. read more

Cotton - Braised Collards and Grits - Southern Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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Hard to believe there is such a great restaurant in north Louisiana but this is the place. Rich in flavor and drinks can't be beat .. this place has it all. Regular menu is delicious but the specials are even better. Don't pass at a chance to eat here. read more

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The food was incredible. The meatloaf is a must try and the service was fast and efficient. The vibe of the restaurant is also very revitalized and looks very antique. read more

I've been on a Sunday when it's packed and with my husband and his work friend when it was almost empty. Both times I was in love with the food! The duck wraps and deviled egg appetizer was heaven. Their duck fat fries are also really good, I enjoyed my burger and I've never seen food that didn't look good. We shared a fried berry pie with ice cream and it was delicious. read more

Sitting here for brunch, I ordered small biscuits for app and Cane and Leaf salad with grilled shrimp along with a draft beer. Biscuits were good but was told no jelly after biscuits were brought out . Salad was fresh and tasty, but with only 3 grilled shrimp. Shelbie was courteous and attentive. I was charged $8 for the three shrimp which seemed a bit excessive as well as the $8 for a draft beer. read more

Historic building with interesting history. Waitress was great and explained everything. Drinks were awesome but took a little while to get to us. We went early and there were only a few folks in the restaurant. The food was amazing. We stoped in on a whim because we were passing through but would go back if in the area again. read more

The menu could be more creative. Very generic Louisiana restaurant dishes. Deer meatloaf was good but upset my stomach, and I eat deer almost daily. Atmosphere not as nice as I expected. Okay place for a date night. Very friendly staff. read more

The building itself was beautiful, nestled nicely off the water in a historic brick and industrial style building. That unfortunately is where the good news ended, our server started off friendly and then disappeared, quite literally forgot his notepad then was gone for 10 or so minutes. After that point he couldn't be bothered with us. We had to ask for refills of drinks when they were evidently empty. The steak was delicious but the venison was over peppered (which I understand can be a preference) then the pasta was over salted. Bummer of an experience, would not recommend, and won't be back. read more

Good food,good service, great ambience Always served with a smile. Bacon Wrapped DuckBlue CrabBlue Crab GnocchiCheeseburgerCochon De LaitDeviled EggsDuckDuck Wrapped JalapenoDuck WrapsFried ChickenFried OysterLouisiana Strawberry SaladMississippi Mud PieMuscovy Duck WrapsPickingsPork ChopPulled Pork SandwichSkilletSmoked Pork BellyTrio of BeefVenison Schnitzel. read more

While in town to see Duck Dynasty's headquarters we happened onto Cotton. What an amazing motif for a perfectly named restaurant. The service was perfect and their delicious array of dish options was impressive. They have fun dishes to choose from. The facility was clean and their attention to esthetics doesn't go unnoticed. read more

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I was looking for a spot to celebrate my birthday... I read a few of the reviews, and I made my reservations. The best decision I could have ever made! Because I am a vegetarian, I had the gnocchi made vegetarian style. The flavors were bold and I tried to savor it all (I usually eat relatively fast). For what I would consider dessert, I have sweet potato Brulé. That too was an excellent choice. I will definitely be back with my friends for other occasions and gatherings as it is the perfect spot to just meet up and have a great time. Generally, I take pictures of my food and the location... This time I wanted to capture everything from a first person experience, and while I don't have photos to share, the memories are forever embedded in my mind!! read more

Saw this on yelp and how people were crazing about the chef because he was from TV Show "CHOPPED". Driving there was a bit sketch and I had a hard time finding it because I didn't feel like there was any sign or the sign for the restaurant wasn't very big so I nearly missed it even though my GPS said "you have arrived." Conveniently across the street there is a free mini parking lot, I think it had 2 or 3 hour time limit? The restaurant itself was really cool looking. I loved the look of the whole restaurant, felt like I went back in time. I sat at the bar since I was on a business trip so it was just myself. The couple next to me had the most amazing looking drink. It was called the Ole Smokey. Literally, they make your drink and put some glass covering on top of it and smoked it. The coolest thing I have ever seen. They said it's a popular drink there, now I know why. The bartender described it as a smoked version of an Old Fashioned. Unfortunately, not much of a fan of whiskey or would have loved to try it (plus I was driving). Per the bartender's suggestion, I ordered the cochon du lait. Honestly, I had high expectations knowing that the chef was from Chopped but was disappointed in my meal. Felt like the pork was very chewy and the plate overall lacked in good flavor. But because of the venue and the cool looking drink that I witnessed, I'm willing to try another dish next time and hopefully it'll be better. read more

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The food, staff and atmosphere are amazing! We love the cheeseburgers at cotton. I am giving this restaurant three stars because there is not a changing table in the bathroom. read more

I eat at Cotton 3 - 4 times a month and tend to sit at the bar. This past week we sat in the dining room since my Mom was with us. Apparently the night we were in, there was a skeleton staff which is not unusual with Covid and all restaurants are facing staffing issues. Our server got our drink orders somewhat confused, no big deal. Got appetizers correct. Got 2/3 dinner orders correct and offered to swap the incorrect order out for the correct one. I declined and accepted what was served. My partner ordered redfish which was tasty however the filet was cooked with the lateral line intact. Unfortunately, when cooked the lateral line tends to be a really bitter, grey and unappealing mess that has to be picked out. I mentioned this to our server and asked her to mention to the chef which she did. The response she relayed from the kitchen was it was the fault of the supplier. I call BS on this. I've cleaned and cooked all sorts fish both freshwater and saltwater and would never leave the lateral line in for the reasons I listed above. That aside, things were decent from an overall experience with one exception - I accidentally forgot my leftovers on the table and didn't realize until we had gotten in the car. Called restaurant less than 5 minutes later and was told table had been cleared and leftovers were discarded. My fault to be sure, but frustrating all the same. I did send a note via the restaurant's website regarding the evening but have yet to receive a response beyond an automated email thanking me for my inquiry. Will eat there again as I'm fond of the lunch menu and Mom likes the steak. read more

The food and hospitality was phenomenal!!! We are from Indianapolis and had a great dining experience with you guys... great job!!! read more

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GET THE DUCK WRAPS! They are amazing! Get one order for each person as there are only 4 per order. The drinks were delicious! I had the pear martini and the hibiscus lemonade. Both were divine! The braised pork belly on the bed of greens and black eyed peas were to die for!! Loved the service and ambience. Definitely a cute date night! read more

Cotton - Southern Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

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I've now eaten at Cotton for my 3rd time, the 1st time the food was decent, the 2nd time, I went for brunch, my husband and I loved their biscuits but wasn't impressed with anything else, I thought maybe the cook was just off that day. The 3rd and last time, I can say everything we had was diner food at best, I had fish was not cooked good it was chewy, the butter sauce was so thick, it was all I could taste. My husbands country fried venison was super thin, so well done it was like eating French fries the meat was cooked to nothing. We both had brussel sprouts as our side, I honestly think they were pulled out of the freezer and cooked in the microwave, they were so nasty. For the price I expect better then microwaved food, oh let me add it was freezing inside, I hope this place steps it up!! read more

Very nice place. Great food. Great location also. Nice staff very friendly . It is one of the better places to eat out with family in Monroe

Wow, amazing restaurant. We went for brunch. Start with the duck wraps appetizer. It won't disappoint. Everything was amazing, including the duck fat fries, biscuits, meatloaf, and chicken. If you want a side of fruit, you're going to get this jam type dish. It's so good to pop onto any of your meals! The serve staff was very nice. The food is made to order so it takes a little longer than normal. The burger was just okay, not great. I am just passing through Monroe but I'll definitely be back to try the dinner menu. So pleased I found this place! Yum!! It's quick on the interstate too! read more

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2nd visit and it's clear the management has changed. Our first visit left us feeling well served and like we'd had dinner had an upscale restaurant. This visit was more like Friday night at Chili's. Our server was all over the place even with only three other tables in the whole place. There were two other servers working, but ours was constantly running back to the bar to hang out with the other servers. We had the duck wraps, side salads, shrimp and grits, and seafood platter. All of the food was fine, but not wow. We paid $100 plus tip. I don't mind paying for good food, but I expect it to be exceptional at those prices. The shrimp and grits had nice size shrimp and a very small portion of grits all drowning in gravy. I like hear, but it was so spicy that it didn't really have any flavor. The seafood platter was three small pieces of fish, a couple of fried oysters, three shrimp, two huge hush puppies, and fries. Our salads were spinach leaves with two slices cherry tomatoes, two slivers of cucumber, and a piece of onion. My experience was not on the level I expected from a place like Cotton. read more

Not the best experience both times I've been there Atmosphere is lacking and music is too sappy Food was meh. The best thing they had were the biscuits. I'd eat those every day read more

Visiting from out of town, and the bartender Kiara recommended the Cochon de Lait, which was basically a pulled pork meatloaf on top of collard greens and creamy black eyed peas. Holy cow it was good! One of the best dishes I've eaten in a long time! The cocktails were great, too. read more

Cotton - Cochon De Lait - Southern Near Me - Monroe, Louisiana

Oh my goodness!!!! Amazing food, amazing customer service. I ordered ALL of their appetizers and they did not disappoint!!! The chef was gracious enough to make me two to go orders of Fried Chicken Skins!! Will definitely return!!! read more

This place was delicious. Upon being seated from our online reservation we received ice cold water, and biscuits with apple butter. Started off with a yummy pear rosemary cocktail that they lit on fire! Nice touch. The Honeysuckle lemonade cocktail was way too sweet, and glass of Cab Sauv was pricy for a house wine and nothing to write home about. Appetizers for us were duck fat fries and wedge salads all were tasty choices. The Campfire Redfish was delicious, it came with a bacon cheddar potato pancake that was rich in flavor. Shrimp and sausage grits were also very good and a classic dish for Louisiana. The Blue crab gnocchi was flavorful, but the gnocchi was overdone. Enjoyed the location near the bridge, and there is a bar upstairs called Planters. The keg coolers were down so there was no beer available to serve. Also, if you are a vegetarian they have no entrees for you at all, very unfortunate that you will have to survive on sides and appetizers. This place was nice and air conditioned with cute decor inside, and our server was very sweet. read more

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Always enjoy the atmosphere and good tasting good! The gnocchi dish is to die for! That honey butter they give with the biscuits- *chefs kiss*! I always ask for what our waiter/waitress recommends, as everything on the menu has been delicious so far! Love coming here with my husband for date night! Excited to try their brunch menu! read more

Had the Pond & Gulf entree & it was fantastic. Savory sauce over a bed of stone ground grits... this dish really hit the mark. Great job! Ambiance was nice & the bartender made a formidable old fashioned. read more

Made a reservation ahead of time to be left standing waiting for a table and having to be seated upstairs in a different bar with my mother who can't go up stairs very well and is on oxygen. Took over an hour for us to get our food which besides the steak was subpar. Very disappointed because I was expecting to give my mother a very nice experience for Mother's Day but that wasnt what we received for going to such an upscale restaurant. all of the staff were very kind and attentive but management needs an overhaul. read more

The food has some unique flavors and combinations, and was good but it was overpriced for what you get. The atmosphere was nice. Overall experience was decent but for the cost it just wasn't worth it for us. read more

We stopped to celebrate an accomplishment in our family, and we're very pleased with this blind pick. The drinks, dinner, and desserts were an unexpected delight! August was an attentive and friendly help during dinner. Can't wait to return when we are back in town. read more

Good food. Good service. Friendly servers. Place is very pretty and I love the rustic decor. Over amazing place.

My guest and I enjoyed an early dinner at Cotton. Good parts: Wonderful filet steak with great flavor and properly cooked (Worcestershire butter sauce the best), excellent blackened redfish with nice portion and good seasoning. Not so good: side of fries came lukewarm, happy hour wine pour substantially less than regular pour. read more

Perfect food - once again (we stop often on trips back east), service was even better. Our most recent experience just reminded us of why we live this restaurant. Kudos to Heather and Brooke for their service - and to the chef for the food. read more