We got take out here near the end of the year. Maybe we couldn't have the duck jambalaya (not available for take out), which seem to be the star (?). And maybe because we got take out, all we can really evaluate closely is the food, which was fine (small portions). We tried a few dishes - rabbit, steak, grits, and the po' boy. They were all ok. Nothing spectacular, which makes me less inclined to return in the future at their price point/portion size for (key point:) food alone. I try to eat it soon after getting it (the way chefs usually want), and I also ate it a day later on reheating... of course the fresh tasting is a bit better, but not too much, so it's good to know it retains the flavor on reheating. But it definitely didn't keep long because there wasn't much in each big takeout box. Maybe it's to mimic what it woulda been on the plate - big plate and a little bit of food. On the bright side, serving size probably great for portion control (seriously, because it's too easy to overeat). However, the service (for take out) and ambiance of the place (when we picked up) was wonderful. Even with a PACKED restaurant, the servers were courteous and not taking their stress (I imagine it's super stressful with a full house!) out on customers. It's a great space and vibe for romantic dates, company outings. So, for that, I can see why folks like to return. It's just not my personal favorite cuppa tea for the food and that's okay. read more

We came here for brunch and had a great experience. Great food, great drinks and great service.

Very good dinner spot that we tried. We got the steak and pork chops and the portion sizes were huge. It will definitely fill you up. We also tried the frog legs and salad with it and it was super flavorful. Service was quick and the place was festive and cozy. read more

We came here for pre-dinner drinks before sitting down for dinner and really enjoyed the vibe. They have a large bar in the middle of the restaurant with very attentive, friendly, and fun bartenders who mixed up great drinks for us - The New Orleans Fire was a favorite. They have more formal seating behind the bar and covered patio seating on both sides of the restaurant. We enjoyed sitting outside and taking in the sights of DC. The food was tasty and well-portioned for the price (and for this restaurant being Michelin-recognized). The boudin balls and steak tartare were great for sharing and the catfish was good - although I was left looking for more of those creole flavors. While service was great at the bar, it was slow and very transactional at the restaurant. Good visit and nothing stood out enough to draw me back for a return. read more

Came here for Sunday brunch and can I say, yum?! Everything here was super delicious. From the drinks, the New Orleans Buck was our favorite! To the fresh food, we ordered the crab cake for brunch, it was super crispy, covered with an egg. We also tried the blackened catfish creole which was also delicious. The only thing was I wished our biscuits came out warm but they were delicious super buttery, flaky and the strawberry jelly was amazing! I loved the live jazz on Sunday afternoons, it brought the vibe of New Orleans to the restaurant. I will definitely be dining here again, I can't wait to try their dinner menu. read more

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Southern food is the best food let me tell you! Stayed at the Le Meridien across the street and didn't know I was so close to such an amazing restaurant. I've heard things about Daphines but never been so it was a good time to try it. The inside is gorgeous, I like having to walk down the stairs to get to my table and seeing all of the beautiful decor. Didn't really have to wait long & the service really gave me that southern hospitality feel if you know what I mean. Food was 10 out of 10 especially the Daphine Oysters and Gumbo but the Catfish was my absolute favorite, I could order that for lunch every single day lolol. What through me off was how good the Pommes Souffle. They are essentially extremely light French fries but elevated to a level you can't imagine. Loved Daphines and I'll be back soon read more

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I love the look/vibe of Dauphine's. That was enhanced by the delicious, well prepared and presented food and excellent service. I had the catfish creole with grits dish as my entree and the brussel sprouts salad for my appetizer. Delicious! Of the four nights i spent in D.C. for work this culinary experience is easily in the top two. I'll be back! read more

Do yourself a favor and try brunch bread basket, boudin and steak & sweet potato hash. Food tastes great and service was fast. read more

Dauphine’s - Order - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Dauphine's has an impeccable atmosphere and beautifully captures the look and feel of New Orleans. The décor is stunning, and the live jazz elevated the experience and gave the restaurant a great NOLA-inspired energy. Unfortunately, the food and service didn't quite match the setting. As someone who frequents New Orleans and is familiar with Cajun and Creole cuisine, I found the food slightly bland and missing some of the bold, rich flavors I was expecting. The menu also felt surprisingly limited, with traditional favorites like shrimp and grits, étouffée, alligator, crawfish dishes, and other Cajun and Creole staples noticeably absent. Service was also subpar. I had to repeatedly ask for refills, and our server frequently disappeared for extended periods, unnecessarily prolonging the meal. Our Resy reservation also indicated that we were celebrating a birthday, but it was never acknowledged. Overall, the atmosphere and live jazz were exceptional, but the food, limited menu, and service fell short of what could otherwise have been a memorable experience. read more

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Was extremely excited to try this place and ended up not eating anything at all. The service was atrocious over the phone. For context: my roommate decided to surprise me with food from Dauphine's after a long day of work. She brought home collard greens and red beans & rice which the server had assured her were vegetarian. I haven't eaten meat in 22 years and so I wanted to call and clarify just to be sure as I know both dishes are generally cooked with sausage & pork. When I called, I received some of the worst customer service of my life. I explained the situation and was met with "well... look it up on our website." I politely responded I had the website pulled up and the menu had no designations on what was vegetarian and what was not. Only what was gluten free. The person on the phone then proceeded to tell me that they were busy and that I would need to come in and ask the chef. I refused stating that was asking a lot for me to drive across town to just ask a question. The person got ruder and asks, "well what DON'T you eat?" I responded, "I'm vegetarian so I don't eat meat, specifically land animals". I went on to say what my roommate brought home and mentioned I knew red beans & rice is usually made with sausage... Person: Yes it does. Me: Okay... she also brought home the collard greens which I know is usually made with pork. (I get cut off by the person) Person: Yes it does. Anything else? I said no and our conversation ended. Needless to say, I will NEVER visit not recommend this place to anyone due to the abysmal service I received over the phone where I was made to feel as if my concerns were not valid and that I was wasting the person's time when I was a customer. Absolutely disgraceful. read more

I made a reservation to Dauphine's to celebrate my partner's birthday. We were especially excited because the restaurant is influenced by New Orleans food, and that's where he was raised. The food itself was good, but the experience and service could have been a bit better, considering this is an elevated restaurant. Though the restaurant interior was beautiful, they put us at the very corner in the upstairs seating, which was comparatively less impressive than their main dining area. Our waitress also kept on rushing us to finish our plates. Granted, we love to order a lot for the entire table, and I would expect communication or a warning about how plates would come out. Instead, she was pushy and kept coming back which made it difficult to enjoy our food thoroughly. Here's what I ordered: Half dozen oysters (9/10) - they had 3 types with different levels of salinity. Every bite was appetizing and fresh! Shrimp and sausage gumbo (4/10) - the dish was lacking seasoning and could've opted for some hot sauce in the dish. there was an option for potato salad or rice on the side. i just didn't expect that choosing potato salad would mean it was right inside of the gumbo! how strange Fries boudin balls (8.5/10) - there was a good rice to meat ratio and had a very even and crunchy coating. i liked the condiments and assortment of pickled veggies it came with. Oysters dauphine (8.5/10) - broiled oysters with spinach and cheese. my partner loved it but i found it just a bit saltier than preferred Duck jambalaya (9/10) - the menu says it's for 2 people but I would argue that it feeds 4 people, just on the rice portion alone. The dish came with a perfectly cooked duck breast, a pile sauerkraut, and duck sausage. They serve the jambalaya rice tableside with it. The rice was by far my favorite part of the meal. It was rich and had some crunch from duck crackling. Highly recommend to anyone going with multiple people. read more

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I had high hopes for Dauphine's, but overall the food was pretty mediocre. The steak was very chewy and difficult to enjoy, and the duck was overly fatty without much balance. The baked shells were fine, but nothing special or memorable. For the price and reputation, I expected more. Unfortunately, this wasn't a meal I'd be eager to repeat. read more

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LOVE LOVE LOVE. Everything started off great with the buttermilk biscuits-buttery and flaky (we also really really love bread). The entrees we ordered were the dirty rice & duck stuffed quail and the bavette steak. I was a bit wary of the quail but it was...spectacular, give me 14 of them. We finished off with the beignets, which made us want to learn how to bake them (still haven't and are depressed about it). We also ate a trio of ice cream but I cannot remember what flavor they were. In love. read more

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I visited for happy hour and I wasn't pleased with the taste of the food. The margarita was great though! Staff was friendly and the restaurant is lovely, just not for my taste buds! read more

Had an excellent experience at Dauphine's delicious food, attentive and upbeat service and chill ambiance. Will be my go to place to dine when I come back to D.C. read more

Beautifully decorated restaurant with classic New Orleans flare. The hostess were amazing!! Kudos to them for knowing their customers and also messaging to change to indoor tables when the weather is chilly. We were celebrating an early birthday dinner and they both greeted me so warmly. On to the food!! We tried the bbq shrimp, oyster dauphine's, creole catfish, yellowtail tuna Au poivre, and birthday beignets! The oysters were my favorite a play on oysters Rockefeller essentially. They were well balanced. The bbq shrimp lacked flavor and ours unfortunately were a tad overdone and chewy. The catfish was light with well balanced acidity of the sauce. The yellowtail tuna was unfortunately lukewarm but the flavor made up for it. Possibly the dish was sitting and waiting for the catfish to be done. Another issue with the tuna was the cut, with stringy texture on one side. The birthday beignets were delicious and surprisingly light and airy. I loved that you could control the amount of powdered sugar. A few more notes, we were seated upstairs next to 3 large parties and it got quite loud and in terms of service we were sometimes forgotten about. The cocktails/mocktails aren't the greatest mine was incredibly sweet and I only took one sip and they took it back. But overall I give this place a four because there were more hits than misses. Check it out! read more

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Food - creole food and we wanted to try it. A slight disappointment that they didn't have some kind of andouille inspired rice dish or even gumbo. Had the andouille and pimento board and pig ear salad. I wanted to try a fish dish but somehow the two orders filled me up. So next time. We also had oysters and wifey said it was good! Service - i forgot the waitress' name, maybe Lucy, but she was so warm and welcoming darling. She's a keeper and perfect example of awesomeness. Ambiance - place was nice and fancy but rockin' place! Verdict - definitely a must try at least once if you are in the DC area! read more

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We went for restaurant week. We enjoyed the eggplant and the jumbo for the first course. The catfish for the main course was not good. It was completely pale and not black or charred at all. The sauce was watered down tomato sauce. The beef for the main course had very inconsistent sizing. Two people in my party had very different sizes. We regret not taking any pictures of the food. We thought that they might do smaller portions for restaurant week. The beignets were dry and could have used sauce. It's a bit ridiculous that you have to pay extra for it. The banana's foster was good but was really just banana bread read more

Little bit of a wait even with a reservation but the heated patio was comfortable. If your group love duck, the duck jambalaya was incredible. The smoky red pepper sauce on the Tasso stuffed chicken was very savory read more

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If you're an oyster lover, this place is an absolute must during happy hour! The happy hour oysters here are the best I've had--fresh, briny, and impeccably shucked. Each one was served chilled on a bed of ice with classic accompaniments like mignonette, lemon wedges, and cocktail sauce, letting the natural flavor of the oysters shine. At such a great price, it's the perfect excuse to indulge. Pair them with a crisp glass of white wine or a craft cocktail from the bar, and you've got the ideal start to your evening. The vibe is relaxed yet lively, and the service is consistently attentive without being overbearing. A true hidden gem for oyster lovers--I'll be back again and again. read more

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Food was good but restaurant add 4% surcharge to bill. When asked why the manager stated "every restaurant in DC and NY does this". Beware the deceptive pricing. read more

I've wanted to try this restaurant for years and finally made it for brunch. We got the Brunch Basket which included buttermilk biscuits, banana bread, scone du jour, seasonal jam, and salted butter. I could have done without this but my friend enjoyed. Next we enjoyed the blackened catfish spread, and for my entree I had Blackened Catfish Creole. I did not know if the catfish would be fried or blackened. I really liked that it was blackened. It had great flavor and not heavy. The actual restaurant had a jazz band and was bright and inviting. Our waitress was great and was able to provide great suggestions. read more

Dauphine’s - Blackened Catfish Creole - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I got invited back to Dauphine's to try their restaurant week menu again. This second time around the service was amazing. 10/10 on all fronts. Shoutout to Victoria for taking care of my mom and I. For comparison, I pretty much ordered the same thing off the restaurant week menu. Tuna crudo appetizer, beef sirloin entree, chocolate mousse dessert. The food was delicious. The tuna & mousse were great as before, the real stand out was the beef. The sirloin was tender, cooked well, not fatty and very flavorful. We also ordered the smokey fish dip appetizer to try and it was a great started. I am glad I got to taste it how it was supposed to be done! We thoroughly enjoyed our time this go around. Thank you to Dauphines for having us back and showing us your best! read more

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Food and drinks were decent. Experience overshadowed but poor service from our server Kia. She seemed inexperienced and uninterested in us. Left multiple times for extended periods of time. Id go back and just sit at the bar read more

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I was looking for a place to get a king cake and Dauphines came up on a quick online search. I ordered the cake 2 days before I wanted to pick it up and paid online. When I went for pickup, the host just pulled it from a stack at the door and it was really easy (which was different from what I read in another review). I sat at the bar for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised by the beef tartare, it was literally the best I've have in DC! read more

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As a New Orleans native, I come to Dauphine's when I want the things I can't normally get -- mainly the boudin balls! If you wanna try it out, I highly suggest their happy hour. It's small plates and bites with great drink specials. Overall the service is great and the ambiance is very intimate! read more

Dauphine’s - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I continue to be wowed by Dauphines. Still love the frozen bourbon milk punch!!! I tried a new dish, the cavatelli, and I was BLOWN AWAY. It was ridiculously delicious for a seemingly simple dish. They sold king cakes for Mardi Gras this year. I got to taste the plain/regular and the chocolate chip cookie dough. The cookie dough one was unique and very good, but for the plain cake, I found the one from Bayou Bakery to be better. The Dauphines one was rather dense while the Bayou one was flakier and better in the middle. Nevertheless, I recommend the flavored ones and the price was very fair. Pick up was a cinch! read more

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Sunday Jazz Brunch is a must go. The music is a perfect addition to the morning. Not too loud so you can still enjoy conversation, but loud enough to fill moments of silence. I was with a group of 8 and service was great. I ordered the Creole Bloody Mary with vodka. It had a good kick but not too spicy. The creole spice rim was a nice touch. We split two orders of the brunch basket. Everything was great and baked with love. I had the fried catfish & grits as my entree. Was a little apprehensive about the brown butter, but was pleasantly surprised at how well all the flavors worked. The grits were creamy and the catfish fried to perfection. I don't get to DC too often but will absolutely be back for another jazz brunch! read more

Dauphine’s - Fried Catfish & Grits - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

it is not often that I am moved to write a review, however, our experience at the restaurant was so substandard that I had to write my comments about the food and service. To celebrate my daughter's 30th birthday (milestone and special), she wanted to go to a jazz brunch. Selected the restaurant for it's rating and menu. Hum. Not sure what other folks standards are but we had an experience that ruined her celebration. Service was slow to felt like we were ignored. The food was cold and had to be sent back to the kitchen. Drinks were not charged and took food home (never happens when my foodie family eats out). No acknowledgement of birthday celebration (come on, not even a slice of cake). Had my daughter said it was a bad experience for her birthday,, I would not have written. Called to speak with management, never heard back. So here we are. Try elsewhere if possible. read more

I had a reservation with my family for my first night in Washington and honestly I had been waiting in anticipation all week. I knew what I wanted at least four days in advance. When we arrived we were given the warmest greeting and we were brought to our table right away. We were seated in a private room that closed with a beautiful curtain. I felt like royalty. The restaurant is beautiful and filled with soul and good vibrations. You can really see and feel the essence of New Orleans through your dining experience. To start I ordered half a dozen of the Dancing Molly oysters and I got to try one of the clams. The oysters were satisfying and juicy, especially combined with the cocktail sauce, and mignonette. I had the steak tartare as my entree. The aioli really brought the dish together and the flavor/texture really hit the spot. I also had a taste of the duck jambalaya and the oyster spaghetti. Everything that I tried was delicious and cooked to perfection. The flavor, the quality of ingredients and the presentation was a combination of classy, elegant, and even lively all at the same time. For dessert I ordered a beignet and that was also delicious. Im surprised that I had never been here before but I know that this certainly won't be my last time. Our server Hunter was also really kind, helpful and really knew and experienced the food for himself so he knows what he's talking about especially when it comes to recommendations. If you're in DC and you're looking for delicious food with a classy feel, you need to come here. read more

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I had an amazing time! Went during summer restaurant week with my family to celebrate my birthday! Our server Marvin (I hope I get this right) was hilarious and offered us amazing service! Intentionally went on a Sunday bc I knew they would have a jazz band for brunch. Resy was at 10:30 and the band was already playing. I believe they also have all day HH on Sundays but anywho we shared plates and I got to taste the gumbo, riccotta blitz?, and crab+ corn hush puppies, meatloaf with the poached egg and fish and grits. Everything was fantastic. The gumbo was out of this world and came with potato salad. Never seen that before but it really did something for me with the warmth from the gumbo and the coldness of the potato salad and how it honestly just was amazing. The egg could have been poached better but it was perf for my mom who didn't want anything too runny. The peaches and cream bread pudding also and the beignets!! Just come and eat please the staff were so attentive and the food hit all the spots. I was skeptical about the fish and grits but the cook on the catfish was PERFECT. the seasonings were amazing. I thought I would need some salt and pepper or hot sauce but everything was bussin! Follow @verymuchoutside for more food reviews and recommendations! read more

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I visited Dauphines for dinner with colleagues to celebrate a successful conference. We had a great time enjoying good and a delightful atmosphere. Here are some of my takeaways. Environment The restaurant has a large and beautifully designed interior with a full bar and plenty of seating. I loved the versatile ambiance which makes it great for a variety occasions - whether it's dinner with friends, colleagues or a date night. The vibe was lovely and inviting. Service The service at at Dauphines was great. Our server was friendly, attentive and ensured we had everything we needed.The food and drinks were delivered promptly. Overall, the service was great. Food and drinks The food was truly enjoyable. I highly recommend staring with the bread service which includes buttermilk biscuits, baguettes & sweet potato brioches - all great. We also tried the BBQ shrimp which was pretty tasty. For the main dish, i had the crawfish stuffed chicken which was pretty good. To top it off, we had some delicious beignets with powder sugar that you sprinkle yourself. My meal was enjoyable and I Iook forward to returning to try more items on the menu. Overall Dauphines is a great choice for both drinks and food. I had a great meal and a great time with my colleagues. I will definitely be back to explore more of their menu. read more

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Dauphines has my heart! Started my trip in D.C. off with a bang having dinner at @dauphinesdc every dish was so fresh and flavorful. The marketing and branded materials were exquisite!! We had delicious cocktails and the best part was the pebble ice didn't dilute the drink and kept the glass frosty. My favorite dishes were the beef tartare and the tuna. The corn and salsa on the tuna really brought an extra flavor and texture depth I've never had before. It's a great spot for a date or dinner with friends. The staff were so attentive and friendly. A plus was they had really pretty menus and post cards the front desk can mail for you! If you're in the DC area definitely swing by for dinner! read more

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It was just okay. A bit lackluster, I was expecting more. The food was only okay and portions were small. I got broiled oysters for an app, then the catfish and grits as an entree and had some of the sausage dish, but was still really hungry and my taste buds weren't satisfied. The drinks were good, and I'd definitely come back for restaurant week when i think it's worth it! Staff was nice and the ambiance was as well. read more

3.5 stars We had a delightful time at Dauphine's, where Sunday brunch featured a live jazz band. The space is beautiful and has plenty of seating. We started with the lovely breadboard, which featured a delicious lemon poppy scone, banana bread, and two puff pastries. The banana bread was a standout! The crab cakes were too heavily breaded and arrived lukewarm. But on the bright side, my friend adored the cheesecake, and the chicory coffee was excellent. The prices were a bit high considering the food quality and portions, but the service was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant live music. read more

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Note: as other reviewers have noted, serving sizes are small and prices high comparatively for dc restaurants, especially bib gourmands which are usually on the cheaper side of eats. This place is a whole vibe and the food is amazing. The waiters were incredibly attentive and funny conversationalists. Their ambiance is well planned out and feels very creole. We had the duck confit with ricotta cavatelli, the pommes soufflé, and the Zucchini Squash tempura. The dishes had surprising flavor pairings that were divine. The Zucchini Squash tempura was really the stand out dish with crisp, not soggy, tempura breading and fresh blueberry and dill garnishes. We've determined we will have to come back to try the whole menu! Easily in my top three eats in DC. read more

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Service was terrible, it took forever to order and then we got our food our sever was nowhere to be found. We had an amazing time our first time out so we came back. Either it's an off night or they were way better during restaurant week. The steak was tender but very dry. The boudin balls laked any real flavor outside of the pickled jalapeños and mustard. The soufflé is really just inflated fries and the beef po boy is okay. The star of our meal was our New Orleans Buck drink. Nobody really cared we were even there and our bill for 2 was $169. I'd hope at that price we'd get some decent service. But no. I'd stay away from Dauphines. read more

Dauphine’s - Steak, looks better than it is, needed lots of salt and I asked for sauce. Kinda dry, stay away - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Who doesn't love Creole food?! A friend & I came on a Friday to finally give Dauphine's a try! It was very busy at 8pm so I'd suggest you make a reservation but the bar has ample seating in case you choose to walk in. The staff was amazing from the minute we walked in, to our waiter and everyone in between! Our server gave great suggestions but we had an idea of what we wanted prior to walking in. We split the Gumbo Ya Ya, Crab & Artichoke Dip (Unfortunately had to send back because it lacked crab), Oysters Dauphine (AMAZING!), Fried Boudin Balls, and Luck & Money Duck Leg Confit. Overall the food was good but it lacked spices - everything was mild and the flavors all meddled together. Also the serving sizes were very small making the value not worth it in my opinion. I can't say I'd recommend because it felt very overpriced and inauthentic from Creole cuisine. read more

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Very good food. Great Hurricanes and good service. The oysters were amazing. We tried all varieties available. We also had the fried frog legs which were very nicely seasoned thus very tasty. Also tried fried artichokes (very good), the gumbo (was a little more watery than I like but tasty), the stuffed shells were good but not amazing. The Brussels salad was yummy. Bread service was so good. Finally the beignets were ok. Needed more powdered sugar and needed to be fluffier. Overall very good dinner. Dinner was 350 (3 people). One ANNOYING thing: restaurant charged a 4% added rest. fee to the bill which does not go to the servers. I find that distasteful And one reason I would prob not return. read more

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Great brunch spot! The jazz music was a good volume and food tasted great. Highly recommend!