Growing up in the Mid-South, iron skillet cornbread, fried chicken, greens, coleslaw, stewed okra, and black-eyed peas weren't comfort food they were lots of weekday meals. Between my momma, my granny, and me, we've always cooked those dishes exactly the way our taste buds like them. Because of that, I don't order them out very often. Sure, I'll hit Willie Mae's or grab McHardy's when I need a fried chicken fix, but it's few and far between. High Hat is an exception. It's one of my go-to spots when I'm feeling lazy and craving that Delta-style cooking. Amy and I stopped in on a Tuesday night. I had the fried chicken with red beans and rice. Top Hat is one of the very few places I'll order red beans outside my own kitchen. Amy went with the coleslaw, cornbread, stewed okra, and black-eyed peas. The star of the meal is the fried chicken. My family always used a flour wash, but Top Hat's breading is incredibly thin with just a hint of cornmeal. It isn't what I grew up eating, but man...it is good. Add a little of the table hot sauce and it gets me every single time. The sides are solid across the board. The black-eyed peas are perfect, and the stewed okra tastes like somebody's grandma was in the kitchen. If I could change one thing, I'd make the coleslaw a little crisper, chop it a bit finer, and give it another spoonful of mayo, a splash of malt vinegar, and just a pinch of sugar. But that's my preference, not a complaint. Don't overlook the catfish either. It doesn't play. They can get busy, and the service sometimes moves at the pace of an August stroll through the park. But honestly...that's part of the charm. Good Southern food isn't meant to be rushed, and neither is High Hat. If you're looking for a taste of the Delta without leaving Louisiana, this is a mighty fine place to start. read more

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We've been here several times. Love the Rueben, the chicken and andouille gumbo. Cecil's Caesar salad is very tasty. Service is always really good. We missed out on the peach cobbler, I'm sure it was fabulous. Their desserts usually are. Great Sunday brunch....get there early read more

It has been a while since I have dined here, but High Hat Cafe is still a great local spot for comfort food. The service here is always welcoming, the atmosphere laid-back and we can always find a table on our visit. We totally love their Shrimp Poboys, BBQ Bacon Burgers and their chicken gumbo. read more

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We came on a Sunday at noon and they were pretty packed but we were able to be seated right away. My party tried different breakfast items including the debris grits, sausage biscuit and high hat breakfast. Everyone enjoyed. The servers were very pleasant. This is a great spot to grab a bite with friends. read more

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Both the food and service here were fantastic. I came here for dinner. I ordered a glass of fresh ginger ale ($4), gumbo ($8), a fried oyster po'boy ($19), and bread pudding with Jack Daniel's ice cream ($10). You could tell that the ginger ale was made in-house with real ginger. This ain't your Canada Dry, that's for sure! It was a refreshing delight. The gumbo came hot. It was perfectly spiced and rich. The po'boy was also delicious. The oysters were crispy yet so juicy on the inside. And the bread - I don't know what they put in the bread in NOLA, but it's always great and I can never get bread like it in Ohio. Is it something in the water? The bread is so crisp on the outside yet so soft on the inside. The po'boy came dressed with a red remoulade sauce, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. It was also served with an absurd amount of fries. The fries were a bit on the plain side but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a bit of hot sauce and/or ketchup. I ended my meal with some bread pudding, and Lord, what a sweet, decadent ending. It was so rich and warm, and the Jack Daniel's ice cream added a nice cold, not too sweet contrast. My server was great as well. She came to check up on me a couple of times and made sure to keep me hydrated. read more

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We came back to high hat, Café two days later because the food and the service was so great. Our second trip we had the red fish, a Caesar salad, the crab salad, gumbo, and the barbecue shrimp. The food was delicious and fresh, service was great, bartenders are friendly with great cocktails. We will come back soon. Ammee is casual, but come early because there's always a line out the door. read more

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Great community spot. A staple on Freret street. The burger with pimento cheese is awesome, and so is their fried chicken special.

There are many great burgers in the city, but my personal fav is High Hat. I haven't had a bad meal here, the chicken is also phenomenal. Creole Ice Cream with some pie, you can't go wrong. And from an aesthetic standpoint, it's just that New Orleans vibe that you're looking for, whether you live here or you're visiting. Very friendly staff as well. read more

High Hat is always a solid spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Casual dining and just good food. Staff is consistently nice and friendly. read more

High Hat Cafe - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Horrible lunch experience. Table of 7 waitress forgot drinks. Had to remind her a few times. Asked about appetizers said 'i dont really know'. forgot condiments, drink refills. Owner is like talking to a used car salesman. Food sucked. (Pricy) Shouldve went to burger king instead. read more

High Hat fits so many foodie boxes. It's a local sit-down dining restaurant that's as formal as you want it to be yet informal, too. It's the local dinner spot for your best friends while also being perfect for a single seating at the bar. It's where you go to sit by the window and ponder big decisions. It's where you go when you want to celebrate a big birthday with twelve of your friends. That said, I can't recommend everything on the menu because I come here based on my mood: The Girl's Lunch: A cup of Chicken & Andouille Gumbo Ya Ya with a scoop of potato salad and an Aviation cocktail. Just Got Paid Girl's Night Stop #1: Pimento Cheese Plate, Smoked Fish Dip, The Pretty Purdie Cocktail or Pimm's Cup for the group. Sunday Lunch: The Vegetable Plate (Braised Greens, Black Eyed Peas, Pimento Cheese Grits, and a side of cornbread) and dessert - the grapefruit pie if it's in season. You're not going to go wrong with anything on the menu and if you decide to sit at the bar, look up. There are off-menu specials that rotate and they're always fun. High Hat prides itself in great service so smile and relax. They'll take good care of you. The restaurant is small and parking is tight but there's usually a spot in the lot across the street. The interior is open with a bar that runs the length of the back wall and windows above that makes the small space seem larger. read more

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We walked in early afternoon on a Sunday and there weren't many fold in there. We ordered a few beers and I had the Cuban with pulled pork which was great ! My husband had a fried shrimp poboy which was good but disappointed that there was so few shrimp (less than 8). We tried the purple potato pie which was good. read more

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Food is amazing!! Tasted the braised greens, cornbread, catfish and pimento cheese plate appetizer. Best margaritas!! Hands down one of our new fav spots!! The new waitress (May) and her trainer (Max) were absolute GEMS read more

Great drinks. Didn't eat this time but heard its first come first served. The Old Fashion was great! read more

High Hat Cafe - Cool bar with delicious drinks. Recommend their Old Fashion, with their own barrel aged bourbon - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Had a late day at the hospital and needed a place that was close by, and could get a quick meal. I've eaten all around the area but had always skipped it and not sure why. Was welcomed immediately when I walked in. Guy asked where I wanted to sit and I said anywhere that's easiest. That was the bar. They have a lot of sandwiches, staple NOLA dishes and some good looking drinks. I opted for the Reuben with fries. Came out quickly. Bread was delicious. Corned beef was a bit drier that I like but the sauerkraut made up for it. It was a little pricey for what I got but it was good so there's that. I'd come back. read more

High Hat Cafe - Reuben - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Terrific place. Loved the vibe. even on the day before Mardi Gras. We got good quality service and delicious food. Great neighborhood and staff. Go! read more

High Hat Cafe - High hat - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Had a friend bring me here for lunch, and I haven't stopped visiting since then. I will tell all who will listen about this place! Love the environment, staff is always so polite, and you'll definitely need a nap after the food. What are you waiting for?? -- get UP & GO!! read more

High Hat Cafe - I forgot the name of this drink - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Service was great - Andrew is awesome - kept our waters and drinks filled, was friendly and funny, brought our food out promptly and accurately. Burgers were good - fat 8oz patties. I could only eat half bc I stuffed my face with cheese plate as an appetizer. There were 4 of us, 3 of us got burgers, one of us got the gumbo and the BBQ shrimp. Including 1 coke and 5 drinks out tab was $191 (before tip). It was a good meal. They were also very accommodating to two of our guests having shellfish allergies and had the burgers cooked in a clean pan and not on the grill to avoid cross contamination. So nice. read more

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A solid good meal at a neighborhood-y spot on the corner. We loved the warm and cozy, no-frills, atmosphere in here but they could have actually made it feel that way by turning the heat up. It was kinda chilly in there! While we wouldn't say that the food here is excellent by any means, it was all good and hearty. There's a full bar, and we appreciated getting a vieux carre and a local beer to start. The fried cornmeal oysters were a solid appetizer, but one of us enjoyed them more than the other. The muffuletta salad was...OK; like, it had all the components, but it felt more like one of those "Italian sub" salads with some olives thrown in than an actual homage to the muffuletta. We did love the gumbo, which was so smoky and flavorful, and served piping hot. Heaven! The fried shrimp left a bit to be desired because the pieces weren't quite as crispy as they should have been. Service is friendly, but we had to ask for the hush puppies that were supposed to come out with our shrimp (they were good FTR!) and the overall price tag was within the realm of reasonable. No NOLA fireworks here, but we had a lovely time and left with full bellies and hearts. Four stars. read more

We got the oyster poboy and that was yummy! Also liked the pimento cheese grits. The catfish was kinda plain and so were the hush puppies (being from MS it's hard to compare). I liked the vibes and the drinks were good. read more

Came here with friends for Easter Dinner and I have to say this was one of the worst experiences I have ever had in New Orleans restaurants. The service was bad, the food came out slow, half the menu wasnt available and what was was sold out. We should have gone somewhere else but for some reason we stayed. I ended up with cold, mediocre catfish plate on Easter Sunday!!!! Never again. read more

This is a great neighborhood corner cafe that has a cool vibe. The shrimp creole and Mac n cheese was very good. So much flavor. The service was excellent as well. I'll be back. read more

High Hat Cafe - Shrimp creole - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This is a little gem is tucked away but packs a punch of goodness. The menu is limited but still has a little something for everyone. These are the places I look for and fully support when I'm traveling. read more

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and the host was able to accommodate our table of 9 pretty quickly. Various options on the menu but most of us went with a sandwich of some sort. The po boy bread was so good, shrimp seasoned and fries were fresh. Would definitely come back. read more

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Such a cute place. Looked for lunch before my doctors appointment and we ordered the burger and po boy. SOOO good. I can't wait until my next appointment next week so I can go back. read more

The hype was true - great burger spot, although they serve much more than burgers. Tad greasy, but there's currently a smash burger epidemic right now, and it's nice to have a real 8oz patty. Will be back! read more

Food was delicious! Everything was great. Melissa, our waitress, was so sweet and took great care of us!! Fun restaurant for a delicious lunch! read more

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Uptown - I've tried nearly everything on the menu. Fav items are the smoked chicken and slow roasted pork, but their specials are also usually worth trying. Only complaint is that it seems like they never have the black bottom peanut pie anymore - craving it always! read more

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Our server/hostess could have been a bit more attentive. At one point it felt like we may have been forgotten, but she was a very sweet young lady. The food was delicious, fresh, and hot. Overall, I would definitely eat there again. read more

Best Cuban sandwich hands down. Service was excellent. Everything was made in house. Very pleasant atmosphere. We will be back. read more

High Hat Cafe - Cuban and pimiento Mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Neighborhood treasure. Everything on the menu is amazing. Best burgers in New Orleans. Best. Burgers.

Delicious fried catfish and fried chicken done the right way: perfectly crisp, excellent flavor, and not oily. The burgers are also excellent - quality meat cooked to temp and topped skillfully. I love the pimento burger. The drinks are quite good, and the restaurant interior has a Nashville feel to it. read more

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I had the Grilled Flat Top Catfish with potato salad. The grilled fish was tasteless, needed more seasoning. The potato salad was okay. My husband had the Smoked Roasted Half Chicken with Pimento Mac & Cheese. He said the chicken didn't have a smoke flavor and could have been seasoned more. It was his first time having pimento Mac & Cheese and he thought it was good. Our waiter wasn't very attentive. It's a casual setting. read more

High Hat Cafe - Smoked roasted chicken with pimento mac & cheese - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Very friendly staff. Food was ok. Not super flavorful grilled catfish and gumbo. Cornbread was ok. Pimento grits were the highlight.

We tripped over High Hat Cafe when another restaurant we sometimes frequent was full, and I'm very glad that we did. As others have said, this is a bit of a simple place but the food execution is superb, and the service was tip-top! The menu didn't push the boundaries too much, but we both enjoyed our meals tremendously. read more

High Hat Cafe - Cool vibes! - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Such a great lunch with my dad ... this burger and fries were perfect! Everything else was great today read more

High Hat Cafe - Burger with cheddar and bacon - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

High Hat offers a great vibe and delicious food. We all ordered burgers and fries--and we had zero complaints! Happy! Happy! Happy!

I used to love this restaurant but stopped going after a very distressing experience there. The wait staff looked like street people. Only one of them looked as though they had showered in the past week. Has it changed hands? If so, I might give it another try. read more

I wish I would have taken pictures. We came a little after 2 pm and it was east to seat a party of 6. The people are amazing. Fun, funny and totally have the southern charm. We ordered fried oyster rolls (YUM) catfish and hush puppies everything and I mean everything was so good. The food and the drinks. Come in and enjoy. Tops on my list read more

I had higher hopes for this place. The service was very good. From the hostess to the bartender to the waitress, everyone was pleasant. I enjoyed the ambiance, but I didn't feel the food blew me away. I think Bearcat across te street may be the way to go. I had read about the catfish being amazing and it was good but nothing to write an awesome yelp review over. I did competely enjoy the super good hot irish coffee at the bar. The regular coffee was pretty good too. And again, really enjoyed the ambience and the bar area in general. The vibe is just a nice uptown diner style with decent prices. I may come back for those hot irish coffees and drinks in general. The location has off street parking and it is medium in size I would say. I don't think they take reservations either. read more

High Hat Cafe - Southern Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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