Delicious experience from grilled oysters to crab bisque to warm bread pudding with white chocolate sauce. the specialty drinks were exceptional. Especially the espresso martini made extra rich and delectable with Four Roses Bourbon. A romantic and unforgettable experience with a lake sunset view. read more

We went for a party at Mariners last night. I was so excited to eat the food. I have never eaten there, but my family had. I had catfish with crawfish sauce and substituted the au gratin potatoes for the french fries. The catfish was so salty and so breaded. I enjoyed the crispiness of it, but it was not outstanding to say the least and the crawfish sauce was rotelle dip with some crawfish in it. Was I ever disappointed!! A friend ordered corn and shrimp bisque that looked like squash soup of some sort and not fresh. She was not able to eat it. I do not enjoy giving a bad review, but I had waited years to eat there. I lived away from the area. We were a large party, but we waited one and a half hour for our food. I would love to go back and try again, but I really was so disappointed. I don't think I would go. The pasta looked great but pasta is not what the restaurant was about I thought. read more

The food fell short of expectations. The salad was bland, missing any key ingredients like tomatoes, croutons, egg, and/or onion--leaving only the dressing to add any flavor. The filet mignon was overcooked and lacked taste, while the au gratin potatoes resembled something from a boxed mix I could prepare at home. Even the bread was tough and remained mostly untouched. I gave two stars solely because the waitress was very attentive, although that may have been due to the restaurant being nearly empty. read more

Hidden gem that shined in my first dining experience. The views of the water are great from the drive in to your table. The hostess was sweet and even took a group photo, offering the best spots. Our server, Collin, was very attentive. At one point multiple guests in my party had empty glasses and he would see this en route to the table and send someone over before checking on us. The appetizers came out quickly and I suggest you share a salad because it will feed two, if not three. My filet was cooked a little more than I requested but the seasoning overshadowed that fault for me. This place is huge with indoor & outdoor seating. I don't believe there's a dress code because I saw guests wearing t-shirts, flip flops and hat. The price to portion size was spot on and I would definitely recommend trying this place. read more

See all

Love the view of lake, nice ambiance. Catfish a little over done, waitress not attentive... never got a refill of water in the hour we were there, We ordered fried seafood plates WE had to ask for ketchup and tartar sauce! she was nice but didn't put any personality into the service, she was only there to be a mediocre waitress didn't go out of way to get the best tip she could've gotten. We are good tippers (over tippers most of time) but you have to love what u do and have a personality to get the top %!! It was just ok all around prob won't be back. read more

Mariner's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

See all

Came all the way from N.O. Took almost 2 hrs for our food..... the waiter was ruse and kept disappearing. Manager did not handle the situation and then they had the nerve to include 20% tip on our bill. DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! read more

Food was just okay for the price. Lobster tail was hammered; very tough and dry. Seafood nachos were soggy and hard to eat because they were on flour instead of corn tortillas. The killer of the visit, however, was the service. Our server had a large party of more than thirty (30). As a result, our server showed up at our table 4 times, to take the drink order, to take our appetizer order and deliver our drinks, to take our dinner order, and, 10 minutes after finished eating, to deliver our check. Until someone offered us boxes for our remaining food, no one else ever visited our table, we never received any more drinks, or even had our water refilled. When we spoke to a manager we were given an excuse that two servers hadn't shown up because of a funeral. Tragic, but not the point. She said our server tended to get 'frazzled.' When I pointed out that, if she was going to take care of a 30 top alone, she shouldn't have been seated any other tables, the manager just glossed right over it with a couple more lame apologies. My intention was to leave only a $15 tip - $1 x 3 visits (not counting dropping the check) x 5 people in our party. My wife convinced me to leave $50 since our check was over $300. Normally, even decent service would have gotten $80 to $90. Might've given two stars had the manager not been obviously over her head. One server with a 30 top and 3 additional tables might have garnered at least a few trips into the dining room, but I didn't even see her more than a couple of times (not in our server's area) and the one time when we were speaking to her. read more

First and last visit to Mariner's Restaurant in Natchitoches. We arrived last night at 7:35 PM and sat outside on the patio overlooking the lake. Our young male server took our drink order (two unsweetened iced teas) with Splenda on the side. 15 minutes later, he delivered our drinks (sweetened tea). It took another 10 minutes to get his attention to request our correct drink order with Splenda. My husband ordered a cold appetizer (shrimp ceviche) that took 30 minutes to arrive. The fried flour tortilla chips were underbaked/fried and some were rancid. The server never delivered our silverware or napkins when the appetizer was delivered - we had to ask for these and had to ask him to remove the menus. Three times over the next 30 minutes, our server came to tell us that the "entrees were coming". After an hour's wait, they were delivered. Still no silverware so we had to ask for these (and napkins) again. Happily, my crab and corn bisque was decent (good flavor and almost hot in temperature). My husband liked his grilled shrimp Oscar though the serving size was tiny and the scalloped potatoes were lackluster at $32. Our server never checked back with us to see how the food was until we requested the bill at the end c our meal. We don't know if it was our server's first night or if he had just not been adequately trained. The other tables around us also had excessive waits for their food. None of the tables around us were bussed and sat during our entire meal filled with dirty dishes and trash. So unfortunately it was not a night to remember favorably on our first visit to the nice town of Natchitoches. We do not recommend this establishment. read more

I was delighted to see such a Beautiful View of the Lake. What I wasn't excited to see were all the flies Swarming our table. I probably picked the Worse dish for my Current Health situation. I didn't know what the BBQ Shrimp & Grits actually were because there was NO description on the menu. I assumed they were Grilled Shrimp with BBQ Sauce. Man was I wrong. It was a Creole Cajun Rui that was So Overwhelmingly in Flavor and Spices. I should've confirmed!! I'm very sick and eating most foods is like poison to my Digestive system. It was $28.00 dollars and I didn't want to make a scene sending it back. So I attempted to eat it. After about 5 bites I had to excuse myself from the table by the time I got out the main door and to the end of the Ramp it was already coming back up. (I carry a sickness bag in my purse) I was So sick the whole night to the point we had to cut our trip short and head back to Texas. It might be time for Menus to be Updated with Descriptions of the INGREDIENTS used in your dishes. My situation is some things are More toxic than others who have digestive failure. It also might be time for someone to focus on the Flies it was so disgusting. We might as well been eating OUTSIDE. The service was Really Good but there is ONE person who was EXCEPTIONAL. I do not recall his name. He was 14 years old and just the most amazing young man to watch. He was Cordial and ready to do anything he was asked. I'm sure if I would've asked he would've captured every fly hovering over our tables! Over all I would visit again. But Asking a lot more questions about the ingredients! read more

Mariner's Restaurant - Overwhelming BBQ Shrimp & Grits! - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

See all

This place was a sweet find After being put off by a tourists trap downtown we searched for another and found this gem ! We arrived at 9pm they close at 9:30 , they were so nice , sat us had a FULL MENU AND THE SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT! The food was phenomenal, and it's not a tourist trap !! The best seafood I've had here ! Keep up the great work and thank you for treating us special read more

Disappointing! We were in town for the Christmas Festival. We found the place online and chose this place because the atmosphere seemed to be something we would enjoy but the service was horrible and the wait for our food to come out was almost 2 hours. The Manager didn't seem too concerned about our wait time complaint. The only thing I enjoyed was the Espresso Martini. The food was average. For it's location, they really should strive to do better. read more

Went here after a Christmas festival. So maybe a busy night but it started off badly from the beginning. Took is 15 min. To be acknowledged by our waiter. Strike 1. Drinks were brought out to our party except me, had to ask for my water 3 times over 20 min. Strike 2. Ordered our meal and about 30 minutes later waiter asked how one of our group wanted their steak cooked. So evidently didn't put our order in. Strike 3! It took them about 1 1/2 hrs to get us our food, which was not great! Won't be back ever!! Two stars is generous for this restaurant. read more

What a lovely location!! It is right on the water and every table has a gorgeous view. My waiter Colin (I think that was his name), was very attentive and had great recommendations for plates. read more

Great fried fish and shrimp stayed on the deck area over looking Sibley Lake , Volton our server did good job . Get you some !! read more

Everything was amazing! From the view to the tomahawk and filets we had so much food we couldn't finish it all. Will definitely visit again next time we are in town. read more

Some of the best gumbo and crawfish can be found here! Fast and friendly service. Family style environment! If your ever in the areas definitely stop by! Nice views of the water. read more

See all

The location is great and the staff were absolutely wonderful--friendly, attentive, and clearly working hard. However, I couldn't ignore the way the owner spoke to the employees in passing. My husband and I went during Christmas Fest and the owner was loud enough to hear, unnecessarily harsh, and honestly left me uncomfortable. It really took away from the overall experience. The team deserves better, and it left a bad impression that I couldn't shake. read more

I had a larger party come in tonight and we all have not stopped raving about the service and the food! We sat in the "Cove Bar" and had Jack David as our waiter! He was incredible! Great personality and very respectful young man! The view of the water was breathtaking! Overall we loved the experience and will be back soon! read more

5 stars for ambience. Beautiful place! 3 stars for service. We had to track our server down several times. (We aren't high maintenance) just needed drinks, etc. ... Food was very disappointing. 5 in our party. All soups were all overly salted. (Almost inedible) Bread had zero taste. Other than very fresh shrimp,all entrees were very average. Dessert was just ok. ... we wont be back. Such a shame for such a beautiful place! read more

One of the nicer restaurants in Natchitoches! The view of the lake and decor is very nice! Cool ambiance as well! Small things could be done to improve the overall experience. First the parking lot needs attention. It's the first impression right? Silverware can be mismatched, cloth napkins sometimes stained, complimentary bread is mediocre, and servers are hit or miss. They will either lack training and are inattentive or if you're lucky, you'll get one of the veteran servers that make serving look easy. Prices are moderate to a little high, but the food is usually consistent! Kudos to the kitchen and Chef for that. All in all great date night or gathering place for dinner. But it could truly be a next level dining experience with just a few tweaks. read more

We loved the view. Our waitress was very good and gave us good recommendations. The lamb pops, fried shrimp, and the beef filets were amazing. The salmon dip had no salmon flavor and just tasted like pink cream cheese. Overall a very good experience and we will be back for the seafood tower!! read more

I'm not sure why the rating is so low. We were in town for the night and chose Mariner's based on the other couple's past experience there and we were not disappointed! The food was very good and Slade did a great job as our waiter. We had a party of six and everyone enjoyed their meal. read more

Mariner's Restaurant - View as we were walking in. - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

See all

Tomahawk steak was amazing. Great drinks and if you go outside and seat , in a sunny day enjoy the view of the lake, The service was amazing, Well served and attentive to details. read more

My wife, Jo, and I visited this restaurant for our 55th anniversary the evening of May 29. (First mistake). My wife ordered the 7oz filet, medium rare, with lobster tail, and half a baked potato. I ordered the 7oz filet, medium rare, with grilled shrimp, and half a baked potato. When our order arrived we realized quickly that the filets were over cooked. First bite was dry and salty. Quality of the meat was not the best. It was downhill from there. My wife then states: I think there is a dead fly on my potato. Yep, there it was. To be certain it was a fly we removed it from the potato and placed it on the corner of the table. Sure enough, it was a fly, wings and all, and quite cooked. We informed the waitress and she removed the baked potato, then brought us another, sans fly. However, after waiting for a while I had to request that she remove the dead fly from the corner of the table. My wife said that the lobster was ok, but all of my food was so salty that I'm not sure what the actual taste was. After suffering through this meal, the waitress brought us our bill for the food ($118.75). To my surprise and anguish, the bill had not been adjusted for the "fly", nor were we offered a free dessert or anything of this nature. The waitress stated that she had no authority to adjust the bill, and that she had not informed the manager of the incident - why not?? McDonald's would have served a far better meal. If Natchitoches wishes to increase tourism, I suggest that someone inform the owners of The Mariner that flys are not usually served in fine dining establishments. Russ & Jo May 31, 2025 read more

This is the most dog shit food I have ever eaten, I was having a great day with my mom bc it was Mother's Day and it just ruined my whole day, i was sitting down talking to my family and I looked down at my food and there was a spider on my plate, the servers were not taking there job seriously even tho they weren't doing much anyways, it smelled like shit too, the floor was soaking wet and slippery, and it felt like a cheap sea food wannabe restaurant, I promise you that you can definitely find way better food at gas stations. read more

The ambiance at this establishment is awesome. It sits on Sibley Lake. The interior has been restored and has a coastal vibe. The food was good. On the night we went, the chef was a little heavy on the salt. If it wasn't for that, it would have been REALLY good. The Bread Pudding was EXCELLENT!! read more

Went to the restaurant with a group. It is a very nice view and the outdoor seating is nice. The food was good with good selections. My steak was cooked nicely but the crab and Bernaise Sauce was scant. The blue cheese dressing not tasty. The stuffed potato was fine but a little dry. Boudin beignets were fun but the cracklins with them were tasteless. read more

Came here with 8 or so other coworkers and peers on a business dinner. For starters, i had some of the charbroiled oysters, boudain wontons, and some gulf shrimp to go along with my old fashioned. Oysters haven't been my "thing" but these were alright. Wontons were pretty solid. Shrimp were huge. Old fashioned.......yes. My entree was the steak oscar, with crab and asparagus. I am always saddened by the amount of asparagus any restaurant gives. I ALWAYS want more. That aside.... the food was AMAZING. My steak was cooked perfectly. The bernaise sauce was fantastic. Amazing meal. And after another two old fashioned drinks. It was time to head home. Saddened to see that Mariner's is currently out of commission, but hopeful they will be back up before i leave Louisiana. read more

Boudin Wonton's always bussin, along with the chargrilled oysties. But the Lamb Poppies take the cake for best appetizer. Panko encrusted Chilean sea bass over a spinach medley "chefs kiss" Muah. Service and scenery are always top notch. read more

If your looking for a great evening meal look no further! We did not heed nor agree with the current rating of this restaurant. It sits right on the lake with great evening views of sunsets across the water. We were greeted with smiling happy energetic faces from the moment we walked in. Our server was attentive and aware every time she visited the table. Engaging and talkative. She knew the menu the foods and their flavor profiles. The food was cooked to order. We had Shrimp and the boutin egg rolls for appetizers. Delicious combination of flavors. The seared Tuna and steak were cooked as ordered, seasoned deliciousness! Next visit to Natchitoches, LA we will return here for dinner. Thank you to the entire Mariner's staff! read more

I took my parents and family to the Mariners recently and I must say it's the last classy restaurant in Natchitoches! A true gem of a place. We all order a steak with a lobster tail and it was perfect. The servers and hostesses are by far the best in town. The most polite and professional! Congrats to the management for keeping this place classy! Highly recommended this place! read more

Gosh this is hard to review. The service is outstanding. Based upon service I'd give them 5+ stars. The people were so nice and Mandeline was so attentive and helpful. The waterfront was amazing and I loved sitting there. (4-5 stars) The food is a solid three stars. It was good but honestly not out of this world. However, in a small town they are probably da bomb. Just not for someone reasonable well travelled. The duck was cooked ones medium-well which I feel is overcooked. I think medium is the sweet spot. This was cooked enough to be almost crispy or at lest reminiscent of liver. The Oysters Bienville and Rockefeller were just eh. I ate four out of six. As an oyster aficionado that's no bueno. The drinks were just average. I'd penalty give them four stars for their booze Would I come back? Yes I would. The ambience and service was impeccable. read more

Mariner's Restaurant - Duck - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

This place is fancy and expensive. I had the fish and spinach Florentine. It was wonderful, the creaminess blended well with the slightly salty breading on the light and delicious fish. My husband had the lobster ravioli. It was also wonderful. The pasta was not heavy. Seafood is your best bet here. My son tried the chicken Alfredo and it was not great. It is right on the water with windows everywhere. The staff is professional and efficient. This is everything you want in a fancy night out! read more

ABSOLUTE DELICIOUS FOOD! Our server Mathew was just as great! The feel of the place is nice and chic. Hidden gem! If your looking for a great quality dinner here in your place! The steaks melted in your mouth! Highly recommend read more

A bit of a letdown. The Steak Oscar had no lump crab meat, the asparagus wasn't trimmed and so was chewy and the lobster was over cooked and rubbery. The server did as well as he could with a slow kitchen and orders not coming out as ordered. Wife ordered a wedge salad with no blue cheese. When the salad was sent back because it was covered in blue cheese crumbles they only did a half way job of brushing off the cheese and re-served it with blue cheese still on the wedge. The stuffed potato seemed as though it was frozen and reheated, dry and tasteless. read more

Mariner's Restaurant - Steak Oscar - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

See all

Consistent, good food. Friendly staff. Nice decor with lakeside viewing. I especially love the patio on the water when the weather is nice!

Only tasty part of meal was drinks and cheesecake. Alligator bites were disgusting and they refused to take them off the bill. We will never be back here. Ambiance was lovely though! read more

Terrible... Lamb chop appetizer had lots of at and did not cut off small bone pieces. Panko crusted Sea Bass was so salty and the spinach madeline was also so salty and not made properly. Banana Foster cheescake had NO bananas!!!!! 1 is generous read more

Absolutely amazing...service, ambiance, food, and drinks. Both of our entrees were delicious and cooked to perfection. read more

Mariner's Restaurant - Spinach Madeline Panko Encrusted Sea Bass Steak Oscar - Seafood Near Me - Natchitoches, Louisiana

The ambiance is the only reason I would return and maybe the wonton appetizer. My corn and lump crab meat soup was cold and curled. They replaced it with gumbo.. much too salty for my liking. My sister's shrimp Oscar was grilled and gross, she could barely eat it. The drinks and ambiance saved the night.. oh and the wonton appetizer. read more